cover image Yardening

Yardening

Jeff Ball. MacMillan Publishing Company, $24.95 (268pp) ISBN 978-0-02-506431-7

In spite of the cleverly coined title, the readers at whom this straightforward, easygoing guide is directed may not bother to pick it up. That would be unfortunate, for then they'd never become ``yardeners'' (``people who own plants but do not consider themselves gardeners or regard gardening as one of their hobbies''). From yardening, let us note, there is still another step to take before gardening can begin. The Balls' ( The Flower Garden Problem Solver ) book is, for the most part, a simple and eye-opening introduction to the world of trees, shrubs, flowers, lawns and even vegetables (though growing the last may be asking too much of a yardener). And the authors expect readers to skip chapters, stating that ``the basic principles of caring for a yard are the same'' whatever plant is the beneficiary. Beginning with lawns, as so many gardening books do, the Balls guide the reader through the green maze of planting, feeding, watering and general care. They come up with shortcuts for fertilizing by advocating the use of one all-purpose plant food as the ``main meal'' for everything, something gardeners might not approve of. A sequel is planned for yardeners in the south and west. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)