The Good Garden - by Chris McLaughlin (Paperback)

About the Book

What makes a garden good? For Chris McLaughlin, it's about growing healthy, scrumptious fruits and veggies, but it's also about giving back. How can your little patch of Earth become a sanctuary for threatened wildlife, sequester carbon, and nurture native plants?

In this joyful guide, McLaughlin gives you all the tricks and tips you need to grow the sustainable garden of your dreams. Gardeners will learn the fundamentals, including how to choose the right plant varieties for their microclimate, and proven methods to fight pests without chemicals. You'll also discover the nuances of developing a green thumb, from picking species to attract specific types of pollinators to composting techniques based on time available. A good garden offers endless possibilities and The Good Garden offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

Book Synopsis

What makes a garden good? For Chris McLaughlin, it's about growing the healthiest, most scrumptious fruits and veggies possible, but it's also about giving back. How can your little patch of Earth become a sanctuary for threatened wildlife, sequester carbon, and nurture native plants?

McLaughlin gives you all the tricks and tips you need to grow the sustainable garden of your dreams. Drawing from established traditions, such as permaculture and French intensive gardening, and McLaughlin's hard-earned experience, The Good Garden is a joyful guide for newbies and experienced gardeners alike. It will teach you the fundamentals, including how to choose the right plant varieties for your microclimate, and proven methods to fight pests without chemicals. You will also discover the nuances of developing a green thumb, from picking species to attract specific types of pollinators to composting techniques based on time available. Lovely four-color photography will show you good gardening in action.

Most importantly, The Good Garden will help you foster a sense of meaning in your garden. Maybe the goal is to reduce food miles and plastic waste by growing delicious berries. Maybe it's to meet neighbors who also care about the planet through a seed-swap. Maybe it's a quiet moment patting the bunny whose manure will replace toxic fertilizers in the soil. A good garden offers endless possibilities and The Good Garden offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

Review Quotes

"Chris McLaughlin understands that your garden is more than just a plot of land - it's an ecosystem. In this positive, upbeat guide, she shows you how to nurture a thriving garden that includes native plants that support wildlife and how, in doing so, your own garden will reconnect to the greater ecosystem."---David Mizejewski, Naturalist, National Wildlife Federation

"From rain barrels to planting choices, this book guides you to endless gardening possibilities and doing it in an all-natural way. Chris has made gardening simple and easy for all."---Lisa Mason Ziegler, author of "Cool Flowers" and "Vegetables Love Flowers"

"This is the perfect guide to get you started in understanding how your garden functions as a part of the ecosystem. It can help you create a space for all to enjoy--from the tiniest insects to the domestic animal helpers--and for yourself!"---Jessi Bloom, ecological designer and author of "Creating Sanctuary" and "Practical Permaculture"

"The Good Garden is a well-written, engaging garden book. Any gardener will benefit from its contents. It would also be a good gift to a gardening beginner, or someone whom you would like to encourage to become a sustainable gardener, because of the friendly and encouraging tone and feel of the book."-- "Washington Gardener"

"Chris McLaughlin's words are like a breath of fresh air. The Good Garden contains information, as well as personal perspectives useful for gardeners of all levels.... there is something in this book for everyone."-- "American Gardener"

"Thorough guide for newbies and experienced gardeners alike. It teaches the fundamentals including how to choose the right plant varieties for your climate, proven methods to fight pests without chemicals, and much more."-- "Connecticut Bridgeport"

"Exceptionally and impressively well written, organized, illustrated and presented, The Good Garden: How to Nurture Pollinators, Soil, Native Wildlife, and Healthy Food -- All in Your Own Backyard is a thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional guide for gardening in all manner of circumstances"-- "Midwest Book Review"

About the Author

Chris McLaughlin has been gardening and studying plants for over thirty-five years. She's the author of eight previous books: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Composting, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables, Hobby Farms: Small-Space Rabbit Keeping, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Small-Space Gardening, Vertical Vegetable Gardening, A Garden to Dye For, Growing Heirloom Flowers, and Raising Animals for Fiber.