The Garden Primer

The most comprehensive, entertaining, down-to-earth one-volume gardening reference ever, and highly praised: "Barbara Damrosch delivers the goods."—"Chicago Tribune" "Best of the crop."—"House Beautiful" "Barbara Damrosch's writing has the snap of a good snowpea and the spice of an old rose."—"The Seattle Times/Post Intelligencer" "Covers just about everything you could think of and then some." — "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" "An extraordinarily comprehensive guide." — "The San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle" "Takes your soaring visions of garden splendor and plants them firmly in the ground."—"The Toronto Star" Now the beloved classic is revised front-to-back. The new edition has gone 100% organic, which in Barbara Damrosch's hands also means completely accessible. It reflects the latest research on plants, soils, tools, and techniques. There is updated and expanded information on planning a garden, recommended plants, and best tools. Ecological issues are addressed much more extensively, covering lawn alternatives, the benefits of native species, wildlife-friendly gardens, and how to avoid harmful invasive species. More attention is paid to plants appropriate to the South, Southwest, and West Coast, while cold-climate gardeners are given detailed advice on how to extend the growing season. Simply put, the book is a richer and fuller compendium than ever before, with more text, more illustrations and garden plans, expanded plant lists, and gardener's resources. But Barbara Damrosch's core of practical, creative ideas and friendly style remain—she is still an "old-fashioned dirt gardener" at heart.

Barbara Damrosch is one of the nation's most respected garden experts and writers. She is also the author of Theme Gardens, and writes a weekly column for The Washington Post called "A Cook's Garden." She appeared as a regular correspondent on the PBS series The Victory Garden, and co-hosted the series Gardening Naturally for The Learning Channel. She is the co-owner, with her husband, Eliot Coleman, of Four Season Farm, an experimental market garden in Harborside, Maine, that is a nationally recognized model of small-scale sustainable agriculture.

Remarkably complete, this is the one: the indispensable one-volume reference guide to gardening simply, beautifully and well. It is jam-packed with useful information, old-fashioned common sense, and a lifetime's worth of experience, and is thoroughly revised and expanded to be 100 percent organic in its recommendations. Updated with the latest on plants, soils, techniques, and tools, it includes: The basics of landscaping, emphasizing sustainable methods. Understanding what plants need and avoiding complex rules and formulas. How to choose and combine flowers for season-long color, orchestrating with perennials and accenting with annuals. Extending the season - that's right, harvest carrots in January. The secret to raising roses without fuss, less demanding lawns, vines with discipline, and trees that will enhance your property. There is new information on native species, and all the gardening resources you need--explained in a voice that "has the snap of a good snowpea and the spice of an old rose"

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.