The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Pests and Diseases

Your guide to trouble-shooting weeds, pests, diseases, moulds, critters, and other common prairie gardener's problems in this second title in the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series.

Whether you're an experienced prairie gardener or have just a few weeks under your belt, chances are you've come to know at least a couple of pesky insects, moulds, or much larger lurkers on a first-name basis. But what to do about these interlopers who can seem hell-bent on ruining your hard work?

Lifelong gardeners Janet and Sheryl are here to help. In this second installment in the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series, the authors tackle the full range of suspects, including weeds, insects, microorganisms, rodents, birds, deer and even other people's pets. Premised on a respect for the natural world and using an integrated pest management approach, they'll show you how to identify the culprit and how to deter it, while respecting the broader environment.

Should I use landscape fabric? Does vinegar work? What do I do about tent caterpillars? Why are my potatoes scabby? Why does it look like my cabbages have been attacked by miniature buckshot? And the recurring What is this thing?! Janet and Sheryl take your most pressing questions in this Q&A-style resource on all the prairie gardener's most common pests, including thistle, dandelion, crabgrass, slugs, aphids, beetles, moths, mildew, fungus, rust, deer, rabbits, and porcupines. With elegance and a sense of humour, their solutions reveal their fascination with the natural world and belief in your ability to garden well in its midst.

Janet Melrose is a garden educator and consultant, and an advocate for Calgary's Sustainable Local Food System. She is a life-long gardener and holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate. She has a passion for Horticultural Therapy and facilitates numerous programs designed to integrate people marginalized by various disabilities into the larger community. She is a regular contributor to The Gardener for Canadian Climates magazine. She lives in Calgary where she runs her education and consulting company, Calgary's Cottage Gardener.

Sheryl Normandeau is a life-long gardener, and holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and a Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate. She is a freelance writer specializing in gardening writing with hundreds of articles published. She is a regular contributor The Gardener for Canadian Climates, The Prairie Garden Annual, Herb Quarterly, and many more. She lives in Calgary.