entering or are already part of the most popular and rewarding lifelong hobby that exists — worldwide. Gardening is a common language that knows no national, socioeconomic, or age boundaries. It’s a common thread that binds all of us together. Whether you’re discussing your outrageous zucchini harvest of the previous year or sharing your secret tips for prizewinning roses, you’ve probably found that gardeners have an instant bond, no matter what their level of experience.
Because gardening is a huge topic that encompasses a wide field of cultivation interests and disciplines, it’s impossible for anyone book to cover everything there is to know about gardening. However, when you’re armed with the gardening basics, like those presented in this book, you’re ready for just about anything that the art and science of gardening can throw at you.
Sure, gardening requires some exertion. But it’s healthy exercise. It makes you feel a great sense of accomplishment when the flowerbeds are weeded, the bulbs are planted, and the seeds are sown. It’s primal. And reaping the rewards of your labor — by cutting flowers for your dinner party or fresh herbs for your salad — is a special joy that makes the noisy, electronic stimulation that surrounds you (cars, phones, and the like) seem trivial. Gardening fosters a deep satisfaction that nurtures your body and soul. That’s why this book, Gardening Basics For Dummies, 2nd edition, exists. In addition to giving you basic pointers on how to make your gardening as successful and rewarding as possible, it’s a celebration of the art and sheer joy of gardening.
About This Book
In this book, I’ve tried to distill my more than 50 years of gardening experience as well as the knowledge of some of my other gardening friends, because everyone can discover something from each other.
I hope you find this book is fun reading: Sometimes gardeners can get way too serious about this pursuit. I’ve always felt that gardening is supposed to relieve anxiety, not add to it. After all, this is gardening, not brain surgery! Making a mistake (and you will) isn’t a big deal. Gardens can recover quickly from our bumbling efforts to care for them. My main mission in this book is to bring you gardening success and the inimitable pleasure that comes from it. It’s no fun if all your efforts end up in the compost pile.
In this second edition, look for the following:
A new chapter on multiplying plants
Revised and updated content in nearly every chapter
More than 50 new or revised illustrations
A color insert of great plants and climate maps for Canada and the United States
A new Part of Tens chapter for northern gardeners
Following the classic For Dummies format, this book gives you the most basic gardening information you need, organized and presented in an easy-to-follow, modular manner. Although you can read from cover-to-cover, you don’t have to. This book can function as a reference work, so you can jump in, find what you need, and get back to your stand of birch trees or the koi pond or the garden center or wherever else you’d like to be.
After reading this book, you may not be an expert, but you should be well on your way to taking on most gardening tasks with new confidence. Gardening is part science and part art, and how you mix them up is a very personal thing. After getting a handle on the basics presented here, you can move on to develop your own style and techniques that work best for you.
As you advance in gardening, you find that in certain branches of horticulture (like perennials, some trees and shrubs, and orchids), you’re confronted with dreaded scientific names (usually Latin, sometimes Greek). People use such names in these plant categories for very legitimate reasons, and you can choose to follow the path to those reasons later. For now, I spare you that step by mostly using common names for the plants throughout this book. When I do provide the scientific name, I give common plant names first, followed by the botanical name.
Even though I sometimes use the word “dirt” in this book, I must say that I remember one of my horticulture professors admonishing my class when we used this word to describe soil. He always said, “Dirt is what you sweep off the floor. Soil is that miraculous material that you grow plants in.”
Foolish Assumptions
Because you’re reading this book, I assume that you’re ready to really love gardening. Here are some other things I assume regarding your possible background and interest in gardening:
You’ve seen other folks’ gardens that have inspired you, so now you want to bring your own gardening skill to the next level.
You’re concerned about a fresh and organic diet and want to grow some of your own herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Your lawn is looking on the tattered side, so you want to spruce it up a bit.
You’ve moved into a new place, and the landscaping is nonexistent or dreadful, so you want to change it.
You love outdoor living and you want to improve the space around you.
You like the idea of gardening but don’t know where to start.
You want to know how to multiply your own plants.
Icons Used in This Book
Icons are the cute little pictures that show up in the margins of the book, right next to certain blocks of text. Here’s what those icons stand for:
Where to Go from Here
A great thing about For Dummies books is that you can start anywhere you want — one part or chapter doesn’t depend on any other. For example, if you’re interested in growing your own fruit, head right to Chapter 18. No need to start anywhere else! Scan the Table of Contents or the index, find a topic that piques your mind, and flip to that chapter.
That said, if you feel more comfortable getting a basic grounding (so to speak) in gardening before plunging right in, start with
