| | |  | Gardening & Horticulture | Home » » » » The Garden Primer: Second Edition | | | | | | | Description: | | 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. | | | Features: | |
• Product Details: Paperback: 820 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 2nd edition (February 28, 2008)
• Language: English, ISBN-10: 9780761122753,
• ISBN-13: 978-0761122753, ASIN: 0761122753, Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies), Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Barbara Damrosch | | Paperback:
| 820 pages | | Publisher:
| Workman Publishing Company | | Publication Date:
| February 28, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0761122753 | | Product Length:
| 9.08 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.05 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.66 inches | | Product Weight:
| 2.41 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.35 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 32 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 32 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 82 found the following review helpful:
Great resource for the beginning gardenerApr 08, 2008
By W. Oliver
Twenty years ago I remember discovering Barbara Damrosch's The Garden Primer at the local library. It was full of practical advice dispensed in such an engaging manner and I ended up buying myself a copy. The Garden Primer is a rare exception of a gardening book that can benefit gardeners no matter where they live. It is especially helpful to novice gardeners who want to start a garden but are not exactly sure where to begin.
The first chapters deal with the basics - what plants need in order to grow properly, how to prepare your soil, starting your own seeds, proper planting methods and how to deal with insects and diseases. A chapter on gardening gear covers tools, what to wear and how to organize it all.
Damrosch then goes into plant specifics with chapters on Annuals, Perennials, Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, Bulbs, Roses, Lawns, Ground Covers, Vines, Shrubs, Tree, Wildflowers and Houseplants. Each section discusses how to buy plants, how to plan your site (with some planting scheme plans included), how to grow the plants and maintain them. She then includes an encyclopedia of specific plants with descriptions and basic growing advice. The vegetable section is even more extensive with details on growing and harvesting. If plants are more suited to certain areas of the country, it is mentioned.
Another element of this book that I enjoy are the wonderful illustrations. They are black-and-white, simple and yet so effective. And I'm so glad they kept the illustration of the garden shed on the endsheets. I've always admired that and maybe this year I will finally get my own tools organized like it!
The second edition, which has just been published (March 2008), has been updated to include new varieties of plants, more efficient methods and techniques and more up-to-date trends. More plants have been included, especially native plants which are so popular today. The book is "100% Organic"!
Damrosch claims in her forward that she set out to write a "simple" book on gardening. Her engaging writing style and clear instructions do just that but this 820 page book is so much more than that. It provides a wealth of information for beginning gardeners and has proven to be a book that I return to again and again. I highly recommend it.
27 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Comprehensive Gardener's GuideApr 01, 2008
By Norma Lehmeierhartie
Barbara Damrosch is a self-confirmed 'old-fashioned dirt gardener.' And, she's does organic gardening to boot. This book is a comprehensive, easily understood guide to all aspects of gardening; it even includes a chapter on houseplants.
I like that Damrosch prefers hand tools over power tools. And, that she uses her hands to pull weeds at times.
The chapter on "what plants need," was terrific--covers the basics and gave me a firm understanding of what plants require to thrive.
The book contains all you need to grow annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs and vines.
Indispensable!
from the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet
13 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Even better than the first editionMay 14, 2008
By G. Foster
"organic gardener"
I have long been a fan of the first edition and was pleased to hear the author on the radio recently. The second edition is newly updated and includes many details for organic gardeners which I enjoy. It is comprehensive in nature and well organized. It is the definitive garden book. You just can't do better.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Out of many similar books, I use this one the mostMar 24, 2010
By Bird That Flew
UPDATE: BUY THE HARDCOVER VERSION OF THIS BOOK! It is simply too large to be bound in softcover. I bought the softcover version about 3 months ago and after only moderate use, many pages have fallen right out.
I bought this book to teach me what the heck to do with the 400+ plant gardens I inherited when I bought my current home. I had little experience with plants, and even less with gardening out of containers. This book has been very valuable and helpful to me, and I refer to it often. I have several (okay, tons) of similar "all-purpose"/encyclopedic gardening books, but this is the one I refer to the most. It cuts through all the superfluous information and tells me just what I need to know, instead of completely overwhelming me. It also has a very handy section on plants (annuals, perennials, veggies, fruits, shrubs, vines, etc.) that are easier to grow than most, with care instructions, idiosyncrasies, varieties to try, etc.
11 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Great resourceMay 03, 2008
By Patrick J. Drohan
One of the best all around garden resource books I own. Certainly worth the money.
See all 32 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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