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Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorite year-round gardening reference guides.
Review: "The organization of this book reflects the way you garden," says this encyclopedia'sintroduction, under the sub-heading "How to Use This Book". "We've grouped information into useful, complete entries that will provide all you need to know about a particular topic, rather than spreading out facts in thousands of short entries." A simple statement, it is not fully appreciated until you go searching for something in this book and find what you're looking for in a matter of seconds. Since topics are arrangedalphabetically, if you can spell it, you can find it. Want to know how and when (among other things) to plant your corn? You'll find it between Coreopsis and Cornus. Need help with organic pest management? Look for it after Organic Matter. The editors feel that 26 of the entries form the core of this extensive resource and can be divided into four categories: Gardening Technique, Organic Garden Management, Food Crops and Ornamental Plants. For a beginner such as myself, I found these fundamentals extremely helpful in outlining the basics of gardening. I was easily able to apply the knowledge gained in these fundamentals to particular entries, such as roses or radishes. Sidebars offered with many of the entries spark ideas that the average gardener may not already be taking advantage of. For example, when I was reading the Bean topic, I found an interesting inset on growing fresh sprouts right in your kitchen. And under Herbs are several helpful side entries including herbs commonly used as home health remedies. Illustrated for clarity in all the right places, this book is sure to become one of my favorite year-round reference guides.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent general gardening guide.
Review: I have poked through endless shelves of gardening books, seeking the one, complete gardening book that I could use as a reference for everything! I was looking for one that would tell not only how to plant and grow things, but also how to harvest and prepare the products. How should you cut your asparagus so as not to damage the crowns? How do you dry your herbs? This was one of the few gardening books that addressed this aspect. This was not its only outstanding characteristic. Not only does this book address the vegetable garden, it also tackles anything the home gardener is likely to face. Houseplants, trees and shrubs, ornamental plants as well as productive plants. It covers general topics, such as crop rotation, in addition to specific plants. And it is all arranged alphabetically, and nicely cross-indexed, so that you can nearly always find what you need. The first and second time I bought this book, it was as a gift. I finally had to get it for myself as well. It is the best I have found so far.
Rating: 
Summary: Bitterly disappointed
Review: I thought I was getting a 700 page book on organic concepts. Instead, this is a manual which briefly deals with anything garden related. Hundreds of pages are devoted to minimal information about specific plants (I had already purchased much better documention for this purpose) and also topics such as making potpourri, designing a landscape, and making a path. It doesn't touch on topics which I've learned elsewhere online. For instance, I've been interested in using compost tea in my garden. The book has exactly 58 words devoted to this subject. It doesn't even touch on how to make aerated compost teas or the concept of applying compost tea as a foliar feed for plant disease control. At least everything is alphabetical (the "encyclopedia" part in the name) so it's easy to find. If you are looking for an all-in-one book for anything garden related, this might be your book. If you are looking for specific organic gardening information, look elsewhere. You will have to dig mighty hard to find detailed organic concepts in this book.
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Summary: I can reach behind me and grab this book without looking!
Review: I've been running an organic gardening web site since 1995 and hardly a day has passed that I don't reach behind me (without looking now) and pull this book out. Many of my readers have bought this book on my suggestion and they are all happy with it too. I like the way the book is organized, and I really like the way they stress soil health as an important component to organic gardening. As some of the reviews have noted, this book leans to cold climates, but that's no big deal, really. The information translates well for those of us lucky enough to be planting two gardens a year. This is, first and foremost, a reference book, and a damn fine place to start.... supak.com
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Summary: The Best of the Bunch
Review: It is indeed the indispensable resource for every gardener! I've had mine for a couple of years now and I'm constantly referencing it for organic and gardening information. Rodale is one of the best publishers on gardening and I always look for books printed by them first. It has diagrams on how to make a compost bin and thourghly explains how to build, maintain, and the process of compost making. It is a terrific cross-reference guide to every gardener for botoical names and common names of trees, plants, shrubs, fruits, and vegetables. I highly recommend this book to all beginning and expert gardeners.
Rating:
Summary: Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
Review: It is indeed the indispensable resource for every gardener! I've had mine for a couple of years now and I'm constantly referencing it for organic and gardening information. Rodale is one of the best publishers on gardening and I always look for books printed by them first. It has diagrams on how to make a compost bin and thourghly explains how to build, maintain, and the process of compost making. It is a terrific cross-reference guide to every gardener for botoical names and common names of trees, plants, shrubs, fruits, and vegetables. I highly recommend this book to all beginning and expert gardeners.
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Summary: Basic and dependable gardening reference
Review: Like cookbooks, there are hundreds of gardening books. Where to begin? These 690 pages will answer 95 percent of your questions. After gardening for decades I still find myself taking a quick peek here before preparing soil for a specific plant. Four big categories: gardening technique, organic garden management, food crops, ornamental plants. Hundreds of specific entries quickly found. This is your basic gardening reference book.
Rating:
Summary: Bitterly disappointed
Review: Most of the material found in this book can be obtained from your state university extension or on the web, often times in greater detail. Although reasonably priced, this reference contains only surface level information.
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Summary: Great Quick Reference
Review: This is a great overview book. No, it doesn't go into great depth, but it's always my first stop when I'm either curious, troubleshooting or just can't remember when to do what. Lot's of other books offer deeper info on the subject, it's not a handbook on organic technique (I recommend Eliot Coleman for that), but for quick checks and enough info to go squish that bug or leave it be, this helps.
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