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The 20-Minute Gardener: The Garden of Your Dreams Without Giving up Your Life, Your Job, or Your Sanity
The 20-Minute Gardener is a hands-on, user-friendly guide based on low-maintenance organic techniques that puts the fun back into gardening as well as the money back into your wallet. This book represents gardening for "the rest of us." It covers everything from choosing the right plants (ones that are easy to care for) and shopping for them, to designing your garden without graph paper and getting rid of pests (see Chapter 9, "Peter Rabbit Had It Coming"). All in just 20 minutes a day.
In addition to the basics are Tom and Marty's easy-to-follow, inexpensive 20-minute projects, such as "A 20-Minute Nocturne," in which a workaholic/commuter (in this case, Marty) can create a garden that he/she can enjoy after dark, or "Rooting for Roses," in which Tom tells you how he takes cuttings from the most self-sufficient, well-adapted, and flourishing roses around--for free!
Finally, there are tips and lists galore. Find out how to read a fertilizer label, what kind of tools to buy (note that Tom says don't listen to Marty on this one because he "thinks the scuffle hoe is a square dance he did one time when he was down in Texas"), and how to make the most of your neighbors' kids, and read "Tom's Sixteen All-time Favorite Connoisseur Plants" and "Marty's Top Ten Garden Plants" (number grass).
And remember, if all else fails, Chapter 11, "Gardeners Anonymous," features a five-step program for horticultural self-help (step gardens are from Earth; gardeners are from Mars!).
It's like Marty says--this book "is the most fun you can have in the garden without throwing dirt!"
In addition to the basics are Tom and Marty's easy-to-follow, inexpensive 20-minute projects, such as "A 20-Minute Nocturne," in which a workaholic/commuter (in this case, Marty) can create a garden that he/she can enjoy after dark, or "Rooting for Roses," in which Tom tells you how he takes cuttings from the most self-sufficient, well-adapted, and flourishing roses around--for free!
Finally, there are tips and lists galore. Find out how to read a fertilizer label, what kind of tools to buy (note that Tom says don't listen to Marty on this one because he "thinks the scuffle hoe is a square dance he did one time when he was down in Texas"), and how to make the most of your neighbors' kids, and read "Tom's Sixteen All-time Favorite Connoisseur Plants" and "Marty's Top Ten Garden Plants" (number grass).
And remember, if all else fails, Chapter 11, "Gardeners Anonymous," features a five-step program for horticultural self-help (step gardens are from Earth; gardeners are from Mars!).
It's like Marty says--this book "is the most fun you can have in the garden without throwing dirt!"
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 6, 2021
I've owned this book for years and read it many years ago. Now I decided to read it again in my mission of eliminating books from my garden book library.
Published before the turn of the century, this is still a very good guide to gardening for busy people. Great humor and well-written prose that eschews gardening technical terms.
Perfect for casual reading.
Published before the turn of the century, this is still a very good guide to gardening for busy people. Great humor and well-written prose that eschews gardening technical terms.
Perfect for casual reading.
January 5, 2025
Owned and read many times over 20 years. Fun and usable. Chapter on tips for hiring teens works! An entertaining backyard bible.
February 26, 2017
It was comical, fun and entertaining. Typically I get a gardening book, go to the section that I am working on, read that 10 pages and take it back to the library. I read most of this book the first evening. It was the little goofy things like’…the writings of Gertrude Jekyll (that’s GEE-Kull, you boob).’ Like he knew I was thinking of Jekyll and Hyde.
July 3, 2022
I recently bought a house and have been finding it hard to keep up with my yard. I found this book to have some great practical tips and tricks.
April 13, 2011
Who knew I would ever read books on gardening for leisure and enjoyment? It's a strange old world.
Favorite tip: to determine what should be lawn and what should be garden: cut your lawn with the mower without stopping or backing up. Anything that can't be cut that way needs to be marked and turned into garden. Don't want plants? Throw down black tarp and cover it with mulch.
I just can't wait! I'm going to have a garden that I just love and look like a home owner and not a squatter for the first time in nearly 12 years!
Favorite tip: to determine what should be lawn and what should be garden: cut your lawn with the mower without stopping or backing up. Anything that can't be cut that way needs to be marked and turned into garden. Don't want plants? Throw down black tarp and cover it with mulch.
I just can't wait! I'm going to have a garden that I just love and look like a home owner and not a squatter for the first time in nearly 12 years!
December 27, 2015
Like Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, these two garden writers put together a funny and helpful guide to realistic gardening. It's a how-to book with practical time saving solutions to landscaping and flower and vegetable gardening. Took lots of notes that I’ll apply to my gardens this spring and summer!! The first step will be stopping at the liquor store to stock up on my wine! Haha!
August 11, 2012
I actually read The 20 Minute Vegetable Gardener by the same authors, but Goodreads didn't think that it was an actual existing book. Anyway, that book was very useful and funny; and I highly recommend it.
November 22, 2017
The authors of this book are interested in cultivating the joy of gardening for those who don't have a lot of time to spend. They show how 20-minute increments can be used to accomplish many things in your garden.
September 27, 2007
Very entertaining (lots of laughs), and very practical too: a great combo for a gardening book.
October 27, 2008
Provides a lot of helpful tips to those who want a productive and lovely garden without devoting all their free time to it. Very practical!
April 22, 2013
The wit of the authors was hard to follow at times but I think it still makes for a good resource.
April 22, 2014
I liked it. Some cute project ideas that seemed reasonable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews