Gardening Basics For Dummies


Book 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.




Perennials for Every Purpose


Book Description

From the "Galloping Gourmet" of the garden world comes a guide to perennials to fit every gardener's needs. 300 color photos. 7 color garden layouts.




Landscaping For Dummies


Book Description

Create an eye-catching outdoor oasis with this no-nonsense guide to landscaping As families spend more time at home, they're expanding their living space to their yards, decks, and patios. When you're ready to upgrade the look of your landscape, Landscaping For Dummies offers advice on installing fences and walkways, choosing hardy plants and trees, and enhancing natural habitats for the critters and creatures lurking in your neighborhood. You'll find out how to make your backyard a relaxing retreat space and discover the enjoyment and satisfaction that comes from working in your yard. Landscaping For Dummies includes: Lists of recommended plants and varieties, including the best ones for privacy plantings, low-maintenance groundcovers, and small gardens Advice on how to deal with special landscaping concerns, including fire-prone areas, bee and butterfly gardens, and drought-tolerant and native landscapes Instructions on installing permanent features like decks, patios, fences, and more Pointers on how to water more efficiently, including the latest tools and technologies that can save you time With a little bit of planning and some digging, trimming, or planting, you'll be set to enjoy your yard whenever the mood strikes. Let Landscaping For Dummies be your guide to making the most of your outdoor space.




Gardening All-in-One For Dummies


Book Description

"God almighty first planted a garden: and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures." --Sir Francis Bacon National surveys show that gardening has become the most popular, least exclusive hobby nationwide. From the balconies of Manhattan to the patios of Malibu to the backyards of Chicago, anybody with a few square feet of earth is doing their best to make their little corner of the world more gracious and beautiful. And the best thing is, you really don't have to be born with a green thumb to give life to a glorious garden. Anybody can do it with a little coaching. Which is where Gardening All-in-One For Dummies comes in. Puzzled by pruning? Baffled by bulbs? Can't tell a hosta from a hyacinth? Don’t worry! This all-in-one reference delivers the know-how you need to transform your little patch of the outdoors into a blooming paradise. Drawing upon the expertise of the National Gardening Association, it gets you up to speed on: Basic gardening skills—from understanding your microclimate to using gardening tools to managing pests and common plant diseases How to design, plan and build a garden landscape that reflects your unique sense of style Selecting, planting and maintaining stunning roses Building a raised bed for your perennials and making them bloom in any climate Choose, grow and maintain annuals From amaryllis to spider dahlias to wood tulips—coaxing beauty from homely bulbs Enjoying nature’s bounty by growing you own vegetables and herbs A veritable encyclopedia of gardening, this Gardening All-in-One For Dummies is an indispensable resource for novices and experienced gardeners alike. It brings together between the covers of a single volume seven great books covering: Gardening Basics Garden Design Roses Perennials Annuals Bulbs Vegetables and Herbs Your one-step guide to a beautiful garden, Gardening All-in-One For Dummies shows you how to experience the “purest of human pleasures” in your own backyard.




Orchids For Dummies


Book Description

Packed with photos, including 8 pages in full color Color your world with orchids Orchids are beautiful, fragrant, wonderfully varied, and surprisingly affordable. But aren't they hard to grow at home? No! says orchid grower extraordinaire Steve Frowine. In this handy guide, he shows you step by step how to select the right orchids, keep them healthy, encourage blooms, and even propagate your own plants. Discover how to: * Select orchids that will thrive in your home * Water, fertilize, repot, and propagate orchids * Decipher complicated orchid names * Get familiar with favorite orchid varieties * Create spectacular orchid displays




Kitchen Garden Revival


Book Description

Elevate your backyard veggie patch into a work of sophisticated and stylish art. Kitchen Garden Revival guides you through every aspect of kitchen gardening, from design to harvesting—with expert advice from author Nicole Johnsey Burke, founder of Rooted Garden, one of the leading US culinary landscape companies, and Gardenary, an online kitchen gardening education and resource company. Participating in the grow-your-own movement is important to both reduce your food miles and control what makes it onto your family’s table. If you’ve hesitated to take part because installing and caring for a traditional vegetable garden doesn’t seem to suit your life or your sense of style, Kitchen Garden Revival is here to show you there’s a better, more beautiful way to grow food. Instead of row after row of cabbage and pepper plants plunked into a patch of dirt in the middle of the yard, kitchen gardens are attractive, highly tailored food gardens consisting of easy-to-maintain raised planting beds laid out in an organized geometric pattern. Offering both four seasons of ornamental interest and plenty of fresh, homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs, kitchen gardens are the way to grow your own food in a fashionable, modern, and practical way. Kitchen gardens were once popular features of the European and early American landscape, but they fell out of favor when our agrarian roots were displaced by industrialization. With this accessible and inspirational guide, Nicole aims to return the kitchen garden to its rightful place just outside of every backdoor. Learn the art of kitchen gardening as you discover: What characteristics all kitchen gardens have in common How to design and install gorgeous kitchen garden beds using metal, wood, or stone Why raised beds mean reduced maintenance What crops are best for your kitchen garden A planting, tending, and harvesting plan developed by a pro Season-by-season growing guides It's time to join the Kitchen Garden Revival and start growing your own delicious, organic food.




Container Gardening For Dummies


Book Description

Learn to: Choose, plant, and care for flowers, fruits, trees, and shrubs Grow vegetables and herbs just steps away from your kitchen Cultivate charming gardens in any climate Prevent insects and diseases from invading containers the eco-friendly way The easy way to get a green thumb in container gardening! Want to spruce up your indoor or outdoor space with annuals, perennials, vegetables, and succulents? This updated edition of Container Gardening For Dummies gives you clear, concise step-by-step instructions for cultivating delightful gardens in everything from a redwood window box to a hanging basket to an old watering can. It also includes color photos to inspire your designs. Getting the dirt on container gardening — discover the advantages of growing plants in containers and learn how to maximize your garden conditions to help plants thrive Picking a pot to plant in — take a look around your living space and determine the best location and type of container for your garden Enjoying a summer fling — get the lowdown on the best single-season flowers, vegetables, and bulbs for container growing Putting down roots — find out which perennials, trees, shrubs, fruits, and berries give year-round impact Designing and decorating — take advantage of ideas and inspiration for creating eye-catching container gardening displays Open the book and find: Things you need to know before planting A quick primer on climate What to look for in a soil mix How to work with perennials and annuals Information you need to help you choose plants Why and when containers need water and fertilizer Guidance on replanting, repotting, and pruning Tips for preventing insect pests and diseases Ways to liven up your space with trees, shrubs, and vines




Organic Gardening For Dummies


Book Description

Organic Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows readers the way to ensure a healthy harvest from their environmentally friendly garden. It covers information on the newest and safest natural fertilizers and pest control methods, composting, cultivation without chemicals, and how to battle plant diseases. It also has information on updated equipment and resources. It helps readers plant organically year-round, using herbs, fruits, vegetables, lawn care, trees and shrubs, and flowers. The tips and techniques included in Organic Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition are intended to reduce a garden's impact on both the environment and the wallet.




Perennials For Dummies?


Book Description

Discusses the selection and care of perennial flowers, ferns, and grasses and suggests varieties for different conditions, soils, and climates.




Trees & Shrubs For Dummies


Book Description

At prices ranging from $7 to $1,000 each, trees and shrubs represent one of the costliest elements of a landscape. Choosing wisely is critical: trees and shrubs, unlike flowers, become semi-permanent fixtures, enhancing -- or reducing -- the value of a home by as much as 15%. This authoritative reference is the only guide homeowners need to make choices they'll be happy with for years to come. -- More than 250 trees and shrubs described -- How to save thousands of dollars with easy, do-it-yourself planting and pruning tips -- and to know when to call in professional help -- 24 pages of color photos and 150 line illustrations -- Landscaping secrets that reveal how to muffle noise, reduce utility bills, and even reduce taxes