annieb123
Written on Jan 28, 2022
Midwest Gardener's Handbook is a reformatted and updated 2nd edition of the midwest gardening guide by Melinda Myers. Originally released in 2013, this edition is due out in March 2022 from Quarto on their Cool Springs imprint. It's 256 pages and will be available in paperback format.
This is an accessibly written information dense regional gardening guide specifically aimed at gardeners in the midwest USA: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas , Michigan, Minnesota , Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and environs. The information is arranged in a sensible manner with chapters arranged thematically. An introduction about the benefits and challenges midwestern gardeners experience, followed by: annuals, bulbs, groundcovers, perennials, shrubs (& trees), and vegetables & herbs. The chapters are thorough and contain specific recommendations with both specific cultivars as well as general seasonal task lists for each chapter. Cultivars are referred to by botanical (Latin) nomenclature as well as common name to facilitate sourcing and reduce confusion.
The book is -full- of full color photographs for inspiration and clarity. One of the high points for me with this volume were the useful and specific appendices - pruning, building up beds, winter protection, raised beds, zone maps, and other resource information.
Four and a half stars. This would be a good choice for public and school libraries, gardening groups, community/allotment gardens, suburban gardeners, homeowners, etc.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.