The New Gardener's Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Grow a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden

by Daryl Beyers

Every new gardener has to start somewhere—and the process can be intimidating. Knowing when and what to plant, how to care for the plants once they’re in the ground, and how to keep pests and diseases away is a lot to take on. Luckily, Daryl Beyers—an expert from the New York Botanical Garden—has written what will be a  go-to resource for decades to come. The New Gardener’s Handbook is a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of gardening, based on the introductory gardening class that Beyers teaches at NYBG. Readers will learn about soil, plant selection, propagation, planting and mulching, watering and feeding, pruning, and weeds, pests, and diseases. The information applies to both ornamental and edible plants. Featuring inspiring photography and helpful illustrations, The New Gardener’s Handbook gives home gardeners a foundation upon which they can grow, and encourages them to apply the lessons they’ve learned in an intuitive, natural way.
 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Science

288 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2020

Reviews

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review on The Candid Cover

The New Gardener’s Handbook by Daryl Beyers is a comprehensive book that has just about everything there is to know about gardening. This guide starts off with some of the science behind plants and roots, and then gets into the actual art of gardening. It is a book that should be on every gardener’s shelf.

While this book is geared to those who are just learning how to create a beautiful garden, there are quite a few tips and ideas included in the how-to guide. Aside from the scientific aspects of plants, Beyers discusses many techniques in depth that make this a superb reference to even a seasoned gardener. The contents of the book include:

Preface: The Science and Art of Gardening
Get Gardening: Balancing the Roots and the Shoots
Soil: Nourishing the Roots
Plant Selection: Matching Plants to Place
Germination: Starting Plants from Seeds
Planting and Mulching: Establishing Plants the Right Way
Watering and Feeding: Balancing Between Nature and Nurture
Vegetative Propagation: Making Plants from Plant Parts
Pruning: The Right Cut in the Right Place at the Right Time
Weeds, Pests, and Diseases: Working with the Bad, the Good, and the Ugly

❀ A LOT TO BE LEARNED FROM THIS HANDBOOK

As you can tell, there is quite a lot to be learned from this handbook on gardening. You can jump into any section and get a real idea for how to complete each task. The beautiful images are also quite helpful and the instructions are easy to follow.

❀ A GARDENING BOOK TO WATCH FOR

As it is the end of January at the moment and my garden is currently under a layer of snow and ice, this gardening book has me dreaming of summer. I have bookmarked several ideas and I am looking forward to starting some plants from seeds and trying out Beyer’s tips for propagating plants. If you are excited to learn about gardening, The New Gardener’s Handbook is one book to watch for!

[João · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been interested in growing things & self-sufficiency for a long time, but while some pursuits along those lines found immediate motivation, gardening for food was one that didn't. I wanted to do it and felt it was the right thing to do, but couldn't bring myself to stick with it.

By explaining the basics as well as the science behind how plants grow and why things should be done in specific ways, this book kindled exactly the nerdy fascination that I find is so useful in going from interest to actually doing something.

I'm participating much more in this year's garden than I did in previous years, and having a slight idea of what I'm doing makes it a much more pleasurable experience. Really hoping it stays this way!

I'd recommend this book for nerds & beginners, but also for longer-time gardeners who learnt through dogma & experience but also want to know *why* things are done in a specific way :)

[Shannon Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. I borrowed it from the library but may need to buy it to have on hand

[Renée Phelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A fantastic overview to all aspects of gardening accompanied by easy to understand illustrations and diagrams.

[Annie Mosiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super informative book that made me (even more) excited to garden this summer!!! Was a bit too in depth for my tiny garden box at times (talks about landscaping, compost piles, pruning trees/shrubs, etc) but still enjoyed learning about allllll the gardening topics 🤓 Might consider getting a book like this for quick reference if we own more land someday so i can make a beauuuuutiful garden 🥰 yay plants!!!

[Fluff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. I love Daryl's voice. His care for gardening shines and is thoroughly inspiring. The book is fun. It lays out abundant diagrams and gorgeous photography. If you want to get into the technical side of gardening or just wants to know a little bit more, this book is for you.

This book gives a enjoyable, clear, and comprehensive overview on the basics of gardening. All the while sprinkling in his own stories and personal outlooks on gardening. He brings you through all aspects of gardening, providing guidance and explanation behind the science of gardening. There are many step by step directions like starting seeds, transplanting herbaceous plants, or pruning deciduous trees.

Would I buy this book? --Yes

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The brief late-spring flush of glory that was “my spiderwort and day lilies actually blooming” has passed and I have instead lately been going around town enviously eyeing everyone else’s day lilies that are still somehow in full bloom (I’m sure the “somehow” is “their soil is less depleted than mine”). After a tragic weed-whacking incident with the Virginia creeper I’d established by the garden shed (it’s not dead, it’s just not creeping again yet), I decided it was time to get more serious about learning what the hell to do to prep the garden for fall and try to de-upfuck as much as I could with what’s left of the summer. Some of this involved having Dad and Melissa come down from Maine to help me figure out a lawn-mowing solution and give some expert (or at least actually-experienced-hobbyist) advice on what to move around and how to maintain stuff, which resulted in me becoming the proud owner of a shiny new battery-operated string trimmer (the gas mower got picked up yesterday. So long, enormous fussy machine that’s nearly a quarter of the size of the lawn anyway!). I also decided to read An Actual Book that wasn’t just a plant directory, so, on the recommendation of a website with a bunch of gardening articles that looked decent (thanks, gardendesign.com!) I requested a library copy of Daryl Beyers’ [book: The New Gardener’s Handbook: Grow a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden. It’s not a native planting guide, which is fine, although it does contain a decent amount of advice on the benefits of native planting. Some of this stuff is clearly way out of my league for right now, either in terms of skill or in terms of the space involved (I don’t have anywhere indoors to keep seed trays, unless I like, set up shop in the creepy basement or something?), but it also contains a lot of key Gardening for Dummies information that I really needed, like diagrams of how to dig up a plant and move it somewhere else, and an explainer on what the whole deal is with mulch. It is obviously too soon to say how successful I will be at applying this information, and how it will pan out when I do, but I feel much more prepared to take on this weekend’s gardening tasks and maybe even ones further out.

Originally posted at How to do stuff with plants.

[Roger Prindle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a second year gardener I wanted to learn more about how this process works. This book covers it all I was mostly interested in an edible garden, so will admit I skimmed over some of the decorative gardening sections. Daryl Beyers is a gardening instructor at the New York Botanical Gardens and covers all the bases. Soil preparation , planting, watering, plant selection, pruning, feeding, and propagation are all covered extensively and include both practical advice and an explanation of how and why. I think this is going to be a valuable reference book to improve my gardening skills. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in learning more about the hows and whys of growing and caring for plants

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is truly for beginners (like people that need to know why water and compost are important). As another reviewer said, I would’ve liked more information on how to layout and sustain a thriving garden, and less biology lessons. I was also looking for information on edible gardens only, so the info on flowers and tress was pretty useless to me in the moment. Not the authors fault, just wasn’t what I was looking for.

[theresa]

“gardening, for most, is not a passing fancy but a lifelong passion that drives us to grow more and learn more.” 🪴💚

slowly just turning into a gardening book account! i really loved all the background and detail in this book about starting gardening - not just in a yard, but also through nods to apartment and indoor gardening as well! the propagation section was my favorite (and now i know that i should absolutely be misting my succulent leaves way more frequently.)

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a gardening book for the science nut who's getting into garden. Or if you loved Bill Nye the Science Guy as a kid.
My biggest complaint is that it can be dry in places and there's no section on harvest or winter prep. However, the pest control section is ample. So...maybe not the only gardening book one could ever need. But certainly a welcome addition.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful, thorough book on gardening. Diagrams, photos, illustrations and explainations from start to finish. I got a little overwhelmed with how much information there was, but in a good way. Even gardening terms are explained. What are annuals etc. This is definitely a one stop (shop) book. If you need help from the ground up (literally) you won't regret getting this.

[Oz Paszkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful guide to getting started gardening. I didn't know anything about gardening and I really just needed a book that could outline the important aspects beginning a garden. I haven't gotten my hands dirty yet, but now I feel prepared!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather science heavy and practical methods light. I was most excited to learn about pruning, and I got many good tips from this section. I also enjoyed all the lists of plants that apply to all the tips he shared.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably would get more out of this if I had a garden, not a balcony!

[Shaelee]

Best gardening book I've come across and will be sure to reference again in future.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic resource for any aspiring gardener. Already heavily annotated, and we’ll worth a spot on the shelf.

[Nicole Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

great for a beginner

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding primer on all of the basics I didn’t know I wanted/needed to know. Great reference book with many useful tips.

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very scientific

[Jenna Lenhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooooo informative! I may need to get my own copy for reference.

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for general gardening knowledge - wish there was more for vegetable gardens specifically

[Arielle Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, practical gardening knowledge

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

clear and concise. loads of advice.

[Allaire Heisig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic primer on gardening. Easy to read and nicely laid out.

[Donna Huber · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is meant for the person who knows nothing about gardening (there's a section titled why plants need water). I would have liked more information about laying out a garden and less about biology (but that is probably because I have a degree in biology and took 2 botany courses and a plant taxonomy course in college). The pruning chapter was helpful. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review*

I have already started dreaming about my 2020 garden. I have started looking up the best items to plant and when, what may be best to start indoors, and how best to take care of my garden. I really don't know much about gardening so this book was a great help with that.

This book was laid out really well and I really enjoyed the little sidenotes, the descriptions, and how everything was written as it was in a way that even the most novice gardener could understand. The photos added a lot to the book as they helped to show what was going on. There were parts of the book about planting trees and landscaping that were not applicable to me and probably won't for a very long time, but there were still really good tips in there to help everyone.