Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Platform gardens of all kinds and sizes-from the bed of plants on pavement at ground level, to the tabletop landscape, to the stroll garden on..." (more)
Key Phrases: pavement gardening, pavement bed, table gardening, New Zealand, Pacific Northwest, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Schenk, the author of Moss Gardening (1997) and The Complete Shade Gardener (2002), tells how to grow plants on pavement, rocks, railings, tables, stumps and logs, and stepping stones with just a few inches of soil, framing the resulting raised bed with material solid enough to hold it in place. This also can be achieved by planting low ground covers in the seams of soil between paving blocks of a terrace or patio, by planting low-growing plants along a walkway of paving stones, and by planting grass or ground covers in the open grids of preformed concrete gridwork. Schenk gives instructions on the shape of the beds and on the right kinds and depth of soil. He also provides advice on watering, weeding, pruning, dead-heading, and fertilizing, and lists hundreds of the best plants to use, providing data on their size and growth rate. Complementing the informative text are 109 color photographs. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Anyone wanting to turn a brownfield into a greenfield site should take a look at this." -- Bookseller, April 2004

"The latest offering by George Schenk is a honey of a book, both practical and whimsical." -- Fine Gardening, March/April 2005

"City gardeners in particular should find a lot of useful informationin this book." Science News, July 31, 2004 (Science News )

"Living in a concrete jungle? This book's solution: Grow a garden on it ... highlights innovative gardens where you least expect them, miniature worlds in outlandish places, as quirky as they are captivating."—Lili Singer, Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2004 (Lili Singer Los Angeles Times )

"The latest offering by George Schenk is a honey of a book, both practical and whimsical."—Linda Hillegass, Fine Gardening, March/April 2005 (Linda Hillegass Fine Gardening )

City gardeners in particular should find a lot of useful informationin this book. Science News, July 31, 2004 (Science News )

Living in a concrete jungle? This book's solution: Grow a garden on it ... highlights innovative gardens where you least expect them, miniature worlds in outlandish places, as quirky as they are captivating.Lili Singer, Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2004 (Los Angeles Times )

The latest offering by George Schenk is a honey of a book, both practical and whimsical.Linda Hillegass, Fine Gardening, March/April 2005 (Fine Gardening )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881928127
• ISBN-13: 978-0881928129
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #432,057 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual "take" on gardening, May 8, 2007

By	M. Edwards (Sterling, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Platforms (Hardcover)

This is an extremely interesting "take" on gardening. It had never occurred to me to plant directly on pavement, but this book convinced me I should try it. I did, and with spectacular results. I now have flowers growing in the middle of my driveway in a strip of dirt that's about 10' x 2' x 4-8" high. It looks much more natural than a traditional raised bed, and, amazingly, the dirt has stayed put without benefit of artificial barriers, just a few judiciously placed rocks. I also now have flowers growing out of a rotting stump. This book opened to me a whole new world of possibilities.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces, June 13, 2008

By	Nana Livingston (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Inspirational and unusal book showing ways to maximize the beauty of areas that might otherwise remain a blight on the landscape. Covering pavement, enhancing stumps, and dressing up rocks are all possible with the guidance of this clever gardener whose writing is also excellent. I've purchased extras to give as gifts and gave one to my landscaper who has tirelessly and artfully moved rocks all over my new North Carolina landscape to great effect! You will love this book if you love to do unusual things in your garden!