"The most soul-satisfying gardening book in years." --New York Times (March 1982, reviewing the 1981 cloth edition from IU Press). "Genuinely a classic..." --Los Angeles Times (on the occasion of Houghton Mifflin's paperback edition, which came out in 1994). "Is there anyone alive with the slightest interest in gardening who doesn't know that Henry Mitchell is one of the funniest and most truthful garden columnists we've got?" --Allen Lacy "Mitchell is a joy to read. He has tried and failed, persevered and triumphed, and he has many sound recommendations for us fumblers and failures." --Celestine Sibley, in the Atlanta Constitution. "Henry Mitchell is one of America's most entertaining and enlightening garden writers.... 'Garden writer' fails, in truth, to describe this man. He gardens and he writes--the former, if we take him at his word, with lust and loathing, foolhardiness and finesse; the latter with gentle irony and consummate skill." --Pacific Horticulture "Mitchell mixes practical advice, encouragement, philosophic consolation and wit. He is the neighbor you wish you could talk to over the back fence." --House and Garden Henry Mitchell was to gardening what Izaak Walton was to fishing. The Essential Earthman is a collection of the best of his long-running column for the Washington Post. Although he offered invaluable tips for novice as well as seasoned gardeners, at the heart of his essays were piquant observations: on keeping records; the role of trees in gardens (they don't belong there); how a gardener should weather the winter; on shrubs, bulbs, and fragrant flowers--and about observation itself. Here's one example: Marigolds gain enormously in impact when used as sparingly as ultimatums. Henry Mitchell came to his subject with reverence, passion, humor, and a contagious enthusiasm tempered only by his sober knowledge of human frailty. The Essential Earthman is for all who love gardening--even those who only dream of doing it.

A complete guide to citrus cultivation explains how to grow a variety of citrus trees in all climates in the garden, on the terrace or deck, and on a balcony, with tips on overwintering, container gardening, greenhouses, profiles of a variety of citrus species--including oranges, lemons, limes, and more--and dozens of recipes for popular citrus foods.

Russell Page, one of the legendary gardeners and landscapers of the twentieth century, designed gardens great and small for clients throughout the world. His memoirs, born of a lifetime of sketching, designing, and working on site, are a mixture of engaging personal reminiscence, keen critical intelligence, and practical know-how. They are not only essential reading for today’s gardeners, but a master’s compelling reflection on the deep sources and informing principles of his art. The Education of a Gardener offers charming, sometimes pointed anecdotes about patrons, colleagues, and, of course, gardens, together with lucid advice for the gardener. Page discusses how to plan a garden that draws on the energies of the surrounding landscape, determine which plants will do best in which setting, plant for the seasons, handle color, and combine trees, shrubs, and water features to rich and enduring effect. To read The Education of a Gardener is to wander happily through a variety of gardens in the company of a wise, witty, and knowledgeable friend. It will provide pleasure and insight not only to the dedicated gardener, but to anyone with an interest in abiding questions of design and aesthetics, or who simply enjoys an unusually well-written and thoughtful book.

This book is designed to help, encourage, and inspire gardeners, whether they are novice or experienced. It is packed with info about choosing and buying plants.

Bursting with vivid color—like the midsummer garden of your dreams—Essential Perennials for Every Garden will inspire and inform gardeners from coast to coast. This expertly written, eye-catching guide to choosing and maintaining perennials covers a vast array of plants from dainty ground huggers and wafting soft grasses to dramatic skyscrapers with unearthly blooms. Selected by authors and master gardeners Sally Roth and Jane Courtier, over 110 of the very best perennials are beautifully photographed and described, giving readers recommendations about the most reliable performers and exciting new varieties and hybrids. Whether readers are beginning a new perennial garden or perfecting an existing one, Essential Perennials for Every Garden can assist them in creating that dream garden that will add color and joy to their lives for years to come. -A fully-illustrated alphabetically arranged directory of the hardiest and most colorful perennials -Description, growing conditions, and propagation for over 110 superb perennials -Advice on inexpensive, easy methods to develop a new garden or expand an existing one -Time-saving tips on maintaining perennials, feeding plants, and warding off pests -Sidebars offer “green-thumb” tips and plant-partnering recommendations

This wonderful book contains a selection of the best and most important passages from Gertrude Jekyll's many books on gardening. It is divided into eight chapters, on subjects from Design and Ornament and Colour and Scent to Flowers in the House, each one filled with sound common sense, wise advice and enormous knowledge which Gertrude includes in her books. Gertrude Jekyll (1843 - 1932) was one of the founding figures of modern British gardening.'The greatest artist in horticulture and garden planting that England had produced.' - Christopher Hussey

What if, one step at a time, we could make our gardens and landscapes more eco-friendly? Barbara W. Ellis's colorful, comprehensive guide shows homeowners, gardeners, garden designers, and landscapers how to do just that for the large and beautiful Chesapeake Bay watershed region. This area includes Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and part of West Virginia (translating to portions of USDA Zones 6, 7, and 8). Here, mid-Atlantic gardeners, from beginners to advanced, will find the essential tools for taking steps to make their gardens part of the solution through long-term planning and planting. The guide is built from the ground up around six simple but powerful principles that anyone can use: * Reduce lawn * Build plant diversity * Grow native plants * Manage water runoff * Welcome wildlife * Garden wisely Included are detailed instructions for assessing and designing your particular garden or landscape site; choosing and caring for trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, and flowers; and succeeding with such conditions as shade or poor soil. From rain gardens to woodland gardens, meadow gardens to wildlife gardens, and much more, this indispensable guide features more than 300 color photographs.