The Beginner's Guide to Growing Great Vegetables

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES by Lorene Edwards Forkner is an extremely useful guide for beginning gardeners. The text begins with sections on Gardening in North America (with a map of climate zones and comments on microclimates); Gardening 101 which reviews the important components of sun, water and soil as well as gardening vocabulary; and Garden Planning (covering garden bed design, spacing, etc.). The text is then organized seasonally; I especially like that the various monthly chapters include a quick check list of what “to do this month,” including planning, preparing and maintaining, and sowing and planting. New gardeners can also refer to a later section labeled “Edibles A to Z” which provides information on growing and harvesting and quick descriptions of varieties for over two dozen vegetables like eggplant, spinach and tomatoes.  THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GROWING GREAT VEGETABLES received a starred review from Library Journal and was featured recently in a School Library Journal article. I would heartily recommend this text for anyone who would like to experiment with growing their own healthy vegetables or learning more about topics like composting or about growing herbs, flowers, or fruit trees, all of which are discussed and beautifully illustrated. Forkner’s manual is a valuable resource to consult again and again. 

GARDENING HACKS by Jon VanZile (Houseplants for a Healthy Home) contains over 300 “Time and Money Saving Hacks.” Split over five chapters, his newer title offers ideas related to seeds/seedlings, container, indoor, and outdoor gardening, as well as a final chapter on tools/pests and harvesting. VanZile describes the book as being written for those “looking for time-saving ideas, money-saving tips, and tricks for avoiding common hassles in your garden.” A few varied examples include crafting mini “greenhouses” with 2-liter bottles, using cardboard boxes to suppress weeds, recycling wine corks into plant labels, using Epsom Salts and baking soda for healthier pants, making a wind chime from old keys or silverware and creating a “bean fort” to both grow beans and be a play space. More of a supplemental resource, the illustrations are simple drawings using few colors.