My weeds: A gardener's botany

By Sara Bonnett Stein

Book Overview

From the author of the native gardening classic Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards comes My Weeds, a foray into the secret and fascinating lives of the world's most hated plants.By asking of the common weed, What kind of plant is this? How does it behave? Stein shows how a thorough understanding of the enemy is the gardener's best defense. Incredibly adaptive, weeds are also good teachers, and Stein shows us what they tell us about our gardens and the lives of all plants.She entertains with tales of famous -- and notorious -- weeds of the world, compares weeding tools and methods, and discusses the uses of weeds. Along the way, Stein also explains the intricate workings of photosynthesis, plant anatomy and reproduction, evolution, and the laws of succession by which nature tries to reclaim the land a gardener has disturbed.First published in 1998, My Weeds was among the first generation of books to advocate the use of native plants, and Stein's discussions of backyard ecology, pesticides, and the threat of exotic species were as groundbreaking then as they are relevant today. A biography of the plant world's most maligned members and a fascinating primer of the most useful aspects of plant biology and ecology, My Weeds is essential reading even for the gardener who never leaves the armchair

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060158824
• ISBN13: 9780060158828
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Harper & Row
• Length: 229 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.

Customer Reviews

My Weeds

Sara Stein shares her amazing in-depth knowlege of the botany of weeds with a sense of humor that makes this book a "I can't put it down" volume.

great book

I love this book. I am amazed by her depth of knowledge. Plus it's a good read. I am re-reading it now, keeping it by my bedside to read a few paragraphs each night. Such a wealth of knowledge.

I am so bummed that this is out of print

I first read this a year or so ago and just loved it. This book gave me an even greater appreciation for the intelligence of plants, their adaptability, and the information we can gain from the presence of certain weeds if we know what we are looking at. The author talks about her ongoing struggle with the weeds that inhabit her gardening space. There are no winners or losers in this war, but a definate relationship is created between the two.This book is very enjoyable to read as well as being full of great, and accurate, information.

wonderful to read and botanically accurate

This book will delight any and all who have done or will do battle with weeds. Mrs. Stein has a delightful style that is warm and personable. Her research was excellent and the reader will discover much about the secret lives of these much maligned plants. Anyone that is thinking about starting a garden should read this book