Home vegetable gardening is all the rage. Millions have picked up spade and hoe and are digging into the soil for the first time. But starting a garden isn't always simple. Many hopeful growers find themselves confused by the dizzying array of things to know about soil quality, garden layout, seeds, temperatures, planting schedules, fertilizer, pests, watering, and harvesting. Still other first-time gardeners plant too much, only to find themselves overwhelmed and exhausted by July. Barbara Pleasant is here to help. In "Starter Vegetable Gardens", Pleasant, a master gardener and award-winning gardening writer, takes the guesswork out of growing food, explaining in simple, straightforward language how to start, maintain, and expand a bountiful vegetable garden in small, manageable spaces. Pleasant presents 24 no-fail, small-scale garden plans from a simple bag garden (planted right in soil bags!) to an orderly border and from a family food factory to specialty beds. For each plan, she provides plant and material lists, a plot layout, four-colour photographs, and tips for succession planting to keep the garden productive all season long.
Her all-organic approach ensures that the harvest is not simply tasty but also chemical-free.