Customer Reviews

Martha Stewart's Gardening : Month by Month

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

 

 

I know, I know, this is Martha's stuff, the woman we all love to hate! However, the book is arranged in a friendly fashion, giving a month-by-month tour of her gardens, with information on typical chores she will expect from her gardeners that month!

As with everything else Martha does, her gardens are on a grand scale and ambitious. What I like about this book are several things: she gardens in a similar climate zone to mine; her gardens are generally unpretentious, and her English-inspired style is one I enjoy. Each month, she lays out the work needing to be done for the various flower and vegetable gardens, then focuses on a seasonal aspect of her garden. The book is lavishly illustrated, and for those of us who are visual people--what gardener isn't?--the ideas are inspiring.

The information is fairly basic, but actually useful to those who are beginning to garden on a more serious scale. She does not seem to depend heavily on chemical warfare and emphasizes such basics as good soil preparation and the other down and dirty aspects of good gardening. If your gardening budget can afford it and you find inspiration from good garden design photos, this book is worth your time and money.

Over here in England, we are just beginning to be included in the Martha Stewart 'empire'. (Of cousre we have our own home grown lifestyle gurus, but I think a toughie like Martha could wipe the floor with the lot of them!) As a keen gardener I was eager to get my hands on this book to learn more about American gardening plants and styles, and ideas; to my surprise this book is in essence a rehash of the work of the very English Penelope Hobhouse, Rosemary Verey and Christopher Lloyd! Still, a good book, and a good read, despite the photographic quality not being up to the usual standards for garden books.

Basically, it's good for inspiring beginners; however, if you want to garden in 'le style anglais' go to straight Penelope Hobhouse. As I believe they say in the States - she's got it going on!

Once again, Martha has inspired us with her advice and illustrations. This book follows Martha month to month in her (and her staff's) preparations of flower and vegetable gardens, the trees and shrubs at Turkey Hill.It helps one to understand the layout of her gardens there. Some recipes using items from her garden are included. It does not give as much advice as one might expect, but inspires all the same. Martha does have much for all of us to learn, men and women!Yes, there are some things we wouldn't use in day to day living, but, almost everything she covers in her books and on her shows(from climbing trees to beekeeping to cooking and gardening) are very pragmatic.

Martha knows a lot about gardening, which she learned a great deal of from her father. Her book," Martha Stewart's Gardening Month By Month" is my favorite gardening book to return to again and again. In this book, she goes through each step of the gardening process in a month by month format, explaining what to do during each month of the year, as she shows you how she created her beautiful gardens at Turkey Hill Farm in Connecticut. You will learn how to plan your garden,about soil preparation,what and where to plant,all with gorgeous color photos. You'll learn about growing vegetables,fruits, flowers and herbs. She's even included some recipes! There is a handy index, bibliography and source guide in the back of this large 360 page book.

I was motivated to plant everything and anything, especially sweet peas and a vegetable garden; however, she tends to go overboard on planting everything and anything, and it may become overwhelming and/or confusing to the weekend gardener. I reccommend the book for the pictures and the creative ideas for everyone.

This book has become my guidebook for the month to month steps needed in the garden. I don't have much time to focus on the garden although at 3 acres I need to. At the end of each month I read the next month's chapter and it prompts me what to be sure I address

Don't automatically assume that this is just another slick, coffee-table book. I've owned more gardening books that I care to admit and during a recent 'clean-out' and general overhaul of my gardening library, this is one of the few books that stayed on my shelf. There are literally dozens of backyard gardening missives with bibliographies that read like a who's who of horticultural academia. In other words, so many out there are just passing around the same old information with a different cover page. Sure, Martha undoubtedly has hired assistance that most of us can only drool over, but she still has legitimate experience to offer which is what helps to separate this book from many of it's more mundane peers. She also takes the time to focus on heirloom varieties as well as offering the option of the organic approach (which she appears to favor) as well as chemical-based alternatives. It surely doesn't hurt that there are pages packed with almost unbelievable profusion whether it be from the flower or vegetable gardens, the property is truly a work of art, even if it is not by Martha's hand alone. This is the heady stuff of any gardeners wildest imagination come true and no matter whether or not it is attainable by the majority of us, it is a heavy dose of inspiration combined with practical and legitimately useful information as a welcome bonus. Well worth the read.

If you are a gardener and have not read this book, you owe it to yourself to open your mind to Martha Stewart and try. This is one of the best gardening books I own and I am a librarian. The month to month format guides you through the experience of a garden, I kept this book with me while I was in Iraq homesick for my garden. Martha offers ideas on where to locate seeds, something everyone should be concerned about considering they are in our care. I appreciate that she is focused on heirloom, not hybrid, and understand the connectedness of the ecosystem. Further, Martha is a better writer than most other authors of garden books. Even compared to the books in her bibliography, which gives credit to her resources, something almost every garden book author overlooks, she has written a better book. I am not suggesting buying her stock, but I would buy her books

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite gardening books of all time. I highly recommend it!!!

I am not especially a great fan of Martha Stewart, however, I must admit she knows her stuff. I was fearing that she would choose the tough way to take care of flowers and plants, but it's all the contrary actually, she likes using natural methods against plants diseases and I do appreciate that, I have been pleasantly surprised. Her book speaks more of the East cold areas, and since I am in California, I didn't find all the info I was searching for, but it is normal : she only speaks of the things she knows very well, and she knows a lot ! I am not as efficient as she is in gardening, but I know enough to be able to say she knows her stuff. I would even say there is far beyond the day-to- day things and details. She tackled to very big projects on very wide areas, and my garden doesn't need such a huge plan, but as we say in France : "who can do the most, can do the least". She has a true and deep understanding of gardening and we can feel she loves that. As usually, she is over the top for everything. Even if we do only the half of her work, it is already enormous. Anyway, if you want to learn deeply gardening, with all the logical explanations, by understanding what you are doing, this book is for you.
I still don't love Martha Stewart a lot, but I must admit that I admire her for her efficiency and deep knowledge in this gardening field.