2 comments about American Tomato: The Complete Guide to Growing and Using Tomatoes.

1. if you are not a really good gardener, and maybe don't understand the standard lingo, then this good book could disappoint. it helped me diagnose an illness in one of my tomatoe plants, but i disagree with the comments on pruning. but the biggest problem is that it does not have pictures. so, if you are new to gardening, you also should buy the vegetable gardener's bible by edward smith. together, i think a beginner can do well. (if you don't prune, make sure you have LOTS of room. and stake, stake, stake!)



2. As a gardening and tomato enthusiast, I was excited to find a book dedicated to my favorite vegetable. This volume, however, was a complete let-down.
   
   Not only does it lack illustrations/photos, it offers gardening tips and information readily available in your standard gardening book or guide. From the information available on the author, it seems that he has little if any gardening background at all, making his many unusual and unconventional cultivating tips suspect at best.
   
   Although 'American Tomato' offers some lists of the different varieties of tomato available, the lack of illustration and absence of detail for the varieties named is both frustrating and disappointing.
   
   If you are very fond of growing unusual, exotic or rare tomato types, this book will surely disappoint. This book simply does not give the level of detail or description that one would expect from a book dedicated solely to the tomato. Content is rather basic, and seems directed to the casual or new gardener. This audience, however, would be better served by purchasing a general vegetable gardening book.
   
   It is interesting to note that the author has written several other books, all on wildly varied subjects. Perhaps the author should become better acquainted with one subject area and be able to write with more authority, rather than spending his time writing numerous books of lackluster quality on such a wide range of unrelated interests.

4 comments about Oriental Vegetables: The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook.

1. Joy Larkcom's excellent introduction to growing Asian vegetables is informative, well-designed, and ably illustrated by Elizabeth Douglass. The section on vegetable cultivation and technique in China is particularly interesting. The recipes are helpful to Western gardeners exploring the savoury variety of Chinese greens, peas, and beans for the first time.
   

   Havi Hoffman
   




2. `Oriental Vegetables' by English gardening writer Joy Larkcom is the real deal. For foodies like myself, the most important thing to know about the book is exactly what deal it is real. I bought it with a bunch of other books on Asian ingredients without paying attention to much about the book except for the title, being lead to it by Amazon's cleverly surfacing books related to the books you have already chose to buy. Especially do not be deceived by the very nice blurb on the cover from Alice Waters and play extra attention to the subtitle, `The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook'.
   
   This book is much more about gardening than it is about cooking, and it tackles the subject of gardening very, very well. It does an exceptionally good job on detailing for us the ins and outs of growing the primary subject of the book, oriental vegetables.
   
   The very best news about this book is that it was published 14 years ago, just as commerce between the West and China and Indochina was warming up. This trade has had these 14 years to mature into something that makes the access to unusual seeds even easier. A corollary to this is the fact that the book also predates the blooming of the Internet, so most of the sources Ms. Larkcom gives from the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan will probably be joined by others and be themselves more accessible.
   
   Ms. Larkcom began her inquiry into her subject already an expert on growing vegetables. She enhanced her credentials by making long trips to China and Japan and by enlisting the assistance of a large stable of translators. All of this linguistic help was probably even more necessary for Oriental plants, as the systematic naming of plants in China and Japan is probably far behind that in the west, plus the fact that there are simply so many different species to deal with. I have seen in other horticultural books that China is the source of far more plant species than any comparable region on the earth. Even a cursory look at Ms. Larkcom's table of contents gives weight to this observation. This lists 77 species or groups of species by `common name'. This is substantially less than Elizabeth Schneider's approximately135 species covered in `Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini', but this book is limited to less than a quarter of the world's land mass while Schneider covers the entire world (as seen from western Europe).
   
   If you already own Bruce Cost's classic `Oriental Ingredients', you have not touched the surface of what Larkcom's book can offer. Cost gives us the culinary and economic scoop. Ms. Larkcom focuses on the horticultural.
   
   Ms. Larkcom's favorite subject may very well be the cabbages, as they are her first subject and she lovingly describes them as being very easy to grow in western soils and climates. In her general introduction to these brassicas, she covers climatic factors, stages of use, fitting the oriental brassicas into Western gardens, cultivation, pests and diseases, grouping the oriental brassicas, and specific hybrid brassicas. The introductory section finishes up with an excellent diagram of how oriental brassicas are related. This may do nothing to improve your salads or stir-frys, but it's great in helping to choose substitutes when one species is out of season and a related species is in full bloom.
   
   For each individual species, Ms. Larkcom follows Bruce Cost's practice by giving the most common English name, the biological family, the two part Latin name, other common English names, plus names in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese. Even among the Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, some plants may have several different names. After this linguistic heading, there are paragraphs on background, use, characteristics, types, climate, soil, cultivation, intercropping, pests and disease, harvesting, storage, and varieties. Whew! All this information includes a culinary aspect I have simply not seen elsewhere. This is the fact that several plants go through different stages and while some stages may be commercially less desirable in western eyes, they are really quite highly prized by Oriental users.
   
   After Brassicas, the other major groups of plants are beans, cucurbits (gourds and melons), onions, radishes, water vegetables, tubers, and herbs and wild plants. If I were to take away one plant from this book and give it a shot at growing in my back yard, it would probably be the radishes. The rich assortment of oriental radishes is in strong contrast to the variety available in even a better than average American megamart.
   
   The biggest surprise I found was that ginger received a light coverage as an herb and its relative, galangal is not mentioned at all. I am certain this is because neither of these two plants is easy to grow in home gardens, and growing is what this book is all about. This reinforces the fact that for the foodie with a black thumb, this book needs a companion with a culinary focus to fill out one's picture of Oriental veggies.
   
   The main body of the book dealing with individual plants is supplemented with an excellent chapter on growing techniques. I am not as familiar with the soil as I am with the stove, but from what I can see, this chapter is first rate, covering techniques which you may not find in your average Better Homes and Gardens title. This is followed by a chapter on cooking which is even better than what I saw in other books on vegetables where the emphasis was more on cooking than in this horticulturally slanted book.
   
   The appendices to this book alone are worth the price of admission with its excellent tables of gardening terms, growing calendars, plant names, and bibliographies. While there is some danger that the references to suppliers may be out of date, I do recognize several current major players such as W. Atlee Burpee and Johnny's Selected Seeds.
   
   If any of this interests you, this book is for you!



3. The author focusses on China and Japan, paying far less attention to Korea, Southeast Asia and the South Asian region. This probably accounts for the omission of galangal (as noted by one reviewer above) and for the omission of important herbs such as rau ram (Polygonum odoratum), alluded to only vaguely by a Polygonum entry which says (roughly) "there are many oriental polygonums; you can find them sold in stores".
   
   However, she goes into *exhaustive*, blinding detail on a whole range of arcane Japanese and Chinese vegetables. I learned critical things about okahijiki and yomogi from reading this book, as well as the procedure for blanching mitsuba, and read about a veg I had not heard of before - Chinese artichoke - when I've reached a point where few things surprise me. On the better known vegetables - edible chrysanthemum, gobo, ong choy, Chinese celery, celtuce - she gives helpful information and detailed growing instructions, and an overview of actual Asian growing practices, which I have not found elsewhere. Sadly it is not possible for Kitazawa Seed to cram all this information onto the back of seed packets and into its catalogue headings; if it had, several prior sowings of mine would have grown better.
   
   Finally, the author includes information on the CORRECT method for sprouting mung beans, which people (like me) who have been cursed with ratty bean sprouts will welcome!



4. This book has really helped me understand the wonderful variety of Asian plant seeds offered by Johnny's and Fedco Seeds. It has an emphasis on the brassicas, probably because the author lives in Britain, and those crops can grow there all year. Keep her climate in mind when you read this book (average of 60 degrees in the summer, minimum low of 20 degrees in the winter, and plenty of rain).
   
   Oriental vegetables, especially the brassicas, seem to be easier to grow and hardier than the traditional cabbages, broccoli, etc., that I've grown side-by-side with them. It is great to have a book that helps sort out the confusing names. For example, I learned that Senposai (a seed I bought from Fedco - called "one thousand treasure vegetable" in Japan) is a cross between ordinary cabbage and komatsuna, and tastes much like ordinary cabbage. Then there is a lot of information on komatsuna, chinese cabbage, pak choi, mibuna mizuna, choy sum, etc., with a chart to help you sort them all out.
   
   In the back, there is all the obligatory information on gardening techniques that is covered better in other books, but with helpful some references to Asian techniques and tools. She speaks with authority on plant protection, telling you specifics on what works for her. There is a nice, but small section of recipes. The growing information and plant name charts are VERY helpful. And finally, the index is thorough.
   
   If you are planning to grow Asian vegetables, especially brassicas, this book is worth consulting.
   
   If it were updated, I would give it five stars.

1 comments about The Midwest Fruit and Vegetable Book. Missouri Edition. (Midwest Fruit and Vegetables).

1. I live in Oh and bought the book in OH. I have not figured out how to tell which state the book is for. I can tell you that everything matches with what I know. It is excellent! It includes lots of good practical information. I grow Blueberry, Red and Black Raspberries plus the garden vegtable and fruit plants.

2 comments about The Southern Kitchen Garden: Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers Essential for the Southern Cook.

1. Anyone who is either new to food gardening in the South or has been unsuccessful in their previous attempts will appreciate this very useful new gardening book. Adams and LeRoy clearly explain the tricks to growing edibles from delicious veggies and fruits to fragrant herbs and flowers. Unlike many typical how-to books, this wisdom comes from the author's own hand-in-the-dirt experience, and it is beautifully illustrated with photographs sure to inspire the reader to create their own kitchen garden space. An excellant gift book that will be treasured for years.



2. Excellent book. A must have resource for anyone wanting to grow a great kitchen garden in the south.

5 comments about Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever.

1. Who says gardening is a gentle hobby? In "Backyard Giants," Ms. Warren takes us on a journey through the passionate and far-from-gentle world of competitive pumpkin growing. With a masterful eye for the telling detail and a narrative voice that sweeps the reader into this unusual world from the very first page, this is delightful and eye-opening read -- especially for those who've never wielded pruning shears or pored through garden catalogues at night.



2. Backyard Giants is a fascinating and informative book on the art, science, competition and reward of growing giant pumpkins. The author depicts the trials and tribulations of growers in Rhode Island, Ohio, the West Coast and Canada. A close-knit group of growers in Rhode Island are followed for an entire year as they prepare, plant, harvest and competitively show their giant fruits. The growers are depicted as compassionate, committed, scientific in their own right, and competitive. Through the author's creative writing style the reader is compelled through each stage of the giant pumpkin process. The pictures are an added bonus - driving home the amazing undertaking of growing something over 1,000 pounds in just four months. The joys and heartbreaks of this sport are well described, and leave the reader with respect and in awe of the growers.
   
   The author did an excellent job researching all aspects of growing giant pumpkins. I found myself with numerous questions as I read the book and inevitably the author answered every question I had. The author writes for those having no prior knowledge of pumpkin growing - but would also likely interest those who were knowledgeable in the field. She has a creative use of vocabulary and story telling. I was sorry to see the book come to an end, but also very content with the ending. This book is well worth the reader's investment.



3. 
   Bill Clinton was quoted in the "Washington Post" a few weeks ago: "That's the biggest pumpkin I've ever seen. It looks like we need a steroid inspection here." I googled " Big Pumpkins " and found lots of information, including this charming and fascinating book.
   
   Susan Warren is a gardener. She Googled a personal gardening question one day, and incidentally found guys that were obsessed with creating monster pumpkins. She wrote a front page story about them for the "Wall Street Journal", and this book grew out of that article.
   
   Warren describes the pumpkins, of course, but her book is much more about those obsessed guys. She grew a giant pumpkin (240 pounds) as a research project, but both she and her architect husband "got sucked in ... this is a very dangerous book. It sucks in people who like a challenge."
   
   She is amazed at the diversity of growers: airline pilots, engineers, Wall Street analysts, bankers, truck drivers, country club managers and "your mom could be a giant pumpkin grower." They live in a number of countries: the US, England, Germany, Australia, and elsewhere. She believes they are all overachievers, the kind of people who work all day and then come home and put in a few more hours in the garden.
   
   There is a bit of pathos in this book: Ron Wallace, the featured grower, loses one of his pumpkins: "Ron's disappointment was sharp and deep and all too familiar. He cracked the rotting skin open in hopes of recovering some seeds. But the seeds swimming in a fetid pool of neon-orange slime were limp and lifeless. Disgusted, he left the broken shards of giant pumpkin lying in the grass next to the garden, an organic monument to disappointment."
   
   As the extract shows, Warren is particularly good at describing the depth and complexity of the obsession these competitors. If that human element appeals to you, you'll enjoy this book.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



4. I had a great time reading this book. I too grow pumpkins and had a hard time setting this book down. Easy to read and gives a real behind the scenes on this sport, showing that growers have lives outside of pumpkin growing as well. If you want to grow a giant pumpkin yourself this book won't give you much for information on that topic. It is meant for more the humanity side of things.



5. I loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I cheered (well, not really-I was on a plane and didn't want to create a ruckus, but in my mind I was standing up and cheering!). This book offered a lot of interesting information-who knew pumpkins could grow up to 40 lbs. A DAY??-while following the attempts of various growers to reach the ultimate goal in giant pumpkin growing, a 1500 lb. pumpkin. Easy reading, informative, and a good conversation starter when you need to make small talk.

3 comments about Growing Wild Mushrooms: A Complete Guide to Cultivating Edible and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms.

1. Growing Wild Mushrooms is a good book for a biggining Mycologist. It runs through the basic procedures from making an agar medium to harvesting. But what makes this book worth a four star rating is it's wonderful color photos. It's one thing to read text, but quite another to to see clear illustrations. I would recocgmend this book to any aspiring Mycologist



2. This is a great book, and at no. 137,000 this Bob Harris' book on Mushrooms seems all set to pass the other Bob Harris' book on Chomskian analysis of how dumb all those journalists are, excepting of course Mssrs. Cohen and Solomon.



3. Apparently, this book was written to cater to those interested in hallucinogenic fungi. I initially bought this book in the hopes that it would teach me how to set up a cultivation operation focused primarily on edible, gourmet mushrooms. What I got instead was a poorly organized book rife with errors. The text has almost nothing to say about growing edible mushrooms. Rather, it is basically little more than a souped-up underground manual for the cultivation of hallucinogenic or so-called 'magic' mushrooms.

   To demonstrate how erroneous this book is, the author begins the book by saying that fungi are plants! As any good student of biology knows, fungi lack chlorophyll, thus can not be considered plants, and occupy their own, separate kingdom. These and other gross errors throughout the text make it unfit as a starting point for those interested in mushroom cultivation.

   The book is poorly organized, and places way too much emphasis on the psilocybe mushrooms, with passing reference to the cultivation of Pleurotus (oyster) mushrooms. In addition to some gratuitous color photos of a variety of Psilocybe mushrooms, and a few poorly placed black and white photos, this unremarkable book comes without an index, references, or supplementary materials. Furthermore, for the money you spend, you will not get much more than eighty six pages devoted to terse methods for locating, identifying, and cultivating the Psilocybe mushrooms (and this even is at a very low level).

   The title of this book should actually be: 'Growing Hallucinogenic Mushrooms'. For those interested in Psilocybe mushrooms, this book may serve as an adequate reference. For individuals interested in the edible and gourmet mushrooms, a good starting point is Paul Stamets' utilitarian book 'The Mushroom Cultivator' and his comprehensive, though sometimes off-beat 'Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms'.

1 comments about Organic Vegetable Production: A Complete Guide.

1. This is a fantastic book for the established, commercial organic farmer. It however, may confuse or scare the first time explorer. I myself am looking to begin an organic farm, here in Missouri, and would highly reccomend a thorough, but more intimately-set book by Eliot Coleman. "the new organic grower" .
   
   Organic Vegetable Production is a greatly valuable book once established, or furthur informed on the subject...
   
   I highly reccomend it... In a few years it could be worth it's weight in gold!!! Happy readings...

No comments about The Great Vegetable Plot: Delicious Varieties to Grow and Eat.

1 comments about Field Guide to the Broad-Leaved Herbaceous Plants of South Texas: Used by Livestock and Wildlife.

1. A must-have for every library in south Texas. This well-organized book fills a large gap in reference material about vegetation which remains undisturbed on less than 95% of south Texas' landmass. Placement of photos and construction of keys make this an excellent introductory text for students of botany. It's the first volume I can recommend to junior-high and high school teachers as a "user-friendly" approach to keying south Texas herbs. Lots of south Texas plants remain unmentioned here, however. Let us not assume that they are nonnative or without "use to livestock and wildlife."

1 comments about How to Grow Tomatoes: A practical gardening guide for great results, with step-by-step advice and 200 colour photographs (How to Grow...).

1. Sixty four pages, counting the table of contents and the index. A maximum of four pages of marginally useful info. Mostly photographs and common sense boilerplate. Not worth your time. I'd give it zero stars if I could.