Complete Guide to Flower Gardening (Better Homes & Gardens) (Paperback)

by Better Homes and Gardens Books (Author), Michael McKinley (Editor) "Before you create a garden, you should first get to know the plants you'll be growing..." (more)
Key Phrases: Similar Species, New American-style, North America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Complete information on planning, designing, planting and caring for flower gardens.

Offers garden plans for country, traditional, and naturalistic gardens adaptable to any location and color scheme.

More than 700 lush color photos and illustrations offer both inspiration and instruction.

Encyclopedia features more than 450 species of flowers, ornamental grasses, and ferns.

Profiles flower gardeners from across the country who share their secrets for success.

Includes a handy list of mail-order nurseries, plus frost date and hardiness zone maps.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes and Gardens (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696208520
• ISBN-13: 978-0696208522
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #688,838 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the beging and advanced gardener., October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Guide to Flower Gardening (Hardcover)

This book has all the information you need to keep your garden looking great. It has tips on how to plan your garden, buy your plants, do the actual planting, and maintain your garden. And as all Better Homes and Gardens books, everything is presented in an easy to read and reference format with great how to pictures. The best part of the book is the plant encyclopedia. The encylopedia is a fairly complete listing of all annuals, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, grasses, and trees with pictures, common names, botanical names, breif descriptions, and planting conditions. A must have reference for every gardener and budding gardener.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ISN'T HERE, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT!, February 16, 2001

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Complete Guide to Flower Gardening (Hardcover)

First, let me explain, my husband is the gardener, I am the book reader, so we really got together on this one. He moves the perennials and shrubs around and changes the garden plan so often that I wouldn't dare attempt to cross the garden at night without fear of running smack into a Burning Bush! The ultimate result of his long and dedicated devotion to the garden has produced some spectatular results and much can be attributed to this terrific book.

First of all, it told him everything he was doing wrong, and his response to that was, "Oh my ..., I've been working on this for five years and made every mistake in the book!" Secondly, it told him how to do it right. The book covers absolutely everything from planning, choosing the proper plants for the proper location and soil, and how to create symmetry in your garden. The photography is beautiful and the encyclopedia of garden plants is worth its weight in gold!

Three cheers for Better Homes and Gardens for giving us this "can't do without it book." Every gardener, hobbyist or professional, will find something of value here, and hopefully, you will learn where to put the Burning Bush....before it goes into the ground.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best gardening guide I have seen for the beginning gardener!, February 1, 1999

By	Ruty (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Guide to Flower Gardening (Hardcover)

The "Better Homes And Gardens Complete Guide To Flower Gardening" is the most comprehensive guide I have come across for the novice or experienced gardener. The book is organized so that you can fully understand the different types of flowers needed for the type of soil, light, and moisture conditions in your yard. It explains in detail the different styles of gardens, so that you may design your garden according to the many landscape examples provided in the book, or use the knowledge learned from the book to design your own. My favorite section of the book is the organized catalog of the different types of flowers and grasses, detailing their growth patterns and environmental needs, as well as a color picture of each plant. Without this book my yard would still be a vast wasteland of crabgrass and wild violets and clover! Needless to say, I LOVE THIS BOOK! Now when I walk out my door, I can stop and smell the roses!