cover image Great Garden Shortcuts: 100s of All-New Tips and Techniques That Guarantee You'll Save Time, Save Money, Save Work

Great Garden Shortcuts: 100s of All-New Tips and Techniques That Guarantee You'll Save Time, Save Money, Save Work

. Rodale Press, $27.95 (437pp) ISBN 978-0-87596-702-8

This handy volume offers a smorgasbord of garden wisdom gleaned from nursery professionals, garden writers, extension agents and other veteran green thumbs nationwide. Reader-friendly alphabetical organization-""geraniums"" segues into ""grapes"" and on into ""green manure""-allows for both speedy reference and the surprising delights of browsing. Experienced gardeners will enjoy comparing notes and trading secrets with fellow experts, while novices can draw on practical advice from their horticultural betters. Abundant time- and money-saving tips on a host of topics range from the amusing (patrol for slugs armed with an ammonia-loaded squirt gun) to the why-didn't-I-think-of-that? variety (hose off freshly picked produce in a laundry basket outside instead of dirtying the kitchen sink). The recurring ""Just Say No"" feature challenges time-honored gardening traditions (Double digging? Who has time? Add compost and mulch once or twice a year instead). A veritable education between covers, this one won't gather dust on the bookshelf. (May)