Product Description

A 688-page volume jam-packed with practical information, advice, tips, and quirky wisdom, both basic enough for the novice and complete enough to help those with more experience improve their gardening habits, The Garden Primer leads all readers down the path to a simpler and more successful garden. Combining easy "how-to" instruction with quirky wisdom and tried-and-true advice, the author reassuringly guides the reader through the flower garden, the decorative garden, the vegetable patch, and more. Each fully illustrated chapter is a book in itself, from planning your property and stocking the tool shed to growing perennials, annuals, roses, bulbs, vegetables, herbs, fruits, lawns & groundcover, trees, shrubs, vines, and more. Instructions are included for growing and tending approximately 300 plants. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Quality Paperback Book Club, and the Better Homes & Gardens Family Book Service. 364,000 copies in print. A Regina Ryan Book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #480716 in Books
• Published on: 1987-12-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"Keep gardening simple" is the reassuring maxim invoked by Damrosch ( Theme Gardens ) time and again in this outstanding compendium of garden lore, information and advice for novices and old-timers. The author, an "old-fashioned dirt gardener," advocates common sense, respect for the delicate balance of nature and a hands-on approach. Her book brims with sound advice for garden planning, planting and maintenance, and her relaxed attitude about equipment ("buy a few good implements and treat them well") and disease and pest control ("when in doubt, don't spray") is refreshing. Ornamental plants, from vines ("willful children") to herbs ("anarchists of the garden"), are evaluated thoughtfully, and gardeners will profit from Damrosch's manageable lists of annuals, perennials, ground covers, shrubs and trees. They will be entertained, as well, by the author's engaging, witty voice. Vegetables and fruits are discussed in mini-chapters; illustrations and an appendix of mail-order sources, etc., round out the book. BOMC and QPBC main selections; Better Homes & Gardens Book Club selection ; a uthor tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Beginning gardeners can be overwhelmed by the vast amount of printed information available. Damrosch offers a comprehensive book for the new gardener that clearly explains the basics of garden planning, plant care, and equipment. Detailed chapters on the different categories of plants--annuals, perennials, vegetables, fruits, lawns, shrubs, roses, vines, trees, wildflowers, and even house plants--give general advice on how to use and care for these varieties. A valuable book for public libraries.
- Peter C. Leonard, Mt. Lebanon P.L., Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ingram
A cornucopia of garden information, technique, advice and opinion complete with totally up-to-date source lists on gardening gear and supplies, seed and plant catalogs, gardening societies and other resources. From the author of Theme Gardens. Illustrated.

Customer Reviews

Notice copyright date
Based on the very positive reviews, I purchased this book, and started reading. I thought it a little odd that she mentioned mailorder companies 'beginning to use plastic', and I was taken aback in the section about mulches that the now ubiquitous bags of cedar mulch were not even mentioned. That's when I checked the copyright date. While much of the information is timeless, and the writing style is certainly entertaining, there are some dated items.

Loved this book!
This book is a great reference, but I found it so interesting, I read it cover to cover. Loved it! It is organized in sections, like: trees, fruits, vegetables, etc. Then the tree section for instance is broken down into types: dogwood, magnolia, etc. Every type has an illustration and describes the requirements of the plants (food, light, soil, zone tolerance, pests, etc.) I am a novice gardener, but I feel that after reading this book I have a very good grasp on how to take care of plants in my new house.

The authors writing is never boring, always pleasant and a few times even cracked me up. She never tells you "you should do this" but gives you a tremendous amount of well-rounded information to make good judgements yourself. I know I'm gushing, but if you are are new to gardening, I honestly cannot imagine a book that could help you more. I feel that the book is complete and I don't feel the need to buy any other books right now to compensate. By the way, there are never any advertisements for specific products like fertilizers in the book. I would tell you if there was anything irritating like that.

I keep the book in my gardening shed so that if I can't remember something, it's close by to refer to. I am actually writing this review because I was looking to purchase this for someone from Amazon as a gift. I had thought of loaning it to them but I just can't be without it for a month.

Cultivate this Book; See what Grows
Barbara Damrosch has written the tour de force in practical gardening handbooks for the novice and green-thumbed alike.

What is truly impressive in the book is how Damrosch manages to cover so much gardening acreage in one mid-sized book. There are chapters on landscape planning, plant care, gear, buying tips, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, fruits, bulbs, roses, lawns and ground covers, vines, shrubs, trees, wildflowers, and even house plants. Whew...that was a list. Though it would seem with such an exhaustive table of contents that maybe the gardening reader would get to know far too little about a lot, such is not the case. Once you are done reading trees per say, you feel like you got a fairly thorough branching of the woody subject.

Though, if you are solely interested in vegetable gardening let's say, there are more detailed and exhaustive books out there, but chances are someday you will tire of rhubarbs and radishes and get the thorny point to plant a rose or two, you will find on that piercing day that you pine to have bought Damrosch's green bible.

I reach for this book time and time again with dirt-caked hands. Before you sow and grow, be well-read and what a better place to start than Damrosch's "Garden Primer."