The Gardener's Weed Book: Earth-Safe Controls
Pleasant, author of six other books on gardening, explains how weeds survive and how to control them organically. She lists 80 weeds that are commonly found in North American gardens, giving the Latin and common names of each, along with information on what types of soil they grow in. Each listing has a detailed description of the weed and how to control it, as well as a black-and-white drawing of the seeds, flowers, and mature plant. Pleasant's list includes some beneficial weeds, such as black medic (whose roots leave behind bacteria that help other members of the pea family feed themselves) and such plants as morning glories, which many gardeners consider to be beautiful flowers. A final chapter gives brief sketches of 28 plant families and the common weeds and cultivated plants that belong to each of them.George Cohen