Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers [Hardcover]

John Fedor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2001

The comprehensive guide to do-it-yourself organic gardening, starting from the basics. This groundbreaking book explains the latest scientific knowledge on how to find, choose and grow the best plants without any synthetic chemicals.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Fedor lives on his farm in Vermont, USA, where he aims to create a beautiful garden of edibles and ornamentals, using a combination of modern technique and old, often forgotten practices that are still valid for gardening today. Bob Sherman is Head of Horticulture at HDRA. He is the author of several gardening books and was presenter of Channel 4's series, 'All Muck and Magic'. Steven Wooster is a distinguished photographer who specializes in gardens and plants. His photographs have appeared in numerous books and magazines including, most recently, Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden (Frances Lincoln 2000). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (February 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762102969
• ISBN-13: 978-0762102969
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,207,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very complete guide, March 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers (Hardcover)

This Reader's Digest published book covers a lot of material (from compost to saving seed, from pest control to crop rotation, from companion planting to heritage varieties, from herbs to even landscaping and tools) in only 288 pages, yet manages to answer most common gardening questions. There is even a directory in the back of the book covering vegetables, fruits & herbs that commonly grow in the U.S. and Canada, giving varieties & growing instructions. The photos in the book are beautiful and inspiring for the aspiring gardener.

I've looked at quite a few gardening books, yet this guide is the one I keep going back to.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasure To Read, November 15, 2004

By 

Kaitlyn "Futureparadox" (Upper Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers (Hardcover)

I enjoy books that talk to me. John Fedor writes this book in the first person using his grandparents and then his own gardening experiences. He communicates in a style that makes you feel as if you are right there beside him in his gardens. I was hooked immediately. The book is a treasure chest of practical information (as a Reader's Digest book always is) without the overload of information that can cause you to give up your garden before you have begun. He assures you with wit and wonderful drawings that you can accomplish an organic garden in even the most humble of spaces with the most humble of budgets. The photographs are worthy of being published in a DK book. They are always practical though and relate to Fedor's text. They are realistic of what you can and can't expect. I call it practical eye candy. For those gardeners who already have a basic knowledge of gardening...this book won't disappoint you. There is a wealth of intermediate level information that will help you too. Enjoy!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Comprehensive Text, June 30, 2006

By 

Lora F. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers (Hardcover)

Organic Gardening for the 21st Century is a must-have book for the organic gardener. It's well-written, enjoyable to read, very interesting, and full of realistic "how to" tips. Mr. Fedor explains different perspectives and he says why certain things are important, rather than just telling readers what to do. I like to understand why, so I can consider all the options and consequences. He does a great job of describing pests and how to deal with them. It would have helped me immensely to see photos of each pest by the description. There's enough technical information to make it specific (i.e. plant names), but not so much that it's like reading a Latin textbook. The photos and illustrations are terrific. It's just a beautiful AND useful book. Not only did I read it cover to cover, but I continue to use it as a reference book. It's well worth the purchase price!