The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcomb
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Spring is here and it’s time to start thinking about planting a garden! If you saw the size of our backyard, you would know why I would need to request a book titled The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden from Blogging for Books. My dream is to one day have a yard large enough to have a gigantic garden. Until that day, which will hopefully come, I will attempt to garden…..AGAIN.
This book is actually a revised edition of a book previously published forty years ago, with added information on heirloom vegetable gardening. It’s sold over 500,000 copies and I can see why.
In the whole scheme of gardening I am definitely a novice. This book is a great resource for novice gardeners like myself. Chapter 1 begins with planning out a garden. It covers everything from where you should plant your garden to how many plants you will need based on the number of people you plan on feeding. It also provides sample garden plans for different sized gardens using different types of vegetables, flowers and herbs. Other chapters include creating an optimal soil mixture, when and how to plant different vegetables and watering the garden once you’ve planted it. Newcomb also provides information on plants and herbs that work well together as well as pest and critter control. The majority of the book consists of detailed information about specific vegetables. Newcomb rates the vegetables, noting which ones work especially well in small-sized gardens. She also gives information planting the specific vegetable, recommended varieties, typical problems you may encounter growing that vegetable, and harvesting and storage tips.
This book provided a wealth of information to me, as a beginning gardener. Although not necessary, I think photographs would have enhanced the enjoyment of this book. After reading this book, in lieu of an actual garden, my goal this year is to have success with container gardening. Stay tuned for updates as I start planning!
*Disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
