Customer Reviews

The Impatient Gardener's Lawn Book

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading through this book twice, highlighting various tips and tidbits, I realized that I couldn't put it all together into one organized plan. So I went through the book a third time, taking notes, and trying to categorize the author's advice. Guess what? It's not possible. This how-to book IS very disorganized, and worse, internally inconsistent. However, I concluded that if I just took a stab at using parts of his advice, formulas, when-to's, etc., that my lawn would probably improve. It did. No question. I like the fact that his methods are easy and inexpensive. I got much better results than I did with my previous 6x/year TrueGreen lawn service for $250. If you're interested in understanding what your lawn wants, this book has the advice if you're willing to sift through the disorganization.

I bought this book for my husband. He follows it faithfully, and you can see the results in our yard. We have the most beautiful, lush grass in the neighborhood - which seems to be a miracle, since our yard was an overgrown field just two years ago. Jerry Baker provides simple ways to establish and maintain your lawn. I also appreciate the fact that we do not have to go to a gardening store to find the items recommended in his book.

General information is good. Jerry writes about everything from lawn equipment, watering, home to homemade tonics. However, the book is very disorganized. Jerry did a very poor job of summarizing the steps to a great lawn.

I'm sure my fellow gardeners have noticed how a nicely tended strip of grass sets off a garden bed perfectly! Designers say our eyes need a place to rest before we can see all the beauty in front of us. Although most people make their New Years resolutions in December or January, I promise myself every July I am going to do something about my grass.....something other than dig it all up. We've all seen Jerry Baker on television spraying ammonia and dish soap all over his yard...I find it very intriguing. Jerry's book on lawn care has a ton of info to offer..and true enough it is a little hard to follow sometimes, but most people will not do everything anyway. For my poor lawn anything is an improvement, so if you are task-oriented, schedule based and really really care about your lawn this book should be very helpful. There are a lot of chemicals included in the regimen so beware if you like me avoid them. But there is a lot here that will be used on my own little patch of soon to be healthier grass. If you want more details, reviews of other gardening books or simple little garden musings.

This book is not a detailed lawn program for lawn care. It is more or less a collection of articles and tips on lawn care. I certainly found many useful tips and helpful advice as I read through the book. However, in reading it front to back you will find that Mr. Baker differs in some small details from one presentation to the next, but his overall conception of what goes into a good lawn remains quite consistent throughout.

Mr. Baker offers several of his famous tonics that I look forward to trying. Some of the advice seems a tad dated - he talks about buying things from Brookstone that aren't offered on their website anymore and he doesn't mention his own website www.jerrybaker.com that does offer many of them and more.

The book discusses different types of grass and weeds, but doesn't offer much in the way of pictures. There are books that do and I find the pictures of the weeds very helpful in identifying them. But this book does offer state-by-state help on certain things and resources you can tap to get more information - very helpful.

This book is certainly worthy the price I paid for it and I like the tips I picked up. It isn't perfect, but deserves a place on your shelf.

I have never enjoyed caring for my lawn before. This book makes it fun, the results are gratifying. If you love being outdoors and tinkering in the yard and garden--this is the formula.

Jerry shows you very simple and inexpensive ways to improve your lawn and garden. Though some of the items he uses, mostly household products, seem starange at first; the results are OUTSTANDING.... We no have the best looking lawn in the entire neighborhood.

I am not letting my neighbors know about this one :)

The book gives good tips on lawn care, but must be one of the most disorganized writings I have ever seen. Information is provided in bits and pieces here and there, and is someitmes inconsistent. For example, the beer & amonia tip is given on at least three occaisions, each time with different mixture ratios and "optimal" application dates. Chapter 11 makes a half-baked effort do give a summary of the most important points in one place, only to be followed by a Q&A chapter the muddles the situation. If you have the patience and desire to sort out the mess I think that the book is well worth the price.

I've read so many lawn books that beat around the bush (no pun intended!) This book has the simple, and effective techniques clearly spelled-out. And it's entertaining, too. Highly recommended for anyone who has a problem lawn (like mine USED to be).

Four pages of the book was missing. It just happened to be the formulas that my husband needed. Fortunately he was able to copy our friends book. But I will hesitate to buy another book like this again.