Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The title "No-work" is a bit of an exaggeration, but veteran British gardener Flowerdew (Bob Flowerdew's Organic Bible, etc.) gives excellent advice about keeping gardening busywork to a minimum. Profusely illustrated with attractive photographs and drawings, the book covers the gardening gamut: lawns, houseplants, flowers, vegetables and a particularly long and detailed section on fruits. Flowerdew gives commonsense advice: don't listen to rose experts obsessed with the giant flowers that win prizes when your own interest is to enjoy an abundance of blooms in your garden; if you prefer strawberries, why not grow them instead of the radishes you never eat? He also provides some quirky but handy tips such as the Romans' technique for killing pernicious weeds: drown them in a barrel of water, add a layer of vegetable oil to keep mosquitoes away and use the liquid for plant food. His dry British humor may be a bit difficult for the American reader to fathom, but most of his emphasis on following your pleasure in gardening choices will be especially welcome to new gardeners who worry about doing things right. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
