Dick Raymond - Garden Way's Joy of Gardening

I love this book. It is a good book for the beginner or pro. I am a gardener from way back. I have had gigantic gardens. This book is one of my main guides. It is filled with information.

Dick Raymond has written many garden books, he lectures, and he has hosted his own garden show on PBS. He knows what he is talking about.

This book introduced me to the wide row method of gardening. This is the only way to plant. Instead of planting one single line of green beans for example, you plant a row that is one foot wide or more. I have even planted a square of peas. This method gives higher yields and is better for the soil. It also saves garden space. It makes for a pretty garden. It also cuts down on hoeing and weeding. I have used the wide row method for all of my beans, peas, cabbage, onions, greens, and other vegetables. This book gives detailed instructions on how to do this, and it includes three wide row garden plans. The book is worth every penny for this method alone. You try planting wide rows one year, and you will never plant any other way again.

This book also gives detailed instructions on soil preparation, fertilization, and mulch. Any one who gardens knows the value of mulch. It is always good to learn new and easy ways to use mulch to protect your plants and build soil. Mr. Raymond covers the pros and cons of all the best ways to mulch and the different kinds of mulch to use.

Dick Raymond taught me the secrets of green manure. Green manure is the perfect way to turn clay into deep black rich soil. It is a valuable lesson.

Dick Raymond has a great section on weeds and how to get rid of them. He has a section on starting plants from seeds. He has many money saving tips and a section on choosing gardening tools. He also has a large section on composting. At the end of the book Dick Raymond included detailed instructions on planting every kind of vegetable you can imagine. He is the reason I tried planting peanuts.

This is also a great gift for your favorite gardener. This is a good book for winter reading. I read this book and visions of gardens dance in my head the rest of the night.

Spend the money on this book. It will pay you back the first garden season you use it.