Earthly Delights: Gardening by the Seasons the Easy Way - Hardcover

Rochester, Margot

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1589790782 ISBN 13: 9781589790780

Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

Earthly Delights: Gardening by the Seasons the Easy Way is just the tonic for the gardener who wants that beautiful garden but doesn't want to spend six hours a day achieving it. Organized by the planting seasons, this book offers tested strategies for achieving a glorious garden without the backache and vexations. And every tip eschews chemicals and other pesticides. If you are a lazy gardener, someone on a limited budget, or someone easily intimidated by it all all this book will show you how you can overcome any of these obstacles.

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Reviews

"When the garden becomes laborious instead of a labor of love...the gardener must change herself or the garden or both," writes Rochester in this collection of delightful horticultural musings. Organized according to season, the essays provide simple, timesaving insights on how to cultivate a natural refuge in any growing zone without backbreaking work or worry. A self-described "lazy" gardener now in her 60s, Rochester avoids weeding, tilling, composting and watering and eschews chemical fertilizers and insecticides—chores and practices that, according to her, take away from the joy of gardening. To spare the elbow grease but not the pleasure, she suggests, for example, planting self-seeding annuals and deciduous foliage that lasts three seasons to keep the garden exciting even in winter months. She also shares an ingenious approach to preparing new beds (rather than digging up firmly rooted grass, she smothers it with 10 sheets of newspaper, mounds of compost and mulch, and waits a couple of seasons for nature to break it down into " dark and humusy" soil). In a refreshing chapter entitled "Something That Bugs Me," a surprising defense of every gardener’s perennial foe, the insect, Rochester gently scolds those who blanket their plots in harsh chemical insecticides and advises organic remedies for eradicating pests like slugs and fire ants. To enliven the dull winter months, she prescribes a visit to a local botanical garden, where during the "off-season" knowledgeable gardeners on staff "love sharing information and perhaps seeds and cuttings as well." Rochester is a master gardener and her sound horticultural advice is presented in a light, humorous tone that makes this book a relaxing refuge in its own right.
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Gardeners on the lookout for a straight-talking mentor should profit from Rochester's journal and its refreshingly practical musings. In a format that follows the garden's seasons and cycles of growth, Rochester shares her experience with unseasoned green thumbs. No plant snobbery here but rather a self-described leisurely gardener who revels in finding shortcuts to digging and cultivating her plot of land. Personal anecdotes give way to abundant planting tips and advice on garden maintenance, so although Rochester gardens in the South, much of the wisdom she shares will translate to the act of gardening regardless of locale. Certainly Rochester's attitude invites the reader to take a break, pour a cup of tea, and forge a fine and friendly relationship with a kindred spirit. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1589790782
• ISBN 13: 9781589790780
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208