Okay, maybe you don’t need this book. But lots of other people need this book and maybe you know one of them who could use it for Christmas.
Here’s your chance to save $19.95 plus shipping and win a FREE (gasp), yes FREE copy of The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden, by Valerie Easton. (You can see my review here.)
If you want to re-claim your weekends and still have a beautiful and productive garden, Easton offers ideas on how to accomplish just that, including choosing the right plants, incorporating edibles, using hardscape, working with nature and overall simplifying your garden.
To enter for a chance to win, just leave me a comment to this post and tell me why you need this copy of The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden OR leave a tip of your own on how to simplify your gardening tasks. A winner will be selected using a random number generator.
Comments close on Wednesday, December 9. The winner will be announced on Thursday, December 10. Yes, in 2009.
Go!
Hi! I'm Robin Ripley author of Wisdom for Home Preservers, published by Taunton Press. I am also co-author of Grocery Gardening. Bumblebee is about my life in rural Maryland, my garden and my love of food, my little dogs and pet chickens. You can follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Thank you for visiting!
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Although I DO need to simplify my garden, just looking at the cover I don’t think I need this book. The plants in the photo look so staged..as if they were just brought in for the photo. And the amount of hardscaping, pots, and furniture makes me think that low maintenance comes with a high initial investment. Or maybe gardens in other climates are just naturally more scrumptious.
Anyway…don’t count this as an entry. I’d rather the book went to someone who really wanted it. I’d like to have read a review from you to learn what you got out of this book.
.-= mss @ Zanthan Gardens´s last blog ..Tagetes erecta ‘Kilimanjaro’ (white marigold) =-.
Well, MSS, that’s judging a book by its cover. Don’t be so rash.
A review is forthcoming. Stay tuned.
Robin
I need this gardening book because I don’t already own it. I find a good method for lowering maintenance is to stop stressing and let some things go untended a little longer than you normally would. Do what you can, when you have the time and when you feel like it. Otherwise the garden becomes a chore, not a joy. The best method, of course, would be to hire a gardener.
My garden has been a pain to manage the last few years and I’m always looking for ways to improve plus I seem to have no time to get outside with this economy… So I do need help 🙂
…Hi Bumblebee! I for one would love this book as I have been wanting to adopt a more simpler way of gardening and would like to know how to incorporate veggies into my flowerbeds (in an eye-pleasing way of course), amongst other things. Not to mention, who wouldn’t love to win a gardening book in the dead of winter?! :o)…
…Please sign me up and thank you for the giveaway!
…Blessings… :o)
Wow, I could use this book. With 2 jobs my garden gets the best of my free time. This is a book my sister NEEDS! Perhaps it will make a great Christmas gift for her. Thanks for the recommendation!
.-= Chiot’s Run´s last blog ..A Day at the Farm =-.
I would be very interested in this book. As a new/young gardener I could use all the help in making things simple/cheap.
.-= Ben Thomas´s last blog ..The Good, The Bad, The Ugly… =-.
My time is very short and thus my poor garden is usually the one to suffer. Let the suffering end 🙂
I need this book because my current method of low-maintenance gardening is not nearly low-maintenance enough.
This is not for the book. Low maintenance gardens come only to those with a garden with great soil – over 5% organic content, organic mulch 365 days a year, and an earthworm population of at least 15 worms per cubic feet. Gardening in such soil means little or no fertilizer, no weeds, little watering and healthy plants able to fend off pest insects and disease themselves. Building that soil without killing yourself takes 3 to 5 years. Willing to work very very hard in the first year or two it can be achieved in three years. Without the great soil, any other low maintenance ideas are secondary.
Truly Tina Is Technically Terrific!
However BEWARE, when you invite a super star to your hen party it is only a matter of time before Tina’s agent will demand she have her own personal New York Hair Stylist. For sure a New York hair stylist that can do full body hair doos is not going to work for chicken feed. Then the other girls will likely suffer chicken envy. We all know that can lead to chicken stress. It can be a bad time in the hen house just to have a super star.
You’ve seen my garden, Robin … you KNOW why I need to simplify my maintenance chores!
.-= Cindy, MCOK´s last blog ..Three for Thursday: December 3, 2009 =-.
Would you accept a want in place of a need? I need a garden helper, maybe her ideas can be translated to my garden and I won’t need a helper anymore! gail
.-= Gail´s last blog ..Tell Me, Please =-.
[…] forget to leave a comment for a chance to win this book. Share and […]
I would love to win this book because I don’t have it and I’ve had my eye on it ever since I saw it advertised online.
I NEED this book because I’ve reached a point in my gardens where they’re becoming a little more work that I want to do at times. I’ve probably reached my limit in size and I need to know what else I can do to make life easier. Yeah, that’s me…lazy when I can get away with it. 😉
Thanks for offering this, Robin!
.-= Kylee from Our Little Acre´s last blog ..Procrastination Pays Off in Bulbs =-.
I don’t need this book because I am one of the (at least) 10% of unemployed Americans. I have plenty of time to garden. Of course if I ever do get to go back to work then I’ll need this book to help maintain the garden that I’ve created. And since I’m unemployed I’m less likely to buy this book for myself.
My favorite gardening time reduction tip is don’t rake those leaves. Run over fall leaves with your mulching mower. You not only save the time and effort of raking but you also add organic material and nutrients to the lawn, reducing the need for supplemental fertilizers and creating a healthier soil. Win, win and win.
I need this book because I’m old.
.-= Marie´s last blog ..NY Botanical Garden =-.
I don’t know if I NEED this book but I would love to have it. I can’t seem to read enough on gardening.
I’ll leave a tip too. 🙂 During the growing season, whenever I make hot tea, which is almost every day year round, I boil a little extra water in my tea kettle. I pour the hot water on any weeds or grass coming up in my walkways – or anywhere else. It kills them within a day or so of doing this with no pesticides or back breaking work!
I want this book because I love the cover. Plus, I love gardening… it’s theraputic.
.-= Renee´s last blog .. =-.
I love the idea of low-maintenance gardens as they give me more time to play with my chooks- while less work means more time to plant! Twice the bounty if you’d put in the same time planting and less weeding, etc! Honestly, I’m lazy and need impetus to do more and new ideas get me motivated. Cheers!- @ChooksChick
I would love to win this book. I think it sounds great. Gardening and simplifying, two of my favorite things!
I don’t have any gardening tips, though. Still trying to learn all I can…
I would love to have this book because I have two older daughters into almost everything and an young baby (7 mo) and a husband who works way too much. Therefore all the gardening is on me. Not that I am complaining but it would be great to make it easier and simplier. Thanks.
I don’t feel the need to simplify my gardening because I am very passionate about it and spend approximately 30 hours a week working outsideand wouldn’t have it any other way. I do however have a few hard earned tips to share: perennials, perennials, perennials. Put these in a happy place and they will thrive. Also, well composted horse manure works wonderfully as top dressing (ie: weed control) and is an organic fertilizer (cheap too!). Remember; 1st year they sleep, 2nd year they creep, 3rd year they leap.
P.S. I love your blog it is by far my favorite and I hope to start one very soon.
Hi Robin- Thank you for offering this book. I need this book because I am finding that due to physical limitations my gardens need to become easier to maintain.
Also, as an artist, business owner, mother to two little ones and an avid horse person… I have no free time. I would like to find ways to make things easier in the garden so that I can enjoy the time without feeling like I am just trying to get caught up!
PS. Can’t wait to see your new book!
[…] forget You Need This Book. Leave a comment there by the end of the day tomorrow to be included in the […]
So glad I stopped by the blog today!
I need this book because my husband and I are planning our dream home and are out of debt and saving money for the first time ever! I find books like these inspiring (even just looking at the cover makes me smile!)
Thanks for the contest 🙂
.-= Carrie ´s last blog ..Winter Goals =-.
I need this book to feed my insatiable appetite for gardening books (that’s the ignoble reason) and I also need it because in my garden-challenged neighborhood, we are constantly encouraging other people to establish their own gardens. The information in this book would help lots of fledgling gardeners (that’s the noble reason). Thank you for offering it!
I’ve been wondering if I should get that book. I love gardening books and could really use tips on less maintenance.
.-= Jean´s last blog ..The Birds are Back and so is the Work =-.
[…] swear that I used a random number generator to pick the winner of The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden book. It’s only a coincidence that Carrie at Maywood Farm blog also happens to raise […]