Growing vegetables in a limited amount of space is challenging and DKs book, Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet is a great addition to the growing number of books on the subject. Combining text and pictures in a satisfying balance it brings a wealth of information to readers in an easy format that is especially helpful to people who are just beginning their adventure into gardening in small spaces. If you have ever considered growing your own vegetables, this book is a great resource.
The book presents the basic guidelines for vegetable gardening but quickly moves on to the presentation of a huge number of innovative ideas for find or creating the needed space and making the most of it. Whether you want to recycle items you already have, go vertical with trellises or tepees, or build raised beds this book will suggest creative ways to do so. If you are an urban gardener and have only a balcony, no problem, there are many ideas for container gardening. Everyone who wants a garden can have one!
Crop selection is another forte of the book. Especially helpful are the lists of the 15 top crops for various characteristics such: sun-loving, shade tolerating, high yielding, quick growing, easy care, and shallow rooted. To maximize the use of whatever space you have, the book suggests crop schemes to keep the garden producing from spring through summer and sometimes into fall and winter, giving alternative crops to increase flexibility. Companion planting in raised beds is included which will aid in keeping crops healthy.
Enthusiasm exudes through the whole book but I have to wonder if the small gardens shown in the text could possibly meet the expectations set up by the title. For one thing, the total square footage of the garden is probably 9 square feet (3’ x 3’) not 3 square feet as the title says. Even a garden of 3’ on each side is a very small space and unlikely to fill all your needs or wants. Still, the book offers a lot a great ideas for small space gardening and helps you with instructions for all phases of the endeavor.
To buy Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet from Amazon.com click here.
Karen Meyers