Gayla Trail

When I started reading this book, I thought it wouldn't teach me much new. I could not have been more wrong. Yes, it covers the basics of gardening, keeping things simple and small-scale whether you just have a balcony space or a patch of backyard. Includes explanations on things like mixing potting soil, making compost, cleaning tools, reading plant labels, thwarting pests, mulching, starting seed, saving the harvest and so much more. There's also lots of crafts such as making a planter box, sewing a gardener's apron with pockets, creating plant labels and seed packets, building a trellis, and custom stepping stones. There's directions for many things I've never tried before such as candied flower petals, floral-infused vinagers and homemade hand salve. I already have ideas to try a few new things, or grow several plants I never considered before, due to her enthusiastic recommendation. It's all presented in a very cheerful, friendly style, telling you up front what to be concerned about and what to shrug off. This book really made me feel interested in picking things up for the garden again-

more at the Dogear Diary… (mais)

First of all, the photography in this book alone makes this book a worthwhile read. The pictures are absolutely beautiful! As far as information, it is a great book for a beginning gardener with not a lot of space. It covers the basics of gardening from starting with good soil, all the way to harvesting and preserving your veggies. It has a hefty section on plants, detailing most of the common garden varieties of vegetables and specific growing information on each. It touches on fertilizing and garden pests, and promotes the idea of organic gardening to create a balanced ecosystem without harsh chemicals.

While I do think this would be a great book for the beginning gardener, I realized while I was reading this that maybe I’m not a beginning gardener anymore. I knew a lot of the information that was laid out, and found myself feeling like she needed to go more in depth on some of the topics. However, I’m realizing maybe I’m just not on the surface level anymore, so I’m probably no longer the target audience of such a book. It’s a great book, though, and I can see myself lending it out to friends with questions on starting a garden.

It did inspire me to get out in the garden and gave me a few new ideas, so I still felt the book was worth the read. I loved the idea of putting edible flowers in ice cubes for “fancy” drinks.… (mais)