Gardener's Home Companion/How to Raise and Propagate More Than 350 Flowers, Herbs, Vegetables, Berries, Shrubs, Vines, and Lawn and Ornamental Grasse [Hardcover]

Betty MacKey (Author), Ann Reilly (Author), D. Bilderback (Author), D. Bilderback (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0025780352 | ISBN-13: 978-0025780354 | Publication Date: April 25, 1991 | Edition: 1

The Gardener's Home Companion provides quick reference in an easy-to-scan format for growing type, this handy volume offers step-by-step instructions on cultivating, fertilizing, watering, pruning, mulching, propagating, and harvesting. 150 line drawings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A roster of noted horticulturalists and garden writers here assemble one of the most comprehensive gardening encyclopedias to address the hobbyist. The book provides solid information on garden design, planting, maintenance and tools, but is more valuable for its straightforward, detailed entries on hundreds of popular plants, including herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Each entry offers a biography of the plant, from height, color and form to soil, light, and pH requirements, then carefully outlines means of propagation, followed by a short but descriptive list of the selected species. Additional chapters discuss in general terms roses, shrubs, vines, ground covers, ornamental grasses and more. A particularly useful chapter explores the gardening year month by month for four different geographic zones. Remarkably rich yet concise, the volume will become a friend to nearly anyone planting, growing, harvesting or enjoying the fruits of their labors. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this easy-to-scan reference guide, six well-known garden writers provide a huge amount of information for the beginner and intermediate gardener interested in flower, herb, and vegetable growing. Over one-third of the book covers individual flowers with general comments, step-by-step growing instructions, and a listing of popular species and cultivars. Sections for herbs and vegetables follow the same format. Shrubs, vines, ground covers, and grasses are discussed in less detail with information on these plants partially presented in tables at the end of the book. Four extensive chapters focus on tools and equipment and general gardening techniques, including site selection, soil preparation, and general plant care. Calendars for the four major geographic areas of the United States outline gardening tasks for each month of the year. The price makes this informative work a bargain for public libraries. Recommended.
- Dale Luchsinger, Athens Area Technical Inst., Ga.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 25, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0025780352
• ISBN-13: 978-0025780354
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,729,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1-2-3 Easy Steps to Understanding Gardening, May 1, 2000

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"bratcat73" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardener's Home Companion/How to Raise and Propagate More Than 350 Flowers, Herbs, Vegetables, Berries, Shrubs, Vines, and Lawn and Ornamental Grasse (Hardcover)

I found this book to be exceptionally useful as a novice gardener with very little knowlegde on the care and propogation of houseplants. It gives step-by-step intructions on how to care for a variety of plants from the frist day you bring it home - everything from the type of soil it likes, how and what to fertilize with and the environment it should be kept in. Also useful are the tips on how to propogate various types of plants from flowers to vegetable to vines. It gave me to confidence to start new baby plantlings from the very plants I already have in my home. I highly recommend this book for anyone who just wants one definitve "bible" on how to garden. It is a complete reference manual that no one should be without.