# Recommend a book or site for a newbie gardener. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529 "2009-03-06T15:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529/1 "2009-03-06T15:00:34Z")
We’re trying to buy a house, and when we find one I want to start gardening. Vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. I know absolutely nothing about it. I don’t want to purchase a whole library, but is there one basic book that will get me off the ground? How about a reliable website? I’m in Zone 8. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529/2 "2009-03-06T15:05:20Z")
> [@Miss\_Violaceous](#): > > I’m in Zone 8. _jealous_ ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529/3 "2009-03-06T15:44:45Z")
_[The Garden Primer](http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236354077&sr=8-1)_ by Barbara Damrosch. The link is to the second edition, which I’ve never looked at – I still use my 20-year-old copy of the the first edition. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529/4 "2009-03-06T16:08:29Z")
A good website would be [www.gardenweb.com](http://www.gardenweb.com) . You’ll have to do a bit of weeding especially if you’re green to gardening, as there can be conflicting info given, by posters from all zones. As for reading I’m poking through Steve Soloman’s latest, which would be a good foundation. There was a bit on Google books at one time. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-or-site-for-a-newbie-gardener/488529/5 "2009-03-06T16:33:26Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > _[The Garden Primer](http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236354077&sr=8-1)_ by Barbara Damrosch. The link is to the second edition, which I’ve never looked at – I still use my 20-year-old copy of the the first edition. Seconded. Fantastic book. I still can’t believe she lives in Maine, which has to have one of the shortest growing seasons in the US.