Smith & Hawken: The Book of Outdoor Gardening

Gardening books for a broad audience are rarely successful. It's extremely difficult to present basic information for beginning gardeners that doesn't bore more experienced plantsmen to blindness. On the other hand, how many beginners have had to plod through chapters on advanced topics in so-called "general" gardening books - such as grafting rootstock or the family tree (no pun intended) of a minor succulent - just to find basic information on when to plant potatoes? And how often does one find right-way, wrong-way statements in basic gardening books that directly conflict with the statements made in the next book on the shelf, with no attempt to explain the rationale behind the recommendations?Fortunately for all gardening addicts, Smith & Hawken's Book of Outdoor Gardening is the exception to the rule - at least the first half. Each chapter and sidebar successfully blends basic horticultural information with unique tips and techniques for the master gardener. This book is a handy reference tool for any gardener as he moves through the various stages of his craft. And where conflicting recommendations exist, the authors take time to explain how BOTH ideas are correct, but are dependent upon the circumstances. Good examples include the proper planting depth for roses, and the wisdom of using chemical fertilizers and soil amendments.I've given this book 4 stars, for two reasons: First, as I've noted above, The Book of Outdoor Gardening is quite a worthwhile read for most gardeners. However, a novice would probably find it most useful, and for this audience the book should receive 5 stars. Expert gardeners will still find good information, but since this type of focused data can be found in specialty books, my rating for this audience would be 3 stars. Hence, a compromise 4 stars.My second reason for giving 4 stars is the plant list that forms the second half of the book. This is a personal issue: in general, I find plant lists woefully incomplete and inadequate. In trying to please novice gardeners, who usually want information on traditional plants, and experts, who want detailed content regarding hard-to-find or hard-to-cultivate plants, the authors left out a number of important species in both categories. This is most likely due to space considerations; however, since purchasing the book - and using it frequently for the information in the first half - I've often had to refer to other books for plant information.

I found this book to be very helpful when setting up my landscaping at my new house. It was a useful guide in determining what plants would work for my area. The beautiful pictures were also great examples of what to expect.