hi.
welcome to tend! we're so glad that you found us.
i was all set to show you some of the spring beauty slowing coming to life in vermont, but the daffs aren't up yet and the crocuses are spent.
instead, i thought i would tell you about my go-to gardening resource. if i had to recommend one book for beginner gardeners, it would be the garden primer by barbara damrosch. damrosch writes simply and clearly and provides good information on a large variety of topics. the book starts out with the basics (how to prepare a bed, how to identify common weeds, how to start seeds), and this first chapter entitled "what plants need" should be required reading for all new gardeners.
i also like that her methods are organic; it's how we garden at home. i know if i turn to the garden primer for advice because of an insect problem, i'm not going to find information on pesticides. i like that. when ordering our seeds this year, we referenced the garden primer to see which varieties barbara damrosch suggested.
if you absolutely need color illustrations, you may need a different resource. this book features illustrations, but they are charming and work well for me. i say, if you need a second reference and want to see the plant in color, just google it.
it's truly a treasure trove of information--your one stop gardening resource. in the spring and summer, it lives on our coffee table and we are constantly reading and referencing it.
i'm sure your library will have a copy if you want to take a peek.
please check out our resources page for more gardening books and websites that we all love.
