Product Description

Informative and entertaining, this book will stimulate experimentation and encourage gardeners to review and improve their current gardening practices. Once gardeners learn how plants are constructed, it is easier to envision how they’ll grow and flourish. An understanding of the structure behind good, healthy soil gives clues as to how to improve one’s own garden tilth. This practical guide helps readers identify what plants need to survive and how these fundamental scientific facts are at the heart of good plant care. A chapter on seeds and germination will encourage gardeners at any level to try their hand at propagation, while discussion of soil, pests, and diseases adds to the skills of all gardeners. The final sections of the book take a closer look at biodiversity, ecology, genetic engineering, and nomenclature. For the enthusiastic beginner or the master gardener, Practical Science for Gardeners unravels the mysterious inner life of plants.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #965299 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Review
Anyone seeking principles for improving a garden will find this book immensely useful. Science News 20050806 You don't need to toddle through this book and take notes. You can master the concepts easily and then apply them to your garden. Pratt's talent in reducing the science down to the simplest explanations is a wonderful gift to her fellow gardeners. -- Jean Starr Munster (IN) Times 20050929 Practical Science for Gardeners explains plant-cell structure, genetics, and other subjects that are the foundation of gardening. -- Betsy Lehndorff Rocky Mountain News 20051015 Information ranging from soil preparation and mulching to planting and pruning ... was presented in a friendly and understandable manner. This book is definitely a 'keeper' from my point of view as I did learn a lot, enjoy the writer's easygoing style, and will use it in the future as a reference. -- Bruce Cottingham Athens Banner-herald 20050120 Pratt has a warm feeling for historical perspective and does not hesitate to admonish, philosophize, and encourage. -- Celia Cedric Bloomsbury Review 20060301 Practical Science for Gardeners is an easy and enjoyable read, and can be a useful book for gardeners interested in learning the science behind successful gardening practices. Sida, Contributions to Botany 20050101 This is the book you have been waiting for ... to understand the science of gardening will improve your gardening pleasure. -- George Graine Virginia Master Gardeners Association Report 20060301 Packed with tips about how to apply science to achieve healthier plants and better gardens, this informative and entertaining book will encourage you to review your gardening practices in light of newfound knowledge. Michigan Gardener 20060401 Packed full of tips about how to apply science to achieve healthier plants and better gardens, this informative and entertaining book will stimulate experimentation and encourage gardeners to review their gardening practices in light of their new found knowledge. The Professional Gardener 20060101

From the Publisher
Packed full of tips about how to use science to achieve healthier plants and better gardens, this informative and entertaining book will appeal to gardeners at all levels. Includes information on what plants need to survive, seeds and germination, soil, and pests and diseases.

About the Author
Mary Pratt graduated in zoology from Oxford University and went on to gain a Master's degree in biology at Keele University. She lectured on adult education programs and worked in nature conservation, including a stint for the Wildlife Trusts. More recently she taught biology at secondary school level before retiring to Devon with her musician husband.

Customer Reviews

A great introduction!
Easy to read science of plants, soils, seeds, pests, diversity, and the advantages and disadvantages of fertilizers and organic gardening. If you are ready to go from just planting stuff to understanding why things grow and how you can help, this is a good choice.

Not strictly organic, but extols the virtues of taking advantage of both methods to increase the fertility of the soil and the health of your plants. By understanding the processes behind their uses, you are better able to avoid the pitfalls of both, and take advantage of each.

Recommended for anyone looking to understand what is going on in the garden.

Dry, but good science
I was expecting a little more meat fom this book. Unfortunatly while all the science is sound, it can be aquired from a regular High School biology book. The presentation is also wordy and dry.