In this introduction to sustainable landscaping practices, Linda Chalker-Scott addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Chalker-Scott offers invaluable advice to gardeners who have wondered: Are native plants the best choice for sustainable landscaping? Should you avoid disturbing the root ball when planting? Are organic products better or safer than synthetic ones? What is the best way to control weeds-fabric or mulch? Does giving vitamins to plants stimulate growth? Are compost teas effective in controlling diseases? When is the best time to water in hot weather? If you pay more, do you get a higher-quality plant? How can you differentiate good advice from bad advice? The answers may surprise you. In her more than twenty years as a university researcher and educator in the field of plant physiology, Linda Chalker-Scott has discovered a number of so-called truths that originated in traditional agriculture and that have been applied to urban horticulture, in many cases damaging both plant and environmental health. The Informed Gardener is based on basic and applied research from university faculty and landscape professionals, originally published in peer-reviewed journals. After reading this book, you will: understand your landscape or garden plants as components of a living system; save time (by not overdoing soil preparation, weeding, pruning, staking, or replacing plants that have died before their time); save money (by avoiding worthless or harmful garden products, and producing healthier, longer-lived plants); reduce use of fertilizers and pesticides; and assess marketing claims objectively. This book will be of interest to landscape architects, nursery and landscape professionals, urban foresters, arborists, certified professional horticulturists, and home gardeners. Linda Chalker-Scott is an extension urban horticulturist and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. She is the Washington State editor of "MasterGardener" magazine and for six years she authored an online column, Horticultural Myths.
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"[A] succinct and easy-to-navigate resource . . . . Chalker-Scott's instructions are clear enough for even a first-time gardener to follow." --The Bloomsbury Review
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"This enjoyable book should find its way into the hands of almost every gardener. . . . Highly recommended for public libraries with gardeners ready to tackle the literature, as well as academic and special libraries with interests in horticulture and gardening."
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More About the Author
Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist. She is WSU's Extension Urban Horticulturist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. In her position, she develops educational materials for home gardeners, certified arborists, restoration ecologists, pesticide applicators, and the nursery and landscape industry. She is also a regular contributor and science editor for Master Gardener Magazine, a Washington-based quarterly publication that presents scientifically valid information to a popular gardening audience. Her first book, The Informed Gardener (2008, University of Washington Press), is an examination of some common horticultural myths and was awarded a Silver Medal of Achievement from the Garden Writers Association in 2009.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A scientific approach to gardening.,
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This review is from: The Informed Gardener (Paperback)
A fascinating, brave book at variance with the received wisdom of my sixty years of gardening. I'm trying her methods this year. If what she writes is accurate, it explains many of my failures and relieves me of a great deal of work.
A compilation of articles, it lacks an easy to use how-to format. For example I'd like a presentation along the lines of standard gardening books. For planting out I want a clear, easy to use, set of diagrams and instructions incorporating her research. As it is, the index is not always useful, and I have to search the text for guidance leaving me the option of making my own outline from her book.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A through, well-written guide,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Informed Gardener (Paperback)
Gardening can be something that's very therapeutic for some, but also can produce useful plants and herbs for its gardener. "The Informed Gardener" is a comprehensive and complete guide for gardeners about the odds and ends of gardening, the myths and misconceptions, while touching on the ideas of native plants in sustainable landscaping, fabric vs. mulch in weed control, and how to differentiate good gardening advice from bad gardening advice. Seeking to debunk other falsehoods that may ultimately damage gardens and the soil their planted in, "The Informed Gardener" is a through, well-written guide and is highly recommended to any gardening enthusiast.
Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If you want to treat your plants properly, give this a look....,
By Flush Barrett-Browning (Tennessee Valley) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Informed Gardener (Paperback)
One of the problems that scholars/researchers face is that they work long and hard for material that doesn't always translate into a book of substance. Chalker-Scott's examination of common gardening myths is quite helpful, but she doesn't really have a lot to say. [Most of the verbage is support for her basic concepts.] But what she does say can be important. So, even though it's really a small book with only a few true new ideas/methods, those are quite worthwhile.
sigh. Sorry I couldn't say all that a bit more clearly. I'm glad that I bought the book; it did change some of my gardening practices, but all the information could have been condensed into a few pages.
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