Planted [Paperback]

Andy Sturgeon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

Gardening doesn't have to mean tangling with trellises--it's about watching seedlings come up and tinkering about outside on a summer's evening. Andy Sturgeon is a long-awaited breath of fresh air for the urban gardener, offering up lively-opinionated commentary on over 150 plants. 70 color photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Andy Sturgeon's brief biography on the sleeve notes of Planted informs us that he is a passionate gardener, snowboarder, and former Hong Kong bridge builder. It may be this unique mix that makes this book an informative and practical breath of fresh air. Following the line that gardening is the new rock & roll, this book will make perfect sense to those of you whose eyes, previous to acquiring your first garden, would immediately glaze over when your green-fingered friends started droning on about flowerbeds, garden architecture, and problems with alkaline soil. Now that you've got the garden, you've got some real catching up to do--and you'll only do it with someone like Andy Sturgeon on your team.

Planted is written in a friendly but forthright style with plenty of humorous interjections; for example, Lists of Things to Keep: "Things that are pretty (obviously!), things that create desired shade, things bought by your Mother." The Things That Must Go list includes plants that are everything from "ugly" to "too damn big." However, the book is underpinned with concise and practical information using language and a format both candid and modern that will steer you through a steep learning curve.

Andy knows and loves his gardening, but his advice to approach the planning of your garden as you would an additional room, with easy-to-maintain plants or vegetables, will leave more time to enjoy your creation from a deck chair, beer in hand. In no time you'll be as fanatical about your garden as those friends who mystified you with their evangelical zeal only a few weeks before. The book lists advice on analyzing what you have, followed by descriptions of different types of plants, from "Indestructible Shrubs" to "Ballistics" for those who don't want to wait around forever for their garden to mature. There's a buyer's guide that will point you toward the right retailer for the right plant and there's a comprehensive guide to fighting off pestilence and disease for when you get your plants home. All in all, Planted brings gardening into the 21st century and has to be one of the most enjoyable and energetic gardening books available. --Tony Martin

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Soma Books; First Edition edition (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579590292
• ISBN-13: 978-1579590291
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,094,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, innovative and inspirational, December 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Planted (Paperback)

Wonderful photography and superb narrative puts other gardening books to shame. How old and boring all my other gardening books look and read in comparison. Fantastic for both amateur and armchair gardeners.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the beginner, August 6, 2004

By 

Carol Hickey (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Planted (Paperback)

I like that this book is geared toward the beginning gardener, and offers many useful tips on how to use your own creativity to design something that is ultimately beautiful and low maintenance. The photos are especially great!