Gardening Basics For Dummies

Cultivate your passion to grow

In a 1625 essay, Francis Bacon called gardens "the purest of human pleasures," and what was true then is even more so today—gardening can give you a serene refuge from the short-lived (and noisy!) distractions of modern life and a fertile basis for satisfaction that will bear fruit long into the future. To help you get started on your own leafy paradise, the new edition of Gardening Basics For Dummies grounds you thoroughly in the fundamentals of soil, flowers, trees, and lawns—and helps you get to know the names of what you''re planting along the way!

In a friendly, straightforward style, professional horticulturist Steven A. Frowine distills 50 years of gardening experience to show you how to start growing your expertise—from planning out your own mini-Eden and planting your first annuals, bulbs, and perennials through to laying the perfect lawn, raising tasty crops, and even introducing fish to your landscape! He also digs into the grubbier side of horticultural life, making sure you''re as prepared as any seasoned farmer to deal with pests, weeds, and other challenges the earth will throw up at you.

• Create your ideal garden plan
• Become an expert on common flora with definitions and descriptions
• Know how to look after your soil
• Get creative with butterfly and children''s gardens

Whether you''re beginning with a tiny garden in a box, or beautifying your property with tree-lined groves and flowery bowers, this is the ideal introduction to the intense pleasure of gardening and will make you happy to reap what you’ve sown!

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Preparing Yourself (and Your Garden) for Planting 5

Chapter 1: Getting Ready for Gardening 7

Playing the Name Game 8

Getting used to plant nomenclature 8

Anatomy 101: Naming plant parts 10

Beautifying with Flowers (and Foliage) 11

Amazing annuals 11

Perennial plants 15

Bulbs and roses 18

Gardening for Your Dining Pleasure 18

Working with Woody (or Viny) Plants 19

Shrubs 19

Trees 21

Vines 22

The World Is Flat: Caring for Your Lawn 23

Chapter 2: Creating a Landscape That You’ll Love 25

Evaluating What You Already Have 26

Looking at the big picture 26

Identifying problems and restrictions 27

Taking advantage of your yard’s assets 31

Getting Ideas for Your Garden Space 33

Gardening with the kids in mind 33

Establishing a good garden for pets 34

Creating space for entertainment 35

Designing a sanctuary 36

Cooking up an edible garden 37

Zeroing In on Your Ideal Garden Style 39

Gardening around a theme 39

Perusing sources for inspired ideas 42

Keeping Your Budget in Mind 43

Bringing Your Garden Ideas to Reality 44

Sketching out the yard you have now 45

Making your drawing match your dream 46

Defining key areas to start 47

Getting Professional Help 48

Considering different professionals 48

Hiring a pro for landscaping help 50

Chapter 3: Getting into the Zone – Your Garden’s Zone 51

Focusing on Location — Different Hardiness Zone Maps for Different Folks 52

Looking at the world’s plant hardiness zone maps 52

Warming up to the heat-zone map 54

Savoring the Sunset zones 54

Reading plant hardiness zone maps 55

Fathoming Frost Zones and Growing Seasons 57

Zoning Out: Breaking the Zone and Growing Season Rules 58

Managing your microclimates 59

Cheatin