Book summary

This is a glorious A-to-Z guide for growing vegetables, filled with juicy photos (taken from the author's own garden), illustrations, instructive charts, and sidebars. From acorn squash to zucchini, master organic gardener Edward Smith provides a complete character study of each vegetable from seed stage to final harvest. In general, Smith discusses ideal climate, Ph levels and acidity, fertilization, and weed control. He provides many insider tips on how to raise abundant crops in particular climates. (A few quick hints: wide rows, raised beds, and deep soil.) Easy-to-read reference charts accompany each vegetable and offer an easy reminder of the core text. It is both a celebration of the vegetables themselves, and an essential guide for the gardener who wants to perfect the practice. Though the book feels as if it offers an exhaustive study of plant life, the text is presented in easy-to-read sections and does not fall into dry agricultural discussions.

Media reviews

"[T]he principles Smith advocates are completely sound, as is his practical advice. In every small town, there is a vegetable garden that people go out of the way to walk past. Smith is the guy who grew that garden."