This was a free Audible audiobook and I thought I might pick up a few pointers. I did! The reading was very dry and sounded like an engineer. The authThis was a free Audible audiobook and I thought I might pick up a few pointers. I did! The reading was very dry and sounded like an engineer. The author is an engineer, and maybe the reader is too. Also, it was written to be read, so many parts were tedious in audiobook format. The author attached multiple pdfs to the file, so listeners could read tables instead of having them read to them (thank goodness!). Even though I've been gardening for years, I learned lots of little tips, as well as had some verified that I'd already figured out. I wanted to be able to refer to it again, so I bought the ebook version, which was inexpensive. One thing I liked was that the author talks about cost of growing food, with the understanding that without actively trying to find inexpensive solutions to gardening, you will break even or even spend more to grow your own food. He's got lots of good ideas on how to make this an economical proposition as well....more
A very useful book for home gardeners who want to improve their gardens by increasing soil fertility, reducing pests and disease, reducing weeds etc..A very useful book for home gardeners who want to improve their gardens by increasing soil fertility, reducing pests and disease, reducing weeds etc... all by using companion planting. I found it useful for those of us who want to try these things with no-till gardening as well. For instance, if you use green manure to improve your soil, what do you do if you don't till it under? I also learned things I didn't see in other places, like how winter rye works great with transplants and large seeded plants such as beans, but will inhibit the germination of smaller seeded plants. So many good little tidbits and pairings that I can't wait to try in my garden this year. Some I've stumbled upon but didn't know the science that supported my semi-formed observations. Walliser's scientific background and study of the literature gives us solid information, instead of hearsay. It extends way beyond just planting marigolds around your garden. ...more
I'm glad I read this book. I came away with a lot of very good information and it will change some of my eating habits. I really couldn't give it moreI'm glad I read this book. I came away with a lot of very good information and it will change some of my eating habits. I really couldn't give it more than a 3 for several reasons. I found myself reading one section, getting the point, and then reading the same point about 5 pages later as if it weren't already made. That happened so many times it was really annoying. Also, as a mammalian biologist, I am used to reading and summarizing scientific studies. They were meticulous in finding a lot of studies, but did not summarize in a form that made it easy to read. I understand that they wanted to show that the studies vary in their results, but this was a bear to read. Also, for some studies they included appropriate caveats on interpretation, and then for other studies, they overinterpreted the results and made evidence toward a hypothesis sound like fact. I found this irregular style also difficult to read. I wish they had a different editor, or maybe just one author, because it had lots of great information, even with all these caveats.
I did enjoy that they included a historical context to the book, from ancient practices to the turn of the century scientists whose partially formed ideas turned out to be true....more
I can say that this is, hands down, the best gardening book I have ever read. It goes far beyond giving advice to people who want to extend their gardI can say that this is, hands down, the best gardening book I have ever read. It goes far beyond giving advice to people who want to extend their gardening seasons, and I used it to get ideas for my seed order this year in January. Since Jabbour lives in Nova Scotia, her techniques for fall, winter and spring gardening will surely be applicable to my home in CT. I find her photographs and organization to be extremely informative and user friendly, so I'm not trying to guess exactly what she means. It's easy to hop around the book to find the info you want, but be sure and go back to read the other parts, because it is so informative. The methods are scaled to a home garden, rather than to a small commercial farm, as in other books I've read. Then, scattered through out the entire book is all kinds of wonderful gardening advice so that I have things underlined to look back on in almost every page, and I've been gardening for over 40 years. Often she has something that clarifies something I've observed, then tells me what to do about it. Happily, somethings she writes things that I've already learned on my own. When my daughter, who owns a gardening business, picked it up one day, she ordered her own copy as soon as she got home. This was a pleasure to read. Thank you Niki Jabbour....more
I very much enjoy Lee Reich's blog articles, so I thought I would get this book summing up how to garden without disturbing the soil, at least to a miI very much enjoy Lee Reich's blog articles, so I thought I would get this book summing up how to garden without disturbing the soil, at least to a minimal degree. I'd been learning about the importance of soil structure and microbes that would benefit from not being turned over frequently. I found the beginning of the book more informative and there are a few chapters I will probably refer back to, especially regarding cover crops. The hand illustrations are simple, but enjoyable, scattered throughout. I found the content to be lighter than I desired, especially in the second half of the book. So overall, I got something out of reading it, but not as much as I had hoped. ...more
Eliot Coleman is one of the founders of the organic foods movement in the US. He drew in knowledge from decades past in Europe to start building his oEliot Coleman is one of the founders of the organic foods movement in the US. He drew in knowledge from decades past in Europe to start building his organic, family farm in Maine and continued to experiment with different techniques to improve the quality of the produce and the efficiency of his operation. It is a pleasure to sit at the feet of this man of wisdom, now 82, and learn from his impressive experience in growing good food. He's the kind of person who evaluates a task and designs a new tool (or gets someone else to manufacture it for him if he can't). Those are the kinds of tools I love seeing at historical sites.... modified to the user's situation and well-worn. Part of what he teaches is for each of us to observe, try new things and grow ourselves in improving our own techniques. Some of the book is technical and devoted to those who also run small farms, but the serious home gardener has much to learn, especially if they want to extend their growing season in a Northern climate. His perspective on the commercialization of organic food is also worth considering, as he also discusses on the farm's website- http://fourseasonfarm.com. ...more
I saw the author give a talk at the Hartford Flower Show and I was hoping to learn a few tricks to help improve my tomato yields. He was an engaging aI saw the author give a talk at the Hartford Flower Show and I was hoping to learn a few tricks to help improve my tomato yields. He was an engaging and informative speaker, but I wasn't sure I wanted to buy his book afterwards when it was solely focused on just one vegetable. Leafing through it later, I decided to take the plunge.
I am truly glad I did, because it really was an enjoyable read. I learned lots of additional tips about growing tomatoes, and enjoyed seeing the journey Craig LeHoullier had as an amateur as he developed such a deep love of finding and developing the best tomatoes. He covered all the essentials, like growing seedlings, different ways of growing, staking, diseases and other problems, but also the taste attributes of different varieties, some recipes and a few delightful histories of various varieties. Chris was responsible for helping Cherokee Purple to be made commercially available (not that he benefited financially, but he promoted others to try it and to sell it), and for that gem, I am eternally grateful! I can't wait to try some of the other varieties he highlights as the years unfold. On top of it all, he has excellent photography in the book, which greatly enhances the whole journey. You might think "How many tomato pictures of tomatoes can you appreciate?" but they are each and every one beautiful (except for the ones illustrating disease!). If you enjoy a vegetable garden, you will probably enjoy this book....more
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