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This is an excellent reference book, covering a wide range of tips & tricks for bedding plants. It's part of Lois Hole's new "Questions & Answers" series, and the whole book is set up in a very easy-to-read Q&A format. Most questions have both an answer from Lois and an answer from her son Jim; Lois' answers tend toward general experience, and Jim's tend toward the scientific advice. The combination is very effective.
Unlike Lois Hole's other books, the photographs here are all black-and-white, and the paper is matte rather than glossy. In my opinion this doesn't detract from the book at all; almost all the flowers are represented by colour photos in Lois' Bedding Plants Favorites book anyway. This Q&A book is a valuable companion to the Favorites book.
The chapter titles in this book are:
1. Soil
2. Choosing Annuals
3. Seeding
4. Growing
5. Troubleshooting
6. Varieties. 37 types of plants are listed in this chapter, in categories ranging from broad (vines & ivies) to narrow (Browallia).
Here are a few examples of questions from the book:
"I think my soil is deficient in iron - can I just add rusty nails to it?" (the answer is no...)
"What is 'transplant shock' and how do I prevent it?"
"Why does kochia turn red more in some years than others?"
There are also several general tips and reference tables included, such as "Seeding dates for flowers in cooler zones", and a pro-and-con chart for different kinds of grow lights.
This is an excellent reference book for bedding plants. Highly recommended.
