Gardening Success with Difficult Soils: Limestone, Alkaline Clay, and Caliche Soils
One of the greatest frustrations to new gardeners or newcomers to any region is discovering that one's favorite plants refuse to thrive. All the gardening hints in the world don't seem to help when your soil is the consistency of adobe bricks. Ogden's book is especially appropriate for those living in the Southwestern United States, but there are plenty of other areas with difficult soils and harsh climates. He covers various methods of soil improvement, but more importantly, describes and specifies what plants prefer these conditions. There is no one-time treatment to cure a calcareous soil, but there are plenty of alkaline-tolerant plants available. Ogden advises on fruits and vegetables, trees, annuals, and biennial flowering plants, vines, ground covers, shade-loving plants, attracting wildlife, and even night-blooming plants for fragrant summer evenings. Recommended. (Illustrations not seen.)-- Katharine Galloway Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.