Authors
: Thomas Christopher, Marty Asher
Features
: Random House, hardback
This book represents gardening for "the rest of us." It covers everything from choosing the right plants (ones that are easy to care for) and shopping for them, to designing your garden without graph paper and getting rid of pests (see Chapter 9, "Peter Rabbit Had It Coming"). All in just 20 minutes a day. In addition to the basics are Tom and Marty's easy-to-follow, inexpensive 20-minute projects, such as "A 20-Minute Nocturne, " in which a workaholic/commuter (in this case, Marty) can create a garden that he/she can enjoy after dark, or "Rooting for Roses, " in which Tom tells you how he takes cuttings from the most self-sufficient, well-adapted, and flourishing roses around - for free! Finally, there are tips and lists galore. Find out how to read a fertilizer label, what kind of tools to buy (note that Tom says don't listen to Marty on this one because he "thinks the scuffle hoe is a square dance he did one time when he was down in Texas"), and how to make the most of your neighbors' kids, and read "Tom's Sixteen All-time Favorite Connoisseur Plants" and "Marty's Top Ten Garden Plants" (number one: grass).