For gardeners too busy to plan, this eminently practical book takes care of the distracting work of planning, organizing and prioritizing. With an emphasis on efficiency, Hutchinson (Easy Container Gardening
) lays out gardening tasks by season, labels them by priority, sorts them into logical categories—beds, borders and pools; propagation; containers; lawns; kitchen gardens; and pests and disease—and even gives an approximation of the time each task will take. The book itself is a lesson in efficiency, jam-packed with essentials from pruning bush roses (early spring) and the year's first lawn mowing (mid-spring) to frost and snow protection (late autumn) and cleaning containers and tools (winter). It also gives instruction on less common but intriguing topics such as planting alpines in walls, installing a computerized patio water system for ease and water conservation and protecting pond fish from predators. Cartloads of attractive, clear illustrations walk readers step-by-step through every project, whether it's dividing water lilies, planting a clematis into a tree, or eradicating vine weevils, and photos display the inviting outcomes. This book gives stressed-out gardeners practical advice on how to keep their backyard jungles tamed and maybe even time to enjoy the fruits of their labors. (Apr.)
