Time-Saving Gardener: Tips and Essential Tasks, Season by Season (Paperback)

~ (Author) "This chart provides an at-a-glance guide to all the step-by-step seasonal tasks outlined on pp. 14-123, including seasonal reminders of those tasks that can be..." (more)
Key Phrases: horticultural fabric, wayward growth, semiripe cuttings (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For gardeners too busy to plan, this eminently practical book takes care of the distracting work of planning, organizing and prioritizing. With an emphasis on efficiency, Hutchinson (Easy Container Gardening) lays out gardening tasks by season, labels them by priority, sorts them into logical categories—beds, borders and pools; propagation; containers; lawns; kitchen gardens; and pests and disease—and even gives an approximation of the time each task will take. The book itself is a lesson in efficiency, jam-packed with essentials from pruning bush roses (early spring) and the year's first lawn mowing (mid-spring) to frost and snow protection (late autumn) and cleaning containers and tools (winter). It also gives instruction on less common but intriguing topics such as planting alpines in walls, installing a computerized patio water system for ease and water conservation and protecting pond fish from predators. Cartloads of attractive, clear illustrations walk readers step-by-step through every project, whether it's dividing water lilies, planting a clematis into a tree, or eradicating vine weevils, and photos display the inviting outcomes. This book gives stressed-out gardeners practical advice on how to keep their backyard jungles tamed and maybe even time to enjoy the fruits of their labors. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Categorized by season, with a step-by-step format, Hutchinson’s guide aims to simplify chores for budding gardeners. Colorful illustrations and a photo here and there accompany each task or activity featured, such as the best time to plant new specimens, mulching and pruning, fall cleanup, and dealing with pests or plant diseases. Hutchinson provides an interesting system of symbols to indicate a task’s priority as well as actual estimates of the time it will take to accomplish the actions pictured. Her systematic approach explains what is necessary to undertake each season, be it lawn care or raising vegetables, while offering special tips in sidebars. The layout should appeal to readers looking for a concise course of action when dealing with the many demands of a garden. --Alice Joyce

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (March 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554073723
• ISBN-13: 978-1554073726
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #800,048 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)