Samm Baker's Clear & Simple Gardening Handbook - 1964 Edition
Nothing equals the zingy taste of a fresh-picked tomato that you've grown yourself. Pluck it from the bush, rub it clean., bite deep into the glossy redness while it's still warm from the sun - that's eating! Samm Baker, Chapter 10: How to Grow Easy-To-Tend-Vegetables
{HISTORY}
Who is this Samm Baker (1909-1979) and just how is he going to help our gardens grow? If you have heard of Miracle-Gro, then you have heard of Samm. Sort of. Samm, a lifelong gardening enthusiast was co-founder along with German-American immigrant Otto Stern in a mail-order plant business based in Geneva, NY. When plants were struggling on their journey's travels through the mail system, Otto teamed up with marketing guru Horace Hagadorn who then teamed up with orchid expert and professor Wesley Davidson and between the three of them created Miracle-Gro fertilizer to give the mail-order plants a lift after they had traveled through the mail. Was Samm a part of those exciting days at the start helping to build the Miracle-Gro brand? That's not known, but he does speak about the importance of Miracle-Gro-like fertilizers in gardens, so even if he wasn't directly involved with Horace and Wesley he was certainly floating around the ether of Otto's dynamic new business.
Notoriety aside, you cant keep a gardener lover away from the dirt. Or a writer away from words. The author of over 30 books on a variety of subjects throughout his lifetime, Samm published several informative gardening books in the 1950s and 60s that focused on the fun side of this rewarding pasttime. He had a way of easily dispeling the myths and difficulties that can often be intimidating or frustrating when it comes to growing things in the ground. This book was designed for the beginner gardener but also offered fresh reminders for seasoned gardeners too.
Setting gardeners up for success, here in this book Samm discusses everything from the technical side of things - marking out garden plots, seed starting and selecting easy to grow flowers and vegetables as well as as the more ancillary side of things many garden books don't touch on like the use of lighting at night, how to care for all aspects of the growers in your yard including lawn care and tree maintenance and how to arrange cur flowers.
Especially fun is the full color photos of flowers that are peppered throughout and the whimsical illustrations that bring humor and a light-hearted sense of fun to the whole affair.
{SPECIAL FEATURES}
- Published in 1964
- 218 pages plus index
- Illustrated throughout
- Packed with tons of easy to digest and execute gardening advice including expert information from the head gardener at the United Nations
{CONDITION}
In marvelous vintage condition.No spots or stains. All page are clean and bright. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.
{SIZE}
Measures 9.5" inches (length) x 6.5"inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness)