"God almighty first planted a garden: and, indeed, it is the purestof human pleasures."--Sir Francis Bacon
National surveys show that gardening has become the mostpopular, least exclusive hobby nationwide. From the balconies ofManhattan to the patios of Malibu to the backyards of Chicago,anybody with a few square feet of earth is doing their best to maketheir little corner of the world more gracious and beautiful. Andthe best thing is, you really don't have to be born with a greenthumb to give life to a glorious garden. Anybody can do it with alittle coaching. Which is where Gardening All-in-One ForDummies comes in.
Puzzled by pruning? Baffled by bulbs? Can't tell a hosta from ahyacinth? Don't worry! This all-in-one reference delivers theknow-how you need to transform your little patch of the outdoorsinto a blooming paradise. Drawing upon the expertise of theNational Gardening Association, it gets you up to speed on:
* Basic gardening skills--from understanding yourmicroclimate to using gardening tools to managing pests and commonplant diseases
* How to design, plan and build a garden landscape that reflectsyour unique sense of style
* Selecting, planting and maintaining stunning roses
* Building a raised bed for your perennials and making them bloomin any climate
* Choose, grow and maintain annuals
* From amaryllis to spider dahlias to wood tulips--coaxingbeauty from homely bulbs
* Enjoying nature's bounty by growing you own vegetablesand herbs
A veritable encyclopedia of gardening, this GardeningAll-in-One For Dummies is an indispensable resource for novicesand experienced gardeners alike. It brings together between thecovers of a single volume seven great books covering:
* Gardening Basics
* Garden Design
* Roses
* Perennials
* Annuals
* Bulbs
* Vegetables and Herbs
Your one-step guide to a beautiful garden, GardeningAll-in-One For Dummies shows you how to experience the"purest of human pleasures" in your own backyard.

Introduction.
Book I: Gardening Basics.
Chapter 1: Getting Your Garden Off the Ground.
Chapter 2: Zoning Out in Your Climate.
Chapter 3: Digging Up the Dirt on Your Soil.
Chapter 4: Balancing Your Garden's Diet.
Chapter 5: Pruning from Limb to Limb.
Chapter 6: Tooling Around the Garden.
Chapter 7: Avoiding Plague, Famine, and Pestilence in theGarden.
Book II: Garden Design.
Chapter 1: Plotting Your Landscape Design.
Chapter 2: Building Your Landscape.
Chapter 3: Containering Your Excitement.
Chapter 4: Lawn(ging) Around.
Chapter 5: Tree-ting Yourself to Shrubbery.
Book III: Roses.
Chapter 1: Everything's Coming Up Roses.
Chapter 2: Flowers That Smell Sweet as a Rose.
Chapter 3: A Rose by Any Other Name.
Chapter 4: Rose, Rose, Come to Stay; Plant You in the GardenToday.
Chapter 5: We Beg Your Pardon, We Do Promise You a RoseGarden.
Book IV: Perennials.
Chapter 1: Perennials Nonstop.
Chapter 2; Perennials in Any Kind of Weather.
Chapter 3: Perennials to Buy, Grow, and Plant.
Chapter 4: Perennial Care and Cleaning.
Chapter 5: Perennially Digging -- Special Features for YourFlower Bed.
Book V: Annuals.
Chapter 1: Shining the Sunlight on Annuals.
Chapter 2: Pickin' Out Annuals, Puttin' 'Em inYour Garden.
Chapter 3: Raising Your Annuals Right.
Chapter 4: Singing the Annual Alphabet Song.
Book VI: Bulbs.
Chapter 1: A Bulb's Life.
Chapter 2: Take Care, Little Bulb.
Chapter 3: A Bulb for Every Garden.
Chapter 4: A Bulb for All Seasons.
Book VII: Vegetables and Herbs.
Chapter 1: Visualizing Veggie Vineyards.
Chapter 2: Vegetating the Day Away.
Chapter 3: Growing, Growing, Grown!
Chapter 4: Getting Down to the Herb of the Matter.
Chapter 5: Taking Care of Herbness, Every Day.
Chapter 6: Cataloging Herbs.
Index.