Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

outstanding guide
Very well written and instructive for the gardener who wants useful, creative advice. No fluff, just great descriptions and tips.

Beautiful pictures and helpful text
I am a novice gardener who gardens exclusively in containers. This book has gorgeous photographs and very good, easy to follow advice for planting and arranging containers to maximize their attractiveness. Even though I do not grow ornamentals, which is what this book focuses on (I grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs), this book has still given me lots of great ideas that have translated very nicely to my edible container gardens (sometimes the hardest thing to do, is to figure out how to arrange several pots in a pleasing way--having even just a few examples to use a reference can really help with the brainstorming--and when many of your planted containers will weigh over 100 pounds when planted, like mine do, it really helps to have an idea before they are filled!). If you are looking for inspiration and easy to follow advice, this is a very good choice--especially given how affordable it is.

Great book
Great book for planning your containers.Most photos have a corresponding diagram to identify the plants.

Perfect
I received this book as a gift and it is a perfect resource for those of us who admire container gardens but don't quite know how to achieve professional looking results. There is so much valuable information in the book, and even more ideas that I would have never thought of.

Create show-stopping container arrangements
Want dramatic results? Then, take this with you to your favorite garden/landscapers. Pass by the "big box" stores on your way. I'm thrilled with my containers and hanging baskets -- and have gotten raves from friends and neighbors. ... Read more

Product Description
With few exceptions-such as corn and pumpkins-everything edible that's grown in a traditional garden can be raised in a container. And with only one exception-watering-container gardening is a whole lot easier. Beginning with the down-to-earth basics of soil, sun and water, fertilizer, seeds and propagation, THE BOUNTIFUL CONTAINER is an extraordinarily complete, plant-by-plant guide.

Written by two seasoned container gardeners and writers, THE BOUNTIFUL CONTAINER covers Vegetables-not just tomatoes (17 varieties) and peppers (19 varieties), butharicots verts, fava beans, Thumbelina carrots, Chioggia beets, and sugarsnap peas. Herbs, from basil to thyme, and including bay leaves, fennel, and saffron crocus. Edible Flowers, such as begonias, calendula, pansies, violets, and roses. And perhaps most surprising, Fruits, including apples, peaches, Meyer lemons, blueberries, currants, and figs-yes, even in the colder parts of the country. (Another benefit of container gardening: You can bring the less hardy perennials in over the winter.) There are theme gardens (an Italian cook's garden, a Four Seasons garden), lists of sources, and dozens of sidebars on everything from how to be a human honeybee to seeds that are All America Selections. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

Must Have Reference Book
This book is known as the container gardening bible.It's an A to Z, plant by plant guide that opens up the world of gardening to all.You can grow a lavish edible garden on a balcony--very liberating to those of us with small spaces.

I like the attention to aesthetics, and the authors discuss at the beginning how to make your container garden beautiful as well as fertile and productive.By using color and themes, you can do all sorts of creative things with a container garden. There are illustrations, not photos, which I don't miss in this book.What it lacks in visuals it more than makes up for with tons of information.

It's got a great layout, is very easy to read, and is full of wisdom and tips.It's one of those must have reference books that belongs on every gardener's shelf.You can pick it up any time you have a question and go right to the answer.

Great book for novice container gardeners!
I started my first container garden this year with absolutely no idea of what I was doing.I essentially bought a bunch of plants, put them in pots and started watering them.I bought this book shortly after transplanting the plants and it has helped me tremendously!My basil began to suffer and I found a great tip on how to revive the plant!I didn't even know you had to fertilize container gardens until reading this and the book gave me some great tips on which ones to choose for each plant (organic choices too).Basically I was lost without this book and now I feel much more confident about growing my first harvest!I think it will help me in choosing and planting my own seeds next year as well.I would highly recommend it!

Very Helpful
This was my first year gardening, and I don't know what I would have done without this book! It talks about how to utilize your space, gives pros and cons about different types of dirt and containers you can use, and gives tips on how to keep your garden healthy. It goes into depth about a variety of plants that do well in containers. One of my favorite parts are the "themed garden" pages where they pair different plants and give suggestions on how to arrange them beautifully.
I do wish there were more pictures and/or better written descriptions of when to start harvesting.
Overall, it's a great reference that I can see myself coming back to again and again as I start growing more!

Very informative, looking forward to doing real thing!
Very informative book, well researched! I do wish it had more actual photos, content makes up for it though.

Great book
Very detailed and helpful. This years garden turned out even better than the one last year. ... Read more

Product Description

The easy way to get a green thumb in container gardening!

Want to spruce up your indoor or outdoor space with annuals, perennials, vegetables, and succulents? This updated edition of Container Gardening For Dummies gives you clear, concise step-by-step instructions for cultivating delightful gardens in everything from a redwood window box to a hanging basket to an old watering can. It also includes color photos to inspire your designs.

• Getting the dirt on container gardening — discover the advantages of growing plants in containers and learn how to maximize your garden conditions to help plants thrive

• Picking a pot to plant in — take a look around your living space and determine the best location and type of container for your garden

• Enjoying a summer fling — get the lowdown on the best single-season flowers, vegetables, and bulbs for container growing

• Putting down roots — find out which perennials, trees, shrubs, fruits, and berries give year-round impact

• Designing and decorating — take advantage of ideas and inspiration for creating eye-catching container gardening displays

Open the book and find:

• Things you need to know before planting

• A quick primer on climate

• What to look for in a soil mix

• How to work with perennials and annuals

• Information you need to help you choose plants

• Why and when containers need water and fertilizer

• Guidance on replanting, repotting, and pruning

• Tips for preventing insect pests and diseases

• Ways to liven up your space with trees, shrubs, and vines

Learn to:

• Choose, plant, and care for flowers, fruits, trees, and shrubs

• Grow vegetables and herbs just steps away from your kitchen

• Cultivate charming gardens in any climate

• Prevent insects and diseases from invading containers the eco-friendly way

Customer Reviews (11)

Awesome Book!!!
This book provides everything you need to know about container gardening.I really enjoyed reading it and it has helped my garden tremendously!

A Dummies best guide
This little book is full of invaluable advice for starting your own container garden. My wife and I refer to it continuously, and I would fit every definition of a "dummy" when we started our garden. However, thanks to the advice in this book we now have a beautiful and blooming container garden.

A MUST-HAVE Book for Container Gardeners!
This must be the best reference book for container gardens that I've ever gotten my hands on .Full of facts, tips, hints, and it covers EVERY aspect of the subject, from seeds, to planting, to suggestions on what CAN be grown in containers, how to maintain proper soil conditions, common problems, pests, etc.I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in starting a container garden or trying to maintain one they currently have.

Great for getting the basics
I got this book to start a small vegetable garden outside my apartment.It has lots of info on other types of plants such as annuals and perennials.It tells you what you need to know to simply grow the plants like potting mixes, fertilizing, what size container you need, and watering.I do wish it had a bit more on pruning but it recommends books on that and i guess it isn't absolutely essential for this books purpose.Overall a good buy.

What I expected...
This book was pretty standard for what I expected.I needed to know the benefits and costs of keeping my plants in containers instead of just planting them outside, because I'm sick of bringing them inside every time the weather dips below freezing, only to take them right back outside because my cats love to chomp on them.I liked it enough to check out regular Gardening for Dummies, too. ... Read more

Product Description
Pamela Crawford has created a complete guide to simple container gardening designed for anyone who has ever killed a plant. It includes illustrated instructions to create gorgeous, fool-proof container gardens that even you can t kill! This book introduces blue ribbon plant combos that you plant in the spring and just add water for the entire growing season. That's right: no trimming, no fertilizing, and no spraying for up to seven months! Learn the 48 easiest plants and how to arrange them into 70 fabulous container recipes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

No vegetable coeverage
Skimmed this and only saw one paragraph about vegetables -- the rest is flowers and regular plants. If those are what you're interested in growing, it's probably a good book, but vegetables seem to be a pretty significant omission to me.

Easy Container Gardens
Beautiful, easy to follow book. A must for those who have killed plants, without trying!

My easy container book
My book arrived in excellent shape.It had not one page marked or folded.It is beautiful and I received is within 4 days of its order.Great satisfaction!

Brimming with ideas.
What I didn't know about container gardening could fill a book --- and this is the book. Covers basic planting procedures and care so your plants won't succumb in a matter of weeks like mine always have. Gives info on easiest to care for plants. Many suggestions on which combination of plants work best together.

who takes a book to the garden center???
The book focuses on gardening in the South, lots of beautiful pictures by Florida pools.
I was hoping to learn from this book what plants go well together and what plants to get for my balcony in Wisconsin. Gardening for the city folks with balconies and rooftop terraces.

Lots of pretty pictures of nice pots with plants and a big long list of plants and a rating on how easy they are and their lifespan;
Pamela recommends taking her book to the garden center when picking plants. It's quite big (twice the size of my ipad...) without discrediting her experience with plants and gardening, I think I would trust just as well the label on the pot in the garden center.

I wish I had read the small print under the EASY Container Gardens title: For anyone who has ever killed a plant.
I keep looking for the book for anyone who wants to enjoy a green and colorful balcony garden north of the Mason Dixon Line. ... Read more

Product Description
A simple, lavishly illustrated guide to container gardens of all shapes and sizes

You don't need a big back yard to grow a beautiful garden. Container Gardens is a user-friendly, illustrated guide to everything you need to know about growing beautiful plants, including advice on choosing soils, selecting plants that work together, planting in containers, and caring for your garden.

Each garden idea includes a "recipe" and an "ingredients" list that makes shopping and preparing a breeze. The easy-to-follow reference format explains every project in detail and in depth, including helpful hints and essential information on plants, growth, and potting options.

• Features more than 125 container "recipes," each complete with color photos, planting plans, tips on growing, and shopping lists
• Over 500 beautiful photos and illustrations, including inspirational garden photos, plant ID photos, how-to instructions, and step-by-step projects
• Step-by-step instruction helps you achieve exactly the look you want for any project and bonus tips and hints offer basic gardening advice on plant substitutions and garden design insights
• Covers everything from the very basics to more complicated projects, like window box butterfly gardens and containers with seasonal plant change-outs

This easy-to-follow reference is the perfect guide for readers who want to create their own gorgeous container gardens at home.

Customer Reviews (2)

lots of information
Beautiful book with wonderful pictures and many different ideas.However, it doesn't have a reference list of plants and flowers and how they can be combined with others, which would be helpful as well.

Container Gardening Review
I bought this book in mid-winter, when I was trying to convince myself that Spring really would come and push the snow away. I found it to be easy to understand and beautifully illustrated.I especially like the pictures for visual aids in putting containers together. The descriptions are helpful for beginning gardeners,in particular. This book is a good value for the money. ... Read more

Product Description
With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care, succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in containers, these dry-climate jewels—which include but are not limited to cacti—can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive anywhere in the world. 

In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums, frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more.

Define your individual style as you effectively combine patterns, colors, textures, and forms. Discover how top designers interpret the dramatic options, in ideas ranging from exquisite plant-and-pot combinations to extraordinary topiaries and bonsai. Expand your repertoire with plump-leaved plants that resemble pebbles, stars, and undersea creatures. Short on space? Create vertical gardens and hanging baskets, and use daisylike rosettes in wall displays.

Each of the more than 300 photographs offers an inspiring idea. A-to-Z descriptions cover 350 of the best succulents, plus companion plants. Whether your goal is a gorgeous potted garden for a sunny windowsill or outdoor living area—or simply making great gifts—this is a comprehensive primer for creating vibrant, living works of art.

Customer Reviews (33)

Must Have This Book
This is a great reference and instructional book on container andsucculent plant pairing. The ideas are imaginative and the many color pictures are great.I've been inspired to up date my containers andexperement with new plant combinations, and varities.When I've had a stressful day I enjoy a soothing glass of wine and my Succulent Container Gardens book.I love this fun book.

I probably don't need...
That is, I probably don't need to add my voice to the "me too!" list, but I will. Me too! Capital L o v e this book. The photographs and the inspiration they provide are reason enough to buy it. It's well worth the money. Think succulents and container gardening are boring or old-ladyish? You won't after you get this book. My head is just swimming with ideas.

A Beautiful book to keep out at all times.
This book takes away all fear of planting your own succulent garden.It arrived quickly and perfectly.

SUCCULENT GARDENS BOOK
The book is wonderful.Delivered in a timely manner, price was right, no muss, no fuss.Tks.

Succulent Container Gardens
This book is terrific.Not only are the photos excellent but the in depth help, descriptions and ideas are wonderful. This is the only succulent book you'll need since it covers everything in a readable and enjoyable manner.I love it! ... Read more

Product Description
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not much information
I have purchased other titles in this series and been generally pleased.This one is very light on good info. ... Read more

Product Description
Taking a new approach to containers for "real gardeners," Container Gardening features more imaginative plants than most books on the subject and looks at the latest designs and new materials for containers.Offering practical advice on planting and year-round maintenance, as well as looking at inspirational ideas for today's more style-conscious gardener, the emphasis is always on the plants themselves with expert practical advice on how to grow and maintain them through the year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Beautiful Container Gardening Book
I purchased this book as a housewarming present for a friend who moved into an apartment with a deck.I don't know if it was useful to her, but I thought it contained beautiful photographs and inspiring ideas for container gardening.

Only Latin Names
The biggest problem with this book is that all the plant names are only in latin I know a lot of latin plant names, but I still found this very annoying. Plus, there were few common plants used. I have been gardening from centers, catologs and internet for many years, however, I didn't recognize many of the plants. Last, but not least, the cover planter was the best one in the book, and nothing else came close.

Looking for ideas on how to create beautiful garden container art?
This book is a WONDERFUL resource for those who are looking for information on "how to" create containter gardens. Its contents include beautiful color photos, which I find a big plus, as well as information on how color, texture, scale/proportion, shape, repetition, and grouping play a part in creating a beautiful garden design.

Each garden creation includes information on the selected plant material, planting details, and container details. (Site, planting, scale and lifespan of each garden also appear at the top of each page.) The book also contains information on containers, container principles--which come in handy whether you are a novice or a seasoned gardner--as well as a helpful container plant directory.

The author, Paul Williams, is one of UK's top horticultural gardeners and he really kept the reader in mind when writing this book. I use this book for inspirational purposes when creating for myself and clients.A small book with great ideas and useful information.This author got it right!WARNING--Container gardening can be addicting!Merry--Zenspiration GardensTM

Super Stylish!
I just wanted to write a quick review to say this these are the most stylish ideas that I have ever seen (and I've probably looked at least 30 books on the same subject).If you want modern, sleek looking container designs, then this is your book. These are the kinds of pots you see outside hip restaurants and boutiques.

Nice but a little disappointed.
I was excited about this book when I opened it and leafed through it for the first time.The arrangement pictured are lovely and I like that fact that the plants used in the container are pictured and listed right there.

BUT there is do diagramed layout and it is very difficult to try to look at the photograph and determine exactly where some of the plants are places. ... Read more

Product Description
Shiny green cucumbers; firm, juicy tomatoes; baby lettuces handpicked one salad at a time—these are the tasty benefits of the backyard vegetable garden. But earth gardens are a lot of work. They require a plot of plantable land and a significant time commitment to sowing, watering, weeding, and tending each plant.

Is there a solution? Self-watering containers allow vegetable gardeners—from the casual weekender interested in a tomato plant or two to the very dedicated gardener with limited space—to grow richly producing plants in a controlled, low-maintenance environment.

Lifelong gardener Ed Smith became fascinated with the possibilities of self-watering containers and began testing dozens of vegetables in various containers, experimenting with nutrients, soil mixtures, plant varieties, and container positioning. Now Smith is here to tell gardeners that anyone can grow and enjoy wonderful organic vegetables, using pots with continuous- flow watering systems.

Smith shares advice on choosing appropriate containers, how to provide balanced nutrition using his secret soil formula, and what additional tools benefit the container gardener. The reader will also find advice on starting from seed versus buying plants, which vegetables thrive in containers and which might be a bit more challenging, along with space-saving tips on pairing plants in single containers. After the last green tomato has been picked and is ripening on the windowsill, Smith wraps everything up with a chapter on fall clean-up and preparing for next spring. Now there’s really no excuse for store-bought tomatoes! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Incredible Vegetables from self-watering containers
I first discovered this book at the library and was so impressed with it I bought it to study more in depth and to have on hand for future references.Every sentence in the book is informative with real helpful tips for success in growing vegetables.It has great pictures too, showing the techniques Ed uses which is really helpful, especially for the gardening beginner like me. It's a great book, I highly recommend it!

Better info online
Don't get me wrong, this guy knows a lot more about gardening than I do, or maybe ever will. But I followed his instructions to the tee, and ended up with some pretty poor looking tomatoes. After pretty exhaustive research I think I know why. He claims a 5 gallon container is enough for an indeterminate tomato. When I pulled mine up, i found very waterlogged roots throughout the reservior, hence poor looking plants. Almost everyone else online grows a max of two indeterminate tomatoes in a 30 gallon container. His system also calls for granular fertilizer to be mixed in with the potting mix, a big NO-NO from folks who build and use these containers regularly. Unless done properly, fertilizer is washed out easily on a rainy day in an outdoor non-covered container, which most of the pics show. SWC's are a closed system which means a covered container does better with fert on the top of the mix, under a cover of plastic, to be used as the plant needs it. Even the makers of Earthbox know that.

This book is very basic, and I think he could have done better with more practical info and not just a rehashing of what everyone already has at their fingertips from the net. Half the book is just a run down of veggies that do well in SWC's, which most do. It almost feels like an advert for buying Earthboxes. I would suggest better instructions on home-made SWC's. Check out Homegrown Evolution's site for a plan, or google Earth-box (you'll find a pdf file with great instructions on everything you need to know about these revolutionary systems).

I truly appreciate Ed's organic approach, but this book could have been better.

great gardening book
This book is a great garden companion for anyone who wants to maximize space... containers are the BEST!

Hmmnnnnnn?
I expected more from this book.It should have been more "to the point" instead of rambling along.It was not technical enough for a horticulturalist and waaaaaaay too involved for a beginner.I expected more of a "how to" geared towards beginners --not the same old humdrum of most of the books in this genre.I look forward to finding a more simple and down to earth explanation of container gardening.That said, I am keeping it for some reference material.

Don't waste your money on this book.
If you're into gardening at all, you already know the stuff in this book.It's one big advertisement for Earth Boxes and the like. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Pretty but not helpful
I am a novice gardener. I bought this book as a companion to McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers hoping that it would have pictures of vegetable container gardens in it; or even just pictures of mature vegetable plants, so that I could plan my vegetable containers appropriately. It does not. The pictures are of the fruit and vegetables alone, not the actual plants or mature container gardens. While this is lovely book to be sure, it isn't very helpful--either pictorially or informatively. If you are looking for a great, informative book on vegetable container gardening, Bountiful Container Gardens is the one to get. Unfortunately, it does not have any pictures in it. If you are like me, and want to see what the plants and the container gardens will look like when they are mature to help you plan your container gardens, I suggest getting Easy Container Combos: Vegetables & Flowers (Pamela Crawford's Contianer Gardening) [Paperback] as a companion book to Bountiful Container Gardens. It is inexpensive, has pictures of what the containers will look like mature, and even includes blooper photos of what not to do. It isn't fancy, and is no where near as beautiful as this book, but it is much more helpful.

Nice introduction to Container Gardening
Container gardening is a great way to get your feet wet.This book has lots of enticing photos which provide a pleasing introduction to growing edible food in pots.Chapters contain gardening information and recipes to give you ideas for what to do with your harvest. Makes a nice companion book to more technical books like The Bountiful container.

Pretty Pictures
The photographs were gorgeous, but as far as planting information it was pretty useless. I highly recommend McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers. I bought them at the same time and haven't looked at Kitchen Harvest since.

Good Book!
This book is just what I was looking for.It has good tips for organic edible container gardening.The pictures are great and I am inspired to try lots of new things in containers this summer.I'm short on ground space, but I can fill some containers up! ... Read more

Product Description

Container Gardening for Health is your complete guide to growing the twelve fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues according to USDA testing. From Apples and Celery to Strawberries and Spinach, pick a few of your favorites from the list. Make a big difference in your family's pesticide exposure with a small organic garden.

"After talking with other parents, I realized we all wanted an inexpensive way to feed our children more foods with less pesticide residue. None of us had time and few of us had the space to grow large gardens. I began researching the problem and soon realized a family's intake of pesticides could be substantially reduced by selecting their favorite foods from the EWG's Dirty Dozen list and growing these in containers or small space gardens." - Barbara Barker, from the first chapter

The Environmental Working Group(EWG) analyzed USDA pesticide residue data and compiled this list of the "top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables":
Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries,Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Pears, Spinach, and Potatoes.

About The Author
A certified master gardener, Barbara Barker traces her love for gardening back to fifth grade when she started a business rejuvenating her mother's ailing plants and selling them back to her for a small profitBarker expanded her knowledge of plants by working in garden centers in high school and college. After obtaining a BA in English from the University of Florida, she started an internet company selling gourmet varieties of vegetable and herb plants.

Contents
List of Figures - 8
Introduction - 9
1. Chemical Residue on Your Food - 11
2. Peaches and Nectarines - 15
3. The Forbidden Apple - 23
4. Sweet Bell Peppers - 31
5. Celery - 35
6. Strawberries, Mother Nature's Candy - 39
7. Cherries - 47
8. Lettuce - 51
9. Grapes - 55
10. Pears - 61
11. Spinach - 65
12. Potatoes - 71
13. Primary Pesticides Found On the Dirty Dozen - 77
14. Pests and Diseases - 83
Raised Growing Beds - 99
Selected Resources/Bibliography - 100
Glossary - 103
Index - 107

Customer Reviews (4)

Container gardening
This book arrived faster than I thought it would.
It was in great shape.Thank you!

Great book
My wife and I recently built a home in the Sierra Nevada mountains and wanted to grow our own fruit and vegetables organically.However, the climate here is hot in the summer (90's) and very cold (-15 to 0) in the winter.Keeping all that in mind we decided to see if we could not only have an outdoor garden, but an indoor one as well using pots to allow us to have "pesticide free" fresh produce all year round.Master Gardener Barbara Bark goes in to great detail to help you understand pesticides, diseases, nutritional information and so much more.

We are by no means experts in indoor or outdoor gardening and this book really helped to bring us up to speed.I would strongly recommend "Container Gardening for Health by certified master gardener, Barbara Barker for both experienced and novice gardeners indoors or out.I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will continue to keep it on my bookshelf for future reference.

Pesticide-Free Patio Gardening!
These days, many of us are concerned about pesticide residue on fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the fresh produce that's imported from other countries. We are also wondering if there isn't something we can do to take responsibility for our own food supply in a time when food security may be in question. In Container Gardening for Health, Master Gardener Barbara Barker gives us guidelines for growing the "dirty dozen": those plants that are most contaminated with chemical pesticide residue, according to data compiled by the USDA. Unfortunately, the "dirty dozen" includes peaches, apples bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes--tasty, nutritious foods that appear several times a week on the plates of almost every American.

What can you do to ensure your family's food safety? You can start, as Barker suggests, by studying the list and choosing the three items that you consume most often. Learn how to grow these plants in whatever space you have, following the helpful guidelines in this book. It could even be a family project involving kids and seniors--container gardening is an enjoyable activity that can fit the abilities of almost everyone.

I've been a gardener for many years, but I found plenty to learn from Barker's book. Plant by plant, she reviews each of the "dirty dozen," offering general information, reviewing the chemical residue issues, describing varieties (often dwarf) suitable for container gardening, picturing appropriate containers, and giving tips for soil, fertilization, pest management, harvesting, and storage. She has included a comprehensive table of pesticide data (it may just curl your hair to see the kind of chemicals that are turning up in your food), and a helpful chapter on pest identification, prevention, and treatment. This latter is an excellent resource for every gardener. She also offers suggestions for raised-bed construction--a good technique that can turn even the tiniest yard into a productive garden. And there's a first-class resource list, a glossary, and an index: must-haves for gardeners who want to do more research on their own.

There are a number of books on bookstore shelves these days that offer to help us become container gardeners. Barker's book, however, is unique, for she combines the information you need to know about gardening in containers with what you need to know to protect your food supply. Most of us don't have a great deal of extra time on our hands these days, so concentrating our efforts on replacing at least some of the "dirty dozen" with our own pesticide-free fruits and vegetables makes very good sense.

In fact, this whole book makes very good sense. You'll find yourself going back to it over and over again.

by Susan Wittig Albert
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Well written and informative---Recommend highly
Let me start by saying I have a huge home library, and gardening, homesteading, and other self sufficient topic books make up a huge part of my collection. So when I got this new book Container Gardening For Health-The 12 most important Fruits and Vegetables for your Organic Garden by Barbara Barker I was intrigued but also wondered if this would be a repeat of much of what all the other gardening books had.

So I was surprised and pleased to discover she covers the 'Dirty dozen' so well. Was also pleased that she gives nice clear photos and illustrations like on page 14 where she shows 8 examples of growing containers, rather than the typical pots other books show. Also like how in each section where she discusses the fruit or vegetable she notes the botanical name, pesticide residue ranking, nutritional info,standard and dwarf varieties, yield, fertilizer, pests and diseases, and pruning for the trees. For crops like peppers she notes seed starting, transplanting, soil needs, and harvesting info.

Her chapter 14 beginning on page 83 is about pests and diseases and its a good chapter. And while I knew most of the organic solutions she has, she taught me some new ones as well. On page 100 she has sources for seeds, plants and gardening supplies. Have to admit I was happy to see Bountiful Gardens north of me listed, as well as the Seed Saver Exchange which I belong to.

Again I am an avid organic gardener. Yet even I learned some wonderful new things, and am looking forward to getting a copy of the book as a gift for friends whom I am teaching vegetable gardening to. As well as a copy for my local library. Cannot say enough great things about this book. It is one I will use as a reference tool often.
... Read more

Product Description
Bring life to your outdoor space: detailed information about creating a decorative yard, patio, or balcony in arid climates and discusses the variety of plant options available.Award-winning author, Scott Calhoun, and local nature expert, Lynn Hassler, provide a unique approach to container gardening by creating a title that is specific to the Southwest region. This publication provides detailed information about creating a decorative yard, patio, or balcony in arid climates and discusses the variety of plant options available—from vegetables and fragrant flowers to colorful containers that create an atmosphere of tranquility and attract nature. 90 color illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Container Gardening Information
Book is well written and the subject matter is easy to understand.Suggestions for container gardening are not way out there and provides a novice gardener with many ideas. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

luda
His writing is clear and direct, organized to make reference easier, and illustrated primarily by black and white photos, with a handful of color images.

Growing Organic Crops on Your Own Patio
Noting the increasing acceptability of the idea of growing edible plants in containers, internationally renowned master grower D. J. Herda sets out in From Container to Kitchen: Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Pots to explore which fruits and vegetables grow best in pots, which varieties outperform their less robust cousins, how to plant and nurture your crops from planting to harvest, how to build your own best recipe for gardening success and how best to get the message out to others: the time is right for organic gardening.

Arguing the health and cost-cutting benefits to be gained from growing one's own crops, Herda stresses the timeliness of his book in terms of modern inventions, new discoveries about horticultural techniques and new varieties of plants --
both fruits and vegetables -- which have opened up unforeseen vistas for the apartment-bound prospective grower. Herda revels in the delights of what you can do and grow with a minimum of knowledge and space, and a maximum of enjoyment.

The topics that Herda covers include selecting the right container size and location, optimizing soil composition and nutrients, managing light, water and humidity, choosing the best fruits and vegetables for container gardening, eliminating pests and plant diseases naturally, and extending the harvest. For each recipe for success for the growing of 25 different types of fruits and vegetables (ranging from everyday, albeit unconventionally grown, tomatoes to the more exotic, though equally practicable, dwarf fig), Herda provides the following details: habit, cultivars, seed or transplants, pot size, water, comments, varieties, seeds, transplants, soil, insects, solutions, diseases, health benefits, ready for the kitchen, and annual savings. This 233-page guide is bountifully illustrated with both color and black-and-white photographs of the crops concerned, as well as of the containers in which you can grow them.

Herda's style is humorous and highly accessible to the newcomer. Though he provides the scientific names for all the fruits and vegetables that he describes, he does not overwhelm one with a plethora of unnecessary and confusing detail. Above all, what Herda says makes a great deal of sense. For those who wish to read further in the field, he provides a list of web sites and books, though the average home gardener, no matter whether novice or seasoned pro, will most likely find all that he or she needs in this informative and wise text. [...]

As comprehensive as it is 'user friendly'
No 'store bought' fruit or vegetable will have the taste and nutritional value of something grown yourself and harvested from your personal garden. For anyone not living in a rural area, there might not be enough arable land to put in a garden. That's why growing those veggies and fruits in a pot is the ideal solution for anyone seeking to 'grow their own'. "From Container to Kitchen: Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Pots" by D. J. Herda is a superbly organized and presented 240-page compendium of practical commentary and instructional advice covering every aspect of growing plants in containers. Even the most novice container gardener will be successful by following the instructions on selecting the right sized container and placing it in the proper location; optimizing soil composition and soil nutrients; managing light, water and humidity; selecting the optimal fruits and vegetables suitable for container gardening; dealing with pest and plant diseases; and extending the harvest for maximum production. As comprehensive as it is 'user friendly', "From Container to Kitchen: Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Pots" is an ideal instruction manual and strongly recommended for both personal and community library Gardening reference and resource collections.

Growing foods the easy way
Even homeowners with a decent amount of room for a garden can appreciate the good advice in "From Container to Kitchen: Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Pots." After all, poor soil or the need to use the yard in a different way can get in the way. And for those lacking adequate space, containers can be the perfect solution to high bills for poor-quality vegetables and fruits from the supermarket.

Author D.J.Herda starts with the basics of picking the right container for size and location, and then, in succeeding chapters, shows how to overcome a variety of obstacles, such as meeting the correct soil balance and combating bugs, to raising specific foods, from tomatoes to peppers to broccoli to dwarf figs. Each highlighted fruit or vegetable includes information about growing seasons, time to maturation, diseases and likely bugs, health benefits and estimated cost savings by growing your own.

His writing is clear and direct, organized to make reference easier, and illustrated primarily by black and white photos, with a handful of color images.

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Product Description
Just as stylish accessories bring a room to life, gorgeous planted containers are the finishing touch for every garden home. With this book, America’s favorite gardener, P. Allen Smith, shows how to create a beautiful container garden in a matter of minutes, in an innovative recipe-style format complete with ingredients lists, step-by-step planting instructions, and advice on how to effectively display these colorful accents.

Beautiful and versatile, these container designs are the perfect solution for decks, porches, balconies, and gardens that need a focal point or a splash of color. Each container recipe fulfills one of the 12 Principles of Design that Allen established in his first bestselling book, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home. As a result, the container will wonderfully frame the view from a window, offer a welcoming reception in an entryway, help to establish a sense of rhythm along a walkway, or extend your home’s color and décor into the garden. Allen shares the secrets he uses to make his eye-catching arrangements, as well as special planting and display tips for placement in your garden. The designs range from sophisticated to casual, yet the instructions are so easy to follow that you can assemble these containers in no time at all—even with little or no gardening experience. There are recipes for every season of the year, to ensure that you can enjoy lush container gardens year-round.

A special resource section includes a complete plant directory, tips on how to select the right container to complement your garden’s style, grooming and plant-care guidelines, and basic instructions for planting pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Lavishly illustrated with more than 150 photographs, this book is sure to inspire seasoned gardeners as well as beginners interested in enhancing the beauty of their Garden Home with P. Allen Smith’s signature container designs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A very good book for gardeners
This is a really good book if you're going to make your own containers. The pictures and recipes are very helpful for making your own designs and for adapting to your zone. I checked this book out at the library so many times, i finally decided to purchase a copy for myself. I wish Mr. Smith would do a new edition with more recipes.

Table Picture Book
It's expensive for a nice table book that doesn't give you much information.Nice pictures.

very pleased
I was very pleased with my recent order of P.Allen Smith's Container Gardens. The condition was excellent, better than I had found at my local book store. I recieved the book quicker than expected. The purchase was a very positive experience.

Fantastic "recipes"
This book has the best "recipes" for containers I have seen. They are made from easy to get plants. You can see how to change color schemes. They are intended to look finished and full right away, but once again, changing the number of plants to allow time for the container to grow into a full look is easy to figure out. Advice is very practical. You don't have to buy unusual or very expensive plants to get a great look with this book.

Wonderful Book
My husband and I bought this book after seeing it at my brothers and love everything about it. You don't have to be a designer to make beautiful arrangements. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Gardening for Non-gardeners
I'm really not much of a gardener because I don't have the time to devote to it, but this book helped me put together a nice display in no time at all. It helped me pick some nice looking pots, told me what kind of soil mix to use and even showed me which plants worked with others. Pretty foolproof.

Gardening Made Easy
I wanted to add color and some design interest to the area around my front door, and this book helped me do it. It not only provided the basics for gardening in containers, it also gave specific plans to follow for combining plants. The pictures showed me how the designs look once they are planted. Money well spent.

Great book on container gardening
Covered everything that I was interested in.I checked out the book at a local Barnes and Noble to be sure it was what I wanted, then ordered from Amazon.com.Can't beat these prices. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Reviewing: "The Container Gardener's Bible"
Broken into four sections, this book is designed to teach you everything you every wanted to know about container gardening. The first section is about design and how to come up with a workable design for your gardening area. Before it gets to that though, the section opens with a multi page history lesson on containers which may tell you far more than you every wanted to know. After six pages of history, the book moves into "Why use a container?" There are multiple reasons and not just because of space limitations.

After answering that question in detail, the first section moves through various areas of design, types ofplanters and pots, colors, single species plantings as well as seasonal single species, formal, informal, etc. Pictures are frequently used to illustrate each idea with text explaining what was trying to be achieved, the setting or location of the containers, type of containers, plants involved or showcased, as well as tips on little extra things you can do to pull off the look. Your personal space, whether it is a balcony, roof top terrace, passageway, sunken garden, etc. plays a huge role as it is part the design and such scenarios are addressed in great detail. Attracting wildlife and being "green" are dominant themes throughout the book and are present here with several pages devoted to aquatic life as well as other ideas.

The second section is devoted to "Seasonal Planting" and starting with page 70 begins with "Spring Planting Ideas." Tulips, Daffodils, Rosemary, Hyacinth, are all common but this book showcases ways to use them differently. Words won't really describe how. Like virtually everything in the book, the pictures are what do the idea justice.

After moving through the four seasons with splashes of color everywhere it is time to do the same in "The Kitchen Garden." No, this isn't all about a few herbs that can be grown in a windowsill though that is covered. Instead, this third section of the book is about growing fruit and vegetables "...in containers and hanging baskets that will look attractive, taste good, and be far more economical than pricey store-bought produce." (page 87) So along with herbs and strawberries planters, there are ideas for growing lettuce in a hanging basket, chard and rhubarbs in various pots, fruit trees in pots, and plants that can serve as living aromatics among other ideas.

Of course, buying the best plants is a waste if you don't know anything about "Preparation and Planting." Starting with things to consider when buying containers and pots, this fourth section of the book takes readers through everything they need to know about the many choices out there. The right potting mix is as important and again, going "green" or organic is the focus before detailed instructions on how to plant and trees in a variety of containers and locations. Watering, fertilizing, grooming and dealing with pests are just some of the other topics in this thirty-three page section.

A detailed plant directory featuring photographs and information on each plant follows. The information is broken in to mini sections by types of plants such as perennials, annuals, bulbs, climbers, grasses, bamboos, etc. Detailed info that has also appeared in the book earlier is listed here in a quick and easy reference guide.

A glossary, a world wide hardness zone map and a multi page index bring this 191 page book to a close.

Recently released, this book is not only a book of colorful big ideas; it is also a book of day to day practical advice. It helps both the novice gardener get started as well as the seasoned pro see things in a new way. With something for everyone, this book full of colorful photos, tons of information, and practical ideas makes a great gift as well as a personal resource.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright)2009

The Container Gardener's Bible
I love this book, it gave me lots of ideas for planting containers.I did not buy it for a reference book.It is great for a novice gardener.

A Better Magazine than Book
Though it is beautifully photographed and covers a lot of topics - such as seasonal plantings, a yearly cycle of caring for container plants, and types of containers - this book only addresses things in a brief and cursory way. It is much more like a magazine than a useful reference book.I was ultimately disappointed with this book, and I chose to return it. ... Read more

Product Description
Container gardening is ideally suited to today’s lifestyles — it provides the excitement, versatility, and variety of in-the-ground gardening to those with limited space, time, and resources. But in order to make the most of container gardening, aspiring gardeners — whether rank beginners or seasoned veterans — need to know precisely which plants perform best in containers; just as importantly, they need to know how to grow them well.

Author Ray Rogers is the ideal guide to this world of colorful possibilities. An award-winning container gardener and horticulturist, he profiles more than 500 outstanding plants in 180 genera. Along with Rogers’s engaging descriptions, the entries include each plant’s height and spread; light, moisture, temperature, and soil requirements; ease and rate of growth; principal interest and design attributes; potential problems; and best method of propagation. To this abundance of useful information, Rob Cardillo’s stunning photographs add a wealth of visual inspiration.

Success with container gardening isn’t always instantly achieved — it’s easy to be seduced by brightly flowering plants at a nursery or garden center that turn out to be unsuited to the growing conditions provided for them, or that make poor companions for their pot-mates. Even a brief dip into this authoritative reference, however, is sure to yield a host of plants that will show just how spectacular a well-grown — and carefully chosen — container garden can be.


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Customer Reviews (4)

A Wonderful Read
My Grand Children read and reread this book. We are all looking foward to the spring.

Offers 17 different gardening projects with kids in mind
Gardening is lots of fun, especially with this project-oriented introduction that offers 17 different gardening projects with kids in mind, from growing a hanging basket of vegetables to creating a water garden complete with fish. Simple lists of what's needed to start each project are embellished by color photos of young gardeners and botany insights with simple facts. Children in grades 3-5 will find Kids' Container Gardening most inviting.

Creative and Enjoyable!!!
I have 2 children, and this book brought great ideas to our family. It really created ways we could enjoy time and projects together. My son and I used one of the projects ( container gardening) for his school science project-it was fantastic.

I definately recommend this book for all parents and children. We are giving a copy to Josh's teacher as an end of the year present as well!

Absolutely fabulous!!!!!
I always am looking for great books with lots of kid friendly projects, as I am a teacher, and I have to say, this is one of the best! It is well organized, expertly researched and written, and is very versitile. The projects are applicable for a large span of age groups, and easilty adapted to whatever enironment you are using it in, whether home or school.
I bought 2 copies, one for the school, and one for myself- I can't wait to do these projects with my own children! ... Read more

Product Description
This guide to outdoor container gardening with flowering bulbs features 125 photographs and watercolors that introduce gardeners of all experience levels to the concepts and methods of container gardening with flowering bulbs. Garden Bk Club Alt. ... Read more