Guest, author of the syndicated Garden Talk
and peddler of garden products, has culled from her weekly column the frequently asked questions and elaborated on her responses to create this catchall, which though offering snatches of fulfilling glimpses into the garden, falls far short of its boastful wish to be "the ultimate basic garden book." Guest divides the book into five "seasons" (added to the usual suspects is "holidays"—all of them Christian), within which topics are arranged alphabetically ("winter" rambles from "Aloe Vera" through "Yeast"). Its overly broad scope and convoluted organization (mysteriously, a paragraph on "Frostbite" is tucked into "holidays) belie its promise that this is an "easy to follow" book. Finally, the numerous odd leaps in horticultural logic buoyed by the book's cheery you-can-do-it-all attitude may frustrate the novice gardener, to whom this book is targeted. Consider this: "As you can see, roses are rather easy to grow." Still, as a miscellany of tips and trivia, Guest does offer some lively, even flavorful anecdotes: insert strychnine into raisins to get rid of moles; try battering and frying daylilies or consider a harvest of yummy dandelions; a recipe for "Grasshopper Puree" may be the cannibalistic antidote for those plants with telltale signs that they've been nibbled on by these hungry green creatures. Dig in, by all means, but don't expect great depth. (Nov.)
