The Garden Primer: The Completely Revised Gardener's Bible - 100% Organic Paperback – Illustrated, February 28, 2008

Well written. Informative and positive. It builds your confidence in building and maintaining a garden.

I love how this book is organized and the wealth of information contained within. I have had a copy for years and have purchased it as gifts several times. Great for beginners. Not only is there information about individual plants but there is good summary information about general practices like soil amendment. I highly recommend it!

This is easily one of the best gardening books ever written. I first received it as a gift and now have given as a gift many times.The book is exactly what is claims to be: a primer on gardening. Yes, there are most definitive and exhaustive books on most of the topics covered, but you simply won't find a better introduction to gardening and such a quick reference to so many gardens issues, plants and ideas. If I had to own just one gardening book, this would be it.Barbara Damrosch is an excellent writer, her research is accurate and the book is written in a friendly, warm voice that will make you feel like an old friend in a matter of minutes. The pencil illustrations in the book are beautifully done and there are tons of them.I buy tons of gardening books each summer at used book sales, and I end up giving most of them back the next year. This is the keeper.

I’ve owned my share of gardening books and this one is the most thorough. It covers all the topics a home gardener needs. It’s not about decorative landscaping. It’s about being successful at growing things, whether on a large scale or containers. Flowers (annuals and perennials), herbs, vegetables and fruits. It’s my garden bible.

Wow, this garden guide is packed with a wealth of information, and at a terrific price from Amazon. The book begins with an in depth look at proper soil preparation - which is the key to plant growth. Need help planning your landscaping? Find out in chapter 2. Need to know what tools are necessary for gardening? Read chapter 3. Need advice on annuals vs perennials? Chapters 5 and 6 are a must read.We were interested in building a couple of rasied bed gardens this year. The garden guy at Lowe's recommended this book to us and raved for 20 minutes about his success using the tips found in the book.If you are interested in planting a garden, but have little knowledge or experience, this book will be helpful. There are over 150 pages packed into chapter 7 on VEGETABLES. Detailed planting and growing info is given for just about any vegetable.You can also learn how to successfully grow fruits, herbs, flowers, ground covers, vines, shrubs, trees, wildflowers, roses, bulbs, and even houseplants.

Ms. Damrosch does a great job in presenting a LOT of material to the newbie without being overtly technical or boring. (After all, if you lose the fun element, gardening will become a chore like anything else). A classic! Between this and the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange catalog, I found all the basic information I needed to get a home garden started.

Barbara Damrosch presents a Garden that is chock full of many activities. She shows you how to grow your vegetables,how to edge your plot properly, and how to amend your soil. Every step of the way, she is with you.She is a very knowledgeable and succinct writer.The part I go back to all the time is the brief, perhaps 2 page, description of any plant you can imagine. With a matching, hand drawn illustration of the bush, the vine, the veggie, the fruit tree, it's all included. I especially like her description of the various ways to prune raspberries. There are 2 types of raspberries, did you know that? I did not. One bears once a year and heavy, the other is an everbearer. The pruning takes into account the different life habits of the two. Most clever. Something I am bound to forget. That's why I keep my copy of the Garden Primer on hand, to review and learn what I need do next in the Garden.

UPDATE: BUY THE HARDCOVER VERSION OF THIS BOOK! It is simply too large to be bound in softcover. I bought the softcover version about 3 months ago and after only moderate use, many pages have fallen right out.I bought this book to teach me what the heck to do with the 400+ plant gardens I inherited when I bought my current home. I had little experience with plants, and even less with gardening out of containers. This book has been very valuable and helpful to me, and I refer to it often. I have several (okay, tons) of similar "all-purpose"/encyclopedic gardening books, but this is the one I refer to the most. It cuts through all the superfluous information and tells me just what I need to know, instead of completely overwhelming me. It also has a very handy section on plants (annuals, perennials, veggies, fruits, shrubs, vines, etc.) that are easier to grow than most, with care instructions, idiosyncrasies, varieties to try, etc.