Book Description
Over 400 entries of the most practical, up-to-date gardening information ever, collected from garden experts and writers nationwide!"Gardens are places to renew yourself in mind and body, to reawaken to the truth and beauty of the natural world, and to feel the life force inside and around you. And the organic way to garden is safer, cheaper, and more satisfying. Organic gardeners have shown that it's possible to have pleasant and productive gardens in every part of this country without using toxic chemicals. They make their home grounds an island of purity."--Robert Rodale
Customer Reviews:
Very imformative.......2007-09-07
This book was recommended by a friend and it is exceptionally informative and well written. I would recommend it to anyone seeking more info on organic gardening. It has ideas that are cheap to do that work wonderfully!
Organic is not a synonym for boring.......2007-07-23
This book is so bland and boring it is nearly generic. If you are at all excited by the prospect of things organic, don't buy this book. Look for something with juices flowing in the veins or you will find yourself semi-comatose and bored with organic before you begin.
This book could have been more than just a [quite generalized] reference book. It could have been an inspiration. Fortunately it's recyclable.
It's okay, but it's not the original!.......2007-05-15
I was in a used book store recently and compared the old and new versions side-by-side. I bought the old one. The old version has so much great detailed information that the new one lacks.
Don't get me wrong, the new version is "prettier". It's still got some great stuff in it you might not find in some other sources. But, it is more of a treatise or "Cliff's Notes" version--it isn't exhaustive.
Still a great reference for those new to gardening. However, it should have been called "Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: LITE".
Encyclopedia... That's Just What It Is!.......2007-02-07
Rodale always does an excellent job of researching what we gardeners want to know about. And the ALL-NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA of ORGANIC GARDENING is no exception. I refer to it frequently and usually find the information I'm looking for.
A Great Beginner's Reference (with a small "bug" of an error).......2007-01-18
I have repeatedly returned to my copy of this book, usually when I am about to embark on a garden chore and want a refresher course in the hows and whys. The alphabetical topics include "Animal Pests", "Asparagus", "Beneficial Insects", "Cold Frames", "Edible Landscaping", Garlic, "Irrigation", "Pelargoniums", "Trees" and hundreds more, all simple to locate as though you were reading a phone book. Each entry contains an encyclopedia-style summary with an organic method slant. Beginners and intermediate gardeners will find the info provided invaluable, but if you want an in-depth explanation, seek a more expert book.
Other features include a recommended reading list, an index of common plant names paired with their botanical names, and simple line drawings illustrating many of the book's topics.
That said, I was sad to see a mistake in the "tomato" entry as I was reading it just now... the book recommends planting dill near your tomatoes to attract tomato hornworms. Unfortunately, these are not the same species and killing caterpillars found on dill will simply reduce the number of swallowtail butterflies in your garden (tomato hornworms are a type of sphinx/hawk moth.) I advocate planting the dill anyway and leaving the caterpillars alone! The rest of the 5 pages devoted to tomatoes includes an overview on choosing plants or seeds, bed preparation and planting, tomato pruning tips, recommended fertilizers, how to make long-lasting tomato cages, a disease summary, harvesting information, recommended cultivars for organic growers, and tomatoes raised in small spaces.
A nice reference for the gardener who is in a hurry to get outside and plant!
Book Description
Whether an experienced gardener is looking to go organic or a beginner wants to create a healthy, eco-friendly garden, the Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening contains the tips and techniques needed to produce beautiful flowers, top-quality herbs, and appetizing, wholesome fruits and vegetables. Explore the latest methods for cultivation without chemicals, discover the benefits of composting, and learn how to maintain an organic garden year-round.
Customer Reviews:
Poorly researched.......2007-09-27
This book is poorly researched. One section of the book talks about fungi being plants that do not undergo photosynthesis. This idea has not been accepted by the science community since the mid 50s. It goes on to mention potato blight as common pathogenic fungi....potato blight is not casued by a fungi. The causative pathogen (an oomycete) was once in the kingdom fungi but later moved to a different kingdom in the late 70's. This leads me to beleive that the authors have taken a lot of updated information for granted. I could go on and on about this book. If you are new to gardening and and want something to ready this is an OK book. If you want or need a book that give real uptdate advice this is not the book. In my opinonin this book falls into the catagory of books that are ment to be on a coffe table and not really used. A good name was used to sell a poor product.
Gardening made easy........2007-08-27
I find this book very user friendly. I find the format helpful and it's contents very informative. I especially find the care and pruning guides helpful and the variety of topics inspiring.
Brilliant! Buy this book........2007-07-26
I've been gardening for a few years, and this book really broadened my knowledge. Also made me feel less like a cheapskate for not running out to buy all the latest garden gizmos - they point out that you can reuse pruned shoots, for example, to stake up your garden plants. Highly recommended.
excellent resource.......2007-03-18
If you are interested in organic gardening, this is the book to have. I have not had one question that it couldn't answer yet!
Awsome reference book.......2006-12-01
If I could only have one book it would be this one. It is what is says...an Encyclopedia. Luckily I'm not limited to only one book as it does not cover some topics as well as other books. But that's the point of an encyclopedia..touch on all topics as best as can be done for the space available.
The first 30 pages are dedicated to the history of the organic movement and the basic design recommendations for an organic garden.
The next 70 pages cover the basics of soil care, watering, weed control, plant health and raising plants.
The next 100 pages cover various garden aspects like lawn care, woody plants, garden flowers, container gardening, gardening for wildlife and the use of greenhouses and covers.
Another 100 pages cover growing fruit, herbs and vegetables. This section alone is larger than 90% of most gardening book and well worth the price of the book alone.
It has the standard appendix and reference sections you would expect for a gardening book but a surprising extra is the H.D.R.A Organic Guidelines for Gardeners that is included as an appendix. I didn't even know such a thing existed until I read this book. Absolutely wonderful!
Customer Reviews:
Great gardening reference.......2001-11-14
Of all my gardening library, this one is the most used. Very good basic gardening information source.
One of the ABSOLUTE BEST Gardening/Landscaping How-To Books.......2000-05-11
This is, without a doubt, one the BEST gardening & landscaping how-to books on the market. Easy to find topics, including: The Basics, Flowers, Food Gardens, Lawn & Groundcovers, Trees and Shrubs, Houseplants and Container Gardens and much more! Hundreds of easy to follow illustrations! This book is PACKED with useful tips, directions and wonderful projects! A HIGHLY recommended book!
Amazon.com
Perennials are the most challenging and rewarding of all garden plants, and most gardeners need all the help they can get to grow them well. Perennials emerge from the ground in early spring, grow to full height, bloom, bear fruit, and then disappear with the first frost, only to do the same thing the following year and again the next. Add this to the fact that for the first year or two, perennials don't do much above the ground (they are growing their root structure), but after that they burst forth with amazingly vigorous growth, and you get an idea of the pleasures and tribulations of perennial gardening. The rewards, however, are rich: a wide array of flower forms and colors, structure and leaf, an ever-changing mid-level tapestry in the garden, plus a celebration of seasonal change. Few gardeners can resist perennials, but how to grow them better and more effortlessly?
Readers can count on Rodale books to be practical and detailed and to advocate organic gardening. While Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials does give information, as you would expect from Rodale, on soil building, climate, propagation and nontoxic pest and disease control, its emphasis is on design. The advice is down-to-earth, as in a sidebar entitled "Evergreen Perennials: Myth or Reality?" that points out that although some perennials are touted as evergreen, and do keep their leaves through the winter (such as Epimedium, Ajuga, and Bergenia), they are often so tattered by winter storms that they shouldn't be counted on to beautify the garden off-season.
Though packed with all sorts of useful information, the meat of the book is the encyclopedia of perennials. From acanthus to yucca, each comes with a color photo, cultural and cultivar information, as well as suggestions on use. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in these rewarding, though somewhat demanding, plants. --Valerie Easton
Book Description
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials is the definitive guide to:
* Creating beautiful combinations
* Growing lush, healthy gardens
* Using hundreds of versatile perennials!
Customer Reviews:
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials: 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Editionthe .......2007-08-18
the book is very informative easy to read and helps you to make wise choises for your perennial flower beds
A Must Have For Every Gardener.......2006-07-27
This book is very informative and also well organized. It offers many useful tips and information for greenhorn and experienced gardeners alike. It covers every perennial you can think of and even some that I considered roadside weeds. Great reference guide to care for your perennials properly. Highly recommended!
Makes Getting "Serious Gardener" Results Much Easier.......2006-05-17
This is the one book about perennials to own if you can only own one -- part growing manual, part plant reference encyclopedia, and part garden design guide. I stumbled into gardening by accident, having avoided it throughout my youth, but once I caught "the bug," I wanted to learn in a hurry how to do it correctly. This book was (and is) the perfect choice.
Actually, I discovered the advantages of this book backwards: I began by just using it to look up the dozens of plants that I began to bring home from nurseries with the word "perennial" on their hangtags. After a while, I noticed that it had great advice on how to keep the ones that were dying under my care from, well, dying under my care. And eventually I saw that Phillips and Burrell were also smarter than me about how to plan out my garden, for both improved aesthetics and healthier plants.
One aspect of this book that I liked from Day One is that the authors speak the non-gardener version of English, so it's easy to understand and follow. One would think all gardening books would be down-to-earth (pun intended), but no...not like this one.
If you have a garden already, you might want to start using this book by charting out the current layout of the garden and labeling each plant. Don't worry - the book is filled with full-color photographs to help you identify anything that you don't recognize by name. And pretty soon you'll not only see options you hadn't considered before, you'll even know what to ask for at the nursery or home center.
Have fun with it. I know I do.
helpful:.......2006-03-13
Have not had a lot of luck with perrenials.I have gone thru from cover to cover and know where and how to plant now.A great book.
A Treasure for my Gardening!.......2005-05-08
A book finally written to help the beginner gardener. Complete information and wonderful tips and illustrations on what to plant and with what.
A mainstay for any perennial gardener.
Average customer rating:
|
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
Rodale Press
Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Gardening
| Encyclopedias
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 5550968754 |
Amazon.com
This hefty reference manual is absolutely packed with specific information on everything from bee-keeping to window gardening. More like a standard textbook than most gardening books of today, Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has been around since 1959, and in its 1,000-plus pages manages to address everything from the nitrogen content of common items (feathers, eggshells, etc.) to choosing the most appropriate foundation planting for a formal entrance. The only illustrations are plain black and white, and fancy color photography is nonexistent. This lack is balanced by the healthy dose of charts and analytical lists shown throughout. Don't be scared by the seemingly technical presentation--this is a clearly written book that's easy to follow even for the novice gardener.
The answer to any possible gardening question is sure to be found here for both backyard green thumbs and those interested in heavy, possibly profitable, production of organic vegetables and herbs. Arranged alphabetically, you'll find multipage explanations of organic fertilizers next to a one-paragraph description of fenugreek. Most plants have multiple listings, as the authors tried to include many slang names of common flowers and grasses--no Latin necessary with this plant guide. Not meant to be a glossy coffee-table book, this encyclopedia is exactly what a reference book should be--serious, friendly, helpful, and thorough. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
This hefty volume was originally published in 1961 by organic gardening revolutionary J.I. Rodale, and it became the fruit and vegetable grower's bible. Actually seven manuals in one, it covers general organic gardening techniques, vegetable growing, home fruit and garden orchards, organic fruit culture, organic nut culture, herb gardening, and growing exotic tropical fruits.
Like timeless wisdon passed down through the ages, readers will learn why J.I.'s visionary ideas about organic gardening are still appropriate for today's gardeners. Not a word has been changed throughout this 928-page manual--a unique and nostalgic find for gardeners and historians alike.
Customer Reviews:
tiniest book I've ever purchased!!.......2005-04-09
When this book arrived after ordering it from Amazon (and being fooled by other reviews), my husband and I couldn't stop laughing--this is not an encyclopedia but a pocket sized dictionary (literally 2inches squared), with entries such as "ants"--the descriptions of anything are way too short to be of any merit, and if you really need to look up the definition of "ant" you are going to need a lot more help in your garden than this book can supply!!
The only reason it gets two stars instead of one is the shock-value I had when I received it--and a good laugh is always worth something.
In place you might consider Nancy Bubel's "Seed Starting Handbook"--lots of useful, easy-to-follow, and fairly detailed information on gardening.
NOT NEW...BUT TRIED AND TRUE!.......2001-06-13
This book has been around for many years and is one of the most valuable resources on organic gardening. True, it does not have beautiful glossy coloured pictures to capture one's attention, and you likely will not find it sitting around on someone's coffee table ready to stimulate conversation. However, what the book does offer is a wealth of information covering organic garden techniques, vegetable growing, organic fertilizers, fruit orchards, fruit and nut culture, herb gardening(my favourite section) and exotic tropical fruits (certainly not conducive to all climates, such as mine, if you are an outdoor gardener.) This is not a book the average person will sit down and read, cover to cover, in an evening - the length is over one thousand pages! However, if you are into organic gardening this is a must-have book. I particularly like the way the book is organized; considering the size of this monsterous volume, everything was easy to find. You are definitely getting a terrific value for your dollar, considering this is probably the only book you will ever need in respect to organic gardening.
old reliable.......2000-05-20
I have been a poor man's gardener for 40 years or so. Over the years I have accumulated dozens of books or booklets on gardening, yet I always end up looking up any subject in the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It's the most useful book I have.
Organic Gardening 101.......2000-04-03
Well it is a textbook. It is authoritative and boring to read unless you are into the subject. It has no pictures. It is a classic. Put it on the book shelf and pull it out to look stuff up on organic gardening. You know it will have the answer. Well most of the time - keep in mind if you are trying to find out about Neem oil for roses look in something more recent.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2002-12-29
Fine layout and photographs, but I found this book oddly uninteresting to read.
There are better books out there covering the same ground. One book I like, less exhaustive but more interesting to read, is "100 Easy to Grow Native Plants." If you want something more exhaustive, Cullina's two books on Wildflowers and Shrubs are IMO the best native plant guides on the market.
Mr. Burell oragnizes and expalins beautifully.......2002-09-05
Mr. Burrell has been providing useful information on gardening with native plants for
a while now - through his books and columns in magazines like "Fine Gardening."
I am never disappointed when I read his material, and this books fits with the rest.
It's a wonderfully helpful starter's guide to native plants, particularly for east coast
and midwest gardeners.
Excellent context and detail.......2000-02-26
C Colston Burrell seems to be a genuinely professional gardening writer, having written a general perennials book for Rodale too. I'm thoroughly impressed with this book, which does a very good job of placing species in both natural and garden contexts. It also gives adequate treatment to the basics of native garden care in some introductory chapters.
A Gardener's Ency of Wildflowers is not a comprehensive reference; I haven't seen anything I'd call a definitive reference out there on native gardening. Intelligently, Burrell chooses to provide very complete descriptions of a representative sampling of 150-some native plants. In side bars, he sends up other species in slightly less detail, contrasting them with the full description he started from. The format works well. Native gardening is still at the point where you need to do a fair amount of poking around yourself to know what's appropriate to your area and your garden, and this book is a perfect starting point for that process.
The other positive here for me personally was that Burrell is a Minneapolis author. I happen to also be in zone four, and really appreciated the fact that the book had a very healthy complement of species that are happy in northern gardens.
The one absence I noticed was any detailed description of propagating each species. Good nursery catalogs -- Prairie Moon's being one -- include information on when to plant each type of seed, how long to cold stratify it, and so on. Here you get more of a basic description of how fall planting works, in an introductory chapter mostly. After a couple of years with my own garden, I can tell you that isn't quite enough to go by.
Excellent source for those interested in wild flowers.......1998-09-24
Burrell, with his Gardener's Encyclopedia of Wildflowers, has filled an invaluable gap in the literature. Books on wild flowers are widely available, but few offer definitive details on the growing and cultivation of these precious, often endangered, plants. In addition to its stunning illustrations and workable garden designs Gardener's Encyclopedia adds sources for seeds and plants throughout the coountry. It also includes a reading list and an excellent glossary. Altogether an important addition to the gardener's library.
Customer Reviews:
A little bit of everything.......2005-01-12
This book is about three inches thick and offers information on almost everything you could possibly ever bring into your house (plant-wise that is). It has in-depth chapters about orchids, cacti, vining plants, and other sub-groups that you'll see in stores; plant problems, propagation methods, general care, and MUCH more. It's the book I flip to first when I need an answer. NOT a beginner's type book, but full of info for those who want to dig deeper into their hobby. LOTS of reading here, so it's not for the faint of heart, but it has lots of pictures and drawings to help out too. Highly recommended.
Books:
- Seedfolks (Joanna Colter Books)
- Slug Tossing: And Other Adventures of a Reluctant Gardener
- Small Spaces, Beautiful Gardens
- Small Spaces, Beautiful Gardens
- Taunton's Front Yard Idea Book: How to Create a Welcoming Entry and Expand Your Outdoor Living Space (Idea Books)
- Texas Trees: A Friendly Guide
- The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
- The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life
- The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens
- The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens
Books Index
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Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
