Customer Reviews

Pat Welsh's Southern California Gardening: A Month-by-Month Guide

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am just beginning the adventure into the world of gardening. This is our first house and after two years my husband and I are finally installing our yards. I was looking for a definative book about how to garden in Southern California, Ms. Welsh's book more than fit the bill. Her book is full of gardening ideas and monthly schedules that spread the chores out over the 12 months of the year leaving a lot of time for enjoyment. As a novice, I now feel more confident cruising the nurseries and homecenters looking for the perfect plant because I have a better understanding of the maintenance and care needed.

This is my garden bible. Although I use other specialized garden books like the Sunset Western Garden Book for detailed plant info., this is the one that tells me exactly when to do what to which plants month-by-month, including how-to sketches. There's nothing better for SoCal gardeners!

Want to be a top notch gardener in So. California and impress all of your friends? Follow her advice, all of it. I've gardened in San Diego for 8 years, the last 5 of which I've had her month-to-month guide. What a difference! She is right on with tips on vegetable gardens, annuals, perennials, when to plant what, managing garden pests, you name it. Plus, she is delightful to read. Her funny and matter-of-fact style makes you read ahead to months you're not even in. Buy it, read it, you'll be amazed at the results.

I came from England to Southern California and found that my gardening experience was almost useless in this climate. This book really is amazing, if you have this and the Sunset Western Gardening book you can't really go far wrong. Pat Welsh takes you month by month through the gardening year so that you seldom have to struggle to find the information you need. It's very well indexed too - a sure sign of trustworthiness.

This is a superbly organized book that truly is a SoCal gardening "bible". All the basics and more are covered, month-by-month, (from planting, pruning, and pest control, to "How to Plant a Water Lily"), including some fun ideas with a Martha Stewart flavor to them ("How to Grow a Cantaloupe in a Tire"). The end of the month checklists are concise, useful summaries of each chapter.

I especially appreciate how the author gives background information in addition to detailing the methods you should use, basically, so the gardener doesn't just know HOW to do something, s/he knows WHY (e.g., the effects of Santa Ana winds, "What is an Epiphyte?"). Also, Ms. Welsh is thorough (and thankfully includes organic methods); for example, under Control of Snails and Slugs, she explains not two, but nine ways to deal with those slimy pests.

My single complaint is one of omission: composting is given little attention in this book; vermiculture (using worms for composting) is not even mentioned. I have found composting with a worm bin perfect for "Suburban and Small Space(s)"; if properly maintained, these bins can be used indoors. However, for most gardeners, an expanded composting section for this book is not needed as composting is already an established part of their routine. For beginners, there may be enough information here to get them started. The additional book I recommend below provides sufficient composting and mulching information.

For your Southern California garden, I recommend this book and Weedless Gardening (by Lee Reich), plus a healthy application of compost.

Pat Welsh demystifies gardening in our unique climate here in So. Cal. Besides being enjoyable reading, this book helps gardeners understand the differences between gardening here and other less temperate areas of the country. I've owned this book for a couple of years, and for me, it rates right up there with the Sunset Western Garden Book on frequency of consultation.

I love this book. I was checking it out of the library for information and decided I had to have it. If you are a beginner it speaks in clear understandable language. If you are experianced, it covers all aspects of gardening and in a clear organized manner that helps you plan your entire year. His check off lists are handy and his attitude is what makes this book so enjoyable. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend.

I have many books on caring for outdoor plants, but this book is by far the best I've ever seen! It guides you through purchasing, planting, trimming, pruning, dividing, fertilizing, pest and weed control, vegetable gardening, care of citrus trees, roses and much more. Everything is specific to the S. Calif. climate. There is a chapter devoted to each month, which goes indepth about specific plants and trees that need special attention that month. At the end of each chapter there is a checklist of "to-dos" for the month. With this book your time spent in the garden will produce better results, and it will help you to do things right the first time instead of learning through (costly and time-comsuming) mistakes.

After reading these glowing reviews, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. However, I found a lot of information sorely lacking or incomplete. The month-by-month planting guide format is nice, but, in the attempt to guide us through planting almost every single type of flower/vegetable/herb/fruit possible, we get a little information on a lot of plants, but almost nothing is thoroughly covered. For instance, if you plan to grow tomatoes, this book will tell you which month to plant them, give an incomplete explanation as to the causes and remedies of blossom end rot, and give you outdated advice on the advantages of pruning tomato plants. That's it. The other major problem with this book is that organic gardening tips are almost non-existant and the use of synthetic fertilizers is assumed.

Bottom line is this is a great "quick-reference" for hundreds, if not thousands of plants, but if you have any minor problems beyond when to plant and when to water, this book will be no help.

I was lucky to stumble across this book at a discount store at the Citadel Outlet Mall in Commerce (sadly, since closed). This is a great instructional book, or one just to peruse while relaxing in the garden. The month-by-month guide takes the mystery out of planning ahead - one can simply skip ahead to find out when this or that task should be done or the ideal time to purchase a particular plant. This book has paid for itself many times over.