Better Homes and Gardens Yard & Garden Owners Manual

by Rogers, Marilyn

• ISBN13: 9780696226953
• ISBN10: 0696226952
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-10
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Summary

Packed with useful tips and techniques, the Better Homes and Gardens Yard & Garden Owners Manual shows you how to keep everything outdoors in peak condition-from plants of all types to paving, decks, outdoor furniture, accessories, and other hardscape features. This is the book with all the answers. It's the ultimate reference for the care and upkeep of everything in your yard. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 6
Meet your garden	p. 11
Getting to know your yard	p. 13
Elements of a landscape	p. 14
Inventory and assess	p. 18
Seasonal maintenance schedule	p. 20
Sample maintenance plan	p. 24
Caring for your lawn	p. 25
Keeping a healthy lawn	p. 27
Kinds of grasses	p. 28
Mowing	p. 30
Fertilizing	p. 36
Watering lawns	p. 42
Rejuvenating weak lawns	p. 46
Lawn problems	p. 50
Tree and shrub care	p. 53
Caring for trees and shrubs	p. 55
Fertilizing	p. 58
Watering	p. 62
Pruning trees and shrubs	p. 63
Pests & problems	p. 77
Environmental problems	p. 80
Replacing trees and shrubs	p. 82
Vines and ground covers	p. 83
Vines	p. 85
Maintaining vines	p. 90
Caring for ground covers	p. 99
Flower gardens	p. 111
Perennial plants	p. 113
Annual plants	p. 125
Flowering bulbs	p. 130
Container gardening	p. 137
Harvest gardening	p. 141
Keeping a vegetable garden	p. 143
Success with herbs	p. 152
Fruit garden basics	p. 157
Keeping berries	p. 161
Managing soils and composts	p. 165
What is soil?	p. 167
Soil amendments	p. 170
Fertilizers	p. 174
Cultivating	p. 177
Compost	p. 179
Mulching	p. 185
Soil drainage	p. 189
Planting	p. 192
Garden tools	p. 193
Hand tools	p. 195
Power tools	p. 208
Gloves	p. 212
Sprayers	p. 214
Wheelbarrows, carts & more	p. 215
Hoses, sprinklers and irrigation systems	p. 217
Hoses	p. 219
Sprinklers and nozzles	p. 226
Underground sprinklers	p. 231
Drip irrigation	p. 237
Water conservation	p. 243
Water features & ponds	p. 245
Caring for ponds	p. 247
Water balance	p. 253
Pumps and filters	p. 255
Fish and water plants	p. 261
Pests and problems	p. 267
Caring for patio tubs and fountains	p. 270
Caring for your yard's structures	p. 273
Paving	p. 275
Retaining walls	p. 284
Decks	p. 286
Fences and gates	p. 294
Maintaining outdoor furniture	p. 298
Outdoor lighting	p. 301
Outdoor lighting systems	p. 303
Low-voltage equipment	p. 304
Low-voltage system maintenance	p. 310
Lighting effects	p. 312
Planning outdoor lighting	p. 316
Critters	p. 323
An ounce of prevention	p. 325
Common insect pests	p. 328
Beneficial insects	p. 332
Common animal pests	p. 338
Attracting animals	p. 346
Resources	p. 355
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map	p. 357
American Horticultural Society Heat Zone Map	p. 358
General resources	p. 359
Resources by chapter	p. 361
Index	p. 369
Credits	p. 383
Metric conversions	p. 384
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