The City Gardener’s Handbook

The Definitive Guide to Small Space Gardening

by Linda Yang

Colorful, noisy, vital, but not ever green enough: cities may be the places where gardens are needed most. Linda Yang, an instructor here at The New York Botanical Garden, shows how to cope with the unique conditions of soil, light, water, and air that make gardening in urban places so tricky. But there is no site where the rewards are greater.

Yang offers expert advice on planning and planting a garden on a balcony, in a container, or in a small yard that will be attractive all year long. She gives tips on selecting plants that tolerate wind, heat, and drought, and shows how to deal with pollutants, insects, and more. Charts and lists supply information on the best city plants for flowers, foliage, and fragrance, as well as ground covers, small weeping trees, and dwarf shrubs. The updated mail-order source list is an essential tool for gardeners who find it difficult to locate plants and supplies like soil mixes and mulches for containers.

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