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About this book
Informative and entertaining, this book will stimulate experimentation and encourage gardeners to review and improve their current gardening practices. Once gardeners learn how plants are constructed, it is easier to envision how they'll grow and flourish. An understanding of the structure behind good, healthy soil gives clues as to how to improve one's own garden tilth. This practical guide helps readers identify what plants need to survive and how these fundamental scientific facts are at the heart of good plant care. A chapter on seeds and germination will encourage gardeners at any level to try their hand at propagation, while discussion of soil, pests, and diseases adds to the skills of all gardeners. The final sections of the book take a closer look at biodiversity, ecology, genetic engineering, and nomenclature. For the enthusiastic beginner or the master gardener, Practical Science for Gardeners unravels the mysterious inner life of plants.
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Biography
Mary Pratt graduated in zoology from Oxford University and received a Masters degree in biology from Keele University. She lectured in adult education, worked in nature conservation, and taught biology at secondary school before she retired to Devon.
Handbook / Manual
Out of Print
By: Mary Pratt
176 pages, 56 b/w illus
Anyone seeking principles for improving a garden will find this book immensely useful. Science News 20050806 You don't need to toddle through this book and take notes. You can master the concepts easily and then apply them to your garden. Pratt's talent in reducing the science down to the simplest explanations is a wonderful gift to her fellow gardeners. -- Jean Starr Munster (IN) Times 20050929 Practical Science for Gardeners explains plant-cell structure, genetics, and other subjects that are the foundation of gardening. -- Betsy Lehndorff Rocky Mountain News 20051015 Information ranging from soil preparation and mulching to planting and pruning ... was presented in a friendly and understandable manner. This book is definitely a 'keeper' from my point of view as I did learn a lot, enjoy the writer's easygoing style, and will use it in the future as a reference. -- Bruce Cottingham Athens Banner-herald 20050120 Pratt has a warm feeling for historical perspective and does not hesitate to admonish, philosophize, and encourage. -- Celia Cedric Bloomsbury Review 20060301 Practical Science for Gardeners is an easy and enjoyable read, and can be a useful book for gardeners interested in learning the science behind successful gardening practices. Sida, Contributions to Botany 20050101 This is the book you have been waiting for ... to understand the science of gardening will improve your gardening pleasure. -- George Graine Virginia Master Gardeners Association Report 20060301 Packed with tips about how to apply science to achieve healthier plants and better gardens, this informative and entertaining book will encourage you to review your gardening practices in light of newfound knowledge. Michigan Gardener 20060401 Packed full of tips about how to apply science to achieve healthier plants and better gardens, this informative and entertaining book will stimulate experimentation and encourage gardeners to review their gardening practices in light of their new found knowledge. The Professional Gardener 20060101