Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet

April 1, 2015

Beautiful color photographs and step-by-step instructions distinguish this guide to growing vegetables, fruit, and herbs in small spaces. The book covers choosing a site and plants while maximizing a yard's productivity, as well as cultural information, both general and for cultivating specific plants. Helpful lists include top sun-loving crops, easy-care crops, and high-yielding crops, among others. Numerous projects, from raised beds to ladder shelves and balcony saddlebags, are shared, all with clear, nicely illustrated building and planting directions. The authors also include suggestions for themed vegetable beds such as a circular salad bed and a shady bed, offering alternatives for the vegetables/herbs included in the original plans. Succession planting ideas cover spring, summer, and winter in milder climates. VERDICT While the title may be overly optimistic, this book is useful for beginning and experienced gardeners alike because of the multiple projects and sample gardens that are provided. However, Andrea Bellamy's Small-Space Vegetable Gardens offers expanded contextual material and provides specific growing instructions for additional edible plants.--Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

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