Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens PDF
Preview Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens
STARTER VEGETABLE GARDENS STARTER VEGETABLE GARDENS 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens Barbara Pleasant PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GRUEN The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley and Gwen Steege Art direction and book design by Dan O. Williams Text production by Jennifer Jepson Smith Photography by © John Gruen, except for pages 62, 91, 96, 117, and 122 by the author Photo styling by Lisa Newman Illustrations by © William Howell Golson Garden plans by Alison Kolesar Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications © 2010 by Barbara Pleasant All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other — without written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396. Storey Publishing 210 MASS MoCA Way North Adams, MA 01247 www.storey.com Printed in China by Dai Nippon Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pleasant, Barbara. Starter vegetable gardens / by Barbara Pleasant. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60342-529-2 (pbk.: alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-60342-530-8 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Vegetable gardening. I. Title. SB321.P58 2010 635—dc22 2009049114 To Madison, and a new generation of gardeners CONTENTS DIGGING IN How to Use This Book PART I: DEVELOPING YOUR GARDEN PLAN Starting Small and Growing Year by Year Sizing Up Your Site and Soil CHAPTER 1 THE EASY-CARE BAG GARDEN Year One Year Two Year Three CHAPTER 2 A BOUNTIFUL BORDER Year One Year Two Year Three CHAPTER 3 THE FRONT-YARD FOOD SUPPLY Year One Year Two Year Three CHAPTER 4 FAMILY FOOD FACTORY GARDENS Short, Cool Summers Full-Season Summers Long, Hot Summers Angel Wings Herb Garden PART 2: ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES AND MORE PLANTING PLANS Purposeful Planting Plans CHAPTER 5 DECIDING WHAT TO GROW It’s All in the Timing Vegetables and Climate CHAPTER 6 DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL, BIG-FLAVOR GARDENS From Flowers to Food CHAPTER 7 WORKING WITH SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS Garden Plan: Overnight Success Direct-Seeding in Your Garden Garden Plan: Strictly from Seed Starting Seeds Indoors Starting Seeds Step-by-Step Garden Plan: Paintbrush Beds CHAPTER 8 SUPPORTING YOUR PLANTS Types of Support How to Pound a Post How to Cage a Tomato Garden Plan: High-Value Verticals CHAPTER 9 WATER: MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT Garden Plan: Marinara Medley Knowing When to Water CHAPTER 10 THE MAGIC OF MULCH When Looks Count Garden Plan: Managed Mulch Garden CHAPTER 11 FERTILIZING YOUR GARDEN Weighing Your Options Garden Plan: Sweet Corn & Company Can You Use Too Much? CHAPTER 12 YOUR INSECT FRIENDS AND FOES Organic Remedies That Really Work Garden Plan: Beneficial Border CHAPTER 13 PREVENTING DASTARDLY DISEASES Super-Strong Varieties Garden Plan: Cajun Spice Fighting with Fungi CHAPTER 14 SMART HARVESTING Chill Out! Preserving Your Favorite Herbs Garden Plan: Good-for-You Garden CHAPTER 15 STRETCHING THE SEASONS Three Ways to Bring On Spring Garden Plan: Six-Weeks-Sooner PART 3 PICK-OF-THE-CROP VEGGIE VARIETIES Making Good Choices What Is a Variety? Varieties for Your Garden, Crop by Crop APPENDIX Gardener’s Basic Lingo Which Planting Plans Are Right for You? Sources for Seeds and Plants USDA Hardiness Zone Map Metric Conversions INDEX DIGGING IN Planting a garden is hope in action. As you tuck in seedlings or pat seeds into soft soil, you hope they will grow. But maybe you also feel a little anxious because, truth be told, you’re just learning to tell a radish from a rutabaga. Relax. You can grow a successful organic food garden right now, this season. This book will get you started with simple, delectable garden plans and the instructions to see them through to a bountiful harvest. Next season, when you’re ready for a little more challenge, you can graduate to specialized planting plans to expand your cultivated space, grow a pet crop like gourmet potatoes, or add more herbs and flowers for a garden that’s as beautiful as it is practical. Tending your garden will be more pleasure than struggle. Granted, there will be some bending and lifting involved, but you wanted a hobby that you could enjoy outdoors, moving around, right? The work won’t be terribly hard. While I cannot guarantee that every crop in your garden will succeed any more than I can promise you a summer without hail, I can say this with certainty: Growing at least some of your own food will change your life for the better. DIG THIS! Food gardens can be as pretty as they are productive. Including colorful flowers looks great and attracts butterflies and bees as well as scores of pest- eating beneficial insects such as lady beetles. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is intended to be of endearing value to three groups: new gardeners ready to jump into food gardening with both feet, experienced gardeners who are coaching new gardeners, and seasoned greenies who can grow prize-winning roses or peonies but are stumped on the fine points of growing a gourmet salad garden. In pursuit of this goal, the book is divided into three parts. Part 1:
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