Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

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!

This book just doesn't cut it when compared to other similar text like Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

There is nothing particularly wrong with the book. It has the requisite parts such as a discussion of organic gardening, the reasons for it, and why you should use it. It also has a fairly good chapter on various vegetables and how to grow them. It's just not my first choice for a reference book. I was highly disappointed with having picked this book first and then finding the Rodale book later.

Save a couple bucks and go with the Rodale book instead.

This book has been incredibly useful to me. The information is well organized, if a little incomplete, and the pictures are inspiring. An excellent resource for any organic gardener.