Care-Free Plants (Hardcover)

by Editors of Reader's Digest (Author) "FOR MOST PLANTS, A GARDEN SITE THAT OFFERS RICH, loamy soil and full sun is the best of all possible worlds..." (more)
Key Phrases: soil ball intact, sulfur cosmos, garden sulfur, North American, Joe Pye, Swan River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Plant lovers who don't have the time (or the green thumb) to do much gardening will appreciate this guide to easy-growing flora. The book features encyclopedia-style entries on no-fuss annuals, perennials, vines, bulbs, shrubs and trees. Each entry includes photographs, growing tips and vital statistics like preferred soil type and "critter resistance" level. The contributors recommend plant combinations for sunny or shady sites, for specific seasons, for acidic or alkaline soil, and for those whose gardens are in windy, rocky or hilly locations. There's also a section on lawn-care and ground cover.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Reader's Digest has come through with another straightforward, nicely illustrated guide for the gardener. Every gardener knows that selecting the right plants for the right places is crucial to success, but many need help determining what kind of site they have, selecting the appropriate plants, and grouping them in pleasing combinations. The most notable portion of this book is the six chapters devoted to unique or difficult sites. Here, readers learn about coping with tricky settings like dense, dry shade and are given suggestions for possible plants to use. The text is mainly a convenient directory of 200 care-free plants (annuals, perennials, vines, bulbs, shrubs, and trees) that, like most plant encyclopedias, offers one-page entries with standard growing information and comments about outstanding features, best uses, and a handy chart of fundamental facts. This chart covers attributes, season of interest, quirks, good neighbors, where a plant grows best, potential problems, pruning, critter resistance, source, and dimensions. The obligatory chapters on maintenance and a short glossary are also included. Though numerous books cover this subject, the focus here on challenging sites and a range of old-fashioned and trendy low-maintenance plants makes this a sound purchase for updating a collection. Highly recommended for all public libraries. Bonnie Poquette, Shorewood P.L., WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (February 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762103582
• ISBN-13: 978-0762103584
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301,769 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #100 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Ornamental Plants

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Plant Book Available!, November 13, 2003

By A Customer

My husband and I have a lawn and landscape business and we own tons of gardening books, and this is our favorite. It is laid out very well and includes everything you need to know about the plants listed. I found nearly every plant we use in our own and our clients gardens in this book. I was very impressed with the information and photos. This is the first plant book I would recommend to anyone, and it could very well be the only one you need.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference Book!, March 19, 2003

By A Customer

It has different sections for soil type, temperature, and sun tolerance, and which plants would work best in each area. For each plant, it has great color photos, gives planting zones, disease and insect problems and great descriptions. I love the book. I plan on using this a lot while landscaping my yard.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an excellent reference, December 23, 2004

By	birdmanct (West Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

I agree with all the other reviews; this is a very useful book, with often hard to come by information (such as pH, animal resistance, life expectency) in one place. My only complaints are: 1.the plants are listed in each section by common name, which can differ widely, instead of botanical names which are constant (almost:). 2. There is no master list at the beginning of the book or the beginning of each section of the names of the plants, so you have to scan the whole book to find this out.