Lazy-Ass Gardening: Maximize Your Soil, Minimize Your Toil - Softcover

Kourik, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0961584874 ISBN 13: 9780961584870

Publisher: Metamorphic Press, 2008

Synopsis

In this lively and inspiring book, veteran horticulturalist Robert Kourik (aka “Bob”) unfolds his manifesto of “Inspired Laziness”—using efficiency and forethought to create gardens and landscapes with a lot less work and a lot more enjoyment.

By following Kourik’s relaxed and readable guidance, both beginning and accomplished gardeners will discover how to save time and money, enrich their soil, increase their yields, and reduce their effort, all while absorbing “Bob’s” philosophy of kicking back and growing more good times.

Drawing on over four decades of immersing himself in horticultural work (and writing about it), Robert shares his hard-won secrets for the easiest planning, planting, cultivating, landscaping, irrigating, de-pestifying, and finding enjoyment in settings ranging from window-box herbs to showy ornamental plantings to the now-classic “edible landscape.”

In Lazy-Ass Gardening, you’ll learn how to:
• Ease into gardening, if you’re a newbie.
• Figure out which edibles to raise, with a careful selection of the most care-free varieties and tips for easy growing.
• Lay out your garden to balance effective growing area with space for enjoyment, relaxation, and play.
• Cultivate creatively to grow your own nutrients and build healthy self-sustaining (no-till) soil for the future.
• Attract the best pollinating insects and deter hungry pests.
• Plan your “hardscape” (paths, patios, arbors, etc.), for an easy-care (and more fun) aspect of your yard or garden.
• Choose the right plants for your landscape, climate, soil, and water supply, not to mention your aesthetic and nutritional needs.
• Learn how to develop a personal garden that manifests your own eccentricities.
• Grow more, stress less.

About this title

About the Author

Robert Kourik installed his first edible landscape in 1978, and is the author of Drip Irrigation, Understanding Roots, Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape, and Lazy-Ass Gardening

In the course of his 40-plus years of first-hand experience in sustainable horticulture, he’s received many accolades. Sunset magazine described Robert’s Drip Irrigation book as “The last word on drip irrigation” and “infused with good humor.” Paul Hawken extols his work as “uncommonly valuable.” Rosalind Creasy calls Robert’s books “encyclopedic.” All of Robert’s work and writings were oriented towards sustainability long before the term became popular.

Robert’s books, articles, and essays have covered organic, natural, sustainable and integrated systems; permaculture; water conservation and drip irrigation; environmentally sound homes; and edible landscaping. His articles have appeared in national publications such as The New York Times, Garden Design Magazine, Landscape Architecture, National Gardening, Fine Gardening, Horticulture Magazine and Mother Earth News.  

Edition details

• Publisher: Metamorphic Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0961584874
• ISBN 13: 9780961584870
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 215