Can anyone recommend a good gardening book for beginner?

Maya Papaya 4/20/2010, 4:29 am

I'm looking for a good overall book that explains a broad list of the basics. I was looking @ Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically but was wondering what you folks would recommend.

Thanks,

Maya Papaya

robbinscabin 4/20/2010, 7:27 am

Besides, The New SFG... Can anyone recommend a good gardening book for beginner? Icon_biggrin

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Storey's Basic Country Skills (A practical guide to self-reliance) by John and Martha Storey. It's got 4 major sections:

Your Place in the Country ~ 155 pages
Your Garden, Yard & Lawn ~ 221 pages
Country Cooking & Stocking Up ~ 80 pages
Your Barn, Stable and Fields ~ 102 pages

Granted I use the middle two chapters almost daily and I haven't really focused on the first and last sections all that much but... Those middle chapters are golden! They cover everything from how to start your seeds, companion gardening, rotating your crops, raised bed gardening, how to deal with garden pests, harvest, food storage, canning techniques...the list goes on and on. I call it "The Old Garden Testament" and SFG "The New Testament." Between the two, you just can't go wrong!

Hope that helps and good luck to you!

JonRigby2005 4/20/2010, 8:41 am

I like the sound of that, I'm seriously thinking about buying some acreage, and moving out of the city, as soon as i finish school. I'm gonna have to add that to my library as I've lived in the city my whole 27 years.

**mckr3441** 4/20/2010, 10:25 am

WHOA! Hey guys, there's only ONE gardening book: All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew! That's all you need.

Please do not look at my gardening book shelf. Nooooo -- there's no other gardening books there Can anyone recommend a good gardening book for beginner? Icon_twisted

. Just can't figure out why that shelf is sagging so!

I have so many gardening books but I find the most help on the internet. I've created a notebook with printouts. I ask google a question. Read through the various sites it recommends, then select the ones that I think will help me most and print them out. I add their topic to my notebook contents page in language that will allow me to find exactly what I'm looking for in the binder next time, give the printout the next number in line and stick it in the binder. I sort the contents page (using Word).

Then I go back to my books but no book in particular. Depending on what I'm looking for.

Have a good gardening day.

Claire Can anyone recommend a good gardening book for beginner? Icon_flower

ColoradoNatureGirl 4/20/2010, 12:03 pm

I am reading "The Backyard Homestead" by Carleen Madigan "Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!" It's a great book and I plan on buying it once I return this one to the library.

We have dreamed of buying some land out of town because we love that lifestyle, after reading this book and learning about SF gardening I am realizing I may not need as much land as I once thought I did to have the same lifestyle that I thought I needed several acres for.

JonRigby2005 4/20/2010, 6:35 pm

You're right, but you can't shoot guns, ride quads, and have bonfires in the city. No planes/helicopters flying over all night. You don't have to worry about angering the neighbors with long ugly projects like car or boat restoration, and the list goes on. Country living is where its at, some way I'm gonna make it happen. My whole family lived in the country and farmed until my mothers generation moved to the city. I've grown up visiting the farms and the country lifestyle, and now visit the rather large farm on my wifes side of the family, which rekindled my love for rural living. My wife and I discussed it and we're gonna do it, just a matter of when $$.

PB 4/20/2010, 8:16 pm

The Encyclopedia of Country Living
By: Carla Emery

jenjehle 4/20/2010, 11:52 pm

"Grow Vegetables: Gardens - Yard - Balconies - Roof Terraces" - by Alan Buckingham

There are also gardening books specific to the area of the country you live in. There's a series called "Guide to _______ Vegetable Gardening" by James Fizzell. Just insert the name of your state. That particular author has written many books about vegetable gardening. So you may find a few by him that are helpful.

You can go to your local library (where I get most of my gardening books to read!) and find the section with gardening books. Thumb through them until you find one that looks good.

Good luck!

plb 4/21/2010, 2:58 am

I love "Veg Patch" by Mark Diacono. Very clear, full of good pictures, and it even has a few good recipes at the end...

Maya Papaya 4/21/2010, 4:22 am

Thanks to all the replies. I'm still looking. You all are great!

Cheers, Maya Papaya

Very Happy

n1111z 4/21/2010, 11:46 am

I have Burpee's book, it's my go-to reference. Two other good ones are The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Bubel and The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control by Ellis and Bradley.

Maya Papaya 4/21/2010, 4:52 pm

n1111z wrote:I have Burpee's book, it's my go-to reference. Two other good ones are The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Bubel and The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control by Ellis and Bradley.

Yeah I got the Burpee one last night. Thanks to all of the replies.

Maya Papaya

LittleGardener 7/27/2011, 11:34 pm

mckr3441 wrote: WHOA! Hey guys,
there's only ONE gardening book: All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew! That's all you need.

Please do not look at my gardening book shelf. Nooooo -- there's no other gardening books there . Just can't figure out why that shelf is sagging so!

I have so many gardening books but I find the most help on the internet.

Have a good gardening day.

Claire

at Amazon they listed 2 versions, & the 1981 Rodale-version had 347 pages,
but 2006 version has only 272 pages, 1/2 as thick.
Can you explain what was in the Original pages? - or is this book just bigger?
Thanks!

CindiLou 7/28/2011, 12:14 am

mckr3441 wrote:
I have so many gardening books but I find the most help on the internet. I've created a notebook with printouts. I ask google a question. Read through the various sites it recommends, then select the ones that I think will help me most and print them out. I add their topic to my notebook contents page in language that will allow me to find exactly what I'm looking for in the binder next time, give the printout the next number in line and stick it in the binder. I sort the contents page (using Word).

Then I go back to my books but no book in particular. Depending on what I'm looking for.

exactly what I do! but don't forget to save an email site or title/author..some type of information to give credit or so you can find it again if you want to verify!

westie42 7/28/2011, 12:35 am

I picked this book up at HD over the winter by Edward C Smith it is the best gardening book I have seen in a long time. The one I bought is a new revision so be careful if you look at it in a store then order it used online.
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Gardeners-Bible-High-Yield-R-D/dp/1580172121

**Furbalsmom** 7/28/2011, 1:09 am

LittleGardener wrote:at Amazon they listed 2 versions, & the 1981 Rodale-version had 347 pages,
but 2006 version has only 272 pages, 1/2 as thick.
Can you explain what was in the Original pages? - or is this book just bigger?
Thanks!

LittleGardener, I have to admit, it has been a while since I read the original book, but it included information on amending your native soil, double diggin, and other things, which we no longer have to do as we now have Mel's Mix.

There was also additional information on veggies that is not included in the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.

CindiLou 7/28/2011, 2:28 am

Furbalsmom wrote:
LittleGardener wrote:at Amazon they listed 2 versions, & the 1981 Rodale-version had 347 pages,
but 2006 version has only 272 pages, 1/2 as thick.
Can you explain what was in the Original pages? - or is this book just bigger?
Thanks!

LittleGardener, I have to admit, it has been a while since I read the original book, but it included information on amending your native soil, double diggin, and other things, which we no longer have to do as we now have Mel's Mix.

There was also additional information on veggies that is not included in the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.

I have both books and refer to each. Mel's Mix is awesome.

**camprn** 7/28/2011, 8:41 am

I frequently use other gardening books. <~~~click

LittleGardener 7/28/2011, 2:02 pm

Furbalsmom wrote:
LittleGardener wrote:at Amazon they listed 2 versions, & the 1981 Rodale-version had 347 pages,
but 2006 version has only 272 pages, 1/2 as thick.
Can you explain what was in the Original pages? - or is this book just bigger?
Thanks!
LittleGardener,
it has been a while since I read the original book,
but it included information on amending your native soil,
double diggin, and other things, which we no longer have to do as we now have Mel's Mix.

There was also additional information on veggies
that is not included in the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.

THANK you for this info. ~ Too, I appreciate your consistent Smile

niceness. Enjoy a Wonderful... day

quiltbea 7/28/2011, 2:54 pm

Besides Mel's book, my favorites I refer to often are:

1) The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch

2) The New Victory Garden Book by Bob Thomson

3) The Vegetable Garden Bible by Edward C Smith

4) Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

I refer to one or the other several times during the growing season and when making my next year's garden plan. Very helpful.

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