Good definitions, but general as to specific growing areas
922766
Systematic arrangement.  Good definitions, but general as to specific growing areas.
1505630
Good information, particularly for those home gardeners in the west who have the added trouble of trying to retain water between rains. While much of the book is dedicated to the planning of perma-culture landscapes, there is a bit of background on the subject, which is nice.
506894
Ms Bennett and Ms Zampini have produced a first-rate, compact, illustrated, reference guide to terms for the amateur gardener.  More than a lexicon of horticultural terms, the brief entries define and explain; for example, the entry for "pergola" explains the difference between that structure and an "arbor."  Great color photography and back matter: bibliography of print resources and websites, and "apps," brief bios of the authors, and an index of terms defined in the body of the book. The temperature scale on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is difficult to read, but the website to the same information is included in the list of resources.
2721414
I just finished reading the book, and I thought it was a 7.8 on a scale of 10. It was an expanded (really padded) version of her New Yorker article. The expansion consisted mostly of chapters devoted to various aspects of  orchid collecting and cultivating history (well told).
The  characterization of Florida is very nice, and she describes people well.
On the other hand, the orchid information is pretty familiar stuff, and  can get repetitious (how many times do I need to be told that it
takes  seven years from seed to flower -- a questionable generalization at that).  The biology is specious (she has roots and shoots "evolving" from  protocorms rather than developing from them). She also characterizes  Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace as colleagues -- an overstatement of the  case I think, despite Darwin's gracious and much-deserved sharing of credit  with Wallace in his presentations to the Royal Society.
The book dust  jacket has been bashed for its largely non-resupinate phalaenopsis flower,  but it looks to me like a fallen bloom on fabric, so I think that's  okay.
Pretty good read and, hey, it's about our favorite plants!
482486
Though I have not yet purchased the grow bible I would probably go with that. This does give some nice examples with pictures.
2500471
A good start on what to grow.  Would like more regional information and references to find the value of other medicinal products.
3750545
Charles Dowding's Organic Gardening the Natural No-Dig Way is an introduction to organic gardening in general, and the 'no-dig' method in specific. The 'no-dig' method doesn't mean that absolutely no digging will take place: after all, you need to plant things in the soil and sometimes you also need to dig them up again. However, you really won't need to till or turn. Dowding believes in using raised beds composed almost entirely of rich compost, which worms naturally incorporate into the soil beneath.

Since the no-dig method is meant to be part of a larger program of organic gardening (after all, if you use industrial pesticides and the like then you'll just kill off all those worms, microorganisms, beneficial insects, and so on), much of the book details various fruits and vegetables you might plant and how best to organically raise them. It doesn't go into things such as organic pesticides and fertilizers, but instead delves entirely into physical methods of pest control.

A typical entry covers varieties, growing seasons, weeding, thinning, dressing with compost, harvest, diseases, pests, and even a simple recipe for enjoying your vegetable or fruit to the fullest. There's also a very thorough index---complete with a separate recipe index!---to help you along.

Dowding's book will definitely be of the most use in Britain and similar areas. Some of his suggestions are climate-specific, as are many of his discussions regarding varieties, and of course his planting and harvest times will be different than those elsewhere (although at least you'll get most of that information from your own seed packets or plant catalogs). Measurements and amounts are only given in units of cm and so on with no equivalents provided. Terminology differences aren't explained, and there were some cases where I wasn't sure if a bit of confusion over something the author was communicating was due to something that wasn't clear in his wording or a bit of terminology that was being used in a different manner than that to which I'm accustomed.

All in all I'd have to say that within Britain and similar areas (in terms of climate, use of measurements and terminology, availability of varieties, etc.) this book rates a 4.5 or a 5. In the US it's still highly useful for those wanting to explore the no-dig method and organic gardening at home, but it's moderately less useful---call my rating for us a 4.
1697364
Bought this book to get some ideas how to deal with my Central Florida landscape due to recent droughts over the past few years. We have basically given up on growing grass - so I bought this to get some practical ideas to expand my landscaping and work towards a "xericlandscaping". Although the book has great ideas, pictures, and explanations, I noticed a lot of the suggestions and photos are of professionally maintained parks in the southwest and not necessary real-life homes. The color wheel suggestions are great - but more "practical applications" would have been useful for the average gardener - rather than a museum like park with somewhat overwhelming expectations. Overall - great book, lots of information, and definitely atheistic photographs.
4948616
"Month-By-Month Gardening in Michigan" is split into chapters on types of plants, e.g. Annuals, Bulbs, Herbs, Houseplants, Lawns, etc.  Each chapter is then split into the following subchapters:  "Introduction", "Planting Chart", "January", "February", ... "December".  Here is how to use this book:
Suppose you live in Michigan and want to know whether to prune your climbing roses in March.  Turn to Chapter 7, "Roses" and the subchapter called, "March".  This subchapter has sections on "Planning", "Planting and Transplanting", "Rx Care for Your Roses", etc.  In the section entitled "Pruning", the author recommends, "Prune climbing rose plants to fit their supports.  Remove thin canes, and pinch back overly vigorous canes to force branching."
This book is very easy to use, as you can see from the above paragraph.  I used to live in Winter Hardiness Zone 3 near Cadillac and am now a Zone 6 gardener down near Lake St. Claire , so I know from experience that you might have to adjust Fizzell's time-table of recommendations by as much as three or four weeks, depending on your specific zone.
Organic gardeners probably won't want to use some of the author's "Rx Care" suggestions  (Fizzell recommends actual products such as "Orthene" and "D-Con"), but other than that, "Month-by-Month Gardening in Michigan" should prove useful to all of us who garden in this state, whether it be the 'helpful hints', the planting charts, or the month-specific instructions for tending to your water garden.
This is a handy reference for any Michigan gardener (like myself) who needs an occasional reminder not to start her pepper plants in January.
3045332
Bill McClaren's Encyclopedia of Dahlias is the first full length book about dahlias written in North America in the past 50 years.  For the serious dahlia grower, a book based in North America is important, because many cultivars from other continents are either difficult to obtain in North America or may not perform well in our area.  In addition, the book has the most up to date history of the dahlia published anywhere.  The book corrects lots of misinformation from other sources.  For anyone interested in taking seeds and trying to hybridize new dahlias, the chapter on hybridizing is also the best available treatment of the subject.

A useful feature of this book is hundreds of color photos of the top scoring dahlias, arranged in order by classification by the American Dahlia Society.  One can find good color photos of the vast bulk of dahlias from the Cream of the Crop and Fabulous Fifty lists of the most recent (at the time) American Dahlia Society lists (based on show results for 2002, as published in March 2003).  Since these lists turn over fairly slowly, one should find most of the top dahlias from North America for the next few years.

The approach in this book is for a backyard gardener who wants high quality blooms but also wishes to avoid using harsh chemicals.  This organic gardening approach is a useful supplement to the "organic chemistry" approach of the Bulletin of the American Dahlia Society.

Dahlia enthusiasts in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have had volumes based on their countries from top experts in these areas.  Because classification can be quite different between North America (American Dahlia Society) and these other countries (which follow the National Dahlia Society of the United Kingdom), many dahlias that are popular here are of no interest in NDS countries.  For example, in NDS, the interest is in miniature ball dahlias that grow a bit more than 4 inches or ball dahlias that grow a bit more than 6 inches in diameter.  A dahlia with a diameter of 5 or 3 inches is of no interest for exhibition in these countries -- yet dahlias of these sizes are valuable for exhibition in North America.  Many prize dahlias in North America therefore would not appear in any publication from Australia, New Zealand, or Europe, yet one would find them as cherished dahlias in North America.  One would need to go to Bill McClaren's book to find these dahlias.

The author is one of the most highly respected and outstanding mentors and teachers in the American Dahlia Society.  He received the Gold Medal of the American Dahlia Society in 1994 for a lifetime of achievement in dahlias and service to the American Dahlia Society.  He has been a leader in starting dahlia societies (Montana and North Idaho), training judges from Spokane to eastern Montana, and every other aspect of dahlia culture and exhibition.  He was responsible for numerous growers in Kalispell, MT becoming commercial growers.  A few years ago, Kalispell, MT had more commercial dahlia growers than any other metropolitan area in North America!

Bill McClaren's Encyclopedia of Dahlias is an essential part of the library of anyone interested in dahlias.  I cherish my copies of this outstanding book.

Alan A. Fisher

Rockville, MD

Membership Chairman, American Dahlia Society
1927913
This is a great instant reference, as far as it goes.  It has been, and still is, very handy for planning my plantings.  I wish that there could be more plants named, but I have interpolated some plants by their family connections.  e.g., kohlrabi is in the Cabbage Family, as are broccoli and cauliflower.) It has also been of some use this year when I was planning our first TOTAL raised bed garden using square-foot suggestions. (BIG, BIG success, by the way!  And for all to know, I am a 74-year-old male.  I think that the name is somewhat sexist, even though the title piqued my interest.
2797767
After compairing this book with "The Savage Garden"  by D'Amato and "Pitcher Plants of the Americas" by McPherson I think this book offers some interesting background information on the history, ecology and evolution of CPs in general that add to the other two books mentioned.  It is written without too much botanical jargon while still offering good detail that is easy to follow and understand.  Additionally, the book offers good information about habitats, trapping mechanisms, and features of each of the major different kinds of CPs out there.  It also has lots of great photos that really add to the book.  The biggest drawback this book has is the quantity and quality of cultivation and propagation information.  It has some in there, but is not half as good as what is found in D'Amato's book.  Better still are the "Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series" done by Sarracenia Northwest if you main interest is learning how to grow and propagate CPs.
2395691
My  acre lot hosts a house, driveway, sidewalks, and  of the paved street in front of the property. Restrictive covenants prohibit vegetable and fruit plantings in the front yard so my veggie growing space is reduced to a narrow band inside the full-shade backyard. Kate Copseys book, The Downsized Veggie Garden, was written for gardeners who have limited space but desire to make the most of it.

Copsey begins with a discussion of gardening options in various living arrangements such as apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and suburban homes with postage-stamp lots. She acknowledges the additional challenges present by restrictive covenants, though the reader should not expect suggested workarounds. When the gardening bug bites, dedicated gardeners struggling under those covenants may need to seek a new property.

The book offers ideas suitable for nearly everyonewindow boxes, containers, vertical gardening and Square Foot Gardening. In a chapter dedicated to raised beds and containers the author states, The ideal vegetable garden is the one that fits into your lifestyle, your available space and how it connects with your home activities. Copsey then explains the importance of sketching the property and planning the garden before planting, and she reminds the reader of the need to understand the sunlight patterns for the chosen garden spot.

Copsey covers the benefits and disadvantages of planting seeds directly versus purchasing starter plants. Tips for progressing from seeds to healthy plants take the guesswork out of the process, and the authors experience is evident in the myriad suggestions directed toward making the gardener successful.

Guidance for choosing plants that behave in limited space permeates the book. Seasonal planting grids for use with a 4 x 4 raised bed remove the guess work on designing the garden. In addition the reader will discover twelve easy-to-grow herbs that can spice up meal time. Imagine the feeling of stepping from the kitchen to the patio to pick fresh basil for the evening meal.

The Downsized Veggie Garden presents a wide-spectrum of veggie gardening knowledge from the authors extensive experience. This useful book would make a great addition to any gardeners library.
4219139
This is a very detailed and useful book.  Some of the material did not apply to me, as I live in Central Florida.  This book would be most useful to the person attempting to grow orchids in natural habitat in South Florida.  Like most of the rest of the country, I raise them in a more sheltered environment.  Still, there are many good hints about the importance of adjusting care to the season.
3918215
I consider myself a bit of a tree and shrub fanatic. I just love to plant them and watch them grow. I love to learn about the varieties, their habitat and growth habits. One of my favorite things to do is to browse garden nurseries and read data tags on trees and shrubs. I often wish I could dig up little specimens and bring them home. I liken it to people who want to pick up every dog or cat they come across. I love pets too, but they take lots of time, $, commitment and responsibility. I had high hopes for this book. I have the NG pocket guides for Rocks and Minerals as well as Flowers. I thought this guide lacked in classic info and details. What it does include is (160 species of trees and shrubs) the common name as well as the species name, height range, info about leaves, flowers/fruits/seeds and range. There are small color photos of each tree/shrub and smaller illustrations of the leaves, fruit, cone, catkins, flowers... There is a small paragraph which provides some topical info that one may not widely be aware of (like historical pearls of wisdom), which can be interesting. I would prefer that it provide much more descriptive information in more of a bullet point format that included sun and water needs, growth rate, most desirable habitat, shape, wildlife draws and disease problems, weather tolerance/susceptibility. This is a small book ( a true pocket size) with selective information and coverage. Not bad, but I just wish it had more.
2010345
This is a good encyclopedia of the globular species of cacti, but  unfortuately, this is as far as it goes. The photos are good and precise.  Another aspect to look at is that none of the column cactus are listed.  Also, the measurements and expected size of the cactus plants are not  detailed, so you just have to look and guess. I also wish that the  measurements were in inches instead of the metric system. After all is said  and done, this could be a good starting point for the very amateur cactus  enthusiast!
4448498
The marketing concept of this book, "Good Weed, Bad Weed", is attractive, as is the book's layout. It's fun and catchy. It's very good for a novice gardener who knows little about weeds. But like "Good Bug, Bad Bug", it is very light on knowledge for the slightly more seasoned gardener. Weeds that I am encountering are not listed; others that I've found to be real pests are listed as "good weeds" or "not-so-bad weeds". If you really want to identify and learn about weeds, find a more solid, comprehensive book. Or, if you get this book, make sure you have other serious and substantial resources to supplement it.