Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces [Paperback]

Schenk tells how to grow plants on pavement, rocks, railings, tables, stumps and logs, and stepping stones with just a few inches of soil. -- George Cohen Booklist 20040301 Rich with surprising ideas and a unique twist on drawing attention to little plant treasures, ... this book will make the reader aware of never-before-dreamed-of microclimates. -- Valerie Easton Seattle Times 20040329 This book details, perhaps for the first time in print, how to garden on an impermeable surface such as pavement, rock, brick or wood. Like the illustrious Hanging Gardens of Babylon, platform gardens can be a surprise and a wonder. Farmers Market Online 20040404 [Schenk's] new book is rich with surprising ideas and a unique twist on drawing attention to little plant treasures...his planted wall-tops make you want to haul out the bricks and start building. -- Valerie Easton Plant Life 20040329 The title caught me, the book mesmerized. Here, it seems, is an entirely new way of gardening. Gardener's Club of Mendota 20040526 No doubt, [Schenk] is the expert on successfully transferring paved areas into lush plant beds. And, thankfully, he is eager to share his expertise so beginners won't need to waste time experimenting. HortIdeas 20040502 If you are serious about making a pavement garden bed, then this book provides all of the necessary information on types of plants including 50 examples, everything you need to know about soil type, various approaches to retaining pavement garden beds (with stones, bricks, timbers) and the ever important maintenance of your effort. -- George Graine Virginia Master Gardeners Association Report 20040621 Learn the secrets to successfully planting between the nooks and crannies of hard surfaces. Santa Cruz Sentinel 20040422 Plant lovers leafing through Gardening on Pavement, Tables and Hard Surfaces won't be intimidated: They'll be encouraged to try their hand growing plants directly on patio tables, flagstones and brick railings, or in cement blocks, stumps or creviced rocks, and even against brick walls. -- Charles Reynolds Lakeland Ledger 20040312 Witty and sensible...Stunning photos depict real gardens full of imaginative projects. -- Katy Gilmore Anchorage Daily News 20040704 The ideas are so charming and the pictorial results so clever that...a swell surprise for the city gardener and a thoughtful treat for any addict of the horticultural. -- Marilis Hornidge Rockland Courier-Gazette 20040708 George Shenk...has proven that plants can grow on these media with the proper care. National Gardener 20040711 City gardeners in particular should find a lot of useful informationin this book. Science News 20040731 Nothing makes a reader happier than to have a favorite author produce a new book...his writing style is relaxed and amusing...He includes detailed instructions on how to acheive the effects shown in the book. -- Caroline McCullagh Let's Talk Plants 20040801 Uses plant lists, photos and step-by-step directions to show readers how to adopt this unique way of planting. -- Suzanne Hively Cleveland Plain Dealer 20040701 Living in a concrete jungle? This book's solution: Grow a garden on it...highlights innovative gardens where you least expect them, miniature worlds in outlandish places, as quirky as they are captivating. -- Lili Singer Los Angeles Times 20040902 Schenk is original. -- Patricia Jonas Plants and Gardens News 20041006 Anyone wanting to turn a brownfield site into a greenfield site should take a look at this. Bookseller 20040409 I find [Schenk's] writing both fun and instructive. -- Patricia A. Taylor Trenton Times 20041107 The photographs are inspiring and the detailed instructions ensure success. -- Bobbie Schwartz Buckeye 20041118 The latest offering by George Schenk is a honey of a book, both practical and whimsical. -- Linda Hillegass Fine Gardening 20050216 Mr. Schenk makes it sound so easy to be successful, his style of gardening is mighty appealing for those of us who have run out of real estate for one more flower bed. Dallas Morning News 20050121 Schenk bends nature's winning ways to his will, creating gardens where no one before has thought to look. He attacks with uncommon creativity and vigor, and nature declares a draw... very readable. -- Carlo Balistrieri Rock Garden Quarterly 20050601 Schenk speaks directly and enthusiastically to the reader with the familiarity of an old gardening friend. Once you've discovered his approach, you may never look at gardening the same way again. -- Lynette Walther Camden Herald 20060615 The photos that illustrate this clever idea are so gorgeous that ever since [I saw them] I have been harboring the idea to do the same. -- Kathy Renwald Toronto Star 20061123

"Gardening on Pavement, Tables, and Hard Surfaces" is the first book to describe how to grow garden plants directly on hard surfaces such as pavement, rocks, tables, and other impermeable platforms. Plants have known all along that they can grow on these media, and George Schenk translates this small miracle into practical language for gardeners. With just a few inches of soil, gardens can be created almost anywhere. Tabletops can serve as the foundation for small rock gardens; ground covers can grow vigorously on concrete; even bonsai can thrive directly on decorative stone. Using extensive photos, plant lists, and step-by-step instructions, the author shows how every gardener can adopt this charming, vibrant, and beautiful style of planting.