Canadian Gardener’s Guide

Canadian Gardener’s Guide – Everything You Need to Know to Crete and Care for Your Garden
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Perfect for both new and more experienced gardeners, Canadian Gardener’s Guide contains all the practical techniques, inspirational ideas, and problem-solving advice needed to create and maintain a garden of any size in Canada.

Over 1,000 full-colour photographs illustrate every aspect of gardening - from   understanding what plants need, assessing a growing site and choosing appropriate flowers, trees and  shrubs to dealing with design elements like how to lay a patio or deck. There is also a complete section on growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables.

Canadian Gardener’s Guide also includes:

• A plant catalogue arranged by type and suitability with Canadian hardiness zones
• Canadian hardiness zone map
• An A-Z of common pests, diseases and disorders and how to treat them

A one-stop guide to creating and caring for the garden, Canadian Gardener’s Guide has been thoroughly edited by renowned gardening expert Lorraine Johnson to take into account Canadian growing conditions, planting and harvesting times. This complete illustrated handbook makes it easier than ever for Canadians to get the best out of their gardens.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting this book for a long time.  But I didn’t had a big garden so I waited.  With spring finally arrived and hope to put a raised bed in our backyard (it’s my mother’s day wish…), I decided to request this book to review.  And when I got the book in the mail, I was all excited.  

The book is divided into seven sections

• Make a Start: understanding what plants need, garden jargon, right place for the plants your are considering, choosing healthy plants, enriching the soil and basic tool kit.
• Design Your Garden: assessing our garden needs, different types of garden, where to start, is it achievable?, designing, fences, paths, patios, deck, lawns, ponds, raised beds.
• Plant Your Garden: plant families, designing with plants, colors and textures, maximizing the plants, trees, perennials, climbers and wall shrubs, grass effects, bulbs, annuals and biennials, water gardening and water lilies.
• Grow Your Own: what to grow, where to grow, fruits and vegetables, and trees producing crops.
• Care for Your Garden: Gardening year, how to water, how to feed, container growing, displaying your garden, tender plants, pruning, propagating plants, lawns, ponds and water.
• Help and Advice: controlling weeds, diagnosing problems, controlling pests and diseases, common pests, diseases and disorders.
• Plant Chooser:  this section will help you to choose the plants you want to have in your garden.

I knew right away I would benefit in reading the raised beds as well as the section on container growing as our backyard is relatively small.   The raised bed section will help you to build a raised bed following simple directions.    Each step is clearly explained and is illustrated with photos.  Different materials is also suggested for the raised bed and I personally lean toward the wood planks.     My other options for our backyard would be container growing.   Using various containers, I would like to plant various herbs – especially cilantro – in order to have some fresh ones when it comes the time of making salsa in the fall.

I am quite excited with the ideas included in this book and I know it will be a resource which I will go to at various time during the spring, summer and fall seasons.

Here’s some pages of the book so you can discover what it looks like.

I find this book packed with great tips and tricks for gardening and a fabulous reference to have if you plan your first garden.   Now I only hope that I can get one or two raised-bed in order to plan some vegetables and reap a crop in the fall!

DK Canada is currently having a Earth Day Boutique with some specials on books celebrating all the good things that come from the earth and live on the Earth.  Check out the various books they have to offer by clicking on the image below!

Canadian Gardener’s Guide is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.