Product Description

In this book Helen Dillon encapsulates, in her inimitable witty and accessible style, her lifetime of gardening know-how, deep love of plants and assured sense of design. Here is illumination for every gardener—from the beginner wondering why nothing will grow in the garden of the new house to the sophisticate aiming at exquisitely subtle effects. Thoughtful ideas on garden style are underpinned by practical advice on looking after plants and careful instructions on the basics of digging, planting and propagating. Helen Dillon teaches us all how to garden, and garden well.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #756803 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780881928594
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Gardening from a pristine Dublin plot, droll green thumb Dillon offers equal measures of witticism and advice-both expert techniques and common sense tips-in this verdant, photo-rich guide, imbued with enough passion to inspire an all-consuming hobby. The perfect book for anyone contemplating a leap into the gardening lifestyle, Dillon is mercifully easy on newcomers (a full third is devoted to "Beginners' Stuff"), the busy ("The one-hour-a-week garden") and the brown thumb ("Why did it die?"). Dillon's organic approach to plant care will play well with the environment-savvy, and she's quick to suggest simple cures for common problems such as slugs (a saucer of beer should get rid of them). With patience and humor, Dillon covers a wide range of topics, most in two- or three-page chapters, coaching readers through pruning and "deadheading," the "May gap" and late summer, how to cadge plant cuttings from more experienced gardeners and informative asides like "Dog in the garden" ("your ideal garden dog is a male dachshund") and even some social history: "Years ago, in Ireland, high garden society only liked to spread special plants to their friends and equals." With this informative, personal and gorgeous book, it's clear Dillon considers her readers to be both.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Down to Earth with Helen Dillon is just that—a down-to-earth and humorous look at gardening."

(Garden Gate )

"Beginners and advanced gardeners alike will benefit from browsing Helen's book, which is as delicious as a box of chocolates on a rainy day." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer )

"Refreshingly outspoken, endearingly offbeat, Dillon offers advice and instruction on an eclectic array of gardening topics."
(Booklist )

"I love reading any garden writer who demonstrates wit, good humor, and brisk common sense..."
(Garden Rant )

"Gardening from a pristine Dublin plot, droll green thumb Dillon offers equal measures of witticism and advice—both all-consuming hobbies. The perfect book for anyone contemplating a leap into the gardening lifestyle...informative, personal, and gorgeous."
(Publishers Weekly )

"Dillon's straightforward writing style perfectly suits her open attitude. She is funny, too, peppering her text with just the right amount of wit, be it subtle or stark. She does both to a T. In this book, readers find a voice they can follow and trust." (Horticulture )

“Dillon is a true garden guru well-known in the United States as well as in Great Britain and New Zealand…her design ideas and methods are easily transported across the ocean.”

(Daily Hampshire Gazette )

From the Inside Flap
In this book, Helen Dillon encapsulates, in her inimitable witty and acccessible style, her lifetime of gardening know-how, deep love of plants, and assured sense of design. Here is illumination for every gardener—from the beginner wondering why nothing will grow in the garden of the new house to the sophisticate aiming at exquisitely subtle effects. Thoughtful ideas on garden style are underpinned by practical advice on looking after plants and careful instructions on the basics of digging, planting, and propagating. Helen Dillon teaches us all how to garden, and garden well.

Part one, "Beginner's Stuff," tackles elementary subjects such as how to construct a proper path, how to cope with shade, when and how much to fertilize and water, and how to deal with pests. Part two, "The Middle Ground," ventures into more advanced subjects, including pruning and deadheading, propagation, staking, and plants for specific sites and uses. Part three, "Fancy Stuff," tantalizes the experienced gardener with chapters on exotic plants, plants used primarily for their ornamental foliage, usual and collector's plants, and on "decluttering" the garden.

Throughout the book, Dillon's friendly, humorous, no-nonsense approach guarantees all gardeners will appreciate the wisdom of a true expert.

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Customer Reviews

An accomplished plantswoman shares her knowledge
Helen Dillon has been gardening for over thirty years in her Dublin, Ireland garden. In this book, she shares her vast experience, her hits and misses and provides indispensable advice on what she has learned over the years. Long time gardeners know that gardening is a journey and in this book, Dillon shows how hers has evolved and changed over the past three decades. The book is divided into three sections and each one features two or three page essays on various topics. Section One - "Beginner's Stuff" - has chapters on how-to-do subjects like potting a container, weeding and dealing with pests. Design aspects include the importance of pathways and selecting plants (such as "Ten Trees for a Small Garden" and "Evergreen Plants for Walls"). Section Two - "The Middle Ground" - discusses gravel gardens, roses, pruning, Mediterranean gardens, screening neighbors, clematis, etc. Section Three - "Fancy Stuff" - has chapters on exotic plants, gardening in old age, dogs in the garden, hardy orchids, and much more. These examples are just a small sampling - overall, there are over seventy chapters. The book is generously illustrated with photos taken in Dillon's garden and most of them were taken by her so accomplished photographer should also be added to her resume. Although highly skilled, Dillon makes the reader feel at ease - she's not afraid to tell you that many plants have died in her garden ("victims" she call them) and laughs at herself for making bad decisions now and then. She is an author that gardeners can easily identify with and her book is one to joy.

Down to earth in a heavenly garden
As someone who has had the good fortune to actually visit the Dillon garden (albeit pre-canal), I can recommend this book highly. Helen Dillon is a down-to-earth artist who makes art in four dimensions, the fourth dimension being time--and this book covers the entire practical gardening spectrum, from soil basics to complicated aesthetic decisions on color and texture and taste. Speaking of which, Dillon thinks so long and hard about taste that she can appear a little pie-in-the-sky and light years ahead of the rest of the mob, but her thoughts encourage one to stretch beyond one's own foibles, limits and preconceptions. She preaches ruthlessness, which is not easy for the faint of heart or the shallow of pocket, but her results support her: the garden has never been more beautiful or challenging or visionary. Does she have more than a touch of gardening OCD or ADD? Maybe so, but with results like these, leavened with plenty of self deprecating humor, who cares? A great book on a wonderful garden by a talented writer and gardener.

Read this book from cover to cover just for fun
A beautifully written and informative gardening book. My favorite part of the book is that she tells us "real" gardeners look at each of their plants every day, and also, her advice to just take time to sit and look at your plants and think how lovely they are. Lovely photos and a few laughs, too.