The Informed Gardener Blooms Again (Paperback)

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again picks up where The Informed Gardener left off, using scientific literature to debunk a new set of common gardening myths. Once again, Linda Chalker-Scott investigates the science behind each myth, reminding us that urban and suburban landscapes are ecosystems requiring their own particular set of management practices. The Informed Gardener Blooms Again provides answers to questions such as: --* Does using drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption?-* Is it more effective to spray fertilizers on the leaves of trees and shrubs than to apply it to the soil?-* Will cedar wood chips kill landscape plants?-* Should I use ladybugs in my garden as a form of pest control?-* Does aerobically brewed compost tea suppress disease?--Every year Chalker-Scott receives hundreds of e-mails from around the world on these and related topics. Her advice, based on more than twenty years of experience in the field of plant physiology, has helped home gardeners, landscape architects, and nursery and landscape professionals to develop scientifically based sustainable landscaping practices.--Linda Chalker-Scott is an urban horticulturist and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. She is the author of The Informed Gardener, winner of the Best Book Prize from the Garden Writers Association. She is the editor and co-author of Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens, the Washington State editor of MasterGardener magazine, and author of the online column "Horticultural Myths." She has a new blog at gardenprofessors.com.--"Buy this book and I guarantee you'll save money. Linda Chalker-Scott prunes the advertising hype behind many garden additives -- Epsom salts, peat mulch, gypsum, water crystals, compost tea, and more. Her commonsense approach, heralding scientific rigor and challenging 'junk science' is a must read for every serious gardener." -Suzy Bales, author of Garden Bouquets and Beyond--"An essential tool in deciphering both eco-myths and advertising copy. It helped me to distinguish the greenwashing from the truly 'green.' And to be guided by actual research findings? What a concept One that advertising copy writers and eco-advocates alike don't want us to follow." -Susan Harris, author of Sustainable-Gardening.com and GardenRant.com--"Linda Chalker-Scott is a scientist with a mission -- evidence-based gardening. Happily she is also the most interesting, entertaining, knowledgeable, and useful garden writer I've come across. Home gardeners will learn practices that are more effective, safer, and -- believe me, this is no small thing -- cheaper." -Constance Casey, former New York City Parks Department gardener and regular gardening and natural history contributor to Slate.com---Praise for The Informed Gardener: --"A no-nonsense, no-hype, nothing-to-sell-but-the-truth voice that straddles an important line between hearsay gardening and scientific fact in ornamental horticulture." -Ketzel Levine--"This enjoyable book should find its way into the hands of almost every gardener. Highly recommended for public libraries with gardeners ready to tackle the literature, as well as academic and special libraries with interests in horticulture and gardening." -Library Journal--"A succinct and easy-to-navigate resource . . . Chalker-Scott's instructions are clear enough for even a first-time gardener to follow." -The Bloomsbury Review--"Chalker-Scott's approach is unique in that she speaks about gardening as a genuine expert-with academic credentials-who debunks numerous myths.... in a manner that is easy for us laypeople to understand and absorb...Her conclusions are good advice for all of us to follow." -Washington State Grange News--"In her first book she takes on common garden myths about fertilizer, mulch, transplanting, staking, compost tea, watering and many more potentially confusing topics. She skillfully debunks them with current research as well as her experience in extension horticulture." -Seattle Times--"An informative, helpful guide to sustainable landscaping, with valuable emphasis on cutting through many of the myths and misunderstandings that now surround this increasingly hot topic." -Seattle Post-Intelligencer--" Linda Chalker-Scott's] book does great service in helping the urban gardener move past common practices that hinder instead of help, looking to nature itself as the ultimate teacher of truths." -Cascadia Weekly--"Linda Chalker-Scott is gardening's version of television's MythBusters. Ok, so she isn't so keen on blowing things up, but she does use scientific research to explain why many traditional horticultural practices aren't suitable for urban landscapes." -Tacoma News Tribun