Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

This is the book I pull off my bookshelf the most for my garden! It has everything - vegetables, flowers, lawns, herbs, trees, shrubs, fruits, as well as gardening basics like garden design, water storage, soil care, encouraging wildlife - I mean everything. It is quite a thick book, and very rich in pictures. At the back of the book, it has a short section on every vegetable I've ever tried to look up, as well as the most common diseases and pests that affect plants. I've looked up information like when to harvest garlic, how to harvest/store garlic, how to build trellises for plant supports in the garden, what ornamental shrubs are good for birds, which shrubs will grow in dry soil, how to propagate woody stemmed plants, what kind of mulches are good for vegetables, when to prune plants - all kinds of stuff. That being said - this is an Encyclopedia. It's a good place to go for basic knowledge and quick reference, but for the nitty gritty details you may need in depth books on a specific topic. For instance, if you are just doing compost for your garden, this will get you started. It will tell you how compost works, how to make a composter, and what kinds of stuff you can put in your compost. However, if you want to know EVERYTHING about compost, like how to make it happen super fast, or what microorganisms specifically are doing the composting - you'll want a book on compost. Similarly with seed starting - it's a very good, basic overview of how to start seeds. It will get you started in the vegetable garden. But for strange wildflowers that take XYZ temperature for XYZ duration, you're going to need a book on wildflowers. This is still the first book I go to whenever I have a question. And so far it has had a great deal of the answers - all with pretty pictures! I am buying the newest version of this for my library, so they can be up to date, and everyone can use it!

this is a great source for those who are interested in organic (or close too) gardening/growing, etc. answered many questions i had and shed light on some problems i had with plants last season. great book!!!

I've been gardening for a few years, and this book really broadened my knowledge. Also made me feel less like a cheapskate for not running out to buy all the latest garden gizmos - they point out that you can reuse pruned shoots, for example, to stake up your garden plants. Highly recommended.

If I could only have one book it would be this one. It is what is says...an Encyclopedia. Luckily I'm not limited to only one book as it does not cover some topics as well as other books. But that's the point of an encyclopedia..touch on all topics as best as can be done for the space available. The first 30 pages are dedicated to the history of the organic movement and the basic design recommendations for an organic garden. The next 70 pages cover the basics of soil care, watering, weed control, plant health and raising plants. The next 100 pages cover various garden aspects like lawn care, woody plants, garden flowers, container gardening, gardening for wildlife and the use of greenhouses and covers. Another 100 pages cover growing fruit, herbs and vegetables. This section alone is larger than 90% of most gardening book and well worth the price of the book alone. It has the standard appendix and reference sections you would expect for a gardening book but a surprising extra is the H.D.R.A Organic Guidelines for Gardeners that is included as an appendix. I didn't even know such a thing existed until I read this book. Absolutely wonderful!

I find this book to be very helpful. This is my first garden, and so far am having great success, in no small part because of this book. It has great advice on the how to's of everything you'll need to know to have a successful garden from composting to pest control, planting to harvesting. The photography is outstanding, it's a welcome return to nature for a busy mom of two young sons. You'll enjoy reading this book as well as the viewing experience you will also have. Enjoy!!