The Family Garden: Clever Things to Do In, Around & Under the Garden [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author), Michael Gertley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Gertleys offer a collection of garden projects that involve the whole family--in other words, ways to get children and parents working and playing together. The authors provide step-by-step instructions on building an arbor, hopscotch blocks, a sailboat in which to grow vegetables, a small Tudor cottage hideaway for children, a scarecrow, a horse-drawn wagon (the horse is made from plywood, and flowers and vegetables grow in the wagon), and a four-foot plywood cowboy. Other projects include a compost bin, a garden shed, a vegetable trellis, a sundial, a garden bench, and a bird feeder. The authors give basic instructions on composting, starting seeds indoors, soil preparation, watering, mulching, and cultivating. A chapter on harvest projects for children offers data on such activities as carving pumpkins and painting and decorating gourds. Some of the larger projects look quite difficult. George Cohen

Product Description

The family garden can be a fun, attractive and educational place where children learn about the way food gets to the table and how plants grow. This text contains colour plans and suggestions to create a family garden and also assemble a sailboat, tool shed and scarecrow.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc; illustrated edition edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806961546
• ISBN-13: 978-0806961545
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,985,941 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids love this book., October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This book has turned my children into wild eyed gardeners! After plowing through "The Family Garden" the kids were crazed with inspiration. Armed with shovels and seed packets, they've transformed our backyard into a mini-Disneyland! A must have book for any parent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

This book has straightforward directions, excellent diagrams, and wonderful ideas. There is a great playhouse with a tudor facade but whose roof and walls are pole beans, an ocean scene with porpoises swimming through lobelia (appealing to a transplant from Seattle now in the landlocked desert of UT), a giant sundial with flowers marking the hours, a simple but lovely arbor, and more. Several projects assume relatively sophisticated painting skills (tole type) and are way beyond what I could (or care) to do, but one never expects to love everything in a book. When I found myself rereading this book on each trip to the bookstore, I realized it was time to own it (I'm not an impluse buyer).

You'll need access to a round saw and a table saw,or someone willing to cut for you, but the designs are simple enough for most anyone.

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT!, March 11, 2008

By	Lolagranola "lolagranola91" (Rural Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want to share your joy of gardening with your children this is the book for you - you do need some construction skills for all these projects - but worth it - THE bean house is unbelievable - I know my kids will be in there all summer.