5 comments about How to Grow World Record Tomatoes: A Guinness Champion Reveals His All-Organic Secrets.

1. If you have ever thought of turning to organic gardening then this book will be very helpful. If you have been practicing organic gandening for years there are still some enlightning new theories for you here. If you believe you can get good produce to grow from a brick with the proper amount of chemical fertilizer and don't plan on changing your mind then this book is a waste of time.



2. After growing tomatoes for years in a small family garden, I decided to take up the hobby Academically. This book will clearly put my efforts over the top. Armed with all of Mr. Wilbers knowledge and research I should be able to grow the best tomato plants ever. There is lots of conflicting information out there, but from my experience I will go with Mr. Wilber 99%. He gives a clear picture of his purpose. It's all clear and concise. Everyone who reads this book can't help but grow bigger/better Tomatoes! I highly recommend this book.



3. This book is excellent information. I learned so much, especially about composting. Nobody can argue with this man's results. It's just amazing.
   I do wish there were a follow up book for other plants and trees.



4. The most comprehensive tome on growing record breaking amounts of tomatoes on the market.Gives all the information you need to know in one comprhensive resource on how to grow starters, prepare soil and its correct mix, with poignant stries from the authors experience based on proen scientific research that gets the results you would expect from a book with his title.



5. The only problem was you sent me three and I only ordered one and I was charged for three. The other two are on their way back and I am hoping I will be refunded.

5 comments about The Cook and the Gardener : A Year of Recipes and Writings for the French Countryside.

1. I loved the way Amanda paints her world in words. The intricate way the garden and the kitchen dance with the seasons. I lived in Europe and consider my creative outlet my cooking and learned in Europe that shopping is a daily thing to be looked forward to. Only then will you know what will be on the dinner table. Nowadays you can get anything anytime. If you do this you lose the rhythm of the season and the foods. And the anticipation that comes with waiting until your favorite veggies appear in their newness. So in winter it's roots and herbs that last the seasons, and slow braising of meats. Spring is the bright sprightly asapargus and new greens. The soul soars. Ok I'm going overboard. But if you love to cook and feel the rhythms of life this book is for you.



2. `The Cook and the Gardner' by the young culinary journalist who has added a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of seasonal cooking and gardening to that very small niche of books joining horticulture with gastronomy. The only other recent volume in this very small corner of culinary writing is `The Arrows Cookbook', a work dealing with the vegetable and herb garden attached to a three season Maine restaurant.

   Like some other recent books on French life, this book develops a picture of a disappearing phenomenon, the chateau kitchen garden in rural France, tended by a dedicated gardener living on the premises. The chateau and garden is in Burgundy, owned by the renowned Anne Willen, the culinary schoolmistress of La Varenne Pratique. Oddly enough, Madame Willen never appears in this story and her works are cited less frequently than authors with a more historical bent, led by references to works by Elizabeth David. Willen appears primarily as the author's employer. The author's mentor, rather, is the Italian culinary authority, Nancy Harmon Jenkins. It is completely fitting with the antiquity of the context that most references in the book's exceptional bibliography are to works in French and Italian which were published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

   The cook of the book's title is the author, herself. The gardener of the book is the garrulous, elderly (mid seventies) Monsieur Milbert who, with his wife, occupies the chateau's gatehouse and who works the chateau's traditional walled garden which appears to be a square of 50 meters or more to a side. The author's story begins in early spring and spans four full seasons at the Burgundy chateau kitchen where her `day job' is responsibility for meals served at the chateau for up to sixteen people at a sitting.

   Monsieur Milbert on the face of it is a stock Hollywood movie character. He is very slow to warm to the young American interloper, in spite of the fact that they are colleagues in the employ of the same house. Eventually, of course, he begins working with Ms. Hesser and shares with her his thinkings on horticultural matters as she helps him with various tasks to work her way into his good graces. Unlike the Hollywood character, Monsieur Milbert never really breaks from his very, very provincial mindset. The gardener's horticultural practice is the oddest mix of superstition and practical experience. Almost every aspect of planting is governed by phases of the moon. Almost every expectation about future weather is based on a totally unscientific observation of unconnected phenomena. On the other hand, planting, pruning, weeding, and cultivating is based on sound wisdom gained from personal observation and hundreds of years of accumulated experience.

   The culinary material in the book is ordered entirely by the season and by the location. In spite of the culinary pedigree of the landlord, the style of cooking appears to be derived less from `haute cuisine' than from `la cuisine Regionale'. The first clue is that there are very few references to drinking wine in the book. The only references to wine are as traditional ingredients to soups and braises. A sure sign that we are in Burgundy and not Provence is the fact that there are simply no recipes or even any references to eggplant.

   Each season has its own section and introduction. For each season, there are recipes that are distinctive of the entire season. One of the most novel sets of recipes within this schema is the four seasonal recipes for stock. Spring opens with a stock based on beef bones. Summer contributes a vegetable stock. Autumn weighs in with a poultry stock (with a strict warning to not mix duck parts with other fowl). Winter completes the year with a return to a stock based on beef bones. On the matter of stocks, I am really happy to see Ms. Hesser rail against the stockpot as garbage collector for any odd piece of leftover gristle.

   Within each season are three chapters on the three months in that season. Each month is represented by about a dozen recipes. Appropriate to the garden at the center of the story, most recipes are vegetarian and many meat dishes are based on chicken, game fowl, and rabbit. There are virtually no recipes for seafood, although there is some North African influence in the appearance of salt preserved lemons. The chapters also spend a lot of time with the kind of culinary work you would expect in a rural farm kitchen. A lot of space is dedicated to making preserves, pickles, and comfits. True to the very provincial environment, space is also dedicated to unusual fruits such as medlar and persimmon.

   This is a culinary work which is meant to be read from cover to cover. If you have your own kitchen garden in US horticultural zones four through seven, you are bound to find the suggestions doubly enriching. If you are tied to a city apartment, you will still find plenty to enjoy. There is much to learn about cooking, but the real gold is in the battle between the French gardener and his neophyte cook comrade against the elements, to harvest truly magnificent seasonal vegetables.

   A classic culinary read. Some advanced methods, but lots to learn from.




3. I love this book- I love all things french, gardening, and cooking. This was delightful and has been the source of many wonderful seasonal meals. I love Hesser's style and sense of fun.



4. Amanda Hesser is well known for her excellent food columns in the NY Times. A few years ago she spent 12 months working as cook for Anne Willan at the Chateau du Fey, a seventeenth century estate located in Burgundy, France.
   
   This book is a narrative cookbook - part novel, part cookbook, part local history. It revolves around a year in the chateau garden, lovingly tended by the elderly, reticent Monsieur Milbert. We learn of his traditional gardening methods and way of life, read interesting snippets of folk lore and get a feel for the surrounding countryside. As the produce is grown, the cook (Amanda) devises recipes that best use the fresh, seasonal ingredients she is so lucky to have at hand. For her too, it is a time of learning about the seasons in the garden and the origins of the food she uses.
   
   'The Cook and the Gardener' is a nice big hardback, my edition has 632 pages. It's very attractively laid out in earth tones, decorated throughout with sepia illustrations on good quality smooth, creamy paper. There is a little seasonal fruit or vegetable drawing at the top of each page, which makes you feel that each page is special. There are no photos but there are a few blank end papers which you could use for jotting down notes.
   
   The book is divided into seasons and then there is a chapter for each month, starting with spring and the month of March. Each chapter starts with a few pages telling us what is happening in the garden and what M. Milbert is up to. Following this are about 20 indexed recipes for each month, many with introductory notes. These notes include anecdotes about shopping in the local markets, stories about the ingredients used in the recipes, cooking tips, gardening lore, serving suggestions and information on buying, storing and preparing produce. Most of the recipes look enticing and there is a good mixture of simple, traditional and modern recipes as well as basics such as stocks, sauces and preserves. Many of the recipes use fresh herbs and are influenced by Hesser's experience cooking in other countries such as Italy - olive oil, for example, often replaces butter. The recipes are inspired by the produce she found in Burgundy, rather than being traditional Burgundian cuisine.
   
   The recipe for pumpkin soup in this book is fantastic, and it is forever being requested by friends and family. The flavor base is a lovely reduction of white wine and leeks. Other recipes that caught my eye include asparagus with tarragon vinaigrette, baby potatoes in hazelnut oil, green beans with cracked black pepper, sweet chestnut soup, pancetta-rosemary rolls, roast duck, peach marmalade, apple-walnut batard, sautéed figs with honey cream and dark chocolate rosemary soufflé. There are recipe for everyday ingredients such as chard, brussel sprouts, zucchini and cabbage, as well as recipes using uncommon ingredients such as purslane, persimmon and gooseberries. Whether you already like using fruit and vegetables as a delicious focus for a meal, or are interested in doing so for health reasons, this book has a lot of appeal. There are about 240 recipes all up.
   
   Because of the chatty style, the recipes often start in the middle of a page and go over several pages, which is not ideal for cooking, especially as the book is too thick to fit into an average cookbook stand. There are no pictures of any of the recipes - the illustrations are all of the produce, the garden, the people or the local surrounds.
   
   On the negative side, I felt that the author was actually looking down on M. Milbert - not about his wonderful gardening knowledge, but in regard to his personal habits, personality, hygiene and lifestyle. I don't think she meant this to show through, but it did. What is more, she did this while simultaneously exploiting him as a marketable character. Without the Milberts, the book could not have been written. I have to say that was the one thing in this book that struck a discordant note to me. In all other ways I really enjoyed it.
   
   If you are interested in the Willans and their culinary school, please note that although the book is set on their estate, they are never mentioned. This does not detract in any way from the book.
   
   This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys food writing, gardening, has in interest in France or enjoys cooking with fresh produce.



5. This book is for anyone who enjoys the backstory of recipes or food in general. It is an easy read and the recipes I have tried are wonderful!

5 comments about Square Foot Gardening.

1. Have bought several Square Foot Gardening books since they are used so much. Now the second and third generation are reading it in our family. Full of clear, simple solutions and ideas which makes gardening easy and profitable.



2. I guess I was looking for the quick answer version. Here's your square, now plant this....Not a book for the average gardener. Unless, of course, you are a botonist.



3. This book is very helpful to learn a new way of gardening for higer yields in small areas. It has very helpful advice and good graphics to follow. It is easy to read and understand.



4. It cost me about $200 to fill my raised bed with the planting mix recommended. It was a complete waste of money, as the water runs right out of the mix. It is far too light. He's right, you cannot overwater, but it also does not hold the water. In areas where water costs money or is scarce, this soil mix is a very bad idea.



5. I liked the idea of a well-planned garden and this book had it all. I set my 10X15 foot garden up according to the illustrations and made tomato trellises using metal posts and wire. I have to say that by the end of the season there was a lot of die-off from fungus. Frankly, 1 foot square is not enough room for the average tomato plant, even on its nifty trellis. My melons and zucchini caught the fungus, too. I'd recommend using this book as a guide and spacing the plants further apart. It did keep everything neat and easier to weed. Overall good system.

5 comments about Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's & Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving.

1. I'm a gardener but not a seed saver; I'd like to, but it's a
   somewhat confusing and overwelming subject. This book really
   explained the issues of cross breeding and pollination, so I
   could see why those seed saving instructions are so inconsistent.
   And it is very inspiring about why I'd want to save seeds and
   improved the variety, and why local seeds are so valuable,
   and a number of great ideas on the mechanics both that I can use
   (spacing isn't so important when you're testing for flavor) and
   not so useful to me (I'll probably not get forceps and remove
   the stamens from unopened tomato flowers)
   
   She is a plant genetists applying techiques to her own garden
   for her own food, and I really liked how she describes her
   though processes as well as what she does and how she does it.



2. The author has a PhD from Harvard in biology and is a geneticist. Yet she has written her easy-to-understand book as if she has a teaching degree from Ashland University. Her premise is that all our major food crops were originally developed by amateurs. Until recently, all gardeners and farmers saved their own seed and hence, all gardeners and farmers were automatically amateur plant breeders - and amateur plant breeding was the only kind of plant breeding there was.
   
   Deppe's book has two major purposes: 1) to encourage all of us gardeners and farmers to rediscover the excitement and rewards of developing your very own vegetable variety, and 2) to show amateurs how to breed plants more easily. As Deppe says "Any gardener can do them". This book is for all gardeners everywhere. It's for the gardener who has been told that "you can't grow that here", but who wants to anyway (such as artichokes in Ohio). This book is for growers who like white and purple carrots, and other crosses. This book is for seed savers, which is the first step in plant breeding. This book is for organic gardeners who want to develop powdery mildew-resistant varieties, by breeding them yourself.
   
   Deppe's chapters cover amateur vegetable breeding, space and time; roles and goals such as breeding for flavor, size, shape, earliness, cold or heat resistance, disease resistance, or yield; finding germplasm where she explains about the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System; evaluating germplasm and conducting and evaluating garden trials; genetics and plant parenthood; sex and the single gene; modern genes; hybrids; plant-breeding stories; breeding with established polyploids; fun with wide crosses; happy accidental crosses; domesticating wild plants; and expanding horizons along with many appendices that list plants, vegetables, germplasm collections, seed saver organizations, supplies, and how-to information sources.
   
   This is the best introduction to seed saving and breeding your own vegetable varieties you'll find and invaluable to those interested in creating a unique vegetable variety.



3. I bought the earlier edition of this book for someone else...had no intention of reading it (or keeping it) but started to browse and got hooked!
   
   This book reads like a novel--all the characters are my near and dear friends, the garden fruits and veggies. Mouth-watering detail sets the stage for getting your imagination started. What would you like to grow that you haven't seen in the seed catalogues? A watermellon that can ripen in your northern climate? Greens that won't be mowed down by slugs in your wet, costal garden? Perhaps a juicy, sweet tomato just like your favorite slicer, but in a convenient cherry size?
   
   Just when you have all these images of the yummy possibilities dancing through your head, the story turns dark...Unfortunately, the professional plant breeders are not looking for the same things you are. Professional plant breeders want thick-skinned tomatoes that can be machine harvested, that ripen all at once, and that store and ship easily. (at this point, I want to yell, NOOO!!! Not THAT tomato!!!)
   
   But sadly, past market forces have inadvertantly destroyed so much of the lovely work of our ancestors to produce flavor, long harvest periods, plants that survive organically, open pollination, and most of all, variety.
   
   But wait! All is not lost! Remember how all those wonderful things came to be in the first place? Amateur plant breeders! And guess what? It doesn't have to take a lot of time, or even much space, to start tweaking and experimenting with what you can get to grow in your own garden. You don't even need experience, let alone a degree. And she's got lots of stories and examples to prove it.
   
   Then she starts throwing out possibilities I never would have thought of...why stick to things we already grow as vegetables? Why not domesticate one of the thousands of edible plants that no one else is even working on? Or how about experimenting with ways to use food that weren't available when it all started, like developing something that microwaves conveniently?
   
   I think Carol Deppe is a creative genius with the rare ability to communicate her passion and knowlege for her favorite subject. After reading this book, really after reading just the first few chapters, I felt like this is something that I really could do, and can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. People have been saving seed for thousands of years, it's not rocket science.
   
   For an idea of Deppe's writing style, she's written an interesting article about parching corn that you can find if you google "carol deppe and parching corn."



4. I was looking for a book on seed saving. This book sounded like it had information on that topic, plus the topic of breeding your own plant varieties; a 2 for 1!. I was a little disappointed that there weren't any pictures in the book. I would have liked to have seen some visual examples of hand breeding, different flower types, pictures of plant parents and their offspring, and of course a few concerning seed saving. But the vast amounts of information in this book more than make up for the lack of a few pictures. Overall a good book and a great resource for the home gardener.



5. This is an extra-ordianary book. Very detailed but very readable. It encouraged me to experiement and provided answers for past results.

4 comments about Keeping the Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs (Down-to-Earth Book).

1. I found this book in the library and used it for my first garden bounty -- my first canned peaches, my first jam, and my first frozen green beans. Keeping the Harvest is informative, fairly comprehensive and simple to follow. I'm buying it now so I'll be ready for next summer!



2. I bought three books on canning and this book was the best. It is simple to understand, has pictures of the way things should look, such as the canning jars in a not water bath. I was canning tomatos and this book was so easy to follow. It listed the different methods for canning, as stating the best method.

   I bought a pressure cooker and could not understand the manufactures directions, this book explained in simple terms, everything I needed to know, to use the pressure cooker. It has pictures on how to can tomatos from start to finish, which I really appreciated. To me a picture is worth a thousand words.

   I think if you are a first time canner or even experienced, that this easy to use book is for you. I know I will be using it for years to come. Thank you to the authors.




3. I own this book and have purchased it for several people getting married that love to garden. It shows in detail how to can, freeze, store, etc. all of your produce. It is a great book for beginner canners as it explains things that are very easy to understand.



4. This is a very organized book. Since I literally have dozens of this type of book, I can honestly say this is one that I would definelty keep among all the others.

5 comments about Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles.

1. I very seldom buy new books, and even more seldom buy books as expensive as this. But I had a $25 Amazon gift certificate, so I went ahead and bought it, and I'm very glad I did.
   
   The first section of the book is useful information on growing perennial vegetables (and other perennials, for that matter), and on landscaping using these plants, many of which have great ornamental value.
   
   Part Two is a listing of each of the more than 100 (I didn't count) perennial vegtables, with information on each species. About half the listed plants have quite extensive growing information, and about half have shorter descriptions. A map is included for each species, showing where it will grow as a perennial and where it can be grown as an annual. Toensmeier has not included plant 'thugs' such as kudzu or Japanese knotweed, and warns the reader if any of the other plants may naturalize.
   
   The author's inclusions of certain species (as vegetables) may be slightly questionable: we are more apt to think of them as fruit or as herbs, for example, rhubarb and lovage. (However, my daughter cooks a lot of Persian food, and uses rhubarb as a vegetable in a meat and vegetable stew.) Also, this book will be of even more use to people who live in a warmer climate than I do (northern Pennsylvania in the mountains, with Zone 4 weather). I actually already grow four of the vegetables in the book: rhubarb, lovage, Good King Henry, and sorrel. I discovered some others that I'll definitely try - two of which I had never even heard of before. Those who live considerably further south than I will find a wealth of species to try.
   
   The book is well written, and carefully edited. It includes a list of recommended reading, a list of recommended web sites, a list of sources for seeds and plants, a list of sources for garden supplies and equipment, a bibliography, an index by both scientific and common names, and a really valuable list of perennial vegetables that will grow in each of the various climate types in the USA (including Hawaii).
   
   If you're at all interested in growing perennial vegetables - or in permaculture in general - I think you'll want to read this book and probably to own it. I think it's a very useful book and a pleasure to read. I recommend it most highly.



2. I have to give it 5 stars for being the first real comprehensive review of perennial vegetables, and the organization of this book is fabulous. Some of the information I found at odds with my own experience, such as that I have found hardy varieties of clumping bamboo available. Also, I question the sustainability of some of the quarantine methods for more invasive varieties he suggests (what happens if someone stops mowing?). Overall a fantastic book for gardeners who love perennials!



3. I have spent a lot of time with this book. It is very well done and the standard of excellence is very high. Like many, I think we face the real possibility of having to be largely self-reliant as many different global crises converge, water, oil, climate change, etc. The antidote to despair is getting busy and one of the very best core strategies is to plant perennial vegetables and do edible landscaping.
   
   As noted above, not only is this book very thorough and very complete, it will point the reader to seed, plant, and other resources to implement their ideas. I consider it a master work and far more valuable than its very reasonable price. Get it, it will be one cornerstone of your self reliance toolkit.



4. This is an interesting book with nice photos, but of limited use to me here in USDA zone 5. Most of these plants require much warmer weather than I have, and from those I have grown, I'd say that while some may be easy enough to grow there are reasons they're not in widescale commercial production.
   
   Take the sunchoke, or Jerusalem artichoke, for instance. It's currently growing like a weed in a corner of my garden from six tubers I planted last year. I thought I had dug up the majority of what had grown last year - apparently not from the volume of new growth that sprouted this year. A friend of mine told me he had had a patch that got completely out of control before he mowed it into submission and gave up on harvesting it. I found the tubers really didn't have much taste until after frost, which meant there was only a narrow window available for harvest in the late fall/early winter before the ground froze but not completely. They are small and knobby and a pain to peel, and don't store all that well once they've been dug up out of the ground. All in all, easy to grow but not easy to use and certainly as likely as not to become a pest in the garden. I've tried New Zealand Spinach, too, and I'd have to say it was not very tasty - very tough and bitter. I'm glad it didn't survive the winter.
   
   So, while it's a lovely coffee-table book and an interesting conversation piece, I'd say it's "buyer beware" on the actual "veggies" featured in the book itself.



5. This is a good book well worth owning. I personally think that the layout could have been done better. There is a section at the end with lists of plants by climate zone, that really needed to give page numbers for the plants. Also the grouping by family, well very scientific, can make it hard to find what you are looking for. If you don't happen to know what family it is in you have to look in the index. Be prepared to become very friendly with the index if you are looking for a certain plant. Also don't take the maps too much to heart, the delineation of zones on the maps are wrong (he puts Vancouver WA as a Cold Temperate Climate type... we are zone 8 and rarely get snow.) but that is probley more a printer error then anything else. Add in the fact that the author has a HEAVY bias toward the warmer climes (like my zone 8 garden). Although a good part of that slant could very well be that there is a lack of research on edible perennials for the colder areas.
   
   All that said I don't regret buying this book, it is a good book with lots of interesting information.

4 comments about Vegetable Gardening: From Planting to Picking - The Complete Guide to Creating a Bountiful Garden.

1. I've checked out most vegetable gardening books at the local library and used the extension service materials, but this is the best general guide I've seen. Each vegetable and common herb gets its own page with how to plant, maintaing harvest and treat common problems. There are organic methods side by side with nonorganic methods to let the reader choose instance by instance. Each page has an illustration or actual photograph. Where appropriate information on growing in different hardiness zones is included. There are also step by step instructions on planing, preparing the ground, sowing and planting, making your garden grow (watering, feedings, weeding, pests diseases, harvest and storage, and lastly pages for each vegetable as grouped into sections such as herbs, root and stem crops etc. I checked this out from the library but decided to buy it after realzing how useful it will be in my house as a reference.



2. I received this gorgeous book last Christmas and have since read through it so many times it's getting dog-eared! It's not only a comprehensive volume, covering everything from salsify to celeriac and kolhrabi to tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce, but it also gives excellent tips on how to set up your garden, when to harvest, and how to store your vegetables. It's arranged in a very user-friendly way, with tips and tricks and reccommended varieties on the side and loads of photographs. In fact, the full-color pictures are so incredibly gorgeous that this could be a coffee table book! Do yourself or the gardener in your life (amateur or otherwise) a favor and pick this up!!



3. I found this book to be very helpful and a great read. I really like the way it is organized and illustrated, the pictures are beautiful and informative. The authors took the time to make the book accessable for those who may not be fully acquainted with the art of veggie gardening...
   
   overall it is a worthwhile buy.



4. I bought this book for my son who is a beginning gardner. He has reviewed it and says it will be very helpful with his garden next spring.

No comments about Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants.

4 comments about Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening: The Total Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Other Edible Plants the Natural Way.

1. Howard covers the essentials of Basic Organic Gardening as well as the how to's. I bought the book at Rohde's for about the same price before shipping. If you can't get to Garland; but it here. We just completed our 20'x20' raised bed garden. Our front yard is the lushest greenest yard in the neighborhood with NO CHEMICALS. We have been a fan of Howard for a few years now.

   Grant Wiscour Irving, TX




2. This book has been indispensable to me!!! This book, along with The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, have been my "text books" in starting a garden. Without them, I wouldn't have such a great garden. These books take the guess work out of what to do. Thanks Mr. Garrett and Mr Beck!!!



3. This book is nothing more than a compilation of information that can be had for free from the county extension agents. I found nothing new in it. Your time would be better spent talking to the county agent and getting specific information for you county, as it would be easier to find that way, than in this book.



4. If you are intending to grow vegetables in Central Texas, you MUST buy this book! It is the only book out there that realistically tells you how (and WHEN) to grow vegetables in this, very difficult part of zone 8. ALmost tropical...and yet, so dry......and hot.....and such awful soil we have here! (Well, for the most part.)
   
   It has been THE most useful Gardening book in my collection for the last eight years, and though I buy many gardening books, no other book can begin to touch it (mainly because what they have to say just doesn't relate to Central Texas!)

5 comments about Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook.

1. This book is filled with beautiful pictures and explanations that inspire and educate. Ms. Bartley has her own garden and I felt that I benefited from her own experience. After reading this book, I was ready to place a potager's garden in my own back yard.



2. I bought this book as a gift for my friend Ellen, who loves gardening. She was thrilled!!



3. As a horticulture student, I bought this on a field trip at Pennsylvania's Longwood Gardens. And though I had to truck it with me across 5 states and 2 countries, it's defiantly worth the buy. Not only does Bartley discuss the history of the potager, but she offers insight into both traditional and American gardens as well as helpful hints for the beginning designer. A must have for any kitchen gardener.



4. Like other "potager" books (formal, French-style kitchen gardens), this has beautiful photos of gardens artistically planted in geometric designs, which are unrealistic for those of us without at least fairly large properties and larger bank accounts. It also has the best-researched history, which is interesting in itself and will give you fodder for entertaining conversation. The unexpected bonus that sets this one apart from the others is that it's useful, too, because there are many detailed how-to charts, designs, and lists. These are particularly for those who live in the Midwest (Zone 5 and adjacent), as the author does. East Coasters can benefit, too, but those of us in California will have to adapt her when-to-plant info, for instance. Even so, this is one of the most interesting and useful books of many that I've read or skimmed lately on all variations and topics of vegetable gardening. I actually READ most of this one.



5. I recently purchased a used volume of Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook. The page views were very helpful in helping me decide the content was what I was looking for to help me redesign my current garden. The photos and description of the condition of the book ( which was very accurate)also aided in helping make my decision.
   The book arrived in the described condition and in a timely manner. I was extremely pleased with this transaction and the book has indeed met my expectations for the information I was hoping to obtain.