Long-Awaited Extension Gardener Handbook Now Available

A new award-winning gardening handbook published by NC State Extension has arrived on the market just as gardening enthusiasts across the state are gearing up for spring planting. The North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook offers practical guidelines for bringing the best in research-driven, environmentally responsible gardening practices right to your own garden, lawn or landscape.

Originally developed as a training manual for Extension Master Gardener volunteers, the handbook delivers content developed by the state’s foremost horticulture experts in an easy-to-follow, attractive hardback or PDF format that will appeal to volunteers and home garden enthusiasts alike.

“We have taken the latest consumer horticulture scientific research and information and compiled it into a resource geared specifically toward North Carolina and the Southeast,” said Dr. Lucy Bradley, Extension urban horticulture specialist and co-editor of the handbook.

NC State faculty, Extension agents, Master Gardener volunteers, and other expert contributors located throughout the state collaborated to bring this 21-chapter book to market. In 782 pages, the book covers topics from soil composition and composting, to insect and disease control, to various gardening topics, to landscape design and much more.

According to Kathleen Moore, urban horticulturist for the NC State Department of Horticultural Science and co-editor, one of the book’s strengths lies in integrating topics like pest management throughout the content, helping gardeners understand that some gardening challenges can be met early through careful planning and preparation, rather than resorting to correction tactics after problems arise.

“We are very pleased to offer this resource to the public,” said Moore. “This handbook takes the best of what is happening in NC State’s laboratories, greenhouses and test lawns and makes it applicable to your own home, school or community gardening projects. This book represents exactly what NC State Extension does in your community every day.”

The North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook is the first public-facing gardening handbook published by NC State Extension. Retailing for $60, North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook is now available for pre-sale through UNC Press. Discounts may apply for bulk orders. To purchase the book, visit:  go.ncsu.edu/gardener-handbook

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.