Michigan Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide To Gardening In The Great Lakes State

by Rita C. Henehan

The glaciers that advanced and then receded through the Great Lakes region shaped Michigan's terrain and soil in ways that challenge and sometimes confound modern-day gardeners. Michigan today has 450 varieties of soil! Before they can garden successfully, Michigan gardeners need to know what soil they have and how to address its shortcomings—and do that within the limitations of the state's climate and northern growing season. This book explains how Michigan gardeners can lengthen their growing seasons through careful plant selection, exploiting microclimates, and using season-extending products. Chapters focus on lawns, vegetables, flowers, and trees, plant diseases, and invasive plants.

Author Rita C. Henehan lives in White Pigeon, Michigan. She is a Master Gardener and frequent contributor to garden publications coast to coast, and often appears on the radio program Green Thumbs Up.

Genres: Nonfiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Author Rita Henehan is a Purdue University Advanced Master Gardener who has written for the South Bend Tribune and Michigan County Lines magazine. Many of her articles have appeared on gardening and environmental websites, including that of Harvard University's JFK School of Government. She occasionally talks about gardening on the call-in radio show Green Thumbs Up with Mike Maloney. She lives in White Pigeon, Michigan.

Reviews

[Leah Hester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock full of information and resources to get someone started when looking at gardening in Michigan. Hoping to put it to use this year!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Michigan Gardener’s Companion is a helpful guide for, well, gardening in Michigan. The book is laid out in three main sections: Firm Foundations (which covers soil composition, climates and microclimates, and water), Green Things (covering vegetables, annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, and lawns), and Garden Solutions (about pests and diseases, getting inspiration from public gardens, and resources available). Henehan also includes a glossary and index for quick reference. I found this format to be helpful because each section builds on knowledge from previous chapters. She gives lots of helpful tips for beginner gardeners (or those who have been fumbling through on their own without any training). While the book does not set out to provide specific growing instructions on a catalogue of plants, Henehan does give some recommendations of species that seem to grow well in Michigan for each category of plant.

[Kay Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

So incredibly helpful to this first-time gardener. Great for beginners!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for Michigan gardeners! Henehan writes a wonderful book that is both informative and interesting! I highly highly recommend this book!