This authoritative but mildly irreverent guide affords sensible encouragement to the novice gardener and refreshing company for the veteran. In some 50 brief pieces that track the gardening seasons from January through December, Lovejoy ( The Year in Bloom ) discusses gardens that follow a border (for example, a fence or driveway) and often contain a wide variety of plants, from flowers to shrubs to herbs. A few of the book's many topics include trendy plants like "Moonbeam," a sunflower relative; solutions for the problems of "marauding" cats and pilfering squirrels; primroses, trees and shrubs that give a garden "backbone"; cold composting; fast-growing plants for new gardens; and preparation for the first freeze of the winter. The text bubbles with good humor, as in "Daffodil Souffle," where the author takes pleasure in flowers planted in a souffle dish while her husband eyes them with disgust--they're monopolizing his favored cooking vessel. Appendixes list mail order nurseries and seed suppliers as well as gardening societies and materials for further reading. Garden Book Club selection. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Focusing on her garden near Seattle as a launching point, author Ann Lovejoy muses on dozens of common and unusual plants. Using a series of full-color illustrations and corresponding planting diagrams, she shows how gardeners in all parts of the country can take the concept of border-building and apply it to the urban garden, where space is often limited.
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