The Complete Container Garden (ISBN 0895778483)

Amazon.com Review:
Equal parts gorgeous and practical, Reader's Digest's The Complete Container Garden provides clear and straightforward advice accompanied by brightly colored close-up photography. From spring bulbs to winter berries, the range of plants and containers is tremendous, and the how-to tips are invaluable. You'll find techniques for training vines and topiary or planting strawberry jars, and generous coverage of basics like pruning, feeding, wintering, and deadheading. The author pays great attention to choosing plants. The ideas for unusual foliage plants are exceptional, ranging from lovely purple-leaved cabbages to aromatic pelargonium. Only two brief pages are devoted to discussing pests and diseases, but the photos are a big help in identifying various creatures--for greater detail in getting rid of them, novice gardeners will need to look for other information sources. Over 70 pages are devoted to descriptions of plants that are container-appropriate, and you'll have plenty to choose from in all categories--common bulbs and annuals as well as more unusual vegetables and small fruit trees are all represented with growing tips and optimal conditions, so you'll be sure to choose plants appropriate to your environment. Enjoyable inspiration for the novice or expert, you'll find this a worthy addition to both your coffee table and your reference shelf. --Jill Lightner

Going To Pot (s):
Well, I was going to entitle my review, Contain Yourself, but I can see that's actually a real title of a container gardening book. I've always had a green thumb. Even as a teenager. I used to grow stuff in my closet all the time with a grow light and a water drip and all that stuff. Of course, the day that the feds came and confiscated my closet garden is another story for another day... But I'm in my 40s now and I was beginning to think that my age was just synonomous for a "ho-hum" existence because the only herbs I grow now are tarragon, basil, oregano, and parsley. You could probably smoke these too, but I don't want to have hallucinations of Chef Boyordee. The house that I am currently renting has a very long breezeway between the garage and the house. When I first looked at it, I found it horribly unattractive. I almost didn't rent the house because of it, but I had to follow my own advice and "look beyond the appearances" and realize with "real eyes" that I could do something to beautify that awkward breezeway. So I got a few container gardening books...this being my favorite and learned what plants should be grouped with others for dramatic as well as beautiful effects. I also became obsessed with finding unusual containers to put my plants in. Oh, I have the standard terra cotta pots but I also found some pretty unusual containers that I have turned into planters, my favorite being an old rusty army steel soup tureen that I simply drilled a few holes in the bottom. It's quite the conversation piece. I now love that breezeway. I'm always out there planting, digging, and just enjoying the sheer beauty of nature. Emerson was quite right when he said, "To the dull mind, all nature is leaden; to the illuminated soul, the whole world burns and sparkles with Light" because when I'm sitting in my container garden early in the morning, I can see the Beautiful, Wondrous Light that all creation is made in and out of. Know that you're also part of this Light. Get this wonderful book and learn how not only to transform a dull area into a thing of beauty, but learn how to invigorate a ho-hum existence into something joyfully radiant. Peace and Blessings, you "pot" heads... john, "the Light Coach"

A Lovely Book! Pottery & Gardening at its best...:
To be honest, I purchased this book for the pottery because I have taken up that as a hobby recently. The book uses examples of balance and color as well as form in the garden. The photographs of beautiful gardens are worth the price of the book. It inspires gardening in the most unlikely of containers as well as traditional ones. For anyone thinking of trying to make an oasis out of some dry patch of non-arable soil, this is a place to start.

Container Gardening:
This is THE book for apartment-condo dwellers and gardeners who need to know EVERYTHING about planting in a pot! The garden directions explain how to, when to, what to plant and in what kind of outdoor conditions. (shade, sun, cold, hot, dry soil etc.)Individual plants are carefully discussed.Good color pictures as well. It would be hard to be black-thumb gardener using this book.

The Complete Container Garden:
This is a great book for someone who is new to gardening (like me). It has great pictures with explanations and ideas for projects. Everything is organized in an easy to understand format.

The Complete Container Garden:
Very helpful book for container gardeners or "wannabes"! Photos are wonderful and instructions easy to follow.