Synopses & Reviews
Once the glory of summer gardens has passed, the gardener's mind is occupied by thoughts of chill winds and winter frosts. Ethne Clarke's Autumn Gardens is a thoughtful reminder that Fall can be the most fruitful and rewarding of all. Although many plants have reached maturity in autumn, they are often far from finished -- blazing leaf color, structural seedheads, tawny grasses, and ripened fruits take center stage. Corn, squash, pumpkins, and herbs are stalwarts of the season and make the continuation of summer gardening chores -- digging, soil preparation, and fertilizing -- a worthwhile endeavor. Major sections include arranging plants for optimum color and harvesting to showcase the autumn bounty to be found in groves and orchards, where fruit ripen in the late autumn. A bibliography and index make this charming and informative book easy to navigate and useful as a resource.