Smith & Hawken: The Book of Outdoor Gardening [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ Sara Godwin (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: plant guide, soaked peat moss, last spring frost date, North America, United States, Cooperative Extension (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The editors of the Smith & Hawken catalog have put together an excellent introduction to the art, practice, and enjoyment of gardening that will be of use to experienced gardeners and novice tillers alike. Like the catalog from which it springs, the book sometimes manages to be trendy and breathlessly traditional at the same time. But the prose is lively, the illustrations exact, and the photographs pleasing, and the book will look as good on your coffee table as it will propped up next to your hydrangeas. On second thought, better get two: the hardback for the coffee table and the soft cover for the garden. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Comprehensive, lively, accessible, and even inspiring, this is the precisely the sort of book to give someone who's recently fallen headlong into the dirt...The scope, handsomeness, and convenience of this primer should earn it many devoted readers. (Michael Pollan, The New York Times Book Review)

Thoughtfully gathered by specialists in many fields-including editors of the upscale gift catalog-this compendium reflects the spirit of the company best known for its expensive but excellent selection of gardening tools and environmentally responsible goods. -- Reviews

Enjoy a practical outdoor gardening guide with more detail than most. Smith and Hawken attend to the basics rather than presenting flowery color photos: from pruning herbs and roses to choosing the right garden plants and understanding maintenance requirements, this is filled with the basics of gardening which beginners will relish. -- Midwest Book Review

The scope, handsomeness, and convenience of this primer should earn it many devoted readers. -- The New York Times Book Review, Michael Pollan --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 513 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; First Printing edition (January 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761102310
• ISBN-13: 978-0761102311
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,869,404 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best for beginning gardeners, useful for experts, April 25, 2000

By	DAMwriter "David Moore" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Gardening books for a broad audience are rarely successful. It's extremely difficult to present basic information for beginning gardeners that doesn't bore more experienced plantsmen to blindness. On the other hand, how many beginners have had to plod through chapters on advanced topics in so-called "general" gardening books - such as grafting rootstock or the family tree (no pun intended) of a minor succulent - just to find basic information on when to plant potatoes? And how often does one find right-way, wrong-way statements in basic gardening books that directly conflict with the statements made in the next book on the shelf, with no attempt to explain the rationale behind the recommendations?

Fortunately for all gardening addicts, Smith & Hawken's Book of Outdoor Gardening is the exception to the rule - at least the first half. Each chapter and sidebar successfully blends basic horticultural information with unique tips and techniques for the master gardener. This book is a handy reference tool for any gardener as he moves through the various stages of his craft. And where conflicting recommendations exist, the authors take time to explain how BOTH ideas are correct, but are dependent upon the circumstances. Good examples include the proper planting depth for roses, and the wisdom of using chemical fertilizers and soil amendments.

I've given this book 4 stars, for two reasons: First, as I've noted above, The Book of Outdoor Gardening is quite a worthwhile read for most gardeners. However, a novice would probably find it most useful, and for this audience the book should receive 5 stars. Expert gardeners will still find good information, but since this type of focused data can be found in specialty books, my rating for this audience would be 3 stars. Hence, a compromise 4 stars.

My second reason for giving 4 stars is the plant list that forms the second half of the book. This is a personal issue: in general, I find plant lists woefully incomplete and inadequate. In trying to please novice gardeners, who usually want information on traditional plants, and experts, who want detailed content regarding hard-to-find or hard-to-cultivate plants, the authors left out a number of important species in both categories. This is most likely due to space considerations; however, since purchasing the book - and using it frequently for the information in the first half - I've often had to refer to other books for plant information.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete Reference for the Novice, December 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Smith & Hawken: The Book of Outdoor Gardening (Paperback)

I am new to gardening and have been looking for a comprehensive reference to getting started with gardening. This book has answered all my questions, including soil preparation, plant selection, necessary tools, planting, and how to tend the garden. It even has information on propagating, containers and furniture. I highly recommend this book to the beginning gardener.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book of Outdoor Gardening, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Smith & Hawken: The Book of Outdoor Gardening (Paperback)

I found this book to be very helpful when setting up my landscaping at my new house. It was a useful guide in determining what plants would work for my area. The beautiful pictures were also great examples of what to expect.