Gardening Naturally: A Guide to Growing Chemical-Free Flowers, Vegetables, and Herbs [Hardcover]

Ann Reilly (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 191 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes & Gardens Books; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696000393
• ISBN-13: 978-0696000393
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,893,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful photos and section on garden pests, soil amendment - a good book to have, August 16, 2010

By 

Shannon "jfaction" (Lafayette, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardening Naturally: A Guide to Growing Chemical-Free Flowers, Vegetables, and Herbs (Hardcover)

This is generally a very good book to have on one's gardening shelf. It was written in 1993 and mentions rotenone, which is a naturally occurring insecticide found in some plants. It was used as a pesticide, removed for a few years, and reintroduced again. It really has no place in a book touting itself as showing us how to "grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs that will flourish without the use of chemicals" so I give it four stars instead of five. However, at the time of publication, it was considered a natural pesticide, and the emphasis throughout really is on natural remedies.

The table of contents:
1: Starting from the ground up: Soil
2: Fertilizing your garden naturally
3: Growing the natural garden
4: Natural insect and disease control
5: The natural flower garden: a dictionary of annuals, a dictionary of perennials and biennials
6: The natural vegetable garden: a dictionary of vegetables
7: The natural herb garden: a dictionary of herbs

Photos are beautiful and include some neat shots of innovative compost bins that have cold frames built into the top of them.

The section on natural insect control has extensive photos of garden pests on the plants, which many books lack. It describes home remedies and ways to deal with each of these pests.

The section on herbs includes information on harvesting and drying the herbs.

The beginning chapter on soil condition is vital information for all gardens, and includes a comparison of the value of various soil amendments.

In all, a good book with a specific focus, and it fulfills that focus very well.

4.0 out of 5 stars Free Your Garden from Chemicals, July 12, 2007

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Gardening Naturally: A Guide to Growing Chemical-Free Flowers, Vegetables, and Herbs (Hardcover)

If you want to get away from spreading chemicals around your yard, then this is the book for you. There are lots of color photos and it gives plant-by-plant specifics. Some ideas were new to me, like putting aluminum foil as mulch. I wanted to try the diatomaceous earth for slugs, but could only find large batches in the swimming pool supplies. Maybe it's available in smaller containers in garden centers, but I've not found it.