Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 61
 Well organized, informative, and entertaining. June 23, 2001
Peaseblossom (New York State)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
The library wouldn't let me renew this book anymore, so I had to buy my own copy! As a novice gardener, I found this book to be just the thing to see me through my first growing season. As a librarian, I love the organization, the completeness of the index, and the thorough way all subjects are handled. There is a great section on herbs, too. As an avid reader, I enjoyed his occasional asides to the reader. For example, under ASPARGUS, STORING, the author tells us: "You must be kidding. You don't store asparagus, you eat it!" This is just what I wanted to be told, having eaten untold numbers of young asparagus spears with the mud still on 'em. A worthy purchase.
vegetable gardeners bible indeed! May 16, 2003
remosito (Princeton, NJ)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I started my own garden using the wide, deep, rised
bed technique described in this book and the yields were
really quite stunning. I used planks to rise my beds by
a feet.Explains every step from designing/planning via building
and planting and taking care of your garden to harvesting
and readying for the winter. Fabulous gardening book for the beginner and advanced
gardener. Full of wonderful tips and info about everything
vegetable garden.
The best vegetable gardening book I've seen May 2, 2005
audiblemercy (Southern CA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I stumbled across this book at my local bookstore and even though I ended up paying the full retail price, it was well worth it. I knew nothing about gardening before I read the book but Ed Smith's detailed instructions and nuggets of wisdom gave me the know-how to grow vegetables that exceeded my expectations. I have an urban garden in CA (zone 9a) so I'm limited on space and have high clay content in my soil, but with three 4x6x12 raised beds I can grow fantastic organic vegetables. I've probably read the book cover to cover now several times over, but I still keep finding myself flipping to the back of the book where Ed has 1-2 pages dedicated to each of the most popular vegetables. Within these sections you can find useful information such as watering conditions, when to grow seedlings, seed longevity, most popular cultivars, and many tips for sowing, growing, and harvesting. The last part of the book alone is worth the price of the book.
One Of The Best How-To Books On Any Subject September 5, 2005
S. Turner (Northern California United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Calling any book a "bible" is a bit presumtuous, but not in this case! Author Smith and publisher Storey have gone above and beyond in creating the one and possibly only book every vegetable gardener should own. The content is comprehensive, accurate, and very well presented. The 300+ 8 1/2"x 11" pages are a beautifully laid out blend of text, photos, and illustrations. I've been scouring gardening books since the sixties, and this one sets a new standard. Thank you Ed and Storey!
A+: it really is THE bible for vegetable gardeners June 4, 2003
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I absolutely love this book. The gardening system is sound and organic, and it is presented in clear, simple language in a lovely, easy-to-grasp design. So often gardening books are long on written advice but short on visuals. Or they are ONLY visuals, with the text nothing more than captions. This book has it all.
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