Inside the Book
Two full sample chapters from The Well-Kept Garden plus quick-reference guides you can use this weekend.
🌱 Free Sample: Soil Health
From Chapter 1 — The Foundation
Before you plant a single seed, know what you're working with. Here's the three-step soil assessment every gardener should do each spring:
The Ribbon Test
Take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it into a ribbon between your thumb and forefinger. Sandy soil won't form a ribbon at all. Loam forms a short ribbon (1–2 inches) that breaks easily. Clay forms a long, flexible ribbon (3+ inches). Knowing your soil type tells you how often to water, what amendments to add, and which plants will thrive. Sandy soil needs organic matter to hold water; clay needs organic matter to improve drainage.
The Jar Test
Fill a clear jar half full of soil, then add water to the top. Shake well and let it settle for 24 hours. Sand settles first (within minutes), then silt (a few hours), then clay (overnight). Measure the layers: you want roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, 20% clay for ideal loam. If any layer is dramatically thicker, that's your amendment target. Add compost regardless — it fixes everything.
Weekend Compost
You don't need a fancy bin. Pile 3 parts brown (dried leaves, cardboard, straw) to 1 part green (kitchen scraps, grass clippings) in a 4×4×4 foot pile. Keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Turn it once a week. In 8–12 weeks you'll have rich, dark compost ready to spread. The book has a full troubleshooting guide for common compost problems (smells, pests, too slow).
✂️ Free Sample: Pruning Basics
From Chapter 3 — The Pruning Encyclopedia
Pruning is the skill most gardeners find intimidating. Here's the framework that makes it simple:
The Three D's
Always start by removing dead, damaged, or diseased wood. This is safe to do any time of year and instantly improves the plant's health. Cut at a 45° angle, ¼ inch above an outward-facing bud or branch collar. Use sharp bypass pruners (not anvil style) for clean cuts that heal faster. Sterilize blades with rubbing alcohol between cuts when dealing with diseased wood.
Open the Center
Remove branches that cross toward the center or rub against each other. This opens the canopy to light and air, which reduces disease and improves fruit production. Aim for a vase-like shape — open in the middle, branches radiating outward. Step back and look at the plant from all angles after every 3–4 cuts. It's easy to over-prune when you're focused on one branch.
The One-Third Rule
Never remove more than one-third of a plant's total growth in a single season. Removing more stresses the plant and triggers weak, spindly regrowth. For badly overgrown shrubs, spread the work over three years — remove the oldest third of stems at ground level each year. The book's pruning encyclopedia covers 40+ plants with specific timing and technique for each.
🐛 Pest ID Quick Guide
From the book's symptom checker — identify and act in under a minute:
Aphids — Curling leaves, sticky residue
Blast off with a strong hose spray (morning is best). Follow with neem oil spray (1 tsp neem oil + ½ tsp mild soap per quart water) every 5 days. Ladybugs are natural predators — attract them by planting dill, fennel, and yarrow nearby. Avoid nitrogen-heavy fertilizer during outbreaks (soft new growth attracts aphids).
Slugs — Ragged holes, silvery trails
Hand-pick at night with a flashlight. Set up traps: shallow dishes of beer sunk into the soil, or crushed eggshell barriers. Diatomaceous earth works well but needs reapplication after rain. Encourage natural predators: frogs, birds, and ground beetles. Remove garden debris and mulch where slugs hide during the day.
Powdery Mildew — White powder coating
Prevent with proper spacing and airflow. Water at soil level, not overhead. Spray with a mixture of 1 tablespoon baking soda + ½ teaspoon liquid soap in 1 gallon water weekly. Remove severely affected leaves and discard (not in compost). A milk spray (1 part milk to 9 parts water) is a surprisingly effective preventive — spray weekly during humid weather.
💧 Watering Quick Guide
From the book's irrigation chapter:
Deep and Infrequent Wins
Water deeply twice a week rather than a little every day. Deep watering pushes roots downward where soil stays cool and moist. Shallow watering keeps roots at the surface — they dry out fast and the plant stresses. For most vegetables and flowers, aim for 1–1.5 inches of water per week, applied slowly at the base. Use a rain gauge or a tuna can to measure.
Morning Watering
Water in the early morning (before 9 AM). Less water is lost to evaporation, leaves dry out before night (preventing disease), and plants have moisture available for the heat of the day. Evening watering leaves plants wet overnight — a recipe for fungal problems. The book includes a section on drip irrigation setup for under $50.
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