An Ear to the Ground: Garden Science for Ordinary Mortals

An Ear to the Ground: Garden Science for Ordinary Mortals

by KenThompson (Author)

Synopsis

While the British are happy to call themselves a nation of gardeners, they rarely have any idea of the science that is happening before their very eyes. How did plants get to be the way they are? Why do they have pretty flowers? How different would things have been if the wrong kind of pollinators had got the upper hand? Why are Latin names so complicated, and why Latin anyway? Why is a weed-free lawn an ecological impossibility? This entertaining book gives the answers to these questions and many more. It shows how a little botanical knowledge can bring not just better results, but also peace of mind, and that losing sleep over such traditional gardening bogeys as weeds, pests, and pruning, is not necessarily the best course. Indeed, if Ken Thompson's message can be summed up in one word, that word is relax.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Eden Project Books,Transworld
Published: 01 Feb 2006

ISBN 10: 1903919193
ISBN 13: 9781903919194
Book Overview: Do you have a clue about what's actually going on in your garden?

Media Reviews
While the British are happy to call themselves a nation of gardeners, they rarely have any idea of the science that is happening before their very eyes. How did plants get to be the way they are? How different would things have been if the wrong kind of pollinators had got the upper hand? Why are Latin names so complicated, and why Latin anyway? Why is a weed-free lawn an ecological impossibility? This entertaining book gives the answers to these questions and many more. It shows how a little botanical knowledge can bring not just better results but peace of mind, and that losing sleep over such traditional gardening bogeys as weeds, pests and pruning is not necessarily the best course.
Author Bio
KEN THOMPSON is a plant ecologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. He has written over 100 articles in scientific journals, but has always wanted to write something that might be read by more than twelve people. Having been a keen gardener for many years, he has become increasingly interested in the ecology of gardens and the promotion of science to the general public. He writes a regular column on the science of gardening for ORGANIC GARDENING magazine and never watches television gardening programmes.