Michigan Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Great Lakes State

The glaciers that advanced and then receded through the Great Lakes region shaped Michigan’s terrain and soil in ways that challenge and sometimes confound modern-day gardeners. Michigan today has 450 varieties of soil! Before they can garden successfully, Michigan gardeners need to know what soil they have and how to address its shortcomings-and do that within the limitations of the state’s climate and northern growing season. This book explains how Michigan gardeners can lengthen their growing seasons through careful plant selection, exploiting microclimates, and using season-extending products. Chapters focus on lawns, vegetables, flowers, and trees, plant diseases, and invasive plants. Author Rita C. Henehan lives in White Pigeon, Michigan. She is a Master Gardener and frequent contributor to garden publications coast to coast, and often appears on the radio program ＂Green Thumbs Up.＂

Author Rita Henehan is a Purdue University Advanced Master Gardener who has written for the South Bend Tribune and Michigan County Lines magazine. Many of her articles have appeared on gardening and environmental Web sites, including that of Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. She occasionally talks about gardening on the call-in radio show Green Thumbs Up with Mike Maloney. She lives in White Pigeon, Michigan.