Sugar Snaps and Strawberries

April 15, 2011

Bellamy, creator of the blog Heavy Petal (heavypetal.ca), is a specialist on urban organic vegetable gardening who saw the need for a complete resource to enable people with limited outdoor nooks, yards, and balconies to design and build their own edible gardens from the soil up. Her book is comprehensive yet easy to read and assimilate. The text is richly embellished with Connelly's beautiful instructive photos (many of them full-page) as well as useful tables. The "Edibles from A to Z" section provides detailed instructions for selecting and establishing plants in small growing areas. Bellamy does not include a map of North American hardiness zones, as the plants are to be grown as annual edibles and are not expected to survive the winter. Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening is comparable; however, Bellamy focuses exclusively on growing edibles in limited space. VERDICT This book is creative and fresh. Bellamy accomplishes her aims, as readers will be able to transform cramped outdoor spaces into edible gardens. Urban gardeners and garden landscape designers will enjoy this book, which would nicely round out many gardening collections. A green thumbs up.--Deborah Anne Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2010
A movement to embrace home-grown edibles, whether propelled by economics or the hope for sustainability, is taking shape around us, writes Bellamy, setting the stage for a thorough introduction to the basics of creating a small-space garden, in which beauty combines with functionality. Bellamy offers design tips as she discusses assessing space and common site problems (e.g., poor drainage); preparing containers, raised beds, and soil; sowing; growing; maintaining plant health; pruning; and harvesting. Highlighted are edibles from apples to zucchini, with details for the cultivation and enjoyment of each fruit and vegetable, including useful growing tips and information on the most popular varieties. Of particular inspiration are Bellamys suggestions for veggie patches on balconies, patios, and the tiniest of city plots. Many full-page color photographs by Jackie Connelly complete this yummy and useful presentation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)