Rebel Gardening: A beginner’s handbook to organic urban gardening

by Alessandro Vitale

This is the ultimate beginner’s guide to establishing and tending an organic kitchen garden in any urban space, no matter how small, written by the YouTuber and TikToker known as Spicy Moustache.

Do you live in the city and yearn for the space and time to grow your own food and live more connected with nature and the seasons? Rebel Gardening shows that anyone can grow a garden of delicious organic fruit and vegetables, wildlife-friendly wildflowers and abundant herbs in absolutely any urban space with a bit of know-how.

Organic gardening expert Alessandro Vitale wants you to embrace the living soil and establish your own city eden where creatures and plants can coexist, in harmony with our modern lives. He shares his low-cost and organic approach with all the essential guidance you will need, including his top 50 plants for beginner gardeners, with a plethora of information on how to plant and look after them and how to make the most of all your produce. Learn how to make vegan honey with dandelions, establish a micro-orchard, or brew a natural antibiotic from garlic.

Alessandro shares a plan for any type of space and how to tend it through the year. Learn about companion gardening, saving seeds, DIY raised beds and everything to allow your garden to flourish. The healing and planet-protecting power of gardening is within your grasp!

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Science, Food, Nature, Unfinished

272 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Traci Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a helpful place to start as a new gardener. Some of the instructions were a little unclear and could've used more photos or diagrams. I liked that the tone is very approachable. I wish there were more resources provided to continue on the gardening journey since this book is clearly a jumping off point.

[Kate Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book to add to my gardening shelf of my library. I love Alessandro's channel, Spicy Moustache, on YouTube. He is a big no waste and what's good for the planet type of guy. This book covers everything from growing in a tiny back patio, growing mushrooms in a bucket and how to propagate or clone plants. Beautiful photos that will inspire. I recommend this book for the new gardener and then jump over to his channel to learn how to grow and make anything and be self sustaining and create less waste.

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book love watching the man spin his magic online. Sadly for me it was mostly about growing in the UK (where he is) and growing things here is extra sunny hot humid Texas is completely different. I did get a lot out of the preservation/fermenting/pickling section. I hope he writes a cookbook or food preservation book next

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great resource for beginners. I'm somewhere between fucking up beginner, but know some things, and maybe on my way to becoming a fucking up intermediate. Basically, some of the stuff I knew. It will apply a lot to the UK zones, and not really for Texas. So, be forewarned. He was wrong on Mint, which is a perennial and not an annual, and we use Mexican Merigolds in Texas, which is also a perennial and not an annual. I will say if you want to go on the cheap, upcycle, recycle, vertical garden this shit, and DIY like a bad ass, this will be the book for you. I learned a lot on how to do some things, because he gave detailed instructions (will still watch the youtube, because I'm a visual learner).

Now, go garden.

[Gee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I havent actually finished this book but the writing is so bad that I don’t think I’ll finish it not only because it’s making me stupider but also because I literally don’t trust any of this guy’s information because the writing is so bad..

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully laid out book and one that is ideal for those new to gardening or us that have been doing it for years. As new techniques are developed it is always good to have a look at how we can do more for our own garden and also the environment around us.

I have been gardening for years, growing up helping on my parent's allotment before then growing my own plants and vegetable. I now have a mix of vegetables, fruit and flowers in my garden and the benefits for me are great. It helps with my mental health as it is a serene place and I can stop and relax my mind as I potter around in the garden or just sit and look.

This book is great for bringing together new techniques and reinforcing old ones. As climate changes, we have to be mindful of temperatures and weather for setting seeds. I did enjoy the section on seed sovereignty and GMO seeds.

The book is laid out well and it is easy to navigate, it is one of those books you can quite happily flick through until something catches your eye, which it certainly will with the wonderful photos. It is also good for finding a specific topic by using the index or contents as a guide. I read through it from cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed it this way as well. For me that makes it a very good book as it is informative and at times learning new things as well.

Well laid out, interesting, engaging and one I would definitely recommend.

[Jasmine Pirtle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has breadth but not depth. His YouTube channel (SpicyMoustache) covers these topics beautifully, but the book was not worth the purchase considering how well he covers these topics online for free. Its very beginner friendly, but even if you are a beginner, I still wouldn’t recommend it because it gave such minuscule details on such an expanse of topics that you would likely experience information overload & still be unable to pinpoint an exact starting point. Very artsy & aesthetic, but I wish it was more of a bang for my buck. He has a vibrant online presence that I would definitely recommend checking out though!

[Drew Huskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great encyclopedia to gardening in a small space. I wish he talked more about how to handle high heat and humidity, but his climate isn’t too warm.

[Anna B · Rating 4 out of 5]

will be useful in my beginner gardener journey, i’m sure!

[Nette · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might know him as Spicy Moustache, from YouTube or TikTok. Alessandro Vitale has created the perfect beginner’s handbook titled Rebel Gardening. A perfect title, if I say so myself.
This is a beginner’s handbook for organic urban gardening. If you have seen Vitale’s videos on social media, you know how empowering and motivational a gardener he is. Rebel Gardening brings us all the action. Not only is the book put together in the best way, but the instructions or guides to create your garden are also helpful.

Rebel Gardening is full of vital information to give your garden its own spotlight. The education and knowledge shared are impressive, there is no gatekeeping, only useful information.
From techniques to the tools you need, and any other things you might need to build it is all explained. For every item you will need, the diagrams show just how to do things. From your own irrigation system to saving seeds. Alessandro Vitale has taken the time to motivate you into having your own organic urban garden. If you think you don’t have the space, he will help you realize you can still have your own garden. Worried you don’t have a green thumb on you, the guidance provided will get you to see that you do.

In fact, a fantastic book for anyone interested in growing their own garden or even expanding on an existing one. Rebel Gardening will motivate you without a doubt. You don’t have to grow fruits or veggies, the guide also teaches you to grow herbs and flowers. It discusses solutions that may arise like how to protect your garden from pests and what animals might help your garden.

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that should be on all beginners shelves!! Mr. Spicy Moustache himself, Alessandro Vitale, is not what you picture when you think "vegetable gardener" but I absolutely love his content, and he breaks down the set up of your own urban garden and encourages you to HAVE FUN and make it YOURS. He's a gardener in London, UK, but he's sensitive to regional differences even with plants like Mint (everyone says "grown in full sun... But here in the U.S. central-south, that's an easy way to fry your plant).

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covered a loooot of topics and because of that, none of them were super in-depth. However, I did appreciate Vitale's enthusiasm and energetic writing style, and his interesting ideas. A lot of this was geared towards small-space gardening and/or UK-specific climate, which won't apply to everyone.

[megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well laid out book, perfect for beginners! A experienced gardener will learn a thing or two too!
I love Alessandros philosophy towards waste
The book is such good quality and the pages are super thick, it’s also beautifully illustrated and designed!
Deffo recommend

[Kalei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on gardening. WAY more things to think about than putting seeds into soil. I feel like it needs to be my full-time job figuring out how to start my garden but this book puts it all into perspective and I like the emphasis on natural insect mitigation measures.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Rebel Gardening is an enthusiastic and up to the minute guide for urban gardeners written by Alessandro Vitale. Due out 11th April 2023 from Watkins Publishing, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

In times of increasing food insecurity and distrust/boredom with the incredibly limited selections available to most people who live in urban areas, coupled with the psychological and health benefits of being in contact with growing plants and having more control over our food as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes from being more self sufficient, it's easy to see why more people are making a conscious choice to garden. People in urban areas face more challenges finding space to grow anything as well as challenges associated with water and light conditions. This book gives a lot of really creative solutions to those problems (and more).

The focus throughout is on regenerative and supportive gardening; to heal the planet, support life (including our own), and improve food security. There is such a wealth of experience and information contained in the volume that doesn't fit into precise pigeonholes. The author has included links to his social media presence at the very beginning of the book so that readers can see videos of the techniques he talks about. He is also a supporter of open pollinated heirloom (non-hybrid) seeds and promotes the use of organic controls, no dig beds, JADAM techniques, and permaculture. It's also incredibly enthusiastic and the author's passion about gardening comes through very clearly in the text.

The book is well photographed (many are stock photos, but they are clear and illustrate the plants and techniques well).

Four and a half stars. Full of information. This would be a superlative choice for public and school library acquisition, home use, allotments/gardening groups, smallholders (with or without urban locations), and similar. The language and spelling are UK English (marrow, aubergine, etc), but will pose no problems in context for readers elsewhere. Tutorial and recipe lists have measurements given in metric units with imperial (American) units in parentheses (yay!).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sandy Sandmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Alessandro, aka Spicy Moustache, on Tiktok since I've been on the app. His deep voice caught my attention first and his urban gardening tips and zero-waste attitude kept my attention.

Rebel Gardening should be considered the handbook for sustainable gardening. Alessandro teaches readers how to do everything necessary, including the reasons why it should be done that way. He teaches by example and shares his own successes and failures. I find him to be incredibly thorough in his explanations.

Rebel Gardening doesn't just give you one way to garden, the reader learns about multiple types of gardens that are typically considered non-traditional. This makes gardening accessible for those who want to garden regardless of where they live. Then, the book walks you through preparing and feeding the soil and choosing the seeds to maintaining the garden. Alessandro even steps into ways to preserve the vegetables in ways such as pickling, fermenting, and dehydrating.

Rebel Gardening isn't the type of book that you pick up in April before you start your garden for the year. This book is one that should be studied over the winter so that long-term garden plans can be made.

Rebel Gardening is filled with colorful pictures of Alessandro and his garden bounty as well as everything that the reader will need to get their garden, small or large, started and maintained. I highly recommend this book (and Alessandro's social media accounts) to anyone interested in gardening and reducing food waste in their home (or businesses such as restaurants).

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic gardening book for new gardeners but experienced gardeners are likely to learn something too, especially with the international organic gardening techniques that he highlights. Vitale goes into all the steps in setting up your garden even in urban environments and focuses on doing it frugally and sustainably. He also talks about pests, watering, companion plants, compost, and tons more. He gives lots of instructions for projects too, and real photos of him and his garden are featured throughout.

The one area that didn’t work for me is that in his quest for sustainability he uses quite a lot of containers I wouldn’t consider optimal, especially for organic gardening. Not only does he use lots of plastic containers with no talk about how plastics degrade and are taken up in the soil, but he recommends planting food crops in old tires (lined with plastic). I commend him for reusing materials and caring for the environment, but I personally would not feel great about using those materials to grow food and wish he’d at least discussed the topic for new gardeners who might not know about potential health risks. Those of us growing for children or pregnant women need to be especially mindful of the risks.

That said, I adored the book otherwise and really appreciated his unique perspective.

I read a temporary digital advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Kristin Eoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book at the library and was intrigued by the cover. It reads like an informal, enthusiastic blog, which makes sense because I learned the author does have a blog (Spicy Moustache) and a YouTube channel of gardening tips. The book is long on encouragement but kind of short on details. I think it works best as an inspiring overview of urban gardening, and those who want to learn more can research specific information online. It's amazing how much produce Vitale is able to grow in his tiny urban garden, but his local conditions and challenges in London will be very different from those in my Texas garden, so in-depth research is a must regarding what varieties of fruits and vegetables are best for one's climate. The book has an informal, down-to-earth tone but could have used better proofreading because I saw a couple of spelling errors. I also think it would have been better with more photos and diagrams.

[Kris Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coolest gardening book I have seen. So many people think of urban gardening as sacrificing whatever little room you have to big pots and hanging fixtures…Vitale smashes that to bits! His sections on no-dig, Jadam natural gardening, and permaculture make this book stand out among the rest. He gives you a roadmap to a sustainable, attractive, live-in, tiny Eden that can feed you, your community, and protect the environment. All the information you need is covered…from the basics of successfully starting an urban garden to topics like seed saving/sovereignty, mushrooms, composting, making your own soil amendments, and preserving your harvest. This book is going to be the #1 recommendation for anyone asking about how they can craft food security and resilience for themselves. Excellent!!!

Thank you, NetGalley!

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gardening book for a gardener at any level! Even as an experienced gardener, I learned several things from REBEL GARDENING. An inspiring book that will make you want to start your own garden wherever you are - even on a balcony or inside your home. The book shows multiple ways to get started with several cost-effective methods. It's rather empowering to know you can grow your own food even in such little space. Looking forward to buying my own hardcopy and am very happy to have come across the author/gardener, Spicy Moustache. It's evident he deeply cares about nature and the earth and wants others to experience the power of food sovereignty and connecting back to the earth by being a rebel gardener. It even has a recipe to make vegan honey!

Thank you to Watkins Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed!

I never thought I would say that about a simple gardening book but there was nothing simple about this masterpiece. Told in a way that is both attractive and beneficial to both newbies and experienced gardeners, Rebel Gardening is a treasure within the gardening community! It covers everything from the basics of seeds, composting, mushrooms, curating soil, and preservation of harvest. That last one is so important for sustainability!!

I’ve always been intrigued by urban gardening. Although my family owns a decent size property, it’s important to be able to afford a level of sustain any environment. This book is a requirement in your gardening arsenal of knowledge!

[Anne Jisca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It’s visually gorgeous! The book is full of good information: how to create your gardens from pots, recycled items, raised gardens, etc How to prepare the dirt. How to plan your space. How to plant. How to make compost, and fertilizer. Ideas of plants to grow indoors all year round. Various ways to create trellises and greenhouses. There is something in this book for everyone, no matter if you live where you only have a little balcony, a rooftop, or a backyard! Shade, sun, or a mix of both.

I’m a beginner gardener and learned a lot from this book! It’s giving me the itch to start planting!

#RebelGardening #NetGalley

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been an avid gardener for the better part of a decade, so when I heard a social media guru brought out a gardening book, I had to have a look. Turns out, it's really impressive.

This guy has a genuine talent for bringing together large amounts of information, wisdom, and methodical thinking, and explaining it to a layman. The ideas of permaculture, composting, and pests have scared some of my friends away from the hobby, but I confidently think this book could change their minds.

Whether you're looking to grow some tomatoes, completely turn your tiny garden into a farm, or just create a pretty space to sit in, this book has something for you. Glad I picked it up.

[Sylvia Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book contains a wealth of information about all aspects of urban gardening, regardless of space constraints. The author explains in very clear terms a number of gardening methods and plant choices that will work in almost any urban space and setting. It is a valuable reference book I will return to again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Andi Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Yes, he’s in London, but moved from northern Italy, and England can get really hot and humid sometimes. So, while the climate doesn’t replicate some states in the US, it is like some states, and imho his philosophy and approach to growing is good for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. I’ll likely buy this book, but go to your library. Gardening books are like cookbooks; there are tons of them and there’s rarely one that fits all.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was influenced by TikTok and I don’t regret it at all.

To put it in perspective, I am a certified Master Gardener and have studied Plant Science with a special devotion to Edible Growing in urban spaces. Alessandro Vitale has excellent information in an easy to read format. I found the book easy to read, and the love Alessandro has for urban gardening shines through.

[Jake Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Alessandro on Instagram and he makes gardening and preserving accessible for anybody. Having a small garden feels a bit hard sometimes when you want to grow food but Alessandro teaches all the ways you can use the space efficiently and with recycling / environmentalism in mind. A fantastic book

[Bfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book by itself could definitely use more visuals to illustrate the instructions especially when the information is dense. It seems like it goes hand in hand with his video content but thinking of people who may not already be following him, using this as a stand alone manual may get confusing without more visuals. Super great info + very beginner friendly though.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm keen gardener and I think this is an excellent book for gardener at any level: well written, easy to follow, informative.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Alessandra Boada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and perfect for beginners trying to navigate using the most out of small space -perfect for renters who have to use containers and even better for people who are starting to move towards being more mindful consumers (realistic zero waste consumption in the home).