Best-Selling Miracle-Gro(R) Plant Care Encyclopedia Guides Gardeners of All Levels With Easy-To-Use Tips New Book Provides Comprehensive Care Guidelines MARYSVILLE, Ohio, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- From the seasoned grower to the casual gardener, the new Miracle-Gro(R) Encyclopedia of Plant Care provides gardening enthusiasts of all experience levels with practical advice for growing more than 3,300 plants. Since its release, the plant care handbook has been the No. 1 selling gardening book in the U.S. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050506/CLF039 ) "The lawn and gardening industry has grown substantially over the past few years, with nearly 85 million households participating in outdoor landscaping activities," said Rich Sorota, senior vice president, general manager North America, ScottsMiracle-Gro. "With such growing interest in gardening, we wanted to give consumers a complete and practical manual for everyday use." Much of the book's popularity is due to the comprehensive and unique approach used to describe not only common plant characteristics, but also the cultural requirements of each plant. Planting times and techniques, fertilizer needs, soil preferences, moisture requirements, pruning needs, and propagation methods are detailed for each plant. "This guide was designed for first-time gardeners who may be initially creating their home landscapes, as well as for those individuals with established landscapes who need to know how to care for their plants," said Ben Allen, gardening executive editor, Meredith Publishing. "With a focus on plant care needs, this encyclopedia delivers the knowledge gardeners need to be successful." Later this year, a series of four Miracle-Gro "Growing Healthy" titles will be released, based on the various topics covered in the full encyclopedia: houseplants; trees and shrubs; vegetables and fruits; healthy flowers. The encyclopedia, with a retail price of $39.95, is available nationally at Barnes & Noble and Borders, as well as independent bookstores. About ScottsMiracle-Gro With more than $2 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts(R), Miracle- Gro(R) and Ortho(R) brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup(R) brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. The Company also owns Smith & Hawken, a leading brand of garden-inspired products that includes pottery, watering equipment, gardening tools, outdoor furniture and live goods. In Europe, Scotts' brands include Weedol(R), Pathclear(R), Evergreen(R), Levington(R), Miracle-Gro(R), KB(R), Fertiligene(R) and Substral(R). For additional information, visit us at http://www.scotts.com/ . http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050506/CLF039 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Scotts Miracle-Gro Company CONTACT: Su Lok of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, +1-937-578-5169, or Web site: http://www.scotts.com/

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