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Summary: I love this book.
Review: This book changed the way I perceived intensive gardening. It's simple-to-follow instructions and accompanying artwork made the gardening process incredibly simple. I am now in my third year of following this methodology. The yield in my garden is a testimony to the author's knowledge on the subject and I look forward to reading other books he he has written and will write
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Summary: A great book for a suburban gardener.
Review: This is one of the 2 books that actually got me into gardening (the other being Christopher O. Bird's _Modern Vegetable Gardening_). Like most suburban dwellers, I have a back yard that does not lend itself to traditional gardening. With Mr. Bartholomew's method, I grew green and wax beans, peppers, tomatoes, zuccinni, watermelon, canteloupe, cucumbers, sunflowers, corn, pumpkins, lettuce, swiss chard, carrots and radishes all in a garden consisting of 2 4'x8', 1 4'x4' and 1 1'x8' plots.
It is an excellent book for beginners, providing basic information on where to place a garden, when in the year to start it, amending your soil (or even making soil, if necessary), etc. There is also a guide for every popular vegetable, showing how and when to plant it, how often to water, how often to fertilize, how to harvest, common problems, and other such things.
In conclusion, if you are typical suburban dweller who is interested in starting a garden, this book is a "must read". Not only will you gain great knowledge about a non-traditional form of gardening, but you'll learn that it is really something that you can do, no matter what your level of expertise.
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Summary: A truly fantastic idea ... neat and successful way to garden
Review: I purchased this book years ago (don't remember when) and was "talked" out of it by a dear friend who lived in England. I told him about the book and the gardening methods recommended. He was and is an avid gardener but living in England he was very limited by space. Mel Bartholomew's method of gardening (4x4 foot squares) was ideal for him and I just had to give the book to him. I recently was discussing gardening with another friend here in the States and I mentioned "Square Foot Gardening." They were also interested in the method. Just on a hunch I checked Amazon.com and sure enough here was the book. Can't wait to get my hands on it again and build a couple of squares in the back yard. This time I will keep the book ... and refer my eager friends to Amazon.com!
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Summary: Simply a Great Gardening Book
Review: 55 Reviewers pretty much say it all, but I just had to add to the applause. I have used this book as a reference for over 20 years, and have used Mel's methods in the sands of Florida, the gumbo of Texas, and now the 'barely there' soil of Northern Virginia. And what have I gotten... production and ease!
Based in part on the French Intensive method of gardening, you pretty much can avoid the inherent soil problems of where you live and grow veggies and flowers with little weeding and grunting.
Ideas in this book include:
How to prepare the soil (fertilizers, conditioners)
How to put together raised beds and other support structures if you want them
A guide for popular vegetables
-- how and when to plant them, including how to start seeds
-- the what-fors of watering
-- common pest and disease problems
In my opinion this easy to read book is a gardening staple good for all levels of experience.
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Summary: I tried it and it worked!
Review: I bought this book last spring and put it to use immediately in my 4x8 foot raised bed. I am in SE Alaska with rocky soil, lots of rain, long days and short growing season but my garden was beautiful.
It was also low maintainance! I could probably count on one hand the number of times I weeded.
We had fresh salads whenever we wanted (all summer long) and best of all my 4 year old daugther loved to help pick it. She is insisting on her own garden this spring and I am going to build her the recommended children's garden from the book of a 3x3 foot square.
The system is so simple and the results are very satisfying. I had doubts about my garden from the beginning but I shouldn't have worried. It far surpassed my expectations and I have plans for an even bigger garden this spring.
The only thing that would make the book even better (it's already got 5 stars from me though) is that I wished they covered growing organically.
I wish I could post pictures of my garden, it was truly beautiful.
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Summary: Simple, easy and productive. What more do you want?
Review: I'm using the methods outlined in this book to grow vegetables on my condo deck. I didn't think I'd be able to grow much, but I got far more vegetables than I expected, plus herbs, etc. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
I just wish I had a yard so I could apply these methods on a larger scale. Square foot gardening has a website, be sure to check it out!
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Summary: Revolutionize Your Gardening Style!
Review: A couple of years ago I got involved in a community garden at my work here at UCI. The plot I inherited had, like any of the others, a serious problem with gophers, and since it was an organic gardening environment, I needed to find a realistic way to deal with the gophers. A dear friend named Karen recommended an old book she had, and low and behold, I've been a convert ever since. Besides the down-to-earth nature of Mel's gardening style, the addition of chicken wire or similar hardware cloths affixed to the square foot frame to keep the varments from tunneling up into my planting box made the whole experience completely do-able, easy, and practical. Now residing in a totally different community garden (still at UCI) and having added two square foot garden boxes to my fairly small condo back patio, I can tell you this system really works.
Ironically, those who do not know or understand SFG will think you are a perfectionist, anal-retentive gardener due to the grid you create (apparently I have been referred to as the "precision gardener!") but for all the reasons the other reviewers have cited, Mel's system works so incredibly well and whether you are a closet perfectionist or just simply a mellow gardener, it works so well. The work really is cut. Your crops grow in pure food that is friable and nutrient-rich (Mel's mix is 1/3 compost, 1/3 course vermiculite, and 1/3 peat moss). You'll have a manageable amount of food rather than an insane bumper crop of veggies (after all, you can only have so much zuccini bread) and if indeed you are working in a garden area that has gophers, forget the planting garlic or the planting certain bulbs - they just tunnel around them. Just line your boxes with 1" sized chicken wire and you won't have any problems.
I wish there was a newer edition of this book, but Mel's too busy taking his SFG around the world to help create self-reliant farmers and families. [...] He's all about simplifying and enjoying the gardening experience. So I suggest use both this great book and his [...] to create your own garden space that will be so much more manageable and enjoyable.
One last thing: my husband who is a 4th grade teacher brought the SFG system to his school's nature center. The kids loved it. Interestingly enough, he was able to weave many state learning standards into his gardening lessons - beyond science really. It incorporated simple math, estimation, measurement, etc. And it turned out truly successful.
My thanks to friend Karen for her wonderful recommendation. I now pass the recommendation onto you!
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Summary: The Easy Way to Garden
Review: I was told about this book many years ago when I first became interested in gardening. It is a great book for those just starting out, those living in areas with poor soil etc. His recipe for perfect gardening soil has made an incredible difference in my gardening success. He also teaches across the board about organic measures for pest control, boosting yields, composting, and doing all of that in very little space.
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Summary: THE gardening book!
Review: Wow! If you're looking for a gardening book to see you through from planting to harvest, then this is for you!Before I purchased this book, I only knew the mere basics of gardening [namely, put seed in ground, water.] but Mr. Bartholomew goes right back to the beginning without being tedious. Also, he is not too preachy nor overconfident in his formula for square foot gardening - which obviously works when you stop to think about it. The illustrations are simple yet spot on, the list of plants and how to plant them is extensive and applicable for various regions on earth [I live in Ireland and was able to grow plants just as the author described]. If you've ever wanted to get into gardening without investing too much time/effort/money and wanted a simple approach which will give you results with little fuss - then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it. - A.
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Summary: Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
Review: This is the only self help book I have read past page 10. I find myself reading it on the bus to and from work, in the morning, at night, and even in the bathroom. This is a wonderful system of gardening for those who hate weeding, hoeing, rototilling, digging, and all the hard hard labor of traditional gardening. Mel's method of growing crops vertically is fantastic. Since I live in the desert I will be using his method of gardening combined with rainwater harvesting to landscape my entire front and backyard.
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