Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference [Hardcover]

Janet Marinelli (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 1998

The ultimate gardening reference work compiled by two dozen of the world's leading plant experts under the auspices of one of the world's greatest botanical gardens. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference is a milestone in garden publishing, the kind of groundbreaking work that appears once in a lifetime. No gardening reference--ever--has combined this scope of information in a single volume. The coverage in most gardening reference books falls into a few standard horticultural categories. The Gardener's Desk Reference unlocks the door to a vast assortment of plant knowledge from around the world. There is enough information in this single volume to serve any plant enthusiast--beginning and professional alike--over a lifetime. For easy use, the wide-ranging material is divided into twenty different sections--from "Botany for Gardeners" to "Kitchen Gardening" to "The Horticultural Traveler" to "Weights, Measures, and Conversions." The hundreds of indispensable sidebars, graphs, tables, plant lists, maps, and illustrations found throughout the reference make it even more accessible and attractive. To do justice to the continent's breathtaking diversity of climates and plant communities, all plant lists are organized by region, and every recommed species or cultivar has been chosen by an experienced landscaper tested by years of gardening in the area. Never before have gardeners had access to the breadth and quality of information in this authoritative reference.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Don't plan on getting a lot accomplished for the first week or so that this book is in your house. It may be a reference, but it behaves like a sponge, sucking up any and all attention you happen to cast its way. Take, for example, the chapter called "Botany for Gardeners." High-school biology was never this interesting. The chapter on "Plant Conservation," which includes sections on plant diversity as well as vanishing plants, is frightening. Ever think you would be frightened by a gardening text?

Reference, however, is the key word here--for this is a reference, and not a final word (should such a thing even exist). With chapters devoted to natural gardening, kitchen gardening, ornamental gardening, indoor and city gardening, and safe pest control, this monster-size book (and undertaking)--more than 800 pages--is the place to start looking for just about any kind of information on gardening and plants. It's the desk version of Think Globally, Act Locally in that it gives a fairly good idea of where to go to flesh out any information. One regret: the short shrift given mushrooms, whose only appearance is among poisonous plants. One can usually expect more of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden than this kind of backhand to the chops.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden couldn't be a better place to launch such a project as the Gardener's Desk Reference. It has been a pioneer in gardening publications for a century, and gardeners everywhere owe it a real debt. --Schuyler Ingle

From Library Journal

Patrons will either love or hate this book, which attempts to be the ultimate one-volume gardener's reference. In 760 pages, the editor (director of publications for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and author of Stalking the Wild Amaranth, LJ 1/98) presents 17 horticultural topics plus a glossary, a list of "essential resources," and a list of weights, measures, and conversions. Some topics, such as basic botany, natural gardening, kitchen gardening, ornamental gardening, indoor gardening, and pest control, are covered in more and better detail by individual volumes that are widely available. In addition, Marinelli made the choice to include more text by omitting almost all the illustrations, save a few dozen line drawings. This may appeal to list-lovers who don't have access to many gardening books or horticultural references, but many gardeners will find the lists nearly useless. For example, a list of (only) ten plants for "winter interest in the Pacific Northwest" with only names and no descriptions, growth requirements, or pictures assures that the reader will have to turn to another volume for more complete information. Worse yet, errors in plant names and questionable recommendations are obvious in the region this reviewer knows best (the Pacific Northwest), suggesting that the quality of content varies with the regional contributors. Despite these flaws, two excellent chapters on plant conservation and ecology for gardeners add some value and usefulness to the book, and the chapter on plant trivia may also provide information not found elsewhere. Differing significantly from other one-volume gardening references that focus more on techniques, plants, and illustrations (e.g., The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Gardening, LJ 10/15/97), this is recommended as an optional purchase for some public and specialized libraries.?Laura E. Lipton, Ctr. for Urban Horticulture, Univ. of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 832 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (October 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805050957
• ISBN-13: 978-0805050950
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adequate, but not the best...., May 20, 2001

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference (Hardcover)

As much as I admire Janet Marinelli (STALKING THE WILD AMARANTH -- which I highly recommend) and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, I cannot recommend THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDENER'S DESK REFERENCE as THE reference book for the average gardener. A much better buy, though half again as much is AMERICA'S GARDEN BOOK, also from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. AMERICA'S GARDEN BOOK is a true reference which lists plants by type, and recommends plants sure to work in the average garden. Actually, AGB is a stunner. I use it all the time and rarely does it lack some kind of answer to my question.

DESK REFERENCE is geared to the middle-to-advanced gardener. Different sections of the book deal with ecologically sound gardening practices whether one is dealing with a backyard bog or the desert edge. All gardeners should undertake organic gardening as soon as possible (get rid of your lawn to begin with) as it makes for a better planet and you're less likely to poison yourself, but generally, Rodale's offerings are much more practical and detailed and therefore easier for the novice organic gardener to follow.

DESK REFERENCE is printed on pulp paper, contains some drawings but is devoid of photographs. AMERICA'S GARDENING BOOK is printed on top grade slick paper and loaded with photos. If you can afford both go for it, but if you can afford only one book buy the latter.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good reference, but not for quick lookups, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference (Hardcover)

A novice gardener, I bought this book when I needed to get some plants in the ground in my new house; for that it was a disappointment. Don't expect to use it to look up "clematis" and find out how to plant it or how often it needs watering. However, it is a good overall reference.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, one-stop referencing for all gardening questions!, January 26, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Columbia, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference (Hardcover)

It was with great joy that I opened this book for the first time. The book is a marvelous compendium of knowledge for all gardeners, no matter the level of skill. The writing is clear and concise. Subject matter is well planned and pleasing to read. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of this book is the index. The references and cross-references are so complete. I give this book my highest recommendation.