Customer Reviews

Gardening with Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like to hear Ed Hume talk about gardening, this book is a perfect extension of his style. The type is set well and the photos are gorgeous. He presents his vast knowledge in a casual but very organized way. But there really aren't many special insights that one might expect from an experienced gardener.

I found that I could read a whole chapter and feel like I had only read the back of a seed packet. That's because his essential message is that it's easy--maybe a little too easy. For example, nearly every time he recommends a fertilizer, he says to use a rose, or all-purpose, or vegetable fertilizer. In a topic where we're inundated with specialized data and miracle-of-the-month formuae, it's refreshing to hear some one say to basically just grab a box and use it. But it also doesn't provide very much except to remind us to relax and enjoy gardening. That message could fit on, well, the back of a seed packet.

If you're looking for an organic approach, this is not a book for you. He incorporates much of the wisdom of organic into his approach, but he certainly doesn't eschew the application of synthetic chemicals, nor does he distinguish between them and their alternatives.

It's a nice winter read and a well-rounded compilation of lots the commonsense truisms that Northwest gardeners absorb over time. For those times you need a fussier approach, Steve Solomon's _Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades_ is a substantial and essential guide.

Ed Hume is recognized as one of the foremost garden authorities in the north west. His television show "Gardening in America" is watched by millions who appreciate his down-to-earth, practical gardening advice. Reading this book is much like watching his T.V. show - he shares information in a very relaxed, direct fashion. The advantage of the book is that the reader can keep checking back whenever the information is required.

The writer has organized his material well, moving from a general topic - landscaping - to chapters on different categories of plants, trees, shrubs, bulbs etc., with a final couple of chapters on composting and protecting plants from creatures. Each chapter has been further divided into sections and sub-sections so the search for information is simple. Better still, the information is supplied in digestible nuggets so the reader doesn't have to plough through excess verbiage.

Much of the book is taken up with "encyclopedias", for example "shrub encyclopedia", which takes up almost half of the 48 pages given to shrubs. These are not encyclopedias, of course, they're just plant lists with some helpful notes beside each species. I'm not a great fan of plant lists, even when they're called encyclopedias, they appear to me to be just an easy way to fatten out a book.

That, said, this is a very useful and readable book for the gardener in the Pacific North West. Buy it for your garden library - you'll find yourself using it often.

LOVE this book. Checked it out of our local library and had to have it. Very easy to follow and great for Washington gardeners. One of my favorite gardening books!

This book is packed with informative information about gardening in the Northwest. Ed Hume makes it easy for anyone to achieve a beautiful garden. There's also illustrated pictures and tabs on the pages, to make it easy to find the sections you're looking for. You can see Ed Hume really put his heart and soul into writing this book. I'm so glad I bought it!!

Ed Hume's book is perfectly indexed, amazingly organized and an outstanding reference for selecting, planting and maintaining a yard. His down to earth language is easy to understand and mixed with humor. The perfect gardening book.

received quickly and in perfect condition...the book itself was informative but more photos of plants would be helpful to novice gardeners like myself.

Colorful photographs enhance Gardening With Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy, a straightforward, "gardener friendly" guide to growing everything from perennials to lawns, hedges, trees, and vegetables. Tips on pest control, step-by-step instructions from seeding to harvest, and a wealth of time-saving advice fill the pages of this easy-to-follow and enthusiastically recommended resource designed especially for the non-specialized general reader in a Pacific Northwest climate wanting to enjoy the creation of everything from flowerbeds to yard lawns.