Product Description

Energizing, Inspiring, Edible, and Exciting: That’s what bestselling author Katherine Whiteside says gardening ought to be. Whether you have a half acre of land in the country or a tiny patch of grass in the city, whether you’re an experienced digger or you’ve never held a trowel, Whiteside offers forty-one versatile projects that will make anyone into a proud gardener.

In The Way We Garden Now, Whiteside, known as House Beautiful’s Garden Goddess, tackles every aspect of creating beautiful and personal gardens, from making a new bed to adding decorative details. Always down-to-earth, Whiteside believes that “fretting over having a perfect garden is not fun, but getting out there and accomplishing basic garden goals will always leave you happily fulfilled.” To that end, she shows how to create the garden that’s just right for you by mixing and matching projects according to your skill level, space limitations, climate, and even how much time you have. The Way We Garden Now is graced with whimsical watercolors, fun sidebars, and Whiteside’s expert tips. In five accessible sections, she teaches you how to:

-Get going with ten easy, manageable projects that will turn your yard into a garden while helping you master basic garden chores
-Surmount design dilemmas with solutions such
as hedges, paths, and patios
-Organize ornamentals—from containers to a
cutting garden
-Add edibles: Start a small salad garden that can evolve into an organic herb and vegetable potager
-Be a gardener for all seasons with summer bulbs, winter gardens, spring shows, and more...

With all the information about the supplies you’ll need, preparations to make, and even a helpful rating of how big an undertaking each project is, this is an indispensable book from a wise and witty mentor—a gardener who has been there and tried that.  

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #335180 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-13
• Released on: 2007-02-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 300 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A self-described "hands-on gardener with a healthy disregard for fancy tools, an aversion to spending, and no time to recover from extreme exhaustion," Whitestone (Forcing, Etc.) urges readers to forget "perfection" when it comes to gardening, and instead turn it into something pleasurable. Whiteside categorizes projects by size; gives a "recipe" for each one with numbered steps so that in case you get distracted in the middle, you can easily continue later; and, with 21st-century pragmatism, informs readers of "the payoff" for each project before they get their hands dirty. Her first 10 projects cover gardening basics, including such essentials as preparing beds (the no-dig easy way), purchasing and organizing tools, attracting birds and avoiding pests, and fertilization. The potpourri of remaining projects, including cutting gardens, pea trellises, and scented night gardens, as well as recipes scattered among the vegetable chapters, are likely to tickle the fancy of more experienced gardeners. Whiteside's philosophy is generally, although not strictly, organic, and her writing is clear and easygoing, if a bit cutesy. Generously illustrated with whimsical drawings, this book may entice nervous novices into their backyards and give tired old-timers unexpected inspiration. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Whiteside brings together savvy advice and inspirational ideas in a lively compilation of projects involving both edible and ornamental gardening. Beginning with a section devoted to no-nonsense basics, Whiteside guides neophytes along a path from composting to weed barriers to deer fencing. Gardeners of all levels will enjoy the watercolor illustrations gracing solutions to design dilemmas, and flowery planting schemes, while a lively section on planning a potager (a French style for creating ornamental vegetable gardens) overflowing with veggies and herbs spells out the "payoff" in straightforward terms and delectable recipes. The final section is an ode to the seasons, presenting suggestions for bulb displays, indoor gardens, and showy winter shrubs, grasses, and perennials. Consistently entertaining, Whiteside stresses the pleasures inherent in gardens big or small, encompassing projects that should appeal to new gardeners and provide interesting concepts to experienced green thumbs. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Katherine Whiteside is the bestselling author of Forcing, Etc. One of the most renowned
gardening writers, she has worked as a consultant for companies such as Smith and Hawken, Land Rover North America, and Bath and Body Works.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Book!!!
I loved this book! I read it in a weekend (very easy read) and will be reading tid bits of it throughout the year. It has great tips to be used throughout the entire year - for every season! The book shows you how to start beds from scratch, plant flowers, bulbs, gardens, how to make and use compost, container gardens, gardening journals, etc. Loads of information that can really come in handy. If you want a book full of lovely full page photos... this isn't the book for you. This is a very useable do it yourself book chuck full of information. The book has no photos but has beautifully drawn illustrations. This one's a keeper!!

Finally! A gardening book I can really use!
I am so thrilled to receive Katherine Whiteside's new book! This book is a great way to gear up to start a new project, and it will see you right through the whole process. It makes sense of gardening in all forms and gives you information you really can use.
This book is as pretty as it is useful and informative! I'd give it 10 stars!!

great ideas
Nice book. Friendly and relaxed writing style. Great ideas for your garden. I particularly like her recommendations for how to get your landscaping designed on your own without hiring a professional. Very practical ideas. I recently loaned this book to some friends with an ugly, wasted back yard. They had been stuck for years because they couldn't afford a landscape designer and they just didn't know what to do with their yard. Two weeks later I was at their house and they were on their way implementing ideas from this book. Now they are "unstuck" and working on beautifying their yard.