| Details | | Publication Date: | 1996-12-01 | | Edition Description: | Revised |
| Size | | Length: | 1042 pages | | Height: | 11.3 in | | Width: | 9.3 in | | Thickness: | 2.0 in | | Weight: | 125.6 oz |
Publisher's Note
America's Garden Book There are very few garden books that have lasted like America's Garden Book—and with good reason. Since its first edition in 1939, the book has been specifically geared to North American backyard, do-it-yourself gardeners and their particular needs. The Plants More than 3,000 plant recommendations are listed throughout the book. Chapters devoted to specific types of plants go one step further, offering multiple listings based on the particular merit and special growing habits of certain plants. Appropriate plants for every garden situation are offered from disease-resistant climbing roses, water lilies for pond gardens, or rock garden plants. The Techniques There are instructions for constructing various paths, walls, steps, and grading structures. Detailed plans are included for naturalizing a prairie, constructing compost bins, and arranging indoor lighting systems. The Photography More than 1,000 photographs illustrate everything from more than 60 roses to the step-by-step of dividing a lily root clump. Each chapter contains scores of identification photographs to help the home gardener choose the ideal plants for the garden.
In print since 1939, America's Garden Book has been a time-tested reference for generations of American gardeners. For the fourth edition, more than 1,000 full-color photographs have been added in addition to new chapters on environment-specific gardening. Thorough revisions have been made to keep up with current developments in horticultural practices, and new recommended plant varieties for virtually every garden contingency are included. In keeping with previous editions, the focus of the book remains on backyard gardeners and the challenges that go along with gardening in a limited space. Special attention is paid to low-maintenance plants and gardening techniques that allow for more time to be spent enjoying the garden as opposed to working in it. The new edition is particularly timely as the average American gardener has become more sophisticated and environmentally conscious. New chapters have been added on gardening by the sea and city gardens. Other chapters have been expanded with information on prairie gardening, water and bog gardening, container gardening, vegetable gardening, and gardening indoors. Almost every chapter contains list after list of recommended plants for different types of soil, for amounts of light, by height, by color, and even by fragrance.
Industry Reviews
Gardeners have been relying on America's Garden Book since 1939 to brush up on a technique or to add to their knowledge of horticultural skills. Now in its fourth edition and largely rewritten by Irwin, former president of the New York Botanical Garden, this standard has taken on new life. The focus on home gardens remains, as does the basic outline of six sections: design, plant types, special garden types, edibles, cultural practices, and indoor gardening. However, most chapters have been expanded to incorporate new material; plant lists have been revised to include new varieties; chapters have been added for seaside gardening, tools, and mulches, and the smorgasbord of chemicals is gone from the chapter on pests and diseases, replaced by information on integrated pest management. The most stunning difference, however, is in the illustrations. The black-and-white photos and line drawings of the 1981 edition have been replaced by color photographs that illustrate design solutions, showcase individual plants, and clarify techniques. Taylor's Master Guide to Gardening (LJ 9/1/94) is comparable in price but is not as successful at integrating lists of plants with their culture and use and matching the illustrations with text. Patrons will want to read this work, so buy a circulating copy, too. Molly Newling, Piscataway P.L., N.J.
Ives
First published in 1939 by the director of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture and her landscape architect husband, the latest complete revision of this massive reference draws on the expertise of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's savvy staff. Written by American gardeners for American gardeners, the book addresses the specific needs of U.S. climate zones, giving it a distinct advantage over some of imported heavyweight rivals. The text itself is workmanlike, with the prose showing occasional signs of being developed by committee (an exception is the lively section on roses, written by BBG rosarian Stephen Scaniello). But what's missing in "voice" is more than made up for in sheer mass of horticultural wisdom. Crammed with photographs, charts, exhaustive plant lists and information on every conceivable topic of interest to gardeners, this is truly a comprehensive reference. Not a corner of the gardening kingdom is left unexamined: overall design; the nitty gritty of selecting tools; the ins and outs of composting and lawn care; such currently popular trends as water, wildlife and container gardening; the special requirements of city and seaside gardeners (among other specialty sites); ornamentals of every sort as well as vegetables, fruits and herbs; even greenhouse construction and maintenance. Those looking for a lively read may wish to look elsewhere. Readers looking for one-stop shopping in the gardening reference arena will have come to the right place here. (Dec.)
Lopate
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