Martha Stewart's Gardening: Month by Month

by Martha Stewart

Having helped her readers to enjoy to the fullest their kitchens, homes, and friends, Martha Stewart now goes outdoors to teach them about creating and managing a garden that is both beautiful and bountiful. Martha Stewart's Gardening is the perfect book for longtime gardeners, new gardeners--and everyone looking for a thoughtful and useful gift. Illustrations.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Lifestyle

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 1991

About the author

Martha Helen Stewart is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising and e-commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, was the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine and hosted two syndicated television programs: Martha Stewart Living, which ran from 1993 to 2004, and The Martha Stewart Show, which ran from 2005 to 2012.
In 2004, Stewart was convicted of felony charges related to the ImClone stock trading case; she served five months in federal prison for fraud and was released in March 2005. There was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire, but in 2005 Stewart began a comeback campaign and her company returned to profitability in 2006. Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011 and became chairwoman of her namesake company again in 2012. The company was acquired by Sequential Brands in 2015. Sequential Brands Group agreed in April 2019 to sell Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, including the Emeril brand, to Marquee Brands for $175 million with benchmarked additional payments.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the 20th time I've read this book. It's almost a "rite of Spring" at my house to pull it out & use the contents for inspiration before gardening season begins.

The way I became acquainted with this book was totally accidental. I had dropped by a friends house for coffee on the day that she had just received & unwrapped it. I actually wasn't even into gardening that much at the time but there it was, sitting on her coffee table. While she was getting our coffee, I picked it up to glance thru it and practically could not put it down our whole visit. I went home determined to have a copy of my own and thankfully, that happened (a big deal at the time because it was $50.00 & I'd never spent that on a book before!) I'd also never owned a Martha Stewart book prior to this one & haven't bought another since but I absolutely adore this one. It made me wish for my own 'Turkey Hill.' Martha kept chickens & bees, hollowed out pumpkins to serve soup in and did almost everything that is hugely popular with people today (who are interested in where their food comes from & having their own little farmsteads.) In that, she was either ahead of her time or a genius at bringing back ways of the past??

I always credit this book for inspiring me to garden but I think even if I'd never become passionate about that hobby, I'd still love it for the photos and own a copy. It holds a place near & dear to my heart such that I can't imagine ever parting with it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first comment to my husband: "She looks so young on the cover!!"

His response: "Young and happy. Just before she takes all your money."

Well, there's a reason this homemaking, empire building woman deserves her (home-made, standard-trained, terracota-enclosed) laurels. This book is remarkable and it's clear she's done most of the work on her huge Connecticut garden herself. I learned a great deal from her practical wisdom.

Fun note: the book is chock-full of photos of a slightly disheveled Martha. She's so much more endearing than the perfectly-coiffed, sedate current version.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha, Martha, Martha, you never fail to make me feel entirely inadequate in my paltry gardening endeavors! But honestly, this beautiful hardback book is a classic. The shiny photographs are impeccable, and I enjoyed reading about Martha's month-by-month prolific gardening routine in her younger days. She had so much energy, and the results speak for themselves. I especially liked the pen and ink drawing of her entire estate garden (aka mini-farm!) on the inside cover. Her elegant, old-fashioned recipes were not anything I'd probably ever make, but I enjoyed reading them despite that. This is a coffee table book, definitely, but it does include some useful gardening tips and loads of inspiration.

I guess it's high time I head out to till and mulch my garden and top it off with "golden straw" (just like she does) to put it to sleep for winter!

[Eleni Karas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the mid-90s (what I consider "Peak Martha"), this book is, as all things involving Martha Stewart are, impossibly perfect. You'll feel terrible about your abilities but also filled with a desire to do even more. Perhaps to even long for another two acres of yard for your own chicken coop, herb garden, and fruit orchard, despite only barely taming a quarter-acre so far.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly inspiring, and yet at the same time completely discouraging. How does she do it? I did get a lot of great ideas and helpful tidbits that I will be able to use in my own yard and garden, but for the most part I was just in awe of the things this woman can do - and I'm still trying to figure out how she has the time to do it all.

[Maria Kemplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book using a week's worth of grocery money (when I was in college) and ate saltine crackers, careful not to get them on the pages of this book. A favorite I would not part with!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could only own one gardening book it would be this one.

[Suphatra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, especially since I had to special order it. It was good, but not as helpful as I was hoping. Written more in narrative form than for directions. Also the gardening style felt a bit old fashioned and less interesting.

[Jess Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads like a cross between a manual and a memoir. I enjoyed reading it and it inspired me to be much more organized with my gardening!

[Ann Mekala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE gardening book

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha's Zone 6 garden is much different than mine. But I've enjoyed my wander through the months. It's a bit dated in places but still a nice refrence book.

[Carole Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you want to know about gardening? This is the book for you. This book is fully illustrated with colorful pictures of Martha Stewart's garden in Connecticut. It is such a vast garden that you know she has help with it. The love of gardening is evident on every page. The book is divided into monthly chores to do in the garden such as preparing the soil, buying seeds, using the correct tools, etc. One of Martha's special gardening interests are roses. There is a special section dedicated to roses. Not only are there examples of plants in her garden, but there are recipes for monthly meals and chores to do in the garden.
This book is a vast canopy of gardening with love. This book was published in 1991. There is a picture of a very young Martha Stewart on the cover.

[Someone Youmayknow · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book in the 90's it was borrowed from the library. Eventually a copy had to be purchased. Not only are the photographs magnificent but the adive and recipes are terrific. Love her or hate her this is a fabulous gardening book to take one through the seasons.

[Mary Blad · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all time favorite gardening book. Beautiful photographs and Martha’s sometimes exasperated captions (ie, “Asked gardener to weed mache bed. Mache all gone; weeds remain”).
This book only served to deepen my love of gardening and the restorative power of putting your hands in the dirt.

[Cnjbillhimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved owning this book, there is a lot of great information and the photographs are so fun.

[Groovy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info for the beginer and the seasoned gardener.

[Matt Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the cover says, go month by month. I did just that this year, flipping through each chapter as the months began and the seasons changed. I have neither the budget nor the land space that Martha had on her Turkey Hill farm, but this book is thick with inspiring photos on nearly every page.

In an age where everyone is an online lifestyle “brand” Martha truly was the embodiment of the lifestyle she sold to the masses. This is classic Martha from that time.