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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009932715

ISBN: 978-0-470-49870-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Charlie Nardozzi
has worked for more than 20 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, and the printed page. He delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun, and accessible to everyone. His energy, exuberance, and love of the natural world also make Charlie an exciting public speaker and presenter. He currently is the senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Association (NGA). He also writes the
National News
as part of NGA's online publications, conducts media interviews about gardening and NGA, and provides horticultural consultation to NGA programs.

For 12 years Charlie was an editor with
National Gardening
magazine, writing stories on a variety of gardening topics from roses to tomatoes. He also has written for national magazines such as
Organic Gardening,
authored the first edition of
Vegetable Gardening For Dummies
in 1999 and
The Ultimate Gardener
in 2009, and contributed to other books such as
Gardening All-in-One For Dummies
(2003) and the Better Homes and Gardens'
Yard and Garden Owner's Manual
(Meredith Books, 2004).

Charlie's skills as a garden communicator extend beyond the printed page, however. In 2005, he was the host of PBS's television program
Garden Smart,
which reaches more than 60 million households. He also has been a gardening expert on many nationally syndicated television shows, such as HGTV's
Today at Home
and
Way to Grow,
Discovery Channel's
Home Matters,
and DIY's
Ask DIY.
He has appeared on QVC and the Home Shopping Network as well. At his home in Vermont, Charlie co-hosts the program "In The Garden," which offers weekly gardening tips on the local CBS affiliate television station, a weekly call-in gardening radio show on a local AM station, and gardening commentaries on public radio. He also hosts national and international gardening tours.

The National Gardening Association,
founded in 1972, is a national not-for-profit leader in plant-based education, esteemed for its award-winning Web sites and newsletters, grants and curriculum for youth gardens, and research for the lawn-and-garden industry. NGA's mission is to advance the personal, community, and educational benefits of gardening by supporting gardeners, communities, and teachers with information and resources. For more information, please visit
www.garden.org.

Dedication

I'd like to dedicate this book to everyone who has ever thought about vegetable gardening or tried to grow some of their own food. I particularly want to dedicate this book to my wife, Wendy, who is the best partner in the garden and in my life.

Author's Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank Mike Baker and Stacy Kennedy for sticking with this book idea and pursuing it so it finally became a reality. A big thanks goes to Georgette Beatty for her keen insights when reading this book and her organizational ability to keep the ball rolling. I appreciated Jessica Smith's thoughtful questions as the copy editor, especially because she's a budding vegetable gardener herself! Jim Schmidt kept me honest in the horticultural realm with his suggestions as the technical reviewer. Kathryn Born provided excellent updated illustrations. Suzanne DeJohn, my colleague at NGA, provided many beautiful color photos of vegetables and gardening techniques that make the words come to life.

Publisher's Acknowledgments

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