Contact:
Ginger Vaughan: ginger@quinnbrein.com
Phone: 206-842-8922

The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide Reveals Gardening Trends for 2008

America's favorite gardening resource is now available

With spring just around the corner, the editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide are giving gardeners a sneak peek at the hot gardening trends for 2008. The 2008 edition of this annual publication is due in stores on February 26.

Available for just $3.99 wherever books and magazines are sold, The All-Seasons Garden Guide is the only gardening resource with 216 years of experience. According to Editor Janice Stillman, the editors and contributors canvass the world of gardening and landscape design to identify trends and turn those into inspiration with practical tips, advice, and ideas that any gardener can follow to beautify their world.

"This year, more gardeners want to be environmentally friendly. They want to work with Mother Nature instead of fighting against her. This includes using more natural products, more indigenous plants, less water," says Stillman.

To celebrate these themes and other trends that will be important to gardeners in 2008, this issue of The All-Seasons Garden Guide features:

• Low maintenance, high-drama gardens: Gardeners who have busy lives are looking for ways to make the most out of their time in the garden. Some solutions include easy-care or self-sufficient plants that are natural beauties.
• Lawn-free landscapes: Eliminating a lawn means gaining a garden! More and more people are replacing grass (and all of its maintenance) for plants that provide small pleasures, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and flowers that invite songbirds.
• Bringing the inside …outside: "The themed garden 'room' is an extension of the home. Whether simple or sophisticated, it creates an escape that is an expression of you," says Stillman. "The options are endless, but there are some essential considerations."
• And the colors for this year are . . . inky blacks, saturated reds, vibrant greens, and perky pastels. The All-Seasons Garden Guide also recommends taking chances with textures to create a more powerful landscape.
• Stones: a gardener's new best friend? Rocks—from boulders to bits—require no water or regular tending. They can add contrast and character to any landscape as accent pieces or serve a practical purpose as a pathway or patio.
• Happy garden, healthy gardener: Gardening is good for you! It can provide a low-impact workout that burns as many as 600 calories per hour. To maximize the benefits, The All-Seasons Garden Guide suggests staggering activities in intervals, exaggerating motions, and switching positions and stance every 5 to 15 minutes.
• Here a container, there a container, everywhere a container: According to The All-Seasons Garden Guide, vegetable container gardens are still all the rage. "Almost anything can be grown in a container," says Stillman. "Pots, boxes, barrels—all are ideal for people with limited space. They can be less work than a bed. And by growing a variety of plants in a variety of pots, you create as much interest as you would by potting ornamentals."

While The All-Seasons Garden Guide—like its parent publication The Old Farmer's Almanac—is an annual publication, there are always new tips, trends, and inspirations online at Almanac.com/garden. In addition to containing sage wisdom from the book's editors, this online portal also serves as a community for gardeners and homeowners in which they can post their questions and share advice and thoughts.

The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide digs into the subjects that matter most to anyone who loves to grow vegetables, fruit, or flowers. This annual resource is one of the family of publications produced by Yankee Publishing Inc. of Dublin, New Hampshire. It is available at plant nurseries, home centers, and wherever books and magazines are sold.

The All-Seasons Garden Guide is being sold only as a bundle with The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Journal for $13.95 through Almanac.com. This package can also be ordered by calling 800-256-2622 (800-ALMANAC).

The Old Farmer's Almanac line of products includes several themed calendars, a series of cookbooks based on winners from county fairs and cook-offs, and the best-selling Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids.

EDITOR'S NOTE:For additional information, to schedule an interview with an editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide, or to obtain a complimentary media review copy, please contact Ginger Vaughan (ginger@quinnbrein.com) via e-mail or at 206-842-8922.