The Ann Lovejoy Handbook of Northwest Gardening: Natural, Sustainable, Organic

Ann Lovejoy advises in her book to add a thick layer of compost to the soil every year, because Northwest soil isn't very fertile. That's because the winter rains compact the soil and wash away a lot of nutrients. She also includes other useful tips, like transforming a meadow into a lawn simply by mowing, using a flame weeder to clean up gravel areas and the cracks between the driveway and the retaining wall, and many other pieces of advice for Northwestern gardeners who want low-maintenance gardens that make sense in our climate and don't depend on toxic chemicals. She has a common-sense approach to plant selection (by far a gardener's biggest challenge, in my opinion). Choose plants that suit the site and will mature to the size you want. Don't commit to a plant that will need continual pruning, because you'll be a slave to this chore. The book is full of other pieces of advice along the same lines, and it avoids being redundant or weak. This book was on my wish list for a long time, and I would thumb through it at bookstores and community events where gardening organizations had ragged copies on display as examples of good local resources. My husband surprised me by ordering a copy, and I can't put it down.

I usually do not buy what I call "How To" books as I can skim what I want in the book store. I purchased this book as a skim read too, hoping only to get some good info for my PNW area. Once I started the book though, I couldn't put it down. It was a great read and full on information. There was no dryness or boredom at all. Ann is great at entertaining you while educating you and keeping you interested. One of those teachers that makes you enjoy the class. I would recommend having your highlighter ready. I did highlight certain things I came across that I wanted to be able to flip to easy. I definetly recommend this book to any gardener beginner and already educated. It is full of ggod information on how to make your garden grow and work for you.

I love all of Ann Lovejoy's books for her straight forward style of writing and gardening and the photography is always wonderful too. I checked this book out several times (after long waiting lists) from the library and finally decided i didn't want to share it anymore! If you live in our amazing Pac.N.W. and love to garden, this is the only book you really need.

I've read several general gardening books, and this one is by far the best. I love it for all the same reasons as the other reviewer (Valerie Adolph)gave. Every gardener should read and own this book.

I always look forward to a new gardening book from Ann Lovejoy and this one did not disappoint. Beautifully illustrated with Janet Loughrey's color photographs, this book is full of practical ideas for creating a Northwest garden that is both beautiful and easy to care for.The writer's mantra "Natural, sustainable, organic" pervades the whole book - fourteen densely packed chapters covering topics from "Sustainable Garden Design" to selecting different types of plants. In the chapter on garden design she outlines what she considers to be the ten issues of good garden design. They are good, basic common sense, but so easy to ignore or forget. In just a couple of pages the writer addresses them briefly but vividly, then goes on to suggest how you might start your garden planning from an assessment of your garden's assets and liabilities.One of Ann Lovejoy's strengths is her knowledge of and commitment to all aspects of sustainable natural gardening. She presents this thoroughly without being wordy (quite a trick in itself) and points out that natural gardening - working with nature - is far easier and more satisfying than trying to control nature.In the chapters on plant selection the reader is guided in the choice of trees, shrubs, perennials etc that are not just pretty, or fashionable this year, but that will really work well in a specific place in your garden. Careful plant choices mean a minimum of stress for the plant and a minimum of effort for the gardener.This writer's particular talent is her ability to combine practicality with vision. Her books, while primarily written for the gardener in the Pacific Northwest, contain much that is of value to gardeners elsewhere.