Rocky Mountain Getting Started Garden Guide

John Cretti

Jun 2015 · Cool Springs Press

About this eBook

Even beginner gardeners can select plants to create a stunning garden as unique as the Rocky Mountains - with expert help to ensure success! Rocky Mountain Getting Started Garden Guide is a plant selection guide, perfect for when you're choosing plants and starting a garden in a climate that can be as challenging as it is beautiful. Choose the right plants and care for them properly with help from an expert. John Cretti, one of the Rockies' most highly respected and experienced gardeners, shares his deep knowledge of the region, gardens, and plants in a lively, upbeat style. The author's top picks for plants that will thrive in (or despite of) the Rockies' fluctuating temperatures, altitude, dryness, rocky soil, and other unique growing conditions guarantee success for area gardeners and home landscapers. Plants are divided into easy-to-browse chapters, such as Annuals, Bulbs, Groundcovers, Ornamental Grasses, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees (deciduous and conifers), Lawns, and Vines. Each plant is highlighted in their respective chapter with a large full-color photograph and tips on how, when, and where to plant. Rocky Mountain Getting Started Garden Guide doesn't stop at plant selection. Methods for preparing soil, watering, fertilizer application, and pest management are also covered in detail. Along with the "nitty-gritty" of tending your garden, John shares his inspiration for garden design, offers ways to incorporate your plants into the landscape, and names some favorite cultivars or species. His sound, practical advice is clothed in beautiful descriptions of each plant that will inspire you to get your hands dirty!

About the author

A regionally known gardening expert, radio and television host, author, columnist, and former horticulture specialist for Colorado State University Extension, John Cretti has more than 32 years of horticulture experience. John hosted the Gardening with an Altitude radio program for thirty years and has been an expert on Rocky Mountain Gardening for area TV and HGTV. His down-to-earth approach broadens the horizons of gardeners dealing with the unique and challenging climates of the region, where temperature fluctuations, wind, hail, unpredictable storms, difficult soils, and cunning critters are the norm. John has spent his life growing all kinds of plants, beginning as a child under the tutelage of his Italian grandmother, aunts, and uncle. This inspired his interest and passion for gardening while growing up in western Colorado. John is the author of several books for Cool Springs Press, including Rocky Mountain Gardener’s Guide and Month-by-Month Gardening in the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about him at his website: www.gardeningwithanaltitude.com.