1001 Tips for Canadian Gardeners.

Janet Collins is a freelance writer in Sechelt, British Columbia.

Pool the knowledge of four of Canada’s bestselling gardening authors and the outcome is bound to be helpful and informative to both new and veteran gardeners. With more than 90 books between them, Hanbidge, Beck, Peters, and Williamson know how to provide the information garden enthusiasts need.

Almost half of the book is devoted to topics covering the preparation of the garden site. Proper planning and soil maintenance are essential activities in any garden, but often overlooked or glossed over by both gardeners and gardening book authors. Unless they are specifically devoted to urban gardening, most books also overlook the fact that many gardeners lack a piece of earth to call their own and are limited to container gardens or whatever plants will flourish on a balcony or indoors. This book’s quartet of authors include information for green-thumbs facing those constraints (including tips for successful worm composting) as well as tips for getting the kids involved and working around the needs of family pets and wildlife.

Troubleshooting hints are found throughout the text (e.g., how to keep fruit flies away from a compost bin) as are helpful tips for doing everything from selecting and preparing seeds for planting to the proper method for storing various types of bulbs and rhizomes. Herb care and vegetable harvesting pointers are also included.

The table of contents is quite detailed, and the short glossary helpful for the novice gardener. The lack of an index, however, makes accessing much of the information in this book a frustrating and time-consuming exercise.