Notes from the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardener

by Henry Homeyer

Henry Homeyer, a hands-on gardener, gives practical advice on how to garden - whether building a hot box, transplanting peonies, defeating the deer, planting ginseng, growing ladyslipper orchids and shiitake mushrooms, or keeping the birds out of the berry bushes. The book is arranged by month, each of which covers a range of topics relevant to the season, including starting seedlings, edging and mulching, gardening with children, getting rid of invasive plants, pruning, putting the garden to bed, and growing houseplants. His seventy-two short "reflections and observations" will interest amateur, dedicated, and armchair gardeners alike, especially those living in zones 3 through 5, the climatic belt that includes New England and runs across southern Canada and west to the Rockies.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Henry Homeyer, “The Gardening Guy”, is a freelance writer, garden designer, and consultant. He lives in Cornish Flat, NH and writes a weekly gardening column for the Valley News and other newspapers in Vermont, Maine,New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

He is the author of Notes from the Garden (now out of print), The New Hampshire Gardener’s Companion, and The Vermont Gardener’s Companion (Globe Pequot Press). Henry writes a weekly column that appears in 12 newspapers throughout New England, and is a regular commentator on Vermont Public Radio.

“Winter is the time to get caught up on reading for me, now that the garden is pretty much put to bed. This is also the time for buying gifts for loved ones, so I’d like to share with you my idea of what needs to be in the New England gardener’s basic library – and why. The first section is for everyone, followed by a section that applies to gardeners with specific interests. And if a writer does one book you like, check out others by the same person.”

Books for every gardener: The Vermont Gardener’s Companion or The New Hampshire Gardener’s Companion, Notes from the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardener, Insect, Disease & Weed I.D. Guide: Find-It-Fast Organic Solutions for Your Garden, Making Things Grow: A Practical Guide for the Indoor Gardener, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques, The Pruning Book, and The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible.

References and More Technical Books: Armitage’s Garden Perennials: A Garden Encyclopedia, Botanica: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Over 10,000 Garden Plants and How to Cultivate Them, The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses, he Gardener’s Palette: Creating Color in the Garden, Stone in the Garden: Inspiring Designs and Practical Projects, Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden, Annuals for Every Purpose: Choosing the Right Plants for Your Conditions, Your Garden, and Your Taste, The Inward Garden: Creating a Place of Beauty and Meaning, Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping, The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist, Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, and The Organic Lawn Care Manual.

Reviews

[William Sowka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this signed edition from a used bookstore in Vermont for $7 and it has proved to be worth far more. This is a practical, seasonal guide for New England gardeners (mostly) that is easy to read and full of great advice.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes From the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardener by Henry Homeyer (University Press of New England 2002) (635.0484). Henry Homeyer writes little essay-like “reflections” and is full of suggestions for projects (all organic, of course) that one might undertake in the garden. My rating: 7/10, finished 2010.

[Tanjua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple Gardening book, written in short form. Good Book