Great books for gardeners
Even the most dedicated gardener can't spend 24 hours a day pottering outside in the garden. When the weather is nasty, or you're too tired to dig, curl up with a good book and be inspired with new ideas for your garden.
And if you're too too tired for a book, or you want something fresh, then check out the magazine links or a garden podcast!
What's on the bookshelf today?
- Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
- Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times
- The Window-Box Allotment
- My first gardening book: Urban Eden
- The Pip Book
- Oriental Vegetables
- How does your garden grow?
- Armchair gardening on The Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast
- Liquid Gold
- Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
- Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator
- Square Foot Gardening
- The Edible Container Garden
- Read more gardening book reviews
- Read it? Rate it!
- Garden Monkey's Book Flange
- Gardening magazine websites
- Say hello!
- Gardening books on eBay
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
Gardeners in cold climates often take a well-earned rest in the winter, curling up with a good gardening book and making detailed plans for next year.
But if you want to grow vegetables all year round in your garden it's possible - and Four-Season Harvest shows you how.
There's sections on soil improvement, planning, seeds and planting. You'll find out all about using cold frames, greenhouses and tunnels and root cellars. And, of course, there's a chapter packed with detailed growing instructions for all the vegetables you can grow year-round. It's nearly 50 pages long!
But if you want to grow vegetables all year round in your garden it's possible - and Four-Season Harvest shows you how.
There's sections on soil improvement, planning, seeds and planting. You'll find out all about using cold frames, greenhouses and tunnels and root cellars. And, of course, there's a chapter packed with detailed growing instructions for all the vegetables you can grow year-round. It's nearly 50 pages long!
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/03/2008)
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.
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times
The decline of cheap oil is inspiring increasing numbers of North Americans to achieve some measure of backyard food self-sufficiency. In hard times, the family can be greatly helped by growing a highly productive food garden, requiring little cash outlay or watering.
Currently popular intensive vegetable gardening methods are largely inappropriate to this new circumstance. Crowded raised beds require high inputs of water, fertility and organic matter, and demand large amounts of human time and effort. But, except for labor, these inputs depend on the price of oil. Prior to the 1970s, North American home food growing used more land with less labor, with wider plant spacing, with less or no irrigation, and all done with sharp hand tools. But these sustainable systems have been largely forgotten. Gardening When It Counts helps readers rediscover traditional low-input gardening methods to produce healthy food.
Designed for readers with no experience and applicable to most areas in the English-speaking world except the tropics and hot deserts, this book shows that any family with access to 3-5,000 sq. ft. of garden land can halve their food costs using a growing system requiring just the odd bucketful of household waste water, perhaps two hundred dollars worth of hand tools, and about the same amount spent on supplies - working an average of two hours a day during the growing season.
Steve Solomon is a well-known west coast gardener and author of five previous books, including Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades which has appeared in five editions.
Currently popular intensive vegetable gardening methods are largely inappropriate to this new circumstance. Crowded raised beds require high inputs of water, fertility and organic matter, and demand large amounts of human time and effort. But, except for labor, these inputs depend on the price of oil. Prior to the 1970s, North American home food growing used more land with less labor, with wider plant spacing, with less or no irrigation, and all done with sharp hand tools. But these sustainable systems have been largely forgotten. Gardening When It Counts helps readers rediscover traditional low-input gardening methods to produce healthy food.
Designed for readers with no experience and applicable to most areas in the English-speaking world except the tropics and hot deserts, this book shows that any family with access to 3-5,000 sq. ft. of garden land can halve their food costs using a growing system requiring just the odd bucketful of household waste water, perhaps two hundred dollars worth of hand tools, and about the same amount spent on supplies - working an average of two hours a day during the growing season.
Steve Solomon is a well-known west coast gardener and author of five previous books, including Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades which has appeared in five editions.
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/03/2008)
The Window-Box Allotment
'A Beginner's Guide to Container Gardening'
The Window-Box Allotment is more than just a primer on container gardening. It's a diary charting a year in a container garden, growing everything from tomatoes to saffron, written by someone who is enthralled by every second of the process.Entrancing throughout, this is a book with something for everyone from beginners to expert gardeners. Whatever space you have, whether it's a patio garden or just a windowbox, this book will help you make the most of it and provide year round (edible) interest.
Listen to an interview with the author, Penelope Bennett, over at The Big Sofa.
My first gardening book: Urban Eden
'Grow delicious fruit, vegetables and herbs in a really small space'
The first gardening book that I ever bought, the one that inspired me to grow more of my own vegetables and herbs, was Urban Eden by Adam and James Caplin.As well as covering the basics of soil, compost and microclimates, the book covers where to grow your plants - on windowsills, roofs, balconies and up walls if you don't have a conventional garden.
There's sections on design and wildlife, and recipes to make with your harvest. An index of plants to grow in your Urban Eden and fantastic photographs will inspire you and there are all case histories showing what other urban gardeners have done - in a Bengali community garden, a large back garden and a roof top in the middle of a city.
The Pip Book
The Pip Book, but Keith Mossman, is not currently in print but it's well worth tracking down a secondhand copy as it is a fascinating book for anyone who wants to grow things from pips and stones.Read a longer review of The Pip Book.
Oriental Vegetables
'The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook'
There's a whole world of Oriental Vegetables beyond the well-known pak choi and beansprouts. Many of these vegetables make ideal candidates for Western kitchen gardens, enjoying a temperate climate.Joy Larkcom has collated a fascinating collection of Oriental Vegetables from throughout the Far East. Grouped together by type, there's detailed information on how to grow each one and then how to use your harvest in the kitchen.
There's fascinating insights into life in Asia as well as a recipe section at the back. Add in sections on growing techniques, including container gardening, and you get an invaluable resource for kitchen gardeners.
How does your garden grow?
'Get to know your plants and become a better gardener'
Chris Beardshaw is a television gardener in the UK, but he really does know his stuff and that's apparent in his latest book.Chris' audience here is all those gardeners who would like to know a bit (or a lot) about how gardening 'works', but who don't have a science background.
Everything is covered, from basic botany and soil structure right through to saving your own seeds and propagating your own plants.
Beautifully illustrated throughout, with stunning color photos and clear line drawings, Chris also adds in anecdotes from his gardening experience that make the text come alive.
This would make a great reference book for any keen gardener, but it's too pretty to be left on the shelf - put it on your coffee table!
Armchair gardening on The Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast
In Episode 25 of The Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast I talk about some of the first gardening books that I bought.Listen to reviews of Urban Eden, The Edible Container Garden and Square Foot gardening. Plus there's an excerpt from The Gardener's year.
Subscribe to The Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast.
Liquid Gold
The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants
In the era of modern sanitation, people are led to believe that all of their waste products are hazardous to health. For urine, this is not the case and there is a long history of urine use in both industry and horticulture.Carol Steinfeld's book aims to show us why we shouldn't be flushing our liquid gold away, and how we can safely use it to help our gardens flourish. She handles a potentially touchy subject well and her books makes fascinating reading.
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
'The complete guide to natural and chemical-free gardening'
The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening lives up to its name, with sections on everything any gardener could wish for. You can learn about saving heritage varieties, planning an organic garden, making compost and weed control, sowing seeds, gardening undercover and much more.Written in a very accessible way, and illustrated throughout with full color photographs and specially designed illustrations, this is one every gardener should have in their reference collection.
Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator
'Edible Essays on City Farming'
Spring Gillard gave up a job in advertising and walked into the City Farmer demonstration garden in Vancouver BC. Amazed by what she saw, she stayed and became their Compost Hotline operator.This is a collection of stories and anecdotes from the garden and the hotline. You meet the main characters in the garden, find out about the work the garden does and have some fun along the way. There's even a section on urban agriculture in Cuba.
Each chapter is packed with advice for people wanting to compost at home and a directory of places to look for further information.
Square Foot Gardening
'A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work'
When I got the first raised bed in my garden, a new world of opportunities opened up. Some plants are just too large to grow in containers.But I don't have a large garden and there's just the two of us, so I didn't want to grow too much of one thing.
Square Foot Gardening is a technique that ensures you only plant what you can eat. It walks you through preparing the beds and the soil, building supporting structures and choosing exactly what to grow.
This is intensive planting - each inch of soil is used to the fullest - but of many different plants, including herbs and flowers as well as vegetables.
It's also low maintenance. Gardening effort is confined to the beds, so you only weed and water where it's most needed.
Low maintenance abundance? Sign me up!
The Edible Container Garden
'Fresh food from tiny spaces'
The second gardening book I ever bought was the Edible Container Garden by Michael Guerra. I still love looking at the inspiring pictures of what is possible in a very small space, and regularly refer to the detailed cultivation instructions for growing edible plants in containers.The book is based on the writer's experience of growing food for his family in a tiny, urban back garden. He started from scratch, and talks you through the basics - design, soil and compost, watering, using containers and building a low maintenance kitchen garden.
Read more gardening book reviews
- Digger's Diary: Tales From the Allotment
- A year in the life of an allotment (community garden) and its gardeners. Victor Osborne's diary of a year in the life of his allotment garden began as a series of articles.
- The Curious Gardener
- The plants are the stars in this anthology of Jurgen Dahl's work. The Curious Gardener brings together, for the first time in English, three of German gardener Jurgen Dahl's works.
- Growing Unusual Vegetables
- The definitive guide for the home gardener that wants to grow unusual fruits, vegetables, herbs and grains. Simon Brickmason has been growing unusual edible plants since his childhood.
- Permaculture: A Beginner's Guide
- Learn the basics of Permaculture in a fun and easy way with this self-published booklet.
Read it? Rate it!
Rate the books I've reviewed yourself
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman
Extend your harvest and pick fresh vegetables from more...0 points
Urban Eden: Grow Delicious Fruit, Vegetables and Herbs in a Really Small Space by Adam Caplin
How to turn your home into an edible Eden.0 points
The Edible Container Garden: Growing Fresh Food in Small Spaces by Michael Guerra
A revelation for owners of small gardens who thoug more...0 points
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work by Mel Bartholomew
A gardening classic, ever more relevant as gardens more...0 points
Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook by Joy Larkcom
The definitive guide to growing Oriental vegetable more...0 points
Diary of a Compost Hotline Operator: Edible Essays on City Farming by Spring Gillard
Join Spring Gillard in her little greenhouse offic more...0 points
Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants by Carol Steinfeld
Learn the history and science of using urine in th more...0 points
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
A one-stop shop for everything an organic gardener more...0 points
How Does Your Garden Grow? by Chris Beardshaw
Discover the science behind gardening, in a non-sc more...0 points
The Window-Box Allotment by Penelope Bennett
All of the magic and mystery of edible plants, in more...0 points
Garden Monkey's Book Flange
It's a silly name for a website, but the Garden Monkey and his friends are very serious about gardening books.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGardening magazine websites
- Mother Earth News (US)
- The original guide to living wisely
- BBC Gardeners' World (UK)
- BBC Gardeners' World - Seasonal, expert gardening advice, step-by-step project guides, a wealth of plant information and celebrity gardening blogs from the Gardeners' World team plus extensive online plant shopping.
- Organic Gardening (US)
- The American organic gardening magazine
- Organic Gardening magazine (UK)
- Organic Gardening Magazine is your complete guide to a greener garden - naturally. UK's only all-organic gardening monthly magazine, established in 1988, making it one of the longest-running gardening titles. Covers all garden aspects - vegetables, fruit, herbs, ornamentals, ponds, wildlife gard
- Kitchen Garden magazine (UK)
- Kitchen Garden Magazine is the UK's number 1 magazine for growing your own fruit and veg. First Pickings is our monthly round-up of all the latest news and covers everything you need to know from plot to plate.
- Grow Your Own Magazine (UK)
- Grow Your Own Magazine - GYO Growing Fruit, Vegetables & Organic Fresh Foods from your Garden - Top Gardening Tips - Subscribe and Save
- Canadian Gardening Online (Ca)
- The website for Canada's leading gardening magazine, contains up-to-the-minute information on growing, plants and design, as well as an active GardenTalk forum, gardening clubs and catalogues listings, garden tours, gardening with kids and more
Say hello!
windowbox wrote...
Great lens abt gardening i also love gardening and also do at my home but as do not keep enough space i do it through the container gardening , Container gardening is being good option for urban people as in urban area we cab not have enough space in each house. And through using various type like Flower Box , Window Box, we can bring enormous beauty for the house...
Posted November 10, 2008
Gardening books on eBay
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