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Gardening for Geeks: All the Science You Need for Successful Organic Gardening
The ultimate organic gardening resource, Gardening for Geeks provides readers with everything they need to know about designing, building, and sustaining their own garden. Filled with step-by-step processes, helpful diagrams, and expert tips on the best practices, this book covers it all for anyone who dreams of gardening, even the city dweller. Starting off with the basics and progressing into more advanced concepts for a wide scope of gardening strategies and techniques, this is a comprehensive and geeky look at your favorite hobby. Founder of Gardenerd and author, Christy Wilhelmi shares her expertise to break down the biology and ecology of gardening in an easy, breezy writing style that will make you appreciate and understand gardening even more than you did before!
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
248 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2020
11 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Christy Wilhelmi
8 books54 followersChristy Wilhelmi empowers people to grow their own food, to be more self-reliant, and to reduce pollution and waste, one garden at a time.
Christy is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, and podcasts. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design and consulting. She holds regular organic gardening classes in California, and was a board member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California for over 20 years. Between 50-70 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet.
She is author of Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden (Cool Springs Press); High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening (the updated version of Gardening for Geeks (Fox Chapel)); 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success: A Decade of Tricks, Tools, Recipes, and Resources from Gardenerd.com (Amazon Kindle); and her debut novel, Garden Variety (William Morrow). The sequel to Garden Variety is coming in Spring 2026.
Christy is founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes newsletters, her popular blog, and podcasts. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design and consulting. She holds regular organic gardening classes in California, and was a board member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California for over 20 years. Between 50-70 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet.
She is author of Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden (Cool Springs Press); High Yield Small Space Organic Gardening (the updated version of Gardening for Geeks (Fox Chapel)); 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success: A Decade of Tricks, Tools, Recipes, and Resources from Gardenerd.com (Amazon Kindle); and her debut novel, Garden Variety (William Morrow). The sequel to Garden Variety is coming in Spring 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 18, 2020
As a beginning gardener, I find this book to be a dream. 127 pages of clear instructions on everything you can think of that has to do with gardening. I’m amazed the author was able to pack so much information into 127 pages. The topics covered range everywhere from composting to raised beds to small space gardening. There is even some information on beekeeping! In addition, there is information on various food storage options for your produce, and even a few recipes.
Whatever your level of gardening experience, this book will be helpful to you. I will be ordering a hard copy of this book to assist in my gardening adventure.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
Whatever your level of gardening experience, this book will be helpful to you. I will be ordering a hard copy of this book to assist in my gardening adventure.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
April 12, 2020
Such a jam packed book.
Helping organise and keep order, pest control, how to build garden beds, ecosystems including bats, bees and toads and planting placements.
There is information on worm bins, soil and ph levels, irrigation, and what to do with things once they are picked, storage, freezing and drying.
The vegetable and herb profiles are a great resource.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Helping organise and keep order, pest control, how to build garden beds, ecosystems including bats, bees and toads and planting placements.
There is information on worm bins, soil and ph levels, irrigation, and what to do with things once they are picked, storage, freezing and drying.
The vegetable and herb profiles are a great resource.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 23, 2020
Pretty good basic information for new gardeners who want to use organic methods to grow the usual American crops. I consider myself a seasoned gardener and a geek, and didn't find this particularly geeky or helpful in terms of new material, but there were some very cool elements to it. I didn't feel that it gives all you need to be successful. There were a lot of plants profiled where the instructions for growing and troubleshooting didn't include anything about my common problems with them (for instance, carrots get temperamental if the soil isn't very loose and I always have problems with my potatoes even though they're supposed to be so easy and I do hilling and all that jazz). I also grow a ton of stuff that's not covered, so do consider it a very basic intro in terms of crops. It goes into a few things like square foot gardening and some French gardening techniques, but not a lot into permaculture.
It's geeky I suppose in terms of providing detailed information, but I thought it would be geeky in terms of fun science kind of stuff (for that kind of garden geekery, I highly recommend the new book Garden Alchemy). All in all though, a great, thorough guide.
One more small complaint is that it could use photos for specific instructions. There are a lot of color photos but it's the classic book where they sometimes use stock photos so when you actually need photos of all the kinds of ways to make trellises, for instance, there aren't any. I'm always frustrated with books that use stock photos for this reason, because sometimes things just don't come through well in text and a random picture of one kind of something doesn't really help (this is similar to the new cookbook trend of filling a book with artistic color stock photos of raw vegetables instead of the finished actual recipes). There are times in the book where the author uses relevant pictures for some plans, but I wish other areas had more pertinent photos. That said, there are a lot of color photos and they add to the book.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
It's geeky I suppose in terms of providing detailed information, but I thought it would be geeky in terms of fun science kind of stuff (for that kind of garden geekery, I highly recommend the new book Garden Alchemy). All in all though, a great, thorough guide.
One more small complaint is that it could use photos for specific instructions. There are a lot of color photos but it's the classic book where they sometimes use stock photos so when you actually need photos of all the kinds of ways to make trellises, for instance, there aren't any. I'm always frustrated with books that use stock photos for this reason, because sometimes things just don't come through well in text and a random picture of one kind of something doesn't really help (this is similar to the new cookbook trend of filling a book with artistic color stock photos of raw vegetables instead of the finished actual recipes). There are times in the book where the author uses relevant pictures for some plans, but I wish other areas had more pertinent photos. That said, there are a lot of color photos and they add to the book.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
June 21, 2020
I received a free e-book ARC of Gardening for Geeks from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is fun, easy to read, and informative! I'm a new gardener who struggles to do things if I don't understand why I'm doing them - I mean, does the type of soil really make a difference? And what about sunlight? This book gives clear, understandable explanations that will convince you of the necessity of keeping some bugs around and explain how to plan what to plant and when.
The book is also a good starting point for beginners because it explains things you don't realize you need to know and why they're important. There's even a handy dandy section that gives brief overviews of common garden plants and their common problems.
The only negative to the book is that the pictures aren't that great or necessarily helpful. Sometimes it seems like a picture is slapped on just to make sure there's a picture on every page. It would be nice if more of the photos were relevant or informative diagrams.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any new gardeners, whether or not you're planning to go organic. There's just so much good information.
This book is fun, easy to read, and informative! I'm a new gardener who struggles to do things if I don't understand why I'm doing them - I mean, does the type of soil really make a difference? And what about sunlight? This book gives clear, understandable explanations that will convince you of the necessity of keeping some bugs around and explain how to plan what to plant and when.
The book is also a good starting point for beginners because it explains things you don't realize you need to know and why they're important. There's even a handy dandy section that gives brief overviews of common garden plants and their common problems.
The only negative to the book is that the pictures aren't that great or necessarily helpful. Sometimes it seems like a picture is slapped on just to make sure there's a picture on every page. It would be nice if more of the photos were relevant or informative diagrams.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any new gardeners, whether or not you're planning to go organic. There's just so much good information.
February 1, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Gardening for Geeks is a reformat and re-release of a tutorial and tips guide aimed at organic gardeners. Originally published in 2013, this edition from Fox Chapel Publishing, due out 11th Feb 2020 is 248 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. A quick comparison with the first edition shows a profound reformatting along with updated photos and new content in the form of new plant profiles and project photos. This edition is significantly more polished and graphically appealing. I own the original edition and I am planning on buying this one as well.
The layout is logical and accessible and builds from the ground up (pun intended, sorry): garden ecosystems, beds, soil, planning the season, urban gardening, more planning, irrigation, plant support and training (trellises, cages, etc), pest control, harvest and uses for produce. These are supported and expanded with a solid section of appendices for composting, seeds, a tomato planting crib, and mount (freeform raised bed) planting. Packed into the back of the book is also a concise bibliography and resource list (with links), a glossary, and a cross referenced index, along with a short author bio/mission statement. The resource list is solid and will give readers a lot of additional info sources. The index is also well made and I didn't find any mistakes or omissions during my testing. I always test out indices when I'm reviewing nonfiction because I know the frustration of *knowing* that I read something in the book and not being able to find it again later.
Well made, a huge upgrade to the first edition (which is a good book in its own rights), accessible and fun language, graphically appealing, and scientifically accurate. This one's a winner.
Five stars. Well done.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Gardening for Geeks is a reformat and re-release of a tutorial and tips guide aimed at organic gardeners. Originally published in 2013, this edition from Fox Chapel Publishing, due out 11th Feb 2020 is 248 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. A quick comparison with the first edition shows a profound reformatting along with updated photos and new content in the form of new plant profiles and project photos. This edition is significantly more polished and graphically appealing. I own the original edition and I am planning on buying this one as well.
The layout is logical and accessible and builds from the ground up (pun intended, sorry): garden ecosystems, beds, soil, planning the season, urban gardening, more planning, irrigation, plant support and training (trellises, cages, etc), pest control, harvest and uses for produce. These are supported and expanded with a solid section of appendices for composting, seeds, a tomato planting crib, and mount (freeform raised bed) planting. Packed into the back of the book is also a concise bibliography and resource list (with links), a glossary, and a cross referenced index, along with a short author bio/mission statement. The resource list is solid and will give readers a lot of additional info sources. The index is also well made and I didn't find any mistakes or omissions during my testing. I always test out indices when I'm reviewing nonfiction because I know the frustration of *knowing* that I read something in the book and not being able to find it again later.
Well made, a huge upgrade to the first edition (which is a good book in its own rights), accessible and fun language, graphically appealing, and scientifically accurate. This one's a winner.
Five stars. Well done.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 28, 2020
The title is more about branding than about the books contents which was a let down. As a garden designer and plant enthusiast I was very much looking forward to geeky/nerdy trivia and tidbits. They never came.
Most gardening books on the market are based in England or California and this one is no different. I’d always recommend a local to you gardening book over a generic location one as it would help understand your natural foundations, limitations and experiment ranges.
For a new vegetable gardener the book will provide what you need to get started. It wouldn’t be top on my list of recommendations though as there are many like it on the market and others do a better job. Primarily with the graphics.
Understanding plants, soil and conditions is a very visual process. The stock images used throughout this book often felt like fillers so the pages wouldn’t be too word dense as they did not compliment or add to the text on that page. Images being lacklustre are especially true when the book covered simple how-to’s and determining your soil type.
It uses the term gardening broadly yet only covered edibles and items related to growing a vegetable garden. As such it didn’t cover shade, water pooling, wind or microclimates within your space as it’s focus was entirely on full sun, manipulated base and primarily annual edibles.
I liked that it touched on a closed loop self sustaining system and other more “modern” techniques such as hydroponics but I found that it also encouraged practices that are now being viewed as detrimental such as tilling, and exposed soil(never suggested mulching but did touch on cover crops), and erosion(swales).
It could have done without the recipes/canning sections as that seemed a detour from the rest of the book and is more “specialized” requiring more personalization and detail than it was afforded.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy for the purpose of an honest review.
Most gardening books on the market are based in England or California and this one is no different. I’d always recommend a local to you gardening book over a generic location one as it would help understand your natural foundations, limitations and experiment ranges.
For a new vegetable gardener the book will provide what you need to get started. It wouldn’t be top on my list of recommendations though as there are many like it on the market and others do a better job. Primarily with the graphics.
Understanding plants, soil and conditions is a very visual process. The stock images used throughout this book often felt like fillers so the pages wouldn’t be too word dense as they did not compliment or add to the text on that page. Images being lacklustre are especially true when the book covered simple how-to’s and determining your soil type.
It uses the term gardening broadly yet only covered edibles and items related to growing a vegetable garden. As such it didn’t cover shade, water pooling, wind or microclimates within your space as it’s focus was entirely on full sun, manipulated base and primarily annual edibles.
I liked that it touched on a closed loop self sustaining system and other more “modern” techniques such as hydroponics but I found that it also encouraged practices that are now being viewed as detrimental such as tilling, and exposed soil(never suggested mulching but did touch on cover crops), and erosion(swales).
It could have done without the recipes/canning sections as that seemed a detour from the rest of the book and is more “specialized” requiring more personalization and detail than it was afforded.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy for the purpose of an honest review.
May 5, 2020
My Thoughts
If you are a gardening geek, then maybe this book is not for you. But this book is definitely for me – a geek who is still struggling to garden. And also for all who are beginner gardeners (geek or not).
I loved the layout and structure of the book, as Christy takes the beginner gardener from creating an ecosystem in your garden to picking your harvest. As we take this journey, we learn about soil, irrigation methods, planning and planting our garden, and keeping it free of pests while ensuring the beneficial insects stay to help.
Interesting tips are included in info-boxes throughout the book. I have learned many cool facts in one quick read – dill and marigold are among the many plants that can help control pests (because one attracts beneficial insects while the other repels the pests).
The photos as well as the drawings help with understanding the concepts explained (how to plan a keyhole garden, build a trellis, plant your different vegetables so they all get the best sunlight and soil nutrients based on their needs, and so much more). I know that I will be using the detailed plant profiles provided.
In Summary
Get this book if you are a beginner gardener! And now is the perfect time to get started at least, as we stay home.
Check my blog - LadyInReadWrites - for more reviews
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the original eARC of the book; these are my honest opinions after reading the book.
If you are a gardening geek, then maybe this book is not for you. But this book is definitely for me – a geek who is still struggling to garden. And also for all who are beginner gardeners (geek or not).
I loved the layout and structure of the book, as Christy takes the beginner gardener from creating an ecosystem in your garden to picking your harvest. As we take this journey, we learn about soil, irrigation methods, planning and planting our garden, and keeping it free of pests while ensuring the beneficial insects stay to help.
Interesting tips are included in info-boxes throughout the book. I have learned many cool facts in one quick read – dill and marigold are among the many plants that can help control pests (because one attracts beneficial insects while the other repels the pests).
The photos as well as the drawings help with understanding the concepts explained (how to plan a keyhole garden, build a trellis, plant your different vegetables so they all get the best sunlight and soil nutrients based on their needs, and so much more). I know that I will be using the detailed plant profiles provided.
In Summary
Get this book if you are a beginner gardener! And now is the perfect time to get started at least, as we stay home.
Check my blog - LadyInReadWrites - for more reviews
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the original eARC of the book; these are my honest opinions after reading the book.
June 22, 2020
Really enjoyable all around geek guide for successful organic gardening. Seriously a jack of all trades type book that not only gives you new ideas to try but offers a general basic knowledge of just about all gardening. From bringing insects to your garden, to compost, to the places that offer organic seeds.
What did I like? Wealth of knowledge sounds about right.... just an incredible amount of information packed into a small book. If you want to be more self sustaining in a natural way, this is a great guide. I learned so much I really didn’t know and I believe the methods are explained easily enough to be beneficial. I just bought property and I’m hoping to start my first trial garden next year so I’m planning a year in advance. Seems extreme but after reading this book, it seems to be a natural thing to plan in advance.
Would I buy or recommend? Kindle price is not bad since you get a wealth of information but I would go for a print copy. Sometimes planning things take you to the yard and such but carrying a kindle or iPad out seems far fetched. I really enjoyed the book and took lots of notes, I would definitely.
Thoughts for the author. Thanks so much for an ARC to give my thoughts and opinions. I really enjoyed the look and will probably get my own paper copy. Lots of knowledge between these pages. Kudos for a great gardening book, I’m so excited to plan mine. I have so many ideas.
What did I like? Wealth of knowledge sounds about right.... just an incredible amount of information packed into a small book. If you want to be more self sustaining in a natural way, this is a great guide. I learned so much I really didn’t know and I believe the methods are explained easily enough to be beneficial. I just bought property and I’m hoping to start my first trial garden next year so I’m planning a year in advance. Seems extreme but after reading this book, it seems to be a natural thing to plan in advance.
Would I buy or recommend? Kindle price is not bad since you get a wealth of information but I would go for a print copy. Sometimes planning things take you to the yard and such but carrying a kindle or iPad out seems far fetched. I really enjoyed the book and took lots of notes, I would definitely.
Thoughts for the author. Thanks so much for an ARC to give my thoughts and opinions. I really enjoyed the look and will probably get my own paper copy. Lots of knowledge between these pages. Kudos for a great gardening book, I’m so excited to plan mine. I have so many ideas.
July 11, 2020
I loved the layout and structure of the book. In the beginning the author takes the reader through soil education, irrigation methods, planning, starting from seed, planting, the difference between good and bad pests and what to look for. There is a section for raised beds with a ‘blueprint’ so you can build your own.
There are many informative tips that are highlighted by little boxes.
There is so much information that there are parts you will want to go back and refer to again. This isn’t one of those books you read and put away. This book should be kept handy so you can refer to it.
There are many beautiful photos, charts and drawings that will help with understanding the concepts presented. (how to make a trellis, plant your different vegetables so they all get the best sunlight and so much more).
I believe that this an excellent and extremely informative book. It would be useful for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
I would like to thank the author, Fox Chapel Publishing /Companion House Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There are many informative tips that are highlighted by little boxes.
There is so much information that there are parts you will want to go back and refer to again. This isn’t one of those books you read and put away. This book should be kept handy so you can refer to it.
There are many beautiful photos, charts and drawings that will help with understanding the concepts presented. (how to make a trellis, plant your different vegetables so they all get the best sunlight and so much more).
I believe that this an excellent and extremely informative book. It would be useful for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
I would like to thank the author, Fox Chapel Publishing /Companion House Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2020
4.5 gardening stars!
Gardening for Geeks is an awesome garden companion full of great tips and tricks.
I really enjoyed this book and really hasn't helped in my trying to be patient regarding starting out in my garden (as is the norm for me in February when trying to hold my horses as frost is still an issue in my neck of the woods).
The book is chock-full of good tips in regards to raised bed size (based on arm span- ha! what a good thought), gardening planning based on good companions and techniques to minimize pests. I never thought of planting certain flowers on the far corner of my beds to *attract* pests *away* from my plants.
The author also goes on to explain fertilization and watering techniques. Composting, worm farms, hydroponics, water irrigation systems. Just really good stuff.
THEN the author goes into specific plants AND specific pests and how to treat them.
I highly recommend this book for beginner to intermediate gardeners!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*
Gardening for Geeks is an awesome garden companion full of great tips and tricks.
I really enjoyed this book and really hasn't helped in my trying to be patient regarding starting out in my garden (as is the norm for me in February when trying to hold my horses as frost is still an issue in my neck of the woods).
The book is chock-full of good tips in regards to raised bed size (based on arm span- ha! what a good thought), gardening planning based on good companions and techniques to minimize pests. I never thought of planting certain flowers on the far corner of my beds to *attract* pests *away* from my plants.
The author also goes on to explain fertilization and watering techniques. Composting, worm farms, hydroponics, water irrigation systems. Just really good stuff.
THEN the author goes into specific plants AND specific pests and how to treat them.
I highly recommend this book for beginner to intermediate gardeners!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*
April 4, 2020
Many people I know will not even try growing their own food, they say it's too much work for so little gain. Gardening for Geeks is the perfect reference guide for those people or really anyone starting or beginning to expand their tomato plant in a pot to something more. Organic gardening is easy. It used to be that organic was the only way to garden, before there were so many chemicals and supplements that encouraged gardeners but destroyed the natural side of the craft. Christy Wilhelmi has obviously taken the time and effort to insure the information she shares is easy enough for everyone to follow while still insuring every step of the year improves the soil thus the product we reap from it. I had already been practicing some of these guidelines but have outlined many more for me to incorporate this year. My bounty will be all the proof I need that you do not have to harm to reap.
July 21, 2020
I am novice gardener...I started my first garden in April during the stay at home orders for COVID-19. I wished that I had this book then. I found this book very informative...lots of good stuff. :) It is chocked full of photos, drawings and charts that are extremely helpful. Gardening for Geeks is also a good starting point for beginners. It breaks down things you don't realize you need to know and why it's important.
My only complaint is there should be a section on planting zones. Not everyone lives in SoCal.
My school is starting a community garden (Covid 19 set us back a few months) we are hoping to get it set up this fall. I will definitely be getting myself a personal copy.
I highly recommend this book for novices and experienced gardeners alike.
I received a free digital copy of #gardeningforgeeks from the publishers via #Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley!
My only complaint is there should be a section on planting zones. Not everyone lives in SoCal.
My school is starting a community garden (Covid 19 set us back a few months) we are hoping to get it set up this fall. I will definitely be getting myself a personal copy.
I highly recommend this book for novices and experienced gardeners alike.
I received a free digital copy of #gardeningforgeeks from the publishers via #Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley!
February 3, 2020
I was only in the 1st chapter, Creating Your Garden Ecosystem, and was thinking, “Oh, no! Another boring technical book.” But, OMG, it is not a bit boring; it is absolutely fantastic, just in 3 pages I realized that!!!! It’s talking about toads, and bats, and easy to understand bees. I’m wanting to run out right now, in the rain and the cold, and see if I can get these 3 things started! (I want to immediately go out and start, but I manage to gather up a little bit of sanity, and decide to just take notes instead. But, wow! I’m really excited about the bees. Who knew that all flowers were different and that some actually lure pests away from your veggie garden?! Gardening for Geeks takes you from the point where your garden is just a thought to what to do with your finished products. Lots of colorful pictures and easy to understand suggestions for getting the most from your gardening experiences. A good book to keep in your gardening reference library.
February 17, 2021
Gardening for Geeks All the Science You Need for Successful Organic Gardening by Christy Wilhelmi is written from the point of view of the science, as you can tell from it's name.
It gives you ideas on your soil, what to grow to encourage other plants, and habitats to build in your garden in order to encourage things that will kill pests.
There are lots of photos, and tips to help you to grow the best you can in your space.
Gardening for Geeks All the Science You Need for Successful Organic Gardening by Christy Wilhelmi was publishing on 11th February 2020, and is available on Amazon , Waterstones and Bookshop.org .
You can follow Christy Wilhelmi on Facebook .
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Fox Chapel Publishing .
It gives you ideas on your soil, what to grow to encourage other plants, and habitats to build in your garden in order to encourage things that will kill pests.
There are lots of photos, and tips to help you to grow the best you can in your space.
Gardening for Geeks All the Science You Need for Successful Organic Gardening by Christy Wilhelmi was publishing on 11th February 2020, and is available on Amazon , Waterstones and Bookshop.org .
You can follow Christy Wilhelmi on Facebook .
I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Fox Chapel Publishing .
January 24, 2020
Thank you to Fox Chapel Publishing/CompanionHouse Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is good, basic information. attractively put together, for beginning gardeners who want to use organic methods. I consider myself a balcony enthusiast, and my knowledge until now has come more through trial and error, so parts of this book were extremely helpful. I also enjoyed the appendixes with DIY tips.
However, it did feel as though the author was trying to cover too much ground for one book, by addressing any size of garden from balcony through to largish plots of land. One other small niggle was with the photos - they were beautiful, but I would have liked pictures more specific to the text, rather than stock photos.
This is good, basic information. attractively put together, for beginning gardeners who want to use organic methods. I consider myself a balcony enthusiast, and my knowledge until now has come more through trial and error, so parts of this book were extremely helpful. I also enjoyed the appendixes with DIY tips.
However, it did feel as though the author was trying to cover too much ground for one book, by addressing any size of garden from balcony through to largish plots of land. One other small niggle was with the photos - they were beautiful, but I would have liked pictures more specific to the text, rather than stock photos.
March 7, 2020
I'm pretty sure this book is going to become indispensable to me. I have a home garden, but I am by no means a pro. This book gives practical advice for growing sustainable crops for your family. I loved the idea of a "swarm box" to bring bees to your garden without the difficulty of beekeeping. There are many ideas for plant placement and building the dimensions of a garden, for getting just the right soil and planning for seasons. And there is also a recipe section!
Plenty of illustrations and color photos make this a delight. This is a book I would buy and come back to season after season.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Fox Chapel Publishing and author Christy Wilhelmi for providing this copy to review.
Plenty of illustrations and color photos make this a delight. This is a book I would buy and come back to season after season.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Fox Chapel Publishing and author Christy Wilhelmi for providing this copy to review.
April 8, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. I sat down and read through it in one sitting. Not that I learned everything! This book is packed with information on every possible gardening related topic I could think of.: bees, composting, good bugs vs bad ones, small space gardening, companion planting, trap crops. You name it.
It has a section of what each type of vegetable or herb wants to grow well, design plans, a flow chart for gardening problems. (Turns out I may need hardware cloth underneath my raised beds.)
It even had canning instructions.
With a full list of sources, a useful index, a well spelled out table of contents and beautiful pictures, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about gardening.
A truly well done book.
(I received a free copy from NetGalley.)
It has a section of what each type of vegetable or herb wants to grow well, design plans, a flow chart for gardening problems. (Turns out I may need hardware cloth underneath my raised beds.)
It even had canning instructions.
With a full list of sources, a useful index, a well spelled out table of contents and beautiful pictures, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about gardening.
A truly well done book.
(I received a free copy from NetGalley.)
May 7, 2020
I like this little gardening book. I have a brown thumb. I buy poor unfortunate plants every year, take them home and kill them. Every year. This is a nice little book that explains gardening not rapturously but succinctly. Tells me what I need to know about soil, building beds, building things like rain barrels and solar dehydrators ( might be worth doing if I ever get to pick something) irrigation, planting, picking, etc. At the end is a section on canning and cooking your produce if you get produce. Add olive oil and red pepper flakes to your broccoli, garlic and olive oil to your greens. Yummy. I love the broccoli one. The red pepper flakes really make a difference. Try it. Buy and read the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book for a review.
March 15, 2020
What’s in a name? What I mean is “Does a book title skew the perception of a book?” GARDENING FOR GEEKS may go more into the science behind planning a perfect ecosystem for your garden than some books do, but it’s definitely a book for anyone who wants a high functioning garden, particularly in situations where space is limited. While the use of the word “geeks” in the title was probably meant to make the book stand out and attract more attention, I feel it will have the opposite effect and instead keep people who would benefit from it from even looking at it.
Great information included and would definitely buy for geeks and non-geeks in my life who like to garden.
Great information included and would definitely buy for geeks and non-geeks in my life who like to garden.
April 25, 2020
This book is everything I was looking for! I've been struggling to keep my garden alive but there's always something going wrong. Now that I've found this book, I'll follow every single direction! I've always wanted to have my own little organic garden and I think I now will be able to have it! This book explains everything from building garden beds and all about the soil to pest control and time to pick up your fruits and veggies! It also has some recipes at the end! Great book! 5 stars!
I got an advance reader's copy of this book complimentary from NetGallery in exchange of my honest review.
I got an advance reader's copy of this book complimentary from NetGallery in exchange of my honest review.
May 22, 2020
I had a successful veg garden in my former home and am back to being a brand-new gardener in a totally different climate and hardiness zone so I really, really needed gardening help since the last thing I tried to grow here met an unfortunate end.
I loved this book! There was so much packed into its 274 pages - it was full of helpful information for growing your own organic food, choosing what to plant, methods of growing, plant troubles, pest control and more, I plan on reading this again when I'm ready to get back into the dirt.
My thanks to Christy Wilhelmi, Fox Chapel Publishing/CompanionHouse Books, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
I loved this book! There was so much packed into its 274 pages - it was full of helpful information for growing your own organic food, choosing what to plant, methods of growing, plant troubles, pest control and more, I plan on reading this again when I'm ready to get back into the dirt.
My thanks to Christy Wilhelmi, Fox Chapel Publishing/CompanionHouse Books, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
May 21, 2020
This is a nicely laid out compendium of information, if employed will lead to a rich harvest.
Employing science to aid pest control and fertization to make an organic garden free of chemicals, I found the simple aids employed to be very intelligent moves. I've gardened for years and this will definitely up my game. There are chemical free options I've considered, but didn't know how to employ.
Beautifully illustrations, with clear intructions make this a clear winner.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse gratis anf offer my opinion the same
Employing science to aid pest control and fertization to make an organic garden free of chemicals, I found the simple aids employed to be very intelligent moves. I've gardened for years and this will definitely up my game. There are chemical free options I've considered, but didn't know how to employ.
Beautifully illustrations, with clear intructions make this a clear winner.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse gratis anf offer my opinion the same
August 13, 2020
Alas, I do not have a green thumb. I always want to garden, but things just don't grow. But I have new hope, thanks to this book. This book is so full of helpful information that I feel like I can't go wrong. Learning about soil and irrigation helped me a lot - I even sent a soil sample in for a test because it's important to know based on what you want to grow. It even has a section on what to do with the produce you will inevitably grow because you will be so awesome at gardening due to this book. It's a great resource that I highly recommend!
February 7, 2020
I've read the 2020 edition of this book, although this is not a book to read and put away. This is meant to be kept handy for everyone interested in gardening.
The layout is very beautiful, but the actual content is even better, with a lot of useful information organized in a logical manner. And if you are scared by the title, this is not just science, but very practical.
The layout is very beautiful, but the actual content is even better, with a lot of useful information organized in a logical manner. And if you are scared by the title, this is not just science, but very practical.
March 5, 2020
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Similar to many gardening books I have read, the suggestions for garden design, soil management, plant selection are presented well. However, the "geeky" science did not seem to be present. Nonetheless, a good book for gardeners, beginner or expert.
Similar to many gardening books I have read, the suggestions for garden design, soil management, plant selection are presented well. However, the "geeky" science did not seem to be present. Nonetheless, a good book for gardeners, beginner or expert.
November 20, 2020
Great book for explaining deeply and clearly lots of pertinent concepts for successful gardening such as the importance of healthy soil, good/bad pests, and intensive planting methods. So, I was surprised at how brief the information on specific plants was! Still, this has plenty of worthwhile ideas in it and even a fairly experienced gardener, like me, learned several new concepts.
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January 11, 2022Excellent basic gardening information
I enjoyed Christy's wit and light humor mixed in with lots of good gardening knowhow. I made a few notes too, the information is worth remembering as I will be using it from now on. I enjoy watching her videos on YouTube and look forward to reading her other books.
I enjoyed Christy's wit and light humor mixed in with lots of good gardening knowhow. I made a few notes too, the information is worth remembering as I will be using it from now on. I enjoy watching her videos on YouTube and look forward to reading her other books.
January 29, 2020
Fantastic book for beginner gardeners and even those who have been gardening for years and want a refresh on some things they may have forgotten. This book starts from the beginning of planning and goes all the way to using the crops by canning or recipes to try. I would love to own this book!
February 6, 2020
An excellent and informative book, very useful for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
It was a useful read and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It was a useful read and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 29, 2020
Disclaimer - this ebook was received via Netgalley.com
This book has taught me about gardening and has given me a basic understanding of what I need to do to get started.
Definitely recommended for others.
This book has taught me about gardening and has given me a basic understanding of what I need to do to get started.
Definitely recommended for others.
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