Book Description
Do you know what the best feature is in All New Square Foot Gardening?
Sure, there are ten new features in this all-new, updated book. Sure, it's even simpler than it was before. Of course, you don't have to worry about fertilizer or poor soil ever again because you'll be growing above the ground.
But, the best feature is that anyone, anywhere can enjoy a Square Foot garden. Children, adults with limited mobility, even complete novices can achieve spectacular results.
But, let's get back to the ten improvements. You're going to love them.
1)
New
Location - Move your garden closer to your house by eliminating single-row gardening. Square Foot Garden needs just twenty percent of the space of a traditional garden.
2)
New
Direction - Locate your garden on top of existing soil. Forget about pH soil tests, double-digging (who enjoys that?), or the never-ending soil improvements.
3)
New
Soil - The new "Mel's Mix" is the perfect growing mix. Why, we even give you the recipe. Best of all, you can even buy the different types of compost needed.
4)
New
Depth - You only need to prepare a SFG box to a depth of 6 inches! It's true--the majority of plants develop just fine when grown at this depth.
5)
No Fertilizer - The all new SFG does not need any fertilizer-ever! If you start with the perfect soil mix, then you don't need to add fertilizer.
6)
New Boxes - The new method uses bottomless boxes placed aboveground. We show you how to build your own (with step-by-step photos).
7)
New Aisles - The ideal gardening aisle width is about three to four feet. That makes it even easier to kneel, work, and harvest.
8)
New Grids - Prominent and permanent grids added to your SFG box help you visualize the planting squares and know how to space for maximum harvest.
9)
New Seed Saving Idea - The old-fashioned way advocates planting many seeds and then thinning the extras (that means pulling them up). The new method means planting a pinch- literally two or three seeds--per planting hole.
10)
Tabletop Gardens - The new boxes are so much smaller and lighter (only 6 inches of soil, remember?), you can add a plywood bottom to make them portable.
Of course, that's not all. We've also included simple, easy-to-follow instructions using lots of photos and illustrations. You're going to love it!
Average customer rating:
- Completely Satisfied
- Enjoyable, with Reservations
- Can I please live with the Kingsolver Family?
- Thinking about your food
- Powerful Read
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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Barbara Kingsolver ,
Camille Kingsolver , and
Steven L. Hopp
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
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ASIN: 0060852550
Release Date: 2007-05-01 |
Book Description
Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver returns with her first nonfiction narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.
"As the U.S. population made an unprecedented mad dash for the Sun Belt, one carload of us paddled against the tide, heading for the Promised Land where water falls from the sky and green stuff grows all around. We were about to begin the adventure of realigning our lives with our food chain.
"Naturally, our first stop was to buy junk food and fossil fuel. . . ."
Hang on for the ride: With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that's better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet.
"This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."
Customer Reviews:
Completely Satisfied.......2007-10-12
My book arrived promptly and was in perfect condition. I would buy from this seller again.
Enjoyable, with Reservations.......2007-10-10
I was attracted to this book as a kindred spirit (of sorts) to the author. I have been growing much of my own food (plant-based, anyway) as I could for many years. I prefer to eat seasonal foods, and buy locally produced items whenever available.
So I was a little disappointed when I first began reading, as much of the first chapter or two is taken up by the author's berating us all for our ignorance and our eating habits, as well as a lot of good, but unfortunately not new to me, information on our food supply.
Thankfully though, I hung in there, and found it to be an enjoyable read overall. I was looking forward to hear someone else's experiences in the garden and the kitchen, and that I did get.
I found myself skipping some parts, the description of the poultry slaughtering for example.
The book also includes sidebars written by her husband, which were mainly summaries of reports one may have already read elsewhere; and essays written by her daughter, Camille. I didn't find these entries of interest, and so skipped them as well.
If you enjoy reading about food and or gardening, or you have been having second thoughts about your grocery habits lately, then I recommend this book.
Can I please live with the Kingsolver Family?.......2007-10-09
Barbara Kingsolver is my hero. Her life on the farm sounds perfect, and I want her to open a B&B so I can experience her cooking, gardening, and philosophy of life. And while I don't have enough land or expertise to sustain myself and my family -- I do appreciate the information in this book and have used what I can to eat more local foods. The recipes, links, and resources make the book worthwhile. But the book is also an entertaining read. I read it slowly to savor the deep commitment that Barbara and her family put into even the most simple eating pleasures. Thank you for this book, Barbara. It is a treasure. Eleanor Taylor, co-author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexbile, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family. Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family (Fork and Spoon Field Guides)
Thinking about your food.......2007-10-05
Ms Kingsolver writes smoothly and with passion about organic farming. Sidebars from her college age daughter cover practical personal concerns, complete with recipes to enjoy the seasonal bounty of the land; while ones from her husband give the political overview of how farming policies affect us all on a world level. All in my book group enjoyed the book as a whole. It was obviously edited tightly to be easy and fast to read while still introducing ideas that would be unusual to most people in North America. As one with a extensive backyard fruit and vegetable garden in California, I would have enjoyed more detailed planning information on how she decided what and how much to plant, why she did not try to raise more and different animals for food, (e.g., rabbits, sheep, or even guinea pigs)and what she could have done with a greenhouse and solar or wind power.
Powerful Read.......2007-10-04
I think this is an important book about our society, economy and values. While it can be a bit preachy at times, Barbara's humor is wonderfully dry. I highly recommend.
Book Description
One of the bestselling garden books ever is fresher than ever! Ready to inspire a whole new generation of gardeners.When he created the "square foot gardening" method, Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer and efficiency expert, found the solution to the frustrations of most gardeners. His revolutionary system is simple: it's an ingenious planting method based on using square foot blocks of garden space instead of rows. Gardeners build up, not down, so there's no digging and no tilling after the first year. And the method requires less thinning, less weeding, and less watering."I found a better way to garden, one that's more efficient, more manageable, and requires less work," Bartholomew explains. Not surprisingly, his method quickly received worldwide recognition and has been written up in every major newspaper and gardening magazine. His book, which served as the companion to the nationally acclaimed television series, has sold over 800,000 copies. Now freshened with new illustrations, the book Ingram calls "the largest selling garden book in America" is reissued for the delight of a whole new generation of gardeners.
Customer Reviews:
Best Garden Book for Beginers .......2007-09-05
I have owned this book for years. Worn out more that one copy. This copy was purchased to give to a new urbanm garden project in a develpomently challanged area of my city. We will be teaching at rick young people how to garden and landscape. This is one of many tools we will use and is as far as I am concerned the best how to do it garden book for people who have little or no knowledge about gardening.
Not "Just" for Small Spaces.......2007-05-12
Wonderful information is contained throughout this book for gardeners planting in small 4'X4' spaces to huge gardens. In fact, "Square Foot Gardening" is chocked full of useful information which can and should be used in any size gearden from a small container on the patio to very large gardens. The info saves a gardener many back-breaking laborous hours.
Before I read this book, I did not know that cantalopes can be trellised, which saves "those" vines from rambling all over the garden. There is too much info to be missed without this great book.
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work.......2007-03-11
All the information a gardener needs to begin this method of raising flowers and vegetables is found in this book, which pleases me greatly.
Love it -- it's so easy!.......2007-03-02
The techniques in this book ABSOLUTELY work! I have 3 4'x4' raised garden beds, and all seeds I planted are sprouting (and I have seeds left over for planting later in the season, too--no more wasted seeds).
Mr. Bartholomew explains all of his techniques very well and the book is very easy to read. I'm especially fond of his formula for good garden soil and planting with coarse vermiculite. I think this an extremely important step in preparing the garden, and I attribute my success, so far, to his detailed instructions regarding soil prep.
I'm not a great gardener by any stretch of the imagination, so I love the idea that I am growing more in a smaller space, plus my weeding HAS been very minimal. His technique of growing in "grids" is also very visually appealing and my children (ages 18 mos to 11 years) can very easily see what's happening and identify the vegetables that are growing.
Kudos to Mr. Bartholomew for writing such a helpful book for those not-so-green-thumb gardeners!
I just can't be this meticulous.......2007-02-02
Is anyone really this uptight about measuring everything and not overproducing vegetables? The methods are organic and the garden looks lovely, but can you truly guarantee that no matter how well you take care of your garden you will have no losses to critters or pests? Last year, I had a family of raccoons move in and eat half of my sweet corn. The only reason my family got any was because I planted more than what we needed. The coons also got the raspberries and grapes. I've also lost beans and peas to rabbits, and been invaded from time to time by various creepy-crawlies. A garden is not grown in isolation, at least, not mine. I preserve what we can't use in season or store it in the root cellar, and when I get extra veggies I share them with friends and family. They are always welcome.
The techniques are good and I agree that it is better to take care of a small patch of garden well than to care for a large patch poorly. I am just more of a "cottage garden" style gardener, so this was not the book for me. If you like this book you should read some books by Eliot Coleman. He's a very precise gardener, too.
Book Description
A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for gardeners of all skill levels seeking to grow some or all of their own food.
Customer Reviews:
A good book with surplus pages.......2007-08-16
This is a definitive guide to the Bio- Intensive method of growing vegetables. It is well written, and you can see that a lot of time and effort are behind the concepts presented here.
Two things bother me; There`s an almost 100- page bibliography included in the book!? Couldn`t it have been put up on a website or something, instead of just making the book (look) bigger and thicker? The second issue is that I find it always a bit irritating when a lot of equipment or systems get mentioned in a book, but to get their specifics or plans you must buy another book. Maybe the plans for the U- bar or for the mini- greenhouse could have fitted on those bibliography pages?
Anyways, the four stars is for the part where the actual system gets described.
It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world.......2007-05-22
I am impressed at how many people misunderstand the purpose of this book. It's not just a gardening book. It lays out a comprehensive guide to growing the most food you can on the least amount of land in the most sustainable way -- meaning the way that is, on an ongoing basis into perpetuity, most healthy both for your family, your land, and the wider world. All those things are connected, and maintaining the connection is part of what the book and authors are all about.
The title means what it says, and they tell you exactly how to do it, basing their recommendations on the work of the organization that publishes the book, Ecology Action. They have been growing experimental gardens and conducting detailed research over the past 35 years. In succeeding editions of "How to Grow More Vegetables" they summarize their continuing research for those interested in personally benefiting from their methods and discoveries.
Some may object to the excruciatingly detailed charts and plans. Some of us find them a godsend. Regardless of what we think of them, they are the outgrowth of years of research and are intended to help, not just backyard gardeners in the US, but people in Kenya, India, Russia, Mexico, and other places around the world, whose lives and livelihoods, not to mention the health of their environment, may depend on maximizing their yields while minimizing their purchased inputs and water usage.
The central fact underlying this method is this: the only way to achieve the highest sustainable yields is to build and feed your soil, and the only way to build your soil without taking away fertility from someone else's soil (through purchased inputs such as compost, fertilizer, etc.) is to make and use your own compost. This book explains why, and shows you how. It works.
Though we are still shielded from it in the US, the world is facing a potentially devastating loss of agricultural fertility due to a combination of squandered topsoil (lost through both development and abuse by chemicals and poor tillage practices), water shortages, and soaring prices and reduced availability of fossil fuels (which power the farm equipment, get it to market, and form the basis of most chemical fertilizers). Years ago, Ecology Action set out to discover in a rational and scientific way, just how much land and labor it would take to grow the amount of food, properly balanced for calories and nutrition, required by one person for one year. Could a family of four truly feed itself from a 1200 square foot garden if it had to, or wanted to? How much work and water would it take? How much fertilizer would they have to buy? Could they grow their own fertilizer? What tools would they need? What about fiber for clothing? Building materials? Animal feed?
The "How to Grow More Vegetables" books answer those questions, and much, much more. As the years go by, (and with each succeeding food contamination scandal) more of us, even in the US, are realizing just how important those questions are. You may not need or want all the information in this book. But it is all there, and nowhere else that I am aware of, for those who do want it.
This book could save the world, if only the world would pay attention. But it will also show you how to grow fabulous, tasty vegetables with less water, less work, less weeding, less money.
Are you into numbers?.......2007-05-12
I like John Jeavons and his book is very useful. However, I'm not into calculating and figuring every square inch in the garden with tables/charts. I enjoy growing for the freedom of spirit it provides. This book although very useful, feels very constrictive. Not to mention EVERY page has at least 5 mentions of "Grow Biointensive". I felt like a was reading a long drawn out advertisement. Enough John, say it in the intro and then leave us alone to enjoy the book. If we weren't interested in your method we wouldn't be reading your book.
This is a great book.......2007-05-04
I had an earlier edition of this book that I used as an introduction to high intensity gardening. I love the book because gives technical information on such things as soil pH, soil preparation, plant spacing, and crop yields. It probably is not a book for people that do not enjoy the technical aspects of gardening; those wanting only a quick fix approach. I have ordered the 7th edition.
California Vegetarians .......2007-03-05
I have gardened organically for over 30 years, and always love to read good gardening books hoping to learn more. Unfortunately this book is so very focused on being totally vegetarian that they do not even recommend animal manures to be used in compost. I feel that they have totally ignored the natural cycles of birth - death - decomposition - and rebirth. A quote that says it all is, "Everything that eats is in turn eaten". That includes plants that feed on the remains of other plants, insects, or algae and bacteria. The author overlooks the fact that there are no total vegetarians in nature. Even grazers, gorillas, and great whales ingest insects or micro-fauna along with their grass, leaves, and plankton.
Amazon.com
Burpee has created a truly encyclopedic, but non-intimidating, guide to organic vegetable gardening that can be used and appreciated by anyone, whether or not they've ever stuck a seed in the ground. All the essential information is here--how to condition the soil, how and where to plant, sprouting schedules, what kind of yield to expect from each plant variety, and harvesting tips--in beautiful, bountiful, illustrated detail; the book's largest section, "Plant Portraits," contains explanations of the many cultivars of each vegetable and herb. If you're a novice vegetable gardener or new to organic gardening and can only afford one gardening guide, this may be your best value.
Book Description
A Backyard-Gardener's Guide to Growing a Bountiful, Great-Tasting Harvest
The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener features:
- A full-color encyclopedia of over 100 vegetables and herbs with detailed, expert advice on growing them successfully from planting to harvest
- Planting and growing techniques that keep maintenance to a minimum
- Entries on how to grow unusual edibles, such as refreshing mesclun for salads, colorful edible flowers, spicy mustards, and more
- Descriptions and photos of a host of succulent vegetables, both hybrids and heirlooms, from common to exotic
- Complete information on improving even the poorest garden soil using safe, organic techniques, plus practical advice on making compost
- Recommendations on garden tools you need-and those you don't
- Information on controlling pests and diseases organically, without resorting to poisonous sprays
- Spectacular full-color photographs of vegetables and herbs, food gardens, and edible landscapes, plus 30 black-and-white line drawings
Customer Reviews:
Great overview book.......2007-06-09
This book is great if you're a beginner gardener, and want just one book to sit down and read that covers all aspects of gardening. You'll want to go on an buy other books that go into more detail on specific topics, but this is a great place to start, and one to keep on the shelf.
It is presented as a gardening book should be - a large hardcover with lots of glossy colour photographs.
Chapters are:
1) Growing you own
2) Getting Started
3) Garden Tools & Equipment
4) Improving the soil
5) Laying out the Garden
6) Planting the Garden
7) Caring for the Garden
8) Coping with Garden Problems
Should be called the Coffee Table Encyclopedia of Gardening.......2007-03-10
I am so impressed with this big, beautiful book! The photos are inspiring, and the technical aspects are thoroughly covered. I love the historic background of each vegetable and herb.
I think there is literally everything I ever needed to know about vegetable gardening from seed germination, through care and feeding, to harvest. Detailed charts outline fertilizer, pests, water, soil conditions, and planting and harvest times.
I keep it on my coffee table and flip through it daily just to enjoy the photos and learn some new fact.
You will not be disappointed with this book!
Gardners Dictionary.......2006-10-31
I am a new gardener and this book has helped so much! I look everything up in it. RIght down to problems with plant to how much water each plant gets. It has a guide to all plants and great pictures. Also has tips for gardening.
Well Organized, Comprehensive, Excellent Layout.......2002-08-14
Burpee's "The Complete Vegetable and Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically" is fantastic. In addition to what Burpee lists on the back cover of what is inside the book, there are also many easy-reading tables that contain excellent information such as the vitamin(s) that each vegetable contains, different cultivars, plant PH needs, watering needs per week, crop yields, etc. Many interesting tidbits.
The layout is so wonderful, one does not feel overwhelmed with all of the information that is in the book!
Vegatable Gardening Made Really Easy.......2001-11-02
Very similar in content and structure to Ortho's Complete Guide to Vegtables. The difference comes in the experience the writer has growing and maitaining the various plants. I find using both books gives different perspectives for growing and caretaking of plants but conatins the same basic information. For instance the Ortho book has better Garden Setup and maintenance data, and raw data on the various gardening aspects like fertilizer and pest eradiction. The Burpee book focuses on plant and cultivar details a little better. The book is filled with plenty high quality pictures of plants and their fruits using multiple pictures of various cultivars within plant families.
The book is geared for both beginners in gardening and the handy do it yourselfer types. Chapters progress you through the steps from site selection and plant selection to harvesting, crop rotating and soil conditioning over winter and indoor greenhouse seed starting. The book also contains references to various cultivars within vegtable species, so a beginner gardener could not only successfully select and grow well know vegtables, but could also grow and use the odd often hard to find fresh herbs.
I consistently flip between both this book and Ortho's book. I find using them in this manner makes the information extracted complimentary and thorough.
Book Description
If you love the joys of eating home-garden vegetables but always thought those joys had to stop at the end of summer, this book is for you. Eliot Coleman introduces the surprising fact that most of the United States has more winter sunshine than the south of France. He shows how North American gardeners can successfully use that sun to raise a wide variety of traditional winter vegetables in backyard cold frames and plastic covered tunnel greenhouses without supplementary heat. Coleman expands upon his own experiences with new ideas learned on a winter-vegetable pilgrimage across the ocean to the acknowledged kingdom of vegetable cuisine, the southern part of France, which lies on the 44th parallel, the same latitude as his farm in Maine.
This story of sunshine, weather patterns, old limitations and expectations, and new realities is delightfully innovative in the best gardening tradition. Four-Season Harvest will have you feasting on fresh produce from your garden all through the winter.
Customer Reviews:
Does this book even need another 5-star review?.......2007-10-06
Even if you don't want to garden year round (if you do this is the only book you need), it's a fascinating and fact-filled read. He tells how to garden more efficiently, how to compost and rejuvenate soil with crop rotation and "green manure" and which direction to plant rows for optimal time in the sun. There are formulas throughout such as how high a retaining wall to build to protect plants from cold (the wall heats up during the day and radiates warmth back during the night), or how many degrees to slant a bed to maximize sun and minimize cold wind damage. He tells how to plan succession planting to have vegetables year round, rather than one humungous crop all at once. His tone is congenial, never talking down or above his target audience. It's fascinating--if you buy you won't be sorry!
ORGANIC HOME GARDENER.......2007-08-04
This book is loaded with dynamite information. I have enjoyed reading it and will certainly make use of the info therein in the future!
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.......2007-07-15
Eliot Coleman has combined how-to text with drawings that inform and inspire. Highly recommended reading!
Helpful info.......2007-06-28
I am very excited about becoming self-sufficient in feeding my family of six. This book has extremely helpful ideas that are very cost effective. Highly recommend this book.
The bible of 4-season gardening.......2007-04-18
There is nothing like the satisfaction of talking to another seasoned gardener and having them say "isn't it too early for snap-peas?" and responding "nope, mine are doing great". This book gave me the confidence and knowledge to plant a month and a half earlier than I have ever planted before, without protection for the plants even!
It lays out in simple terms variety selection, location, timing and all the information you need to be harvesting vegetables literally all year round all the way down to zone 3!!
Customer Reviews:
good starter book.......2007-06-17
This book does give you a lot of basic information. However, "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms" would probably be a better choice if you intend on trying to grow mushrooms.
Just What I Was Looking For !.......2007-05-19
Im very new to cultivating mushrooms at home. I tried many different approaches and information found on the web about the subject, but had many dissapointments. After I read this book I am now aware of the many bad turns you can take that will drive you mad. Now I am very happy, everything is going onroad, thanks to Paul Stamets and his knowledge. This book is a MUST buy for anyone interested in growing mushrooms in small or big scale.
"The Bible".......2007-03-12
Wow... I Am Very Impressed By The Content Of This Book... Very Comprehensive... Everything You Need To Know About Mushroom Cultivation Is There; Home Or Commercial... It's No Wonder Why They Call It "The Bible."
Mushroom Cultivator.......2007-01-12
I was very pleased with the prompt service and timely delivery. I received the book ahead of time to present as a gift. Thank you
A Classic for Mushroom Cultivation.......2006-07-31
If you were to buy only one book on mushroom cultivation, this would be the best choice. It can certainly stand-alone in that it provides all the info the reader needs to cultivate mushrooms. Although psilocybian mushrooms are included these are by no means the exclusive or main focus of this book. For the most part, the book is concerned with legal edible mushrooms that can be grown in the home or yard. Absolute beginners can certainly start with this book and no other book will be necessary to provide all that the reader needs to know from beginning to end of the mushroom growing process.
It must be mentioned that this book does not cover the popular "PF tek" (the "Psilocybe Fanaticus technique" also known as the "jar tek"), the simple technique utilizing canning jars full of substrate and inoculating them with syringes of spores suspended in water. Readers interested in this technique (which, after all seems the easiest and most practical) would find all they need to know on this technique at the Shroomery.org web site and others like it. This book was originally published in 1983, years before the "PF tek" was innovated.
Among the technique that this book does cover are the use of agar petri dish culture, culture slants, casing, grain spawn, composting, log-plugging and more. There is also a wealth of info on mushroom contaminants - how to spot them and how to deal with them. Therefore we can say that while this book does not cover the most simple of techniques, it certainly covers all other techniques suitable for absolute beginners and for those looking to expand their hobby beyond the beginners' methods.
The authors are obviously sincerely interested in mushrooms in general and in the cultivation of edible mushrooms. The info on these edible mushrooms is not included as an excuse to also include info on the cultivation of psylocybian mushrooms, nor are psilocybian mushrooms cryptically referred to. Rather, psilocybian mushrooms are merely presented as one of many types of mushrooms that can be grown with simple techniques at home. This is by no means a drug manufacturing guidebook disguised as a book on edible mushroom cultivation nor is it one that distances itself from the cultivation of psilocybian mushrooms.
If the reader is interested in the cultivation of mushrooms at home, this book gets a high recommendation. These two authors have also written Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms which is similar in scope but probably a better second choice rather than first choice for this topic. Paul Stamets has also authored Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide, MycoMedicinals: an Informational Treatise of Mushrooms, Psilocybe Mushrooms and Their Allies and also runs the company Fungi Perfecti which offers kits for growing mushrooms at home, a variety of mushroom related books, technical supplies and which also offers educational seminars.
If you want to grow mushrooms at home and the "PF - Tek" is good enough for you, this book would be unnecessary for you. If you have got the hang of the "PF - Tek" but you are interested in trying other techniques and approaches this book is highly recommended for you.
Amazon.com
Wouldn't it be lovely to have a patch of corn, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and beans just steps from your kitchen door? Would you like to learn how to control your zucchini plant? Ed Smith, an experienced vegetable gardener from Vermont, has put together this amazingly comprehensive and commonsensical manual, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. Basically, Ed and his family have been growing a wide variety of vegetables for years and he's figured out what works. This book, filled with step-by-step info and color photos, breaks it all down for you.
Ed's system is based on W-O-R-D: Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, Deep soil. With deep, raised beds, vegetable roots have more room to grow and expand. In traditional narrow-row beds, over half the soil is compacted into walkways while a garden with wide, deep, raised beds, plants get to use most of the soil. In Ed's plan, growing space gets about three-quarters of the garden plot and only about a quarter is used for the walkway. Ed teaches you how to create raised beds both in a larger garden or in separate planked beds. One of the most important--and most often overlooked--aspects of successful vegetable gardening is crop rotation. Leaving a crop in the same place for years can deplete nutrients in that area and makes the crop more likely to be attacked by insects. Rotate at least every two years and your vegetables will be healthier and bug-free. There's also a good section on insect and blight control.
Before choosing what to grow, go through the last third of the book, where Ed takes a look at the individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs. Whether you are a putterer or a serious gardener, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is an excellent resource to have handy. --Dana Van Nest
Book Description
Discover the last W.O.R.D. in vegetable gardening with Ed Smith's amazing gardening system. By integrating four principles -- Wide beds, Organic methods, Raised beds, and Deep beds -- Smith reinvents vegetable gardening, making it possible for everyone to have the best, most successful garden ever. By following this complete system you cultivate deep, powerful soil that nourishes plants and discourages pests and disease. The result is fewer weeds, healthier plants, and lots of great-tasting vegetables. Plus, you'll enjoy gardening as you never have before. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible -- the last W.O.R.D. in vegetable gardening.
Customer Reviews:
excellent.......2007-07-30
this book will be especially useful for the beginner. i've gardened for a long time, but rarely taken advice. but after reading this one, i will.
Really good book! Money well spent!.......2007-07-21
I will not regret I bought this book. Other people already said all the good things about this book. All I can add is that Mr. Smith uses photos of his own vegetable garden in his book. It really makes a book different and adds a personality to it. You can really see how he does it.
I also really like the structure of the book and vegetable description.
Awesome!.......2007-07-08
I got this as a gift for my husband who loves to garden. He LOVES this book. He already has gotten so many ideas for next year's garden. He thinks the W-O-R-D system is a great idea.
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible.......2007-06-19
I was very disappointed in this book, its like he took all the info from 20 other books and compiled it, as all he talks about is what every other book has already stated.
Great Organization.......2007-06-04
This book not only has good information, but it is organized in a way that makes it much more convenient than many books. Each vegetable has it's own page in alphabetical order, and each has a block of the most important details such as: plant spacing, growing temperatures, seed longevity, etc... All the most important stuff is laid out in an easy to access format. I have only 2 gardening books, the handbook of gardening from the american horticultural society, and this one. I grow a lot of vegetables and find myself referencing this one more often. It would help if they released another book of this style for fruit.
Book Description
With few exceptions-such as corn and pumpkins-everything edible that's grown in a traditional garden can be raised in a container. And with only one exception-watering-container gardening is a whole lot easier. Beginning with the down-to-earth basics of soil, sun and water, fertilizer, seeds and propagation, The Bountiful Container is an extraordinarily complete, plant-by-plant guide.
Written by two seasoned container gardeners and writers, The Bountiful Container covers Vegetables-not just tomatoes (17 varieties) and peppers (19 varieties), butharicots verts, fava beans, Thumbelina carrots, Chioggia beets, and sugarsnap peas. Herbs, from basil to thyme, and including bay leaves, fennel, and saffron crocus. Edible Flowers, such as begonias, calendula, pansies, violets, and roses. And perhaps most surprising, Fruits, including apples, peaches, Meyer lemons, blueberries, currants, and figs-yes, even in the colder parts of the country. (Another benefit of container gardening: You can bring the less hardy perennials in over the winter.) There are theme gardens (an Italian cook's garden, a Four Seasons garden), lists of sources, and dozens of sidebars on everything from how to be a human honeybee to seeds that are All America Selections.
Customer Reviews:
Well worth the price.......2007-07-18
There's an endless list of titles devoted to container gardening, but it turns out that not many are useful for growing vegetables. I borrowed several from the library, including Bountiful Container, and this is the only one I found useful. It's a valuable reference tool, so I'll be getting my own copy.
I have never gardened before; my parents and grandparents had gardens as I grew up, which convinced me that I don't have the patience to go out and dig a big plot, then spend hours weeding it. In addition, we live in a condo with a small yard, so containers seemed to be the way to go, if only I could figure out how to successfully coax veggies from a container. Still, nobody I knew had really done this, so I found the book invaluable.
A lot of it may be old news to experienced gardeners, but as a beginner, it was extremely helpful to read what conditions each type of plant liked. There are some notes on design, as well as some great suggestions for themed gardens - I particularly liked the idea of attracting hummingbirds with a vibrant red garden. The book is well organized, with several pages devoted to the planting, care, and harvesting of each plant.
I knocked the book down 1 star because I think a few things should really be added. First, some color photos or illustrations. A previous reviewer mentioned that the illustrations are charming but lacking, and I agree. Second, further information about crops that can be planted twice - I know several cool weather plants can be put in for both spring and fall, which the book also mentions. The book walks through the spring planting, but then doesn't discuss the timing of the fall planting. If I have limited space for growing veggies, I really want to plant as much as I can in cycles, and it'd be helpful to have that information! Finally, some sort of chart that groups together plants which like the same conditions would be an extremely helpful addition to this book. You can get by with notes, but a chart would be a great reference tool.
Best Father's Day Gift Ever!.......2007-07-09
My parents are beginning to feel the effects of the years. This spring, my Dad had serious surgery and he and Mom were both depressed that there could be no vegetable garden this year. What luck that I had stumbled onto the Bountiful Container while doing research for a garden class I was asked to teach this spring. I purchased the book and two self watering containers for them for Mothers and Fathers Days this year and they are having a ball with them! Their garden has always been in the back forty, and now, they are in an "intimate relationship" with their tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers. This book is inspiring and hope building. It's the answer for all of us who don't have time, don't have space, don't have money, and simply don't need the overwhelming bounty of an in-ground vegetable garden. If you are such an expert gardener that you can't learn something new from every listing in this book, why didnt' you write this book? This book will ALWAYS be on my book shelf!
McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits and Edible Flowers.......2007-06-01
Will enjoy planting plants in containers of vegetables to eat.
Save your money; the best book around for beginners........2007-05-09
This is hands down the best book on container gardening out there. With the exception of the edible flowers section (unless you're into that sort of thing), it's full of excellent information, from back to front. If you're new to container gardening like I was, I'd suggest that you start here with this book. It's readable, organized exceptionally and just generally well-written and thorough.
Full of Joy and Information.......2007-04-12
I love this book and I will be pulling it out often this growing season. It's packed with very specific information on how to grow every imaginable edible plant --from flowers through vegetables and fruit trees--in containers. You will learn when to plant, which varities do best in containers, whether to start with seed or transplants, how to combine plants in a container for beauty and/or successive harvesting, what size container to use, how often to fertilize and with what, when to harvest...the list goes on and on. The writing itself is delightful, from the descriptions and planting instructions for theme gardens (Victorian Splendor, Tea Time, Childrens' Garden just to name a few) to the history of many of the plants and unusual recipes using the bounty of your containers (Begonia Sorbet, Strawberries with Scented
Geraniums and Creme Fraiche, Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Fresh Tomato Sauce)! The Bountiful Container is a joy to read and really makes you want to get out into your garden and start planting. It's both a feel good book and a very informative book--IMO a rare combination in a reference book. I can't say enough, I'm so glad I bought this book.
Amazon.com
This gardening classic was first published in 1975, and now a second generation of gardeners who prefer pest-resistant planning to chemicals will find a place for it on the shelves. Not only does it tell what to plant with what, but also how to use herbal sprays to control insects, what wild plants to encourage in the garden, how to grow fruit and nut trees, how to start small plots or window-box gardens, and much more. It's one of the most practical books around for any gardener of edibles, no matter how serious or casual.
Book Description
This classic has now taught generations of gardeners how to use the natural benefits of plants to protect and support each other. Here is a reader's complete reference to which plants nourish the soil, which keep away bugs and pests, and which plants just don't get along. Here is a complete guide to using companion planting to grow a better garden. 555,000 copies in print.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Have for the Gardner's Library.......2007-07-19
Great book. Very informative. I highly recommend anyone who likes to garden, or even those who just want to landscape their yards.
Katy loves "Carrots love Tomatoes ".......2007-06-14
Really A good Guide... I work hard in my garden.. so I want the best results
this book helps me to do this!
Notthing special.......2007-06-09
I was disappointed that this book offered no scientific evidence for companion planting, and offered little more information than you could easily find for free on the internet. I read this book, took a few notes and then sold it immediately. Not one for the shelf.
useful reference book.......2007-05-23
I was hoping for a book that would be an interesting read. This one is more like reference book. It is comprehensive, but kind of like reading a dictionary. I would recommend it because it has useful knowledge, but if you want a gardening book that you can read and relax with, this one probably won't do it.
... and veggie gardeners just love companion planting!.......2007-05-23
True, there are many edible plants and herbs that Louise Riotte does not mention in her wonderful 'Carrots love tomatoes', and true again, her hot and humid part of the world is not the same as the cool, flat countryside
of Holland's extreme North (where I live). So, she doesn't write about witlof (white chicory roots) or our wonderful brands of kale, but what she DOES write about it absolutely amazing. In my view companion planting is one of the basic principles - and such a sympathetic one! - to create a healthy garden. And what better haven, to enjoy everyday, by yourself and with others? Good on you, Louise!
Alma
[...].
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