America's Garden Book, Revised Edition

By Louise Bush-Brown and James Bush-Brown

Book Overview

America's Garden Book There are very few garden books that have lasted like America's Garden Book--and with good reason. Since its first edition in 1939, the book has been specifically geared to North American backyard, do-it-yourself gardeners and their particular needs. The Plants More than 3,000 plant recommendations are listed throughout the book. Chapters devoted to specific types of plants go one step further, offering multiple listings based on the particular merit and special growing habits of certain plants. Appropriate plants for every garden situation are offered from disease-resistant climbing roses, water lilies for pond gardens, or rock garden plants. The Techniques There are instructions for constructing various paths, walls, steps, and grading structures. Detailed plans are included for naturalizing a prairie, constructing compost bins, and arranging indoor lighting systems. The Photography More than 1,000 photographs illustrate everything from more than 60 roses to the step-by-step of dividing a lily root clump. Each chapter contains scores of identification photographs to help the home gardener choose the ideal plants for the garden.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028609956
• ISBN13: 9780028609959
• Release Date: November 1996
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 1042 Pages
• Weight: 7.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.1" x 9.0" x 11.2"

Customer Reviews

Timeless Garden Classic...

I have used this book for years as my gardening bible. I have an edition with a foreward signed by James Bush-Brown and Louise Bush-Brown in Ambler Pennsylvania, September 1957. I'm glad to see the book has been updated, but what amazes me is that the older version is still so useful. Just this morning I looked up 'Hyssop' because I planted one in the back of my herb bed. The entry read, "P; 18-24" Seed: medicine, perfume, food -- Sunny; ordinary garden soil, not too rich. Prefers lime." This entry (in Chapter IX, The Herb Garden) told me the plant was a pernnial, would not overshadow my other plants, and would grow well in my herb garden which is laced with lime. This book is succinct, useful, and too heavy to carry to bed for nighttime reading.

Everything about gardening in a single volume

If I were stranded in a strange garden and could pick only one gardening book to take along, this would be the one. It's loaded with detailed information on all aspects of gardening, including photos and suggestions of exactly which species and varieties will work best in which situations. This is such a comprehensive effort that it's now possible to whittle your gardening library down to one volume and still be able to look up an answer to whatever question's bugging you.