Customer Reviews

New Illustrated Guide to Gardening

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As someone who doesn't have the money to go buying plants and shrubs to fill the yard, this book has become an invaluable resource. It goes into depth on how to propogate plants, trees, and shrubs, how to take offshoots, how to graft, and how to start from seeds. The info in here is priceless and this book has been in constant use since I purchased it. A must have for every gardener.

As a gardener I find this book invaluable! It covers pruning, gardening, landscaping, propagation, disease, house plants, and multitudes more. It has been a God send to me more than once. Several friends have borrowed this book from me only to purchase it at a later date.

It covers a multitude of sins and illustrates the joys of gardening.

I had the use of my sister-in-laws book, but I had to have my own copy! What a great, informative, and easy to use book! As a beginner gardener I wasn't sure how to do the seasonal care, fertilize, do soil checks, water properly, or prune correctly. This book taught me so much! Many helpful and detailed pictures included with the text as well! Worth every penny I spent! I highly recommend this book for any gardening home's reference library!

As a beginner, gardening can be difficult but this book is a big help. Fruit, veggies, perennials, annuals, herb, roses, bulbs, etc. with tons of color pictures. My step-mother and sister-in-law would love to have this book and I paid the list $ at a popular book store here in town. Amazon: great price!!

I have the Old version of this book. For the last 15 years it has been the book I first turned to for advise on planting, pruning, propagating and even selecting varieties. It was also the book that I turned to for solving the mystery of what was trying to kill my cedars one day and gave an effective solution. I didn't think this book could get better but I discovered I was wrong when I bought the "NEW" version for a friend for Christmas 2006.

Everything important to me is still there. Detail about the various plants, trees, shrubs, roses, and a countless list of perennials and annuals is quick to find, as are the demands each needs to thrive. Sections on saving existing plants through pruning, soil adjustment, pest control still remain with (in some areas), improved drawings, explanation and illustration will always be a lifesaver.

What I like most about this addition though are the thumbnail photos showing specific species of plants, specific photos of pests and disease. The drawings in the past were good but nothing compares to actually seeing a photo of the damage. I also like the attention given to the edible garden section. This probably replaced the "house plant' section which I never did bother to read.

In summary, this is a must own book for even a modest gardener. It inspires you to do more and help you to get there. It makes planning easier and solving problems easier still. It is a reference book worth its weight in gold and it is also now on my wish list.

Reader's Digest... what do they know about Gardening?? It was with a disappointed sigh that I received this book as a birthday present in February. But, lo and behold, I opened it in April and have had a hard time putting it down. This is simply a superb! It is clear, concise, very helpful. I highly recommend it as one of the only gardening reference books you'll need.

Upon ordering this item I found several items either missing or lacking. The original had much more information on a broader narative. I a dissapointed with my purchace and of readers digest. There is a readon the previous editions were raved over.

I found the deletion of the house plant section and the deletion of several over views of plant propegation of several species and varieties in addition to gardening in small spaces and green house gardening dissapointing.

Better luck next time

Meike Young

Last year, my partner managed to get a wild hair up his backside and insisted that the balcony outside our home be somewhat more "green". To be honest, I'm incapable of telling a rose from a pansy, and, since I knew that the comprehensive task of planting and, more importantly, maintaining the d**ned thing once it was put into place would fall on my shoulders, I quickly started a search for the best text I could find.

I've relied on Readers' Digest in the past for such, and there was no disappointment in this case. The book is usefully divided into sections by plant category and use - i.e. roses get their own chapter and section while pansies are listed under another amongst others similar to its appearance and use. The voluminous book's text and information is highly useful, but the fact that it is heavily illustrated and filled with photographs is invaluable. This is particularly true in the sections dealing with diseases and a malady of the plant - I mean, how "yellow" is that already yellowish-green plant when it's unhealthy from over-watering, disease or some such? Anyway, long and short, we won the "balcony" award for the flat complex last year - despite being first timers and all.

What's more, this book has actually made the whole process somewhat fun. This year, when it was announced that it was time to start the balcony again, I was actually quite looking forward to it, and even have a few ideas of my own.

The subject matter is neccessarily broad, and a more experienced gardner will likely find much of the material too basic to be more than a reference book. However, for gardening novices like myself, it's perfect!

For all new to gardening, this book is wonderful. It will give you a basic overview of all aspects of gardening to flowers, foliage, fruits and veggies.

I had no clue before I bought this book and now I'm hooked and getting better every year

The book was a gift and was greatly appreciated. The illustrations are wonderful but the lack of west coast data was disappointing, the book is mainly for east coasters.