Heirloom Vegetable Gardening

Hello all,

I have come across a rather large book (tome really) by William Weaver. The title is "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening." It is being presented by Mother Earth News and is available on Amazon.

The link is here:

http://www.amazon.com/Heirloom-Vegetable-Gardening-ebook/dp/B00AWDSINQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370096797&sr=1-1&keywords=heirloom+vegetable+gardening

Weighing in at 630 pages, it's supposed to be "the bible for gardeners." It covers 280 heirloom varieties. Originally published in 1997, it was out of print for a while. Evidently copies went for $300.00 at one time.

It is now available on Amazon as an e-book for $9.99. Buying directly from Mother Earth News, it costs $15.99.

Print versions are available on Amazon for $59.99 (used) or $180.00 (new).

Does anyone own this book? I am considering buying it, but I wanted some input from folks here.

I have never seen this book. What did you think of the reviews?

If it were me I would buy the paper version, mostly because I tend to write in the margins of my gardening books.

I have trouble flipping to specific pages in the middle of Kindle version books. Also, if you are a new gardener with a lot of questions, other books may be of more benefit to you this year.
Save the steep priced specialty books for a few years from now.

Thanks very much for your response camprn. I noticed the reviews for this book are stellar almost across the board. The exception is one three star review by a woman in WI (Margaret Anne). She expresses her frustration. She says the book leaves her yearning for a "gritier" book. She goes on to say, "he does not pave a clear enough path for gardeners who want to expand their practical knowledge to follow along with him." Everyone else loves the book and gives it five stars. So, as you can imagine, I have mixed feelings about this book. Heard about it through e-mail from Mother Earth News (I very much respect this publisher).

I'm with you when it comes to print books (gardening). I did not get Mel's book in Kindle form so that I could flip through pages as well. The only reason I would by the e-book version of this book is to avoid the high print price.

As you say, this might be for years to come. Camprn... do you have any "go to" books (aside from New SFG Book), that you can recommend? Thanks.

:scratch:

Why not see if your local library could get it for you to borrow? That way you can check it out before buying it. I know that a few years ago I ordered a book through Barnes and Noble and when it came it was totally not what I was expecting. I didn't have to pay for it or keep it. They just put it onto the shelve for someone else to purchase. I haven't read or heard of this book before so I dont have any insight into, sorry.

Wind, at the bottom of my signature at the end of this post is a link to a thread about other gardening books. I have a few posts there.

Camprn, you're the best. I love Rodale books. I've enjoyed Organic Gardening Magazine very much and the 50 yrs book looks great. Used prices on Amazon rock!

Mschaef, thanks for your comment. I've been checking with my library for various books as well. Library closed before I could get to asking them about the Heirloom book. I know the feeling with Barnes and Noble. I have purchased cookbooks from them that ended up being very different from what I expected.

Thanks again~

Your welcome...also if your library doesn't have it see if another library does and if they could get it for you. I think that this is called a interlibrary loan, I think.

I bought this:

The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables: The 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest-to-Eat Vegetables for Your Garden

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604691883/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And it's been useful to me. Of course, the "usefulness" of any of these gardening books is tempered by the fact that no one writes with the high desert growing environment in mind...but, c'est la guerre.

brainchasm wrote:I bought this:

The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables: The 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest-to-Eat Vegetables for Your Garden

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604691883/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And it's been useful to me. Of course, the "usefulness" of any of these gardening books is tempered by the fact that no one writes with the high desert growing environment in mind...but, c'est la guerre.

Here's a link to Amazon, Month by Month Gardening in Nevada. Check it out! There is also a Month by Month Gardening in the Deserts of the South West. I got the one M by M Gardening in the Dakotas for my area. There seems to be one for just about everywhere in the US. I LOVE mine! Needed all the help I could get after being used to planting in Nor Cal.

GG

http://www.amazon.com/Month-Gardening-Deserts-Nevada/dp/1591863848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370205372&sr=1-1&keywords=month+by+month+gardening+in+nevada

Goosegirl wrote:

brainchasm wrote:I bought this:

The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables: The 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest-to-Eat Vegetables for Your Garden

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604691883/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And it's been useful to me. Of course, the "usefulness" of any of these gardening books is tempered by the fact that no one writes with the high desert growing environment in mind...but, c'est la guerre.

Here's a link to Amazon, Month by Month Gardening in Nevada. Check it out! There is also a Month by Month Gardening in the Deserts of the South West. I got the one M by M Gardening in the Dakotas for my area. There seems to be one for just about everywhere in the US. I LOVE mine! Needed all the help I could get after being used to planting in Nor Cal.

GG

http://www.amazon.com/Month-Gardening-Deserts-Nevada/dp/1591863848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370205372&sr=1-1&keywords=month+by+month+gardening+in+nevada

Thanks GG! Kinda wish it focused on vegetables/fruits, since I could give a **** about lawns and roses, but I'll definitely check it out!

brainchasm wrote:

Goosegirl wrote:
Here's a link to Amazon, Month by Month Gardening in Nevada. Check it out! There is also a Month by Month Gardening in the Deserts of the South West. I got the one M by M Gardening in the Dakotas for my area. There seems to be one for just about everywhere in the US. I LOVE mine! Needed all the help I could get after being used to planting in Nor Cal.

GG

http://www.amazon.com/Month-Gardening-Deserts-Nevada/dp/1591863848/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370205372&sr=1-1&keywords=month+by+month+gardening+in+nevada

Thanks GG! Kinda wish it focuses on vegetables/fruits, since I could give a **** about lawns and roses, but I'll definitely check it out!

The one for the Dakotas has a section on annuals, then a section on herbs & vegetables, then bulbs, corms, rhizomes & tubers, then lawns, then perennials & ornamental grasses, then roses, then shrubs, then trees, then vines and ground covers. Each section has an intro and then month by month guides.

GG

I think I might have to get a month by month book for where I live...only one problem: what to due with the book once the military moves us again...hhhmm

mschaef wrote:I think I might have to get a month by month book for where I live...only one problem: what to due with the book once the military moves us again...hhhmm

Pass on the gift of gardening - give it to a friend who still lives in MT! Or keep it as a souvenir of your time in the GWN.

GG

Goosegirl wrote:

mschaef wrote:I think I might have to get a month by month book for where I live...only one problem: what to due with the book once the military moves us again...hhhmm

Pass on the gift of gardening - give it to a friend who still lives in MT! Or keep it as a souvenir of your time in the GWN.

GG

See I wouldn't mind doing that but my hubby think that would be a waste of money. So maybe I'll see about getting it from the library.

mschaef wrote:

Goosegirl wrote:Pass on the gift of gardening - give it to a friend who still lives in MT! Or keep it as a souvenir of your time in the GWN.

GG

See I wouldn't mind doing that but my hubby think that would be a waste of money. So maybe I'll see about getting it from the library.

I can understand that - Hubby and I think differently about those sorts of things as well!

GG

mschaef wrote:I think I might have to get a month by month book for where I live...only one problem: what to due with the book once the military moves us again...hhhmm

Sell it on Amazon, or some other website.

Libraries are amazing!

I check out all books from our library system before buying them. If they don't have what I want in MA my library will search the rest of the country until they find it, or if they think it's interesting enough they'll buy it for our library and put me in for the first check out. That's how they recently acquired the 2nd ed ANSFG book.

I have a book checked out right now - The New Victory Garden - that I've renewed 3 times (no one is waiting for it so we can do that) so I've had it for a total of 8 weeks. The book is a month by month veggie gardening for New England. I love it and I'll be buying it.

I just went to my libraries website and put in a request for Heirloom Vegetable Gardening. There are 6 copies in our area. They will email me when it's ready for pick up. Thanks for the tip.

CC

Glad that you were able to find it...this is the first base that I have lived on where if the town library has it I have to physically go there to check it out. This is very frustrating for me since we only have one car my my hubby uses it for work and school. Let me know what you think of the book maybe I'll have to look into the library to find it for me.

Depending on how tight your finances are, you could buy the e-book for a small investment to see if you want to spend the money on the book.

Thank you for this thread, I have just one click .. bought the book. I have a smaller house and we have gotten rid of most of our books. I LOVE having them on Kindle. I have really gotten into heirlooms this year, with several exotic squash, beans, tomatoes and peppers. In search of more exotic flavours and the sustainability of saving seeds... PLUS I LOVE the concept of trading. I am sure I will have LOTS to trade in the fall, but unfortunately... live in Canada.