5 comments about Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners.

1. I found this book to be very interesting, I found myself wishing that I could talk to the auther about her experiences in growing. I think an in depth description of each growing stage would be helpful but would make the book way too long....But isn't that what a reference tool should be?



2. I was informed by a noted gardener this was the best book for those that want to save seeds. I am pleased.



3. I don't know if there's a better book on the subject of seed saving, but I've found this book frustratingly incomplete. There's certainly a lot of information, but it seems like a lot of really important basics were left out. I would say for a majority of the plants I would like to save seed from this year I can't figure out from the book whether the plants will cross with other things I'm growing or how far to isolate them if they would. I'm trying to figure out right now, for instance, if tabasco peppers (Capsicum frutescens) will cross with bell peppers and other Capsicum annum. The book has about a half a page of information on C. frutescens, which I think is a lot for such a minor species, but it still fails to give me that most basic information. I'd also like to know how many plants of each type I should grow to maintain adequate genetic diversity. The author mentions the importance of this, and there are a couple plants where numbers are given, but in most cases the reader is left without any numbers. I wish all this kind of information were covered more systematically, maybe with a simple chart or short paragraph at the beginning of each of the 20 plant families covered in the book.



4. Great book with lots of recipes and canning details. Glad I made the purchase.



5. This is an excellent book. Well printed and full of useful information. However, as is usually the case, it is written for American farmers, and even goes so far as to waste several pages on listing farmer's addresses and so on for America. It would have been far better had this book been written from an international perspective. Americans only make up 5% of world population.

4 comments about Gardening at the Dragon's Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World.

1. This book springs from rich earth. It digs into an era through the gardening and Buddhist practice of Wendy Johnson. It's so detailed and beautifully blended that, after a session of reading, I would marvel at the mere undertaking of writing this part-gardening, part-spiritual-journey and part-history of the times memoir. A real joy to be relished slowly.



2. Just a great book I felt I was walking in the garden with her. You just have to read this one.



3. This book is simply amazing, I could not wait for next time I could get into bed with it and a cup of tea and follow along with Wendy Johnson on her rich path of discovery through the garden and through life as a Zen person. The writing has a few too many words at times, but the fact that this was simultaneously a how-to book on gardening and a spiritual memoir full of deep Zen teachings makes it something very special. Wendy Johnson shows herself to be the real deal here, willing to take chances with her life and willing to get her hands dirty for the benefit of others and for the benefit of the planet.



4. This beautifully written book is full of wisdom and good information. It is an inspiring work that has had me smiling as I read and looking forward to getting my hands dirty in the garden.

5 comments about The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book.

1. If you are looking for a book that will cover all your bases, this is it. Obviously it can be supplemented with other specific books, but if you are looking for an excellent reference book to any question you've ever had, this is the book for you.



2. BUY THIS BOOK AND DITCH ALL THE REST. This book will tell you everything you ever need to know about homesteading, animals, cooking, canning, washing, planting, EVERYTHING... dont waste your time buying 10 different books on 10 different subjects... just buy this ONE and you are set!



3. I love this book! It is a great reference book and will tell you anything you need to know about doing things the old fashioned way. I love the little stories between the info. There is a great index and topics are very easy to find. The receipes are great and if the book doesn't have the info that you are looking for, most likely there is a web site listed, or an address listed to the correct government agency to get you what you need. I have had this book for about a year and keep it handy, it's like the Western Garden book, but for every thing to do with living in the country. I purchased this book recently for a gift and my friend loves it and raves about it almost as much as I do.



4. This book is amazing!!! Don't let the title fool you. Recipes are mostly side notes compared to the incalculable information contained within. (I almost didn't buy it thinking it would be full of unwanted recipes). I have searched through numerous books on the topic of having a self-sufficient farm and moving to the country. This is absolutely the best one there is, hands down. I prefer the newer updated version (blue rimmed, 2003) as it contains websites. With this book in hand, I would only recommend you buy two others if you are serious about moving to the country and becoming independent. Its rival, in my opinion, is John Seymour's The Self-Sufficient Life. It's a gem and fills in any gaps you might have after reading Emery's book. [If you have animals you will obviously need to know specifics about your breed(s) and typical bumps along the way.] But, I would say that the only other topic that needs polishing and more detail is beekeeping. Find a good volume on that topic, read these three books throughly, and I believe that you need little less than a great desire to make it happen, a positive outlook, and some neighbors willing to offer advise - I doubt they will be difficult to find in a place where people are grateful for their opportunity to work the land and lend a hand when needed.



5. The Encyclopedia of Country Living is indispensible for the homestead or real country living! Or for those in the city who are dreaming of the country life...It is as homey as a crackling fire on a wintery night or the smell of homemade bread wafting, and as useful as that special tool on the farm which can be used in endless ways. Carla Emery has put together an amazing amount of information which is really enjoyable to read~ it's hard to put down!

5 comments about Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.

1. We love this book. We've practiced what is written in this amazing book for our first garden and were super pleased with the results. Many who have seen our garden are inquisitive about the techniques. My husband is more excited about compost than gardening, this book showed him how to make a great compost pit.



2. If they can do it it Maine, it shouod be possible just about anywhere.
   
   Interesting reading with good, usable background info. Plan on incorporating all of their suggestions this coming year!



3. I love this book. It inspires with it's adroit mix of low-tech in an informed, high-tech world. Nope, not a return to the past, but the good past informs and points the way to an unexpectedly lush future. Gardening by latitude? Year-round harvests in MAINE?
   
   Particularly interesting to me is the fresh look of self-sufficient gardening when you harvest just what you need to eat, when you need it, instead of giant harvests for canning and freezing. It makes the entire process fit more comfortably into an ordinary life... exactly what I was looking for. No heroics, lots of common sense.
   
   I'll be using this book a lot!



4. I did learn alot about the gardening geographical similarities between the US and Europe as well how the gulf stream affects the climates. However, in North Carolina, I think the climate may be too warm? in the winter for some of the winter greens he has suggested to grow. I tried Arugula, Endives, and some other winter greens for the first time this winter (inspired by reading this book). We had some warm spells that may have made them taste bitter, but it's possible I just don't like them. I don't know. I would suggest this book for Virginia and points north for real world application. In North Carolina it seems that Brocolli and carrots are the best winter crops for me. They were soo sweet this winter. A good book for the reference library though.



5. I needn't lament on all the qualities. It has been done enough by others. I read it once, now reading it again. It is packed full of information and will remain close by as a valued reference book.
   
   I look forward to my first winter vegetable garden in part due to this book.

5 comments about Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables.

1. I was so tired of freezing and canning all my garden products and was frightened about my eletricity and gas bills. So this book comes up with the solution how to spare all the energy costs and the hours of work for preparing the food for freezing and canning.: root cellaring.
   The book is a wonderful ressource not only on the topic but also in gardening.
   For me it is a "must-have" and I wish I had it got 25 years ago....



2. I was very impressed with this book, if you are looking at supplying your own food needs through a garden it's a must have.



3. I have a small town lot with a kitchen salad garden, so didn't initially think of this as something that pertained to me, but now I realize that the local harvest available right now at farm stands is PERFECT for buying now to eat later.
   
   This gives me a step by step guide to how to store those carrots, onions, potatoes, squash and leeks that I didn't realize I could buy in bulk now.



4. I feel this book is extremly helpful if you want to install a root celler.
   Many how to answers. And in this day with so many moving back to rural area's why wouldnt you want to be less dependent, while providing home grown-healthier food for yourself and those you love?
   
   Thank U
   Rhonda



5. This book looks interesting, but I am not a farmer. I plan to give this to my son (who has a farm) as a Christmas gift. I will have to wait for his reaction to the book.

5 comments about The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals.

1. Excellent Book with lots of informative teaching! Money well spent. Fast and professional delivery! Much appreciated!



2. If you want to garden organically and can only afford to buy one book on insect and disease control -- this is it! I go for this book first whenever I think I have problems in the garden, in the landscape, in the orchard. It's an all around great reference book!



3. this book was well organized in its presentation of problems for each type of plant covered. set in A-Z format of common plant names (though Latin names are used as well), the editors (Barbara Ellis, and Fern Bradley)give several ways to combat garden issues from an organic methodology. most of the ways of working with organics that they outline are not high cost, but are high maintainence as is all organic gardening, if done right.
   
   the book also covers some common insects a gardener would see and if they are beneficial or not and how to work with the beneficials (what to plant to attract, etc) and to control the "bad bugs". they also outline some diseases and how to fight those with organic methods. then they touch on other ways to fight garden pests (cultural, physical, and biological contols). they also talk about different organic dusts and sprays and how to use them effectively.



4. The health aspects of organic gardnening cannot be overstated. The petroleum-based fertilizers and toxic pesticides, genetic alterations, etc. of current farming techniques are causing many health problems and will increasingly do so. This book, and other books like it, reveal truly healthy and environmentally safe techniques to grow untainted food that is truly nutitious. Your local supermarket does not sell food, it sells commerical products. Food depleted of its nutrients cannot be "enriched"; what was healthy is now "dead" food. Much in the same way most of us have been duped into buying "health plans". Such should be more appropriately called "sickness plans". Health plans do nothing to keep you healthy. Not one penny of your payment goes to increasing your health and boosting your immune system. But rather you pay them to expose you to what can be deadly immunizations and in fact they are much more harmful than beneficial. Germs are not your enemy. The suppression of your immune system is. It is what you do to your own body and immune system. What you willing (and sometimes unwillingly) expose yourself to is what makes a person sick. Your body is completely capable of healing itself when you provide it with the proper nutients found in natural herbs, fruits, and vegetables grown free of man-made chemicals and toxins. The answers are out there but the medical establishment wants to keep them from you. It makes big pharma billions every year. For example if most of you knew that there are at least 10 (ten) cures for cancer what would we do with all those who overnight would become unemployed? Yes, there are commercial entities that want control over your life in every way, whether you realize it or not. Take control of your life or let the government be your guardian. Which one of these options is best for you?



5. For the organic gardener, this is a must have for your reference library. Very informative and comprehensive.

5 comments about The Vegetable Gardener's Bible: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions.

1. Among a whole bookshelf of gardening books, this one is by far the best reference for vegetable gardening that I have found. Some of the examples and procedures are a little more in depth than I care to go myself, but the amount of information and details are amazing. He really knows his stuff. I keep going back to it over and over and over as a guide. I originally found this book in my local library branch and now I love having my own copy.



2. What an incredible person. Ed wrote an invaluable book. There is so much information and it is so detailed. He makes gardening easy. Read this book and it leaves the guess work out of managing your garden!



3. I am a beginner/novice/newbie to the growing food world so I want to get myself empowered with as much info as possible.
   
   So this is just one of an arsenal of info I'm getting.
   
   But the book is well written, came in good condition and was very prompt on delivery



4. I grew up on a farm with my mother having a vegetable garden, so growing plants is not a totally foriegn concept to me, but non-the-less, it's been a while since I've "hoed a row." I read the reviews of several books, including this one, and felt confident I was getting a good "go to" book with most everything I would need to start my garden - I was so pleased to be right! I live in the MN, Zone 4, which happens to be the same Zone the author lives in. So though the specific exampels I can apply to my garden, the information is so thorough and sound, I believe the principles can be applied to any Zone! The non-traditional ideas he presents in the book make so much sense! If you want the traditional straight skinny rows your grandmother or neighbor has, this book is not for you, but if you are interested in producing more with less space this book is a must have. I am a good third into it, and I felt every page so far has plenty of good advice without being too wordy, or technical. A very easy read, I can't wait to finish it and start planning my garden!! A thanks to the author for putting his knowledge and love of gardening on paper!



5. I added this book to my resource library and glad I did. Lots of useful information presented in a clear and concise manner. The pictures are clear and presented in a manner that allows you to understand.

5 comments about Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series).

1. This book is an exciting addition to books on vegetable growing- so much so, that many
   others become unnecessary. The author covers in detail everything about the art- from seed buying,
   his own complete organic fertilizer recipe, preparing the soil, simple tools, planting and watering etc
   His long experience and total integrity and commitment shine through and make it a must for those
   wanting to seriously feed themselves.



2. After reading this book, I can hardly wait for spring. As a self-taught gardener, I can appreciate the many solid examples, instructions, and anecdotes that weave a robust thread. Clearly, Steve Solomon is a man who loves his work and the sharing of his decades of hard-won knowledge. Whether good times or hard times, there are a lot of fine gardening tips and rules here for improving any garden. The section on making your own fertilizer and how to apply it is worth the price of the book alone. The book would have benefited from a few more drawings, but that is a small complaint.



3. We live in the high desert of rural Nevada. We try every year for a successful garden. I've really learned a great deal from this book. It won't change our conditions here, but the author's no nonsense approach to seed starting, fertilization and a multitude of other topics is refreshing.



4. Steve Solomon finally confirms what I've suspected all along - that intensive gardening doesn't deliver what it promises. Undersized beets and radishes, under-productive corn, potatoes, peas, and beans are what I've harvested using the crowded "square foot" method. This year I'm going to go back to the old fashioned row cropping method for most of my garden, and hope to enjoy large, succulent, tasty veggies again.
   
   Solomon shares the realities of composting, use of manure, and advises spacings for irrigated, rainfall, and dry-cropping. Pictures of roots on various vegetables helped me understand why these spacings are important for optimal plant performance.
   
   There is also a valuable section on recommended seed dealers according to climate. Solomon recommends only ethical seedsmen who actively test the varieties they sell, to insure that the gardener receives the very best seeds and consequently, the best results.
   
   If he had only explained where I can find affordable land so as to have room for such a widely spaced garden, the book would be complete!



5. I have read far and wide on the subject and this book is a premier choice. The author is detailed enough without being overly academic. He takes quite controversial and revealing positions on heirlooms vs. hybrids, seed saving, buying seedlings, starting seeds, seed company tactics, plant spacing, intensive garening, fertilization and how much space, time and effort you really need to either reduce your food bills or else get "off the grid".
   
   Refreshing and practical.
   
   I am very glad I got this book.

5 comments about All New Square Foot Gardening.

1. In these days of so much hype to sell products, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is and does exactly what was promised. Well worth the money for the information contained between the covers. We have already made and planted our garden. By the seventh day we have radish, squash, zucchini, spinach and green bean sprouts!



2. My husband insisted on this book and it provides great detailed information on container gardening. He has used it to build a large garden area full of containers as well as protective mechanisms to protect the new plants from frost. If you are considering container gardening - I would recommend this book.



3. I've heard of Mel's book for quite a few years, with friends using his techniques. I have used the old Victory Garden intensive gardening techniques with great results, and hydroponics for most of my edible crops like toms, cukes, melons etc. I got this to try growing something without using energy for pumps, etc. Just got the first spring plantings in, will know the results soon.
   Very easy to follow, he uses the old 'first I'll tell you what I'm going to tell you, then I'll tell you, then I'll say what I told you' repetition format to drive home the basics, so even a modern public school graduate can understand it.
   He uses a home made planting mix and standard intensive gardening techniques to great affect, well organized for easy reference, worth a read if you love to play with gardens, and even better if you have any handicaps, or are just getting a bit older like me.
   Recommended highly!



4. This soft-back book has helped get me out in the garden. It is well-organized, gives tables of how many seeds go in each square, and has a certain humorous approach that makes the reading far from dry. Following these directions, we spent about $200 to put two frames in (32 squares), planted according to directions, and I've got 2-inch tall seedlings of beans, peas, corn, watermelon and some herbs. Quite satisfied with the book and the price of it.



5. Square Foot Gardening is a brilliant concept. The book is a little wordy and could be condensed down - but Mel wants to make it exceptionally clear that this is the EASY way to garden.

5 comments about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.).

1. If I had never read another work of Kingsolver's, this one alone would have turned me into an instant fan, though the truth is I already love her fiction. I found this book funny and warm, if read as a "country adventures" sort of book and not as a bible to living right. I especially loved the recipes, and the "turkey sex" section is hilarious (BTW, artifically inseminating poultry is no big deal. Takes only minutes to learn, as birds aren't too fussy).
   
   The dry and / or preachy parts were mostly her husband's writing, and I found myself skipping over a lot of that, as it was way too much preaching to the choir. Being already involved in many of the cooking and cultivation aspects mentioned in this book, and I found a wealth of inspiration and new ideas here. I envy their complete immersion in a lifestyle that I can only partially indulge in due to career and location issues. I think the message here is that one does what one can under their life circumstances.
   
   That being said, I found that many of the "facts" listed to be of questionable accuracy, in need of further explanation, casualties of faulty logic, or just plain strange, such as the statement that "no part of a corn plant is a natural food for cattle". By that logic, tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate are not natural foods for people either. This is not a criticism of the book but normal scientific process: no two experts in any field will agree on everything.
   
   I also think there is a bit too much pie-in-the-sky idealism here. Raising so-called 'organic' food takes a huge amount of time, space, and physical effort, especially if livestock are involved. The nastier aspects of pests and diseases are skimmed over far too lightly: free-range poultry are far more likely to pick up internal parasites by eating earthworms, snails and other invertebrates than your confined chicken, and the parasite egg and larva burden of your average cow pasture would boggle your mind. This does not make 'organic' (a poorly defined term) a bad thing, just don't be surprised if you find a worm larva in the freshly laid egg from your free range chicken. It's rare, but it happens.
   
   My own feeling is that we'd be far closer to saving the environment by not using any form of plastics, not owning or driving cars, and not having more than one child than worrying about eating locally, but those issues aren't even mentioned; no doubt the author felt they were beyond the scope of her intended message. You pays your money and you takes your choice. Take this book for its terrific entertainment value, and enjoy it hugely. I know I did.



2. This book starts out sooooo pedentic... then picks up some. I loved many of her other books, but this one is almost a chore to finish. In this genre, I highly recommend 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', which traces meals from the farm to the table.



3. Let me start off with full disclosure: I am a huge Barbara Kingsolver fan. I've read most of what she's written and loved all of that. Except this.
   
   She just can't quit lecturing throughout the entire thing. She can't even finish a small story without interspersing it intolerable amounts of pedagogy. It's really just one lecture after another. Perhaps if I were interested in, but not knowledgeable about, the subject matter I would be more forgiving. But I have to think that folks who are reading this book are already at least baseline knowledgeable. So why is she lecturing us all? We're the good guys. We already agree. Enough, already. We really want to hear how you did it, what you thought about it, the ups, the downs, the turkeys.
   
   So, those looking for another tremendous Kingsolver story: Be Warned.



4. If you expect a typical Kingsolver book, you will be disappointed. But if you put that aside, this is a fabulous book! She catches the current movement towards sustainable living and shows us the practicalities as well as what it means for farmers around the country. I love the familial collaboration with her husband providing more scientific information and her eldest daughter providing recipes (which are delicious, by the way). I really think this is an important book because it makes this lifestyle accessible for people who are not environmental extremists (or who grew up on farms where this information would be 'old hat') but who want to do what they can to make a difference: not only to the environment but also for the nation's farmers, who lead a very difficult life. And as a bonus, the food is fresher (=tastier).



5. I cannot get enough of this book. It has completely changed the way that I look at food. I work in food policy, but this book taught me a lot of things I didn't know and inspired me to shop locally more often. I've even started a small vegetable garden!
   
   Many of the reviewers seem not to have gotten the point of this book. We are slowly killing ourselves and our culture with our reliance on industrialized foods. Current skyrocketing prices are one proof. We use up so many resources to get our food from point A to point B when we should be eating within our environment as much as possible. Food travels from country to country, and losing the depth and variety we could be having locally.
   
   Barbara Kingsolver is a gifted writer and this memoir about HER experience is beautiful. It's not a treatise on "live my exact life;" it's about making changes that can have worldwide implications.