Garden Way's Joy of Gardening

by Dick Raymond

Full of useful tips and practical garden wisdom, this straightforward guide shows you everything you need to know to grow a more bountiful harvest with less work. Stressing the utility of raised beds and wide rows, gardening expert Dick Raymond shares his time-tested techniques for preparing the soil, starting plants, and controlling weeds. With helpful photographs, clear charts, and profiles of reliable garden vegetables, Joy of Gardening will inspire you to grow your best crop ever.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 1983

Reviews

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an avid gardener couldn't resist this nostalgic book on sale, I did cringe when he suggested planting vegetables in old tires to keep soil warm...

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eighteen years ago, Dick Raymond taught me how to grow vegetables with this book. He really was my only mentor on the subject, so at one point I called him for some advice. He spent about 45 minutes talking with me! He is passionate about gardening, and an extremely nice guy. This book is comprehensive on the subject of vegetables. I have read a lot of other gardening books, but none compare.

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1983. I purchased a used copy of this classic gardening book back in 2010 because my dad had a copy and LOVED it. I believe his brother, Uncle Paul, gave it to him. I do like this gardening book a lot, but I have another gardening book that I like much better, "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" by Edward C. Smith, which is suggests making the environment unsuitable for pest control rather than using pesticides and insecticides. The Joy of Gardening does at least, first suggest, handpicking the insects, but then provides the chemical pesticides to use if you can't get them under control. This is just something I refuse to use on my homegrown vegetables...maybe that's why I've never really been all that successful gardening down here in the Southwest Texas where creepy crawlies and garden pests rule. Still, this one is worth keeping on my bookshelf.

[Angela Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for anyone new to gardening AND anyone who just loves to garden and learn different methods from other gardeners. This book was written in 1982, but still just as relevent today. Mr. Raymond is a no nonsense kind of gardener and wants to teach us the tried and true methods, in the most economical way. My dad is my garden guru, and his philosophy aligns with Mr. Raymond, which is to get the most out of what you've got at the best price, all while being a good steward of your land. Love this book so much I have bought a total of 8 copies to share with other garden friends.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a classic and one I can remember my parents had lying on a dusty shelf. I'm glad I found it again because their is something relaxing and even comforting about raising your own plants. Lots of good info in this book.

[Kim Zinkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit from this book.

[Jenn. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still very much relevant despite the age of the book. Learned a lot.

[Jo Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading. I gleaned several things that I want to try this gardening season, namely wide-rows. I'm going to plant one section of my garden that is newer and hasn't been built up with the organic matter we've put on the other garden area in peas, the whole area, not in rows. Then I'm going to till them in and plant green beans the same way. Those will be tilled in in the fall. Peas and beans fix nitrogen from the air into nodules around their roots. These nitrogen nodules and the copious amount of organic matter tilled in should go a long way to increasing the fertility of this area.

I also learned that pepper plants will set fruit better with these practices:
- Rip out half the matches in a book and sprinkle them around the bottom of the planting hole. Cover with two inches of soil, then plant the pepper. Matches contain sulpher which lowers soil pH slightly. Peppers like slightly acid soil and we have very alkaline soil here.
- Spray plants with Epsom salt solution, a good source of magnesium. Plants need magnesium to set fruit. Mix 1 tsp Epsom slats in a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water. Shake well and spray on leaves and blossoms when the plants first blossom and then again 10 days later.

[MichelleCH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I knew Mr. Raymond - he seems like the perfect friend/neighbor. I can see myself tagging along behind him asking a lot of questions on gardening. He strikes me as a no-nonsense practical type of guy who wants everyone to grow pesticide free veggies all the while being a kind and gentle teacher. This is the kind of book on gardening he has written and it is a classic.

I don't need super pretty pictures as a beginner, I need facts and real tips. That is what you get in his book, each page has something that is useful. Dick is a big supporter of rich soil as a way to combat plant disease and increase harvests. I like that he was thinking sustainably even when it wasn't cool. He also has a neat way of planting tomatoes in trenches which makes sense. I also like that he is a bit of gambler, he starts some pants really early just to see if it will work. Who needs frost dates!?

It is also nice to see that he is a gardener in partnership with his wife (and she puts up the veggies too!).

Hopefully I will be able to find it at a book sale and keep it as a reference book.

[Mark Gowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Dick Raymond's book is relatively old, it is by far the best book on gardening that I have ever owned. I am on my 3rd reading. Raymond was a gardening star back in the day, and this book is proof that his methods work. The contains very clear directions and helpful gardening plans to start the new and/or experienced gardener off. He includes varieties and gardening tips throughout the entire book as well as an entire section on the different vegetable families. If you are looking to get into gardening, or simply try something new in your own already developed garden, this is the book for you. To boot, it can be found in many used bookstores for pennies on the dollar! You can't go wrong here.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am trying again, despite the drought and the water rationing...I have planted tomatoes, green beans, carrots, a variety of lettuces, and cilantro (SALSA!)

Love this book, it makes me want to dig in the dirt. And it makes me feel like ANYONE can do it, it is very encouraging for the novice (and failed) gardener. It isn't like the guy is just saying "look at MY garden if you want to see how it SHOULD be done."

good stuff.

Maybe I better plant a zucchini just in case everything else dies.

[Nmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an avid gardener, and as such have read many books on the subject. This book is by FAR the BEST book for vegetable gardening I have ever read. I checked it out from my local library many years ago and loved it so much I bought a copy. Very practical tips and easy solutions to common problems. I have tried most tips Dick gives and I have so much produce every year from my garden, that I end up giving a lot away! READ THIS BOOK!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are going to have a home garden, you'll want to keep this book handy as a reference book. It is packed with tons of information about establishing & maintaining a home garden with less work. Includes preparation of the soil, fertilization & soil amendments, crop rotation, best species, signs of pests & how to get rid of them, eliminating weeds, how to harvest, how to store over the winter. Lots of pictures, too.

[Anna Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teen, I would wake up for the 5:00 am program on PBS, Joy of Gardening with Dick Raymond. I loved his practical and innovative methods to gardening and loved all the visuals of healthy plants. The book captures that magic with glossy photos that illustrate the text clearly and beautifully. Dick shares more insight and tips in the book than I was able to capture from the show. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in vegetable gardening.

[Dioscita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is so down-home folksy I could almost hear Dick Raymond say "Duh! Gardening is this easy!" as I turned the pages. Of course, few average people enjoy corporate backers allowing them to "garden" the way Raymond did, so the rest of us can take what tips we may from this book and happily return it to the library where it belongs.

[Jey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a disclaimer I must admit that this is really the first gardening book I have ever really read.

But, that said, this is one great book! This man seems to be some amazing expert on gardening, and his instructions seem so clear! Living in an apartment, I can't go try them out right now, but it was all very easy to follow and surprisingly interesting.

4 1/2 stars!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a young teenager and decided to grow vegetables in our garden plot that had sat dormant for years, this was the book I relied on to guide me through it. It introduced me to the concepts of raised beds, wide rows and organic fertilizers.

[Blast · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive book on how, when, where and what to plant as far as growing your own food. It covers EVERYTHING you need to know. Combine this book with Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and every suburban dweller will be able to feed themselves very, very well.

[Elie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dick Raymond writes the best gardening books ever! I read this one every year.

[Teleia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is outdated. Lots of people now use wide rows and blocks, as well as intensive farming in the same way he does.

I will say that he gives very clear step by step instructions.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy his books I wish I had seen his shows. No matter how many times I have read them they never get old.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical, no fancy stuff.