Tomatoes and Basil on the 5th Floor

by Patrick Vernuccio

Get the most out of every bit of balcony space to easily grow your own sustainable, organic, and tasty food.Do you love having a balcony but aren't sure how you can use it as a space to grow? Do you feel that being a few stories up in a building stops you from growing delicious crops? If the answer is "yes," then it's time you read this book.Instagram sensation Patrick Vernuccio AKA @TheFrenchieGardener is a small-space grower with a big message. Building on his inspirational content, Tomatoes and Basil on the 5th Floor showcases easy and informative ways to grow fresh produce in containers and on a balcony, proving that anyone can enjoy tasty, organic food all year round.From dividing store-bought basil plants, to harvesting vegetables at the best time of year, to letting plants set seed for the benefit of wildlife, Patrick takes his readers through myriad ways to get crops and produce out of very limited space. Working with the seasons and with good-quality seed and compost, he explains all you need to know to ensure every inch of your balcony can give you tasty and beautiful crops to harvest.

Genres: Cookbooks, How To

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the good things first. It's great to have a book about balcony gardening, the majority of books I've read about gardening so far always assume you have a huge garden at your disposal which can be very discouraging if you only have a small balcony space. The pictures are beautiful and there are a lot of hands on, useful tips and recommendations. The division into seasons is very useful and beginner friendly.

Now, the things I didn't like. I love Patrick's instagram account and short videos but I expect more from an actual book. There are no sources referenced at all throughout the book. The author himself says that three years ago he didn't know anything about gardening but after 'doing a bit of research' (unnamed and unspecified) he now knows enough to write a book that will 'will answer your questions by giving you the right information'. Ok... In that traditional social media way of "source? trust me bro".

There are several garden myths presented as facts (again, of course, with no sources referenced). For example - that you can use egg shells for minerals and calcium in your soil. Unless you turn them into a very fine powder, the egg shells are unlikely to have any impact on your soil at all since they decompose very slowly.

The author also mentions using urine as a fertilizer but says 'it's not recommended ... during menstruation or if you're taking antibiotics'. Now, antibiotics I can maybe understand. But I have not managed to find any information about why you would not be able to use urine during menstruation. Again, citing a source here would have been nice :)

Finally, the editing is not great. For example, a text from the headline "Spider mites" (how to get rid of them) has been directly copy-pasted to the headline "Caterpillars" which read "...spray the plant and leave for for (sic) one hour, then rise with water. Repeat the process until spider mites have gone."

To summarize - enjoy the pictures and get inspired, but don't read it as the absolute truth.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is divided into a section for each season and it’s so easily explained and has clear instructions which to-dos you should do when, when to start your seedlings and how you grow them into wonderful plants and how to best store your plants in the space that you have!

Lots of great tips and tricks for first timers like me to make gardening seem less daunting.

I am so excited to own this book in addition to @thefrenchiegardener‘s fantastic video content! Fingers crossed that at the end of summer I‘ll have managed to grow some gorgeous fruit and veg 🥰

Thanks @thefrenchiegardener for writing this wonderful book! Sincerely, all the gardening newbies like me ☺️

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Everything is explained very clearly, there are step by step photos and great tips! And the book is infused with Patrick’s personality from cover to cover! A book filled with joy and tons of green love!

[Susan McKone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great wee guide, easy to follow. Looking forward to spring to implement some of the ideas!