Small-Space Vegetable Gardens: Growing Great Edibles in Containers, Raised Beds, and Small Plots

This handy volume dispels the notion that raised-bed gardens and container gardening are for amateurs. To the contrary, Bellamy (Sugar Snaps and Strawberries) makes the case that small-scale gardening offers the opportunity to experience the fullness of horticultural possibility in defined and proportionate spaces. Through charts, illustrations, and to-do lists, she demonstrates that container gardens are just the right size to be manageable and to explore the entire cycle of gardening, from seed to harvest. Beginning with the rudimentary aspects of the nature of soil, the usefulness of mulch, and the making of compost, she explains the unique conditions for starting seeds and, later, for plant maintenance, including guidelines about watering. From there, post-harvest, the section on saving and storing seeds and propagating can encourage the gardener to keep the garden going perpetually. Finally, at season’s end, when all is harvested and seeds stored, the section on winter protection and cleaning tools brings the process full circle. Bellamy has written an inspiring and practical guide to sprouting life in the nooks and corners of unused land. (Dec.)