Gardening Basics For Dummies
3rd Edition
Published on 2. February 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
464 pages
978-0-470-03749-2 (ISBN)
Description
Plant the garden of your dreams!
Even if you've never sowed a seed nor pulled a weed, Gardening Basics For Dummies contains everything you need to know about flowers, beds, borders, trees, shrubs, and lawns to create your own private paradise. This friendly and informative guide also covers all of the tools and additives available to make gardening easier. You'll discover:
Clear definitions and descriptions of the different types of plants
Tips on choosing the type of garden you want
How to create a garden plan
Easy-to-follow instructions for soil preparation
Advice on planting, growing and caring for annuals and perennials
Step-by-step plans for organic and edible gardens
Plans for butterfly and children's gardens
Packed with helpful tips on controlling pests safely, managing weeds, and correcting common gardening problems, Gardening for Dummies turns your brown thumb green in a hurry.
Even if you've never sowed a seed nor pulled a weed, Gardening Basics For Dummies contains everything you need to know about flowers, beds, borders, trees, shrubs, and lawns to create your own private paradise. This friendly and informative guide also covers all of the tools and additives available to make gardening easier. You'll discover:
Clear definitions and descriptions of the different types of plants
Tips on choosing the type of garden you want
How to create a garden plan
Easy-to-follow instructions for soil preparation
Advice on planting, growing and caring for annuals and perennials
Step-by-step plans for organic and edible gardens
Plans for butterfly and children's gardens
Packed with helpful tips on controlling pests safely, managing weeds, and correcting common gardening problems, Gardening for Dummies turns your brown thumb green in a hurry.
More details
Edition
3rd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 188 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-470-03749-2 (9780470037492)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Steven A. Frowine | Gardening Association National
Gardening Basics For Dummies
Book
05/2021
Wiley
€24.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Previous edition
Michael MacCaskey | Bill Marken
Gardening for Dummies
Book
02/1999
2nd Edition
Hungry Minds Inc,U.S.
€38.59
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Steven A. Frowine is a noted professional horticulturist and a longtime avid gardener and communicator. The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit in the USA. Visit www.garden.org.
Content
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You're Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Preparing Yourself (And Your Garden) for Planting 3
Part II: Flowers and Foliage: Growing for Color 4
Part III: Stretching Your Garden Beyond Its Boundaries: The Permanent Landscape 4
Part IV: Producing Your Own Produce 4
Part V: Designing Special and Fun Gardens 5
Part VI: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Preparing Yourself (And Your Garden) for Planting 7
Chapter 1: Getting Ready for Gardening 9
Playing the Name Game 10
"Hello, my name is ": Getting used to plant nomenclature 10
Anatomy 101: Naming plant parts 11
Bringing in Beauty with Flowers (and Foliage) 12
Amazing annuals 13
Perennial plants 17
Bulbs and roses 19
Gardening for Your Dining Pleasure 20
Working with Woody (or Viney) Plants 20
Shrubs 21
Trees 22
Vines 23
The World Is Flat: Caring for Your Lawn 24
Chapter 2: Planning Your Own Eden 25
Taking Stock: Evaluating What You Already Have 25
Identifying problems and restrictions 27
Taking advantage of your yard's assets 30
Getting Ideas for Your Garden Space 31
Gardening with the kids in mind 32
Establishing a good garden for pets 32
Creating space for entertainment 34
Designing a sanctuary: The quiet garden retreat 35
Cooking up an edible garden: Gardening for your kitchen 36
Zeroing In on Your Ideal Garden Style 37
Gardening around a theme 38
An inspired idea: Perusing books, magazines, and local gardens 41
Making Sure Costs Don't Outgrow Your Budget 42
Bringing Your Garden Ideas to Reality 43
Sketching out the yard you have now 44
Making your drawing match your dream garden 44
Defining key areas so you know where to start 45
Getting Professional Help for Your Garden Plans 47
Landscape architects, landscape designers, and garden designers 48
Landscape or general contractors 49
Master gardeners 49
Chapter 3: Getting into the Zone - Your Garden's Zone 51
Different Hardiness Zone Maps for Different Folks 51
Taking a look at the world's plant hardiness zone maps 52
Warming up to the heat-zone map 53
Savoring the Sunset zones 54
Reading plant hardiness zone maps 54
Fathoming Frost Zones and Growing Seasons 56
Zoning Out: Breaking the Zone and Growing Season Rules 57
Managing your microclimates 58
Cheating the system: Creating microclimates 60
Stretching your growing season 61
Chapter 4: Live Long and Prosper: Giving Plants What They Need 63
Let There Be Light! 64
Facing the Fertilizer Facts 65
What to feed: The great natural versus chemical debate 67
When to feed your garden 68
Compost: More than Just a Fertilizer 69
Demystifying Soil pH 71
Finding out your soil's pH 72
Adjusting your soil's pH 72
Much Ado about Mulch 73
Knowing your mulches 73
How to apply mulch - and how much 75
Water, Water Everywhere: Tackling Watering Issues 76
Providing plants with the right amount of moisture 76
Determining which watering system to use 77
Cutting back on watering 79
Dealing with drainage problems 80
Air! Air! Plants Need Air! 81
Chapter 5: Gathering Your Gardening Gear 83
Digging Those, Er, Digging Tools 83
Getting down with shovels and spades 84
Trowels: More than just little shovels 86
Garden forks: Not for dining! 87
Dabbling in dibbles (or dibbers) for poking holes 88
Clues to Quality Cultivating Tools 89
Ho, ho, hoes 89
Weeding out poor weeders to get to the best 90
Making the Right Cut with Cutting Tools 92
Getting a handle on hand pruners 92
Hedging your bets on hedge shears 93
Branching out with loppers 94
Moving up to pruning saws 95
Putting Power Tools to Use 96
Safety first: Controlling your power tools (so they don't control you) 96
Chewing through chores with chainsaws 97
Working with weed trimmers and weed whackers 97
Tilling soil with rototillers 98
Wading through Wondrous Watering Tools 99
Hoses 99
Nozzles 101
Hose-end sprinklers 102
Water timers 103
Part II: Flowers and Foliage: Growing for Color 105
Chapter 6: Growing Annuals: Adding Yearly Variety to Your Garden 107
Finding Flowers that Fit Your Garden 107
Some like it hot: Warm weather annuals 108
Some annuals like it cool 109
Mixing and Matching Annuals 109
Good habits: Taking advantage of shape, height, and structure 110
Combining colors 113
Buying Annuals 114
Starting with seed packets 114
Starting with nursery, well, starts 114
An Annual Event: The Whens, Wheres, and Hows of Planting 115
Filling in the garden after the last frost 116
Deciding where to plant annuals 117
Getting annuals in the ground 117
Feeding the Flower Power: Taking Care of Annuals 118
Watering 118
Fertilizing 118
Mulching 119
Grooming 119
Dealing with annual pests 119
Chapter 7: Growing Perennials: Plants That Make a Comeback 121
Looking at Perennials, the Repeat Performers 122
Hardy perennials 122
Tender perennials 122
Planning Long-Term Strategy for Your Perennial Garden 123
Choreography: Timing perennial blooming 124
The living palette: Keeping colors in mind 125
Designing perennial beds and borders 125
Finding and Buying Perennials 128
To the market: Getting perennials in containers 128
Buying perennials through mail-order 129
Acquiring free divisions from other gardeners 130
Planting Perennials 131
Figuring out where to plant perennials 131
Deciding when to plant perennials 134
Preparing for the actual planting 137
Show the Love: Taking Care of Your Perennials 138
Supporting with stakes or rings 138
Practicing good grooming habits 139
Dividing perennials 141
Preparing perennials for winter 142
Dealing with perennial pests and diseases 142
Chapter 8: Brightening Up the Garden with Bulbs 145
Shedding Light on Bulbs 145
Defining terms: Bulbs aren't always, well, bulbs 146
The time of the season: Looking at early and late bloomers 149
Getting acquainted with the most popular bulbs 150
Social Mixers: Choosing to Combine Your Bulbs 151
Combining various types of tulips 151
Mixing up your daffodils 152
Combining different kinds of bulbs 153
The Search: Where to Get Your Bulbs 155
Buying bulbs from home stores and nurseries 156
Purchasing bulbs through mail-order 157
Getting Down and Dirty: Planting Bulbs 158
When to plant bulbs 158
Where to plant bulbs 160
How to plant bulbs 161
Taking Care of Bulbs 163
Watering your bulbs 164
Fertilizing bulbs 164
Mulching 165
Fighting bulb pests 165
Chapter 9: Coming Up Roses 167
What Makes a Rose Be a Rose Be a Rose 167
Checking out blooming habits 168
Looking at hardiness 169
Identifying the various rose types 169
Deciding Where to Put Your Roses 173
Planning your beds and borders 173
Using roses as groundcovers 175
Screening with roses 176
Using roses as vines 177
Buying the Best Roses 178
Getting a potted rose 178
Purchasing a bareroot rose 179
Planting Your Roses 182
Putting containerized roses in the ground 182
Planting bareroot roses 183
Taking Care of Your Roses 185
Watering 185
Fertilizing 185
Keeping roses in shape 186
Maximizing winter hardiness 188
War of the roses: Tackling rose pests 189
Part III: Stretching Your Garden Beyond Its Boundaries: The Permanent Landscape 191
Chapter 10: Growing a Perfect Lawn 193
In the Beginning: Getting Ready to Make a Lawn from Scratch 193
Preparing your yard for a lawn 194
Designing the lawn 195
Seeding and Sodding: Adding the Grass 196
Determining the kind of grass you want or need 196
Cool-season and warm-season grasses 197
Growing lawns from seed 201
Your own turf: Growing lawns from sod 204
Watering a Thirsty Lawn 207
Getting the water balance right 207
Boosting watering efficiency 208
Feeding and Fertilizing 209
What's your type? Deciding on the kind of fertilizer 209
Knowing your serving sizes: How much fertilizer is enough 211
Checking out the feeding schedule 211
Mowing the Lawn, Cutting the Grass, and Otherwise Giving the Yard a Shave 212
Warring with Weeds 214
Preventing lawn weeds 215
Treating already-weedy lawns 215
Chapter 11: Reaching New Heights with Trees and Shrubs 217
Knowing Your Trees 218
Exploring evergreen trees 218
Falling for deciduous trees 220
Choosing the Right Tree for Where You Live 222
Getting Treed! Planting Trees 223
Not just for Arbor Day: Deciding when to plant your tree 223
Finding a suitable location 224
Planting your tree 226
Taking Care of Your Tree 229
Giving trees a tall drink of water 229
Fertilizing trees 231
Life and limb: Pruning judiciously 231
Raising the stakes: Offering some support 235
Knowing Your Shrubs 236
Nonflowering shrubs 236
Flowering shrubs 237
Planning Practical Uses for Bushes 237
Planting Shrubs 238
Deciding when to plant your shrubs 239
Situating your shrubs 239
Perfecting your shrub-planting skills 240
Caring for Your Shrubs 241
Watering 242
Fertilizing your shrubs 242
Pruning for shape and rejuvenation 243
Chapter 12: Climbers and Crawlers: Growing Vines and Groundcovers 245
Looking at How Vines Hold On 245
Twining 247
Tendrils 247
Adhesive discs 247
Holdfasts 248
Sprawling 248
Choosing the Right Vines for Your Garden 248
Considering your basic options 249
Love me tender? Deciding whether you need cold-hardy vines 250
Sizing up your vines 251
Examining site considerations for vines 252
Planting and Supporting Vines 253
Giving vines a little backup: Trellises, fences, and arbors 254
Using trees and shrubs as living supports 255
Maintaining Perennial Vines through Pruning 256
Looking at Groundcovers, a Living Carpet 257
Examining groundcover varieties 257
Reaching out: How the groundcover spreads 259
Spacing out: Considering the room the groundcover takes up 260
Exploring site considerations for groundcovers 261
Planting and Maintaining Groundcovers 262
Watering 263
Fertilizing 263
Mulching 263
Keeping groundcovers in shape: Pruning and pegging 264
Getting weeds out (and keeping them out) 264
Part IV: Producing Your Own Produce 265
Chapter 13: Food, Glorious Food! Growing Your Own Veggies 267
Varieties of Veggies 268
Growing vegetables by seasons 268
Defining hybrids 271
Appreciating heirlooms 272
Designing for Dining and Getting Your Vegetable Garden Ready 274
Sketching out your plan 274
Working with the sun: Where to plant vegetables 276
Using planting patterns and systems 277
Prepping your soil 278
Finding Your Vegetables 280
Planting Your Vegetables 282
Deciding when to plant your veggies 282
Sowing and planting your veggies 283
Composting for Vegetable Gardens 288
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden 290
Using Frames and Supports for Veggies 292
Dealing with Vegetable Pests 295
Rodents, rabbits, and other miscreants 296
Deer 296
Birds 297
Bugs 297
Chapter 14: Adding Spice to Your Garden: Growing Herbs 301
Planting Herbs: A Lesson in Adaptation 302
Getting the timing right 302
Helping herbs find their place in the world 303
Putting herbs in their place: How to plant 306
Raising herbs from seed 307
Taking Care of Your Herbs 308
Providing an herb's basic needs 308
Dealing with herb pests 309
Chapter 15: Sweet and Crunchy: Growing Fruits, Berries, and Nuts 313
Fruit Basics: Knowing and Choosing the Right Fruits for Your Garden 314
Examining the types of fruits 314
Getting the lowdown on chill factors 315
Studying your size accommodations 317
Going solo or in pairs: Looking at pollination 321
Finding and Buying Your Fruit Bearers 321
Planting Your Fruit 322
Making the prepared soil deep and wide enough 323
Choosing the best time to plant fruits 323
Deciding where to plant your fruits 324
Getting your fruit in the ground 325
Taking Care of Fruits 329
Watering 329
Fertilizing 329
Cutting back on mulch 330
Supporting and training your fruit 330
Pruning 332
Dealing with fruit pests 336
Part V: Designing Special and Fun Gardens 339
Chapter 16: Mini Gardens and Microcosms: Gardening in Containers 341
Exploring Different Kinds of Containers 341
Examining standard container materials 342
Thinking outside the pot: Alternative choices and offbeat containers 344
The Inside Track: Getting the Container Soil Right 346
Purchasing a soil mix 346
Whipping up your own soil mix 347
Picking the Best Plants for Your Containers 349
Up close and personal displays 350
Tucked in attention-grabbers 351
Containers of mixed company 351
Arranging Containers for a Container Garden 352
Taking Care of Your Container Plants 353
Gauging your container garden's water needs 354
Fertilizing your container plants 355
Chapter 17: Taking the Plunge: Gardening with Ponds and Fish 357
Planning Your Water Garden 357
Looking at location 358
On the level: Deciding between aboveground and in-ground gardens 359
Choosing the best lining 362
Picking Out Your Water Garden Parts and Supplies 363
Pumps 366
Bubblers and fountains 366
Filters 367
Installing and Filling Your Pond 368
Choosing Plants for Water Gardens 368
Waterlilies 369
Lotus 370
So-called marginal plants 371
Floaters and submerged plants 371
Adding Fish to Your Water Garden 372
Maintaining Your Water Garden 374
Taking care of the plants 375
Winterizing your plants and fish 375
A sea of green: Controlling algae in troubled waters 376
Part VI: The Part of Tens 379
Chapter 18: Ten Common Questions from (and Ten Common Answers for) Gardening Beginners 381
What's the Difference between an Annual and a Perennial? 381
What's Organic Matter? 382
Why Does Everything I Plant in My Flower Bed Die? 382
How Do I Prepare the Ground for a Brand-New Bed? 382
Do I Have to Spray Chemicals on My Rosebushes? 383
Do Any Vegetables Grow in the Shade? 383
It's Hot and Dry Here and I Don't Want Cacti
What Are My Options? 383
What Can I Plant on a Steep Bank to Prevent Erosion? 384
How Do I Remove the Weeds from the Lawn without
Pulling Them One by One? 384
Is There Anything Deer Don't Eat? 385
Chapter 19: Ten Quick, Fun, or Handy Garden Projects 387
Set Up a Hammock 387
Put Up a Rubber Tire Swing 387
Install Stepping Stones 388
Set Up a Trellis 388
Plant a Teepee 388
Create Whimsical Garden Art from Castoffs 389
Decorate the Front Steps with Potted Plants 389
Make Some Plant Labels 389
Make a Simple Compost Bin for Your Own Organic Matter 390
Combat Garden Pests with Homemade Pepper Spray 390
Chapter 20: Ten Garden Projects for Children 391
Create a Dinosaur Garden 391
Grow a Sunflower Fort 391
Make Sunprints 392
Plant Mini-Pumpkins 392
Write with Seeds 392
Trap a Zucchini 392
Make a Home-Grown Salad 393
Grow Paperwhites 393
Set Up a Birdbath 393
Attract Butterflies to the Garden 394
Appendix: Basic Gardening Resources 395
Index 401
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You're Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part I: Preparing Yourself (And Your Garden) for Planting 3
Part II: Flowers and Foliage: Growing for Color 4
Part III: Stretching Your Garden Beyond Its Boundaries: The Permanent Landscape 4
Part IV: Producing Your Own Produce 4
Part V: Designing Special and Fun Gardens 5
Part VI: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 5
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Preparing Yourself (And Your Garden) for Planting 7
Chapter 1: Getting Ready for Gardening 9
Playing the Name Game 10
"Hello, my name is ": Getting used to plant nomenclature 10
Anatomy 101: Naming plant parts 11
Bringing in Beauty with Flowers (and Foliage) 12
Amazing annuals 13
Perennial plants 17
Bulbs and roses 19
Gardening for Your Dining Pleasure 20
Working with Woody (or Viney) Plants 20
Shrubs 21
Trees 22
Vines 23
The World Is Flat: Caring for Your Lawn 24
Chapter 2: Planning Your Own Eden 25
Taking Stock: Evaluating What You Already Have 25
Identifying problems and restrictions 27
Taking advantage of your yard's assets 30
Getting Ideas for Your Garden Space 31
Gardening with the kids in mind 32
Establishing a good garden for pets 32
Creating space for entertainment 34
Designing a sanctuary: The quiet garden retreat 35
Cooking up an edible garden: Gardening for your kitchen 36
Zeroing In on Your Ideal Garden Style 37
Gardening around a theme 38
An inspired idea: Perusing books, magazines, and local gardens 41
Making Sure Costs Don't Outgrow Your Budget 42
Bringing Your Garden Ideas to Reality 43
Sketching out the yard you have now 44
Making your drawing match your dream garden 44
Defining key areas so you know where to start 45
Getting Professional Help for Your Garden Plans 47
Landscape architects, landscape designers, and garden designers 48
Landscape or general contractors 49
Master gardeners 49
Chapter 3: Getting into the Zone - Your Garden's Zone 51
Different Hardiness Zone Maps for Different Folks 51
Taking a look at the world's plant hardiness zone maps 52
Warming up to the heat-zone map 53
Savoring the Sunset zones 54
Reading plant hardiness zone maps 54
Fathoming Frost Zones and Growing Seasons 56
Zoning Out: Breaking the Zone and Growing Season Rules 57
Managing your microclimates 58
Cheating the system: Creating microclimates 60
Stretching your growing season 61
Chapter 4: Live Long and Prosper: Giving Plants What They Need 63
Let There Be Light! 64
Facing the Fertilizer Facts 65
What to feed: The great natural versus chemical debate 67
When to feed your garden 68
Compost: More than Just a Fertilizer 69
Demystifying Soil pH 71
Finding out your soil's pH 72
Adjusting your soil's pH 72
Much Ado about Mulch 73
Knowing your mulches 73
How to apply mulch - and how much 75
Water, Water Everywhere: Tackling Watering Issues 76
Providing plants with the right amount of moisture 76
Determining which watering system to use 77
Cutting back on watering 79
Dealing with drainage problems 80
Air! Air! Plants Need Air! 81
Chapter 5: Gathering Your Gardening Gear 83
Digging Those, Er, Digging Tools 83
Getting down with shovels and spades 84
Trowels: More than just little shovels 86
Garden forks: Not for dining! 87
Dabbling in dibbles (or dibbers) for poking holes 88
Clues to Quality Cultivating Tools 89
Ho, ho, hoes 89
Weeding out poor weeders to get to the best 90
Making the Right Cut with Cutting Tools 92
Getting a handle on hand pruners 92
Hedging your bets on hedge shears 93
Branching out with loppers 94
Moving up to pruning saws 95
Putting Power Tools to Use 96
Safety first: Controlling your power tools (so they don't control you) 96
Chewing through chores with chainsaws 97
Working with weed trimmers and weed whackers 97
Tilling soil with rototillers 98
Wading through Wondrous Watering Tools 99
Hoses 99
Nozzles 101
Hose-end sprinklers 102
Water timers 103
Part II: Flowers and Foliage: Growing for Color 105
Chapter 6: Growing Annuals: Adding Yearly Variety to Your Garden 107
Finding Flowers that Fit Your Garden 107
Some like it hot: Warm weather annuals 108
Some annuals like it cool 109
Mixing and Matching Annuals 109
Good habits: Taking advantage of shape, height, and structure 110
Combining colors 113
Buying Annuals 114
Starting with seed packets 114
Starting with nursery, well, starts 114
An Annual Event: The Whens, Wheres, and Hows of Planting 115
Filling in the garden after the last frost 116
Deciding where to plant annuals 117
Getting annuals in the ground 117
Feeding the Flower Power: Taking Care of Annuals 118
Watering 118
Fertilizing 118
Mulching 119
Grooming 119
Dealing with annual pests 119
Chapter 7: Growing Perennials: Plants That Make a Comeback 121
Looking at Perennials, the Repeat Performers 122
Hardy perennials 122
Tender perennials 122
Planning Long-Term Strategy for Your Perennial Garden 123
Choreography: Timing perennial blooming 124
The living palette: Keeping colors in mind 125
Designing perennial beds and borders 125
Finding and Buying Perennials 128
To the market: Getting perennials in containers 128
Buying perennials through mail-order 129
Acquiring free divisions from other gardeners 130
Planting Perennials 131
Figuring out where to plant perennials 131
Deciding when to plant perennials 134
Preparing for the actual planting 137
Show the Love: Taking Care of Your Perennials 138
Supporting with stakes or rings 138
Practicing good grooming habits 139
Dividing perennials 141
Preparing perennials for winter 142
Dealing with perennial pests and diseases 142
Chapter 8: Brightening Up the Garden with Bulbs 145
Shedding Light on Bulbs 145
Defining terms: Bulbs aren't always, well, bulbs 146
The time of the season: Looking at early and late bloomers 149
Getting acquainted with the most popular bulbs 150
Social Mixers: Choosing to Combine Your Bulbs 151
Combining various types of tulips 151
Mixing up your daffodils 152
Combining different kinds of bulbs 153
The Search: Where to Get Your Bulbs 155
Buying bulbs from home stores and nurseries 156
Purchasing bulbs through mail-order 157
Getting Down and Dirty: Planting Bulbs 158
When to plant bulbs 158
Where to plant bulbs 160
How to plant bulbs 161
Taking Care of Bulbs 163
Watering your bulbs 164
Fertilizing bulbs 164
Mulching 165
Fighting bulb pests 165
Chapter 9: Coming Up Roses 167
What Makes a Rose Be a Rose Be a Rose 167
Checking out blooming habits 168
Looking at hardiness 169
Identifying the various rose types 169
Deciding Where to Put Your Roses 173
Planning your beds and borders 173
Using roses as groundcovers 175
Screening with roses 176
Using roses as vines 177
Buying the Best Roses 178
Getting a potted rose 178
Purchasing a bareroot rose 179
Planting Your Roses 182
Putting containerized roses in the ground 182
Planting bareroot roses 183
Taking Care of Your Roses 185
Watering 185
Fertilizing 185
Keeping roses in shape 186
Maximizing winter hardiness 188
War of the roses: Tackling rose pests 189
Part III: Stretching Your Garden Beyond Its Boundaries: The Permanent Landscape 191
Chapter 10: Growing a Perfect Lawn 193
In the Beginning: Getting Ready to Make a Lawn from Scratch 193
Preparing your yard for a lawn 194
Designing the lawn 195
Seeding and Sodding: Adding the Grass 196
Determining the kind of grass you want or need 196
Cool-season and warm-season grasses 197
Growing lawns from seed 201
Your own turf: Growing lawns from sod 204
Watering a Thirsty Lawn 207
Getting the water balance right 207
Boosting watering efficiency 208
Feeding and Fertilizing 209
What's your type? Deciding on the kind of fertilizer 209
Knowing your serving sizes: How much fertilizer is enough 211
Checking out the feeding schedule 211
Mowing the Lawn, Cutting the Grass, and Otherwise Giving the Yard a Shave 212
Warring with Weeds 214
Preventing lawn weeds 215
Treating already-weedy lawns 215
Chapter 11: Reaching New Heights with Trees and Shrubs 217
Knowing Your Trees 218
Exploring evergreen trees 218
Falling for deciduous trees 220
Choosing the Right Tree for Where You Live 222
Getting Treed! Planting Trees 223
Not just for Arbor Day: Deciding when to plant your tree 223
Finding a suitable location 224
Planting your tree 226
Taking Care of Your Tree 229
Giving trees a tall drink of water 229
Fertilizing trees 231
Life and limb: Pruning judiciously 231
Raising the stakes: Offering some support 235
Knowing Your Shrubs 236
Nonflowering shrubs 236
Flowering shrubs 237
Planning Practical Uses for Bushes 237
Planting Shrubs 238
Deciding when to plant your shrubs 239
Situating your shrubs 239
Perfecting your shrub-planting skills 240
Caring for Your Shrubs 241
Watering 242
Fertilizing your shrubs 242
Pruning for shape and rejuvenation 243
Chapter 12: Climbers and Crawlers: Growing Vines and Groundcovers 245
Looking at How Vines Hold On 245
Twining 247
Tendrils 247
Adhesive discs 247
Holdfasts 248
Sprawling 248
Choosing the Right Vines for Your Garden 248
Considering your basic options 249
Love me tender? Deciding whether you need cold-hardy vines 250
Sizing up your vines 251
Examining site considerations for vines 252
Planting and Supporting Vines 253
Giving vines a little backup: Trellises, fences, and arbors 254
Using trees and shrubs as living supports 255
Maintaining Perennial Vines through Pruning 256
Looking at Groundcovers, a Living Carpet 257
Examining groundcover varieties 257
Reaching out: How the groundcover spreads 259
Spacing out: Considering the room the groundcover takes up 260
Exploring site considerations for groundcovers 261
Planting and Maintaining Groundcovers 262
Watering 263
Fertilizing 263
Mulching 263
Keeping groundcovers in shape: Pruning and pegging 264
Getting weeds out (and keeping them out) 264
Part IV: Producing Your Own Produce 265
Chapter 13: Food, Glorious Food! Growing Your Own Veggies 267
Varieties of Veggies 268
Growing vegetables by seasons 268
Defining hybrids 271
Appreciating heirlooms 272
Designing for Dining and Getting Your Vegetable Garden Ready 274
Sketching out your plan 274
Working with the sun: Where to plant vegetables 276
Using planting patterns and systems 277
Prepping your soil 278
Finding Your Vegetables 280
Planting Your Vegetables 282
Deciding when to plant your veggies 282
Sowing and planting your veggies 283
Composting for Vegetable Gardens 288
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden 290
Using Frames and Supports for Veggies 292
Dealing with Vegetable Pests 295
Rodents, rabbits, and other miscreants 296
Deer 296
Birds 297
Bugs 297
Chapter 14: Adding Spice to Your Garden: Growing Herbs 301
Planting Herbs: A Lesson in Adaptation 302
Getting the timing right 302
Helping herbs find their place in the world 303
Putting herbs in their place: How to plant 306
Raising herbs from seed 307
Taking Care of Your Herbs 308
Providing an herb's basic needs 308
Dealing with herb pests 309
Chapter 15: Sweet and Crunchy: Growing Fruits, Berries, and Nuts 313
Fruit Basics: Knowing and Choosing the Right Fruits for Your Garden 314
Examining the types of fruits 314
Getting the lowdown on chill factors 315
Studying your size accommodations 317
Going solo or in pairs: Looking at pollination 321
Finding and Buying Your Fruit Bearers 321
Planting Your Fruit 322
Making the prepared soil deep and wide enough 323
Choosing the best time to plant fruits 323
Deciding where to plant your fruits 324
Getting your fruit in the ground 325
Taking Care of Fruits 329
Watering 329
Fertilizing 329
Cutting back on mulch 330
Supporting and training your fruit 330
Pruning 332
Dealing with fruit pests 336
Part V: Designing Special and Fun Gardens 339
Chapter 16: Mini Gardens and Microcosms: Gardening in Containers 341
Exploring Different Kinds of Containers 341
Examining standard container materials 342
Thinking outside the pot: Alternative choices and offbeat containers 344
The Inside Track: Getting the Container Soil Right 346
Purchasing a soil mix 346
Whipping up your own soil mix 347
Picking the Best Plants for Your Containers 349
Up close and personal displays 350
Tucked in attention-grabbers 351
Containers of mixed company 351
Arranging Containers for a Container Garden 352
Taking Care of Your Container Plants 353
Gauging your container garden's water needs 354
Fertilizing your container plants 355
Chapter 17: Taking the Plunge: Gardening with Ponds and Fish 357
Planning Your Water Garden 357
Looking at location 358
On the level: Deciding between aboveground and in-ground gardens 359
Choosing the best lining 362
Picking Out Your Water Garden Parts and Supplies 363
Pumps 366
Bubblers and fountains 366
Filters 367
Installing and Filling Your Pond 368
Choosing Plants for Water Gardens 368
Waterlilies 369
Lotus 370
So-called marginal plants 371
Floaters and submerged plants 371
Adding Fish to Your Water Garden 372
Maintaining Your Water Garden 374
Taking care of the plants 375
Winterizing your plants and fish 375
A sea of green: Controlling algae in troubled waters 376
Part VI: The Part of Tens 379
Chapter 18: Ten Common Questions from (and Ten Common Answers for) Gardening Beginners 381
What's the Difference between an Annual and a Perennial? 381
What's Organic Matter? 382
Why Does Everything I Plant in My Flower Bed Die? 382
How Do I Prepare the Ground for a Brand-New Bed? 382
Do I Have to Spray Chemicals on My Rosebushes? 383
Do Any Vegetables Grow in the Shade? 383
It's Hot and Dry Here and I Don't Want Cacti
What Are My Options? 383
What Can I Plant on a Steep Bank to Prevent Erosion? 384
How Do I Remove the Weeds from the Lawn without
Pulling Them One by One? 384
Is There Anything Deer Don't Eat? 385
Chapter 19: Ten Quick, Fun, or Handy Garden Projects 387
Set Up a Hammock 387
Put Up a Rubber Tire Swing 387
Install Stepping Stones 388
Set Up a Trellis 388
Plant a Teepee 388
Create Whimsical Garden Art from Castoffs 389
Decorate the Front Steps with Potted Plants 389
Make Some Plant Labels 389
Make a Simple Compost Bin for Your Own Organic Matter 390
Combat Garden Pests with Homemade Pepper Spray 390
Chapter 20: Ten Garden Projects for Children 391
Create a Dinosaur Garden 391
Grow a Sunflower Fort 391
Make Sunprints 392
Plant Mini-Pumpkins 392
Write with Seeds 392
Trap a Zucchini 392
Make a Home-Grown Salad 393
Grow Paperwhites 393
Set Up a Birdbath 393
Attract Butterflies to the Garden 394
Appendix: Basic Gardening Resources 395
Index 401