The Spare-Time Gardener: Tips and Tricks for Those on the Go

by Barbara Hill Freeman

Overview

Offering tips on finding your own gardening style, choosing climate-appropriate plants, creating low-maintenance landscaping and hardscaping, and weeding efficiently and effectively, Freeman understands that there's no room for scolding, but there is a real need for encouragement and good humor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461709442
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	02/02/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

After eight years as an award-winning reporter for the Boothbay Register, Barbara Freeman joined the staff of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and she continues to write for newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. A Master Gardener, Freeman has tended gardens in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maine, and knows the requirements of various climates; and has visited and written about many gardens, including those of celebrities as well as of avid home gardeners. Freeman was awarded the First Prize in Environmental Reporting from the New England Press Association in 2000, and she has received numerous awards for writing and photography from the Maine Press Association. Freeman lives in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Editorial Reviews

These two titles offer excellent information on minimizing gardening chores and getting down to essentials; those who have a limited amount of time to garden need look no further to find the realistic plans they need. Both Flowerdew, author of several gardening books and a widely recognized organic gardening expert in Britain, and Freeman, a master gardener and professional writer who lives in Maine, agree on certain key ideas (e.g., that maintaining lush turf is very labor-intensive). Indeed, both advise against being a botanical perfectionist and encourage going with the flow of nature whenever possible (planting native species results in fewer diseases and infestations because those plants are already adapted to the environment). Both authors also offer similar guidelines for reducing drudgery, such as applying mulch for weed control and moisture retention, and both do a thorough job of explaining away nonessential tasks and emphasizing the importance of performing crucial tasks correctly at the outset to avoid remediation later. Either title would be very useful in a public library's gardening collection. Flowerdew's comprehensive book is filled with striking color photographs and illustrations, although it is a bit of a stretch to promise a "no work" garden. Freeman's book, with its emphasis on good management practices, landscape plans, and wise purchases, should get a novice gardener off to a good start.-Deborah Anne Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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