The Experts Book of Garden Hints: Over 1,500 Organic Tips and Techniques from 250 of America's Best Gardners

by Fern Marshall Bradley (Editor), George Devault, Frank Fretz (Illustrator)

Over 100 of America's finest gardeners--ranging from botanic garden specialists to organic produce growers--reveal their best ideas in this book. Easy-to-follow techniques for planting, pest control, propagating, pruning, seed-starting, creating more beautiful flower gardens, harvesting bigger tomatoes, and more. Over 300 illustrations.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

346 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[Jake B-Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too dated to be terribly useful, but not old enough to be vintage. I’ve dog-eared a few pages with useful information, but the advice is so anecdotal and region-specific that I am skeptical of most of the ideas. Still, it was an interesting read, and I came away with some new strategies for vining vegetables and tree pruning.

[Hannah CF · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It was full of expert opinions and amazing tips that I used with success, and could not find anywhere else. Sometimes books are better than the internet. I will definitely consult this book more in the future. I read it cover-to-cover.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get tired of checking my phone every 10min to Google something about what seeds or soil I'm working with. Fortunately, this book was compiled in 1993 and doesn't even know what Google is. So, though a bit outdated, it still holds plenty of neat tricks! In fact, in an age of endless and wearisome Tiktok gardeners, this collection of real horticulturalists and university specialists offering their old-fashioned tips is - ironically - refreshing.
Plus, more pertinent information available nowadays won't have the pretty pencil drawings of this book.
Definitely not for a garden beginner, as it dives into advanced areas like grafting, pollination, and water gardens (and assumes the reader will have a large plot of land they plan to stay at for several years). But it's still interesting and sometimes helpful for the ambitious intermediate plant-lover, if only to learn and not actually try.
Sprinkled into the more obscure chapters are some hints for compost, herbs, and houseplants that could apply to anyone. Use it as a coffee table perusal or keep in the greenhouse for easy reference.

[Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems to balance the information with just enough depth to be helpful and not overwhelming. Unfortunately I am not at the expert level of gardening just yet...maybe later. This book isn't a reference and isn't for beginners. Experts enjoy!