Edible Spots and Pots: Small-Space Gardens for Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Containers, Raised Beds, and More

by Stacey Hirvela

It’s time for home gardeners to rethink the traditional garden and explore the wide variety of options for growing edibles in "anywhere" gardens—from decorative pots and raised beds to unusual growing bags, hanging pouches, and tomato rings. These contained gardens are more manageable than long rows or plots and require much less work—yet yield just as much bounty.Featuring dozens of preplanned planting recipes, based on space or container sizes, Gardening Outside the Plot allows readers to mix and match vegetables, herbs, small fruits, and edible flowers to create a plant-style patchwork based on the "thriller" (dramatic, focal-point plants), "filler" (midheight, bushy plants), and "spiller" (vines and twining plants) formula for creating interesting and botanically sound gardens. Plot-free gardening offers practical solutions for any circumstance a gardener may encounter (challenging spaces, soils, or weather), while also taking into account budget, time, and aesthetic goals.Author Stacey Hirvela shares many other interesting concepts, like One-Minute Veggies (foods that go from patio to plate in less than a minute) Doubly Delicious Crops that give two flavors from one plant, and space/yield ratios (vegetables worth their footprint). Gardeners will also find an enticing array of 60 edibles that grow well in a defined space for productivity and beauty.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Plants, Food

321 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2014

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas and practical knowledge for growing vegetables and herbs in containers and raised beds. It's great for new gardeners and more experienced ones. Garden the easy way. Use raised beds. Start in containers. Great tips and projects.

[OneDayI'll · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really thorough book on container gardens and potted gardens. Everything from compost, root bunching, plant grouping, crop rotation, growing zones, sized pots, how to stake or build trellises, quite literally everything you need to get started. It even mentions the pot materials and what ones will last longer, what temperatures they're better suited for, how to save seeds, what seeds can be saved, and how to propagate and sprout, what ones can be left to grow year after year and what ones will fade and need to be replanted. Everything is clear and concise, gardening myths are mentioned and dispelled, and there are pictures and diagrams for visual aids. It really is a comprehensive start up guide.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you would expect, lots of tips specifically for container gardening - choosing containers, soil for containers, suggestions for container-friendly crops to substitute for less container-friendly crops, etc. The book also includes information on raised bed planting, which I don't really think of as a container. The most useful/unique part of the book is the examples of edible thriller-filler-spiller plants and several example combinations for different sizes of containers. I appreciate that the plant encyclopedia includes (a very few) perennial vegetables.

Overall, a decent starter's manual.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is EXACTLY what I wanted. From containers and soil types to permaculture and crop rotation. She talks about fertilizing and irrigating, building trellises and really just everything you would ever need to know about growing your own food. I need this one in my library. All the stars to Edible Spots and Pots.

[Judy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I did not read from cover to cover. However, there are many great ideas in it for gardening in small spaces. I plan to purchase this one to add to my library for repeated reference.

[Amberwench · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for beginner and intermediate growers alike, great for growers who have sun but lack yard. Simple DIY ideas for getting pots and plants into the sun for best harvest, as well as ideas for growing combinations for visual appeal. Includes encyclopedia of plants that do well in pots.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't thrilled by this book.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great container gardening book. I want to buy it in order to have it as reference (originally borrowed it from the library)

[Maria Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of information for gardeners old and new. My only complaint are the mini stories being literally thrust into the middle of sections.

[Candy]

I read some of this and want to take this book out again. I liked the part about making your own plant supports. Also, this intelligent author gives the real low-down on things like why you might not want to plant food in rain gutters etc. There is a lot of great information that I need more time to read and digest. July 2014

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful resource for beginner home gardeners. The book clearly explains different types of containers & beds, basic gardening tips, a nice section on suggested plant combinations and a section reviewing specific plants and their garden facts (season, water, sun, etc).

[Sanju · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I learned about some new plants and combinations. As it is late in the season, it is too late for me to apply the information. I will have to revisit again in the spring.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I'd gotten it as a paperback, not quite as indepth as I was hoping.

[Cara Noyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good gardening ideas in here for folks who don't have space for a traditional garden.

[Gail Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you always wanted to know about container gardening.

[Caiti_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational with inspiring ideas. A great resource for gardeners.