Review by BeachBrights:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1G9187ZOINWVA A couple of things to note about my video review:

1. I decided to video review to give others a better glimpse inside the book. The one complaint I have about ordering books online is not being able to flip through the book. I hope my video review helps!

2. This is really an excellent book. I will be using it when I plan my garden (this weekend).

3. Sorry the review is so long. I usually aim for under 2 minutes but I spent some extra time flipping through the pages

Enjoy!

Review by Nsews:

I have many gardening books, and I’m not a brand spanking new vegetable gardener but this book delivered on ALL it’s promises. It’s an excellent, easy to read, easy to understand, well laid book that gets to the point without the quaint but long winded ramblings that one often finds in gardening books. The charts and illustrations are so helpful. It’s the perfect book to learn AND teach from! When I help my neighbors with their gardens this year this book will be my reference and recommendation to buy if one can only have one basic gardening book. Thanks Barbara Pleasant.

Review by Chris Mathews:

I’m amazed there aren’t more reviews of this book!!!

This book, written by the founder of Territorial Seed Company, is *vital* for those living west of the Cascade mountains, where heavy winter rain, unique soil conditions (we don’t get deep freezes), and mild summer temperatures really makes other American gardening books (including Colemans’ New Organic Grower) less than optimal. Indeed, he suggests using British gardening books, since our climate is more similar to England than New England!

A recent transplant from Arizona, I was lucky enough to stumble onto this book about June 2008, halfway through the growing season. His predictions about which vegetables worked were indeed accurate (eggplant and peppers are extremely difficult to grow in this climate, and you can forget about watermelon).

Before covering vegetables, he first lays the groundwork with a background, including why simply adding fertilizer is not a good idea (the amount of rainfall washes away most of what we want to preserve, the book is organic-based, as well as focusing on return on investment). Instead of simple chemicals, he argues for composting, as well as over-wintering with clover, fava, and others, depending on your soil’s needs.

Chapter 1: Basics — some near heretical words here about the futility of early starts — because light intensity is so low (as well as soil temperature), you’re not going to benefit by putting starts out in March. Good basic instruction on how to use a hoe (including the proper alignment and the importance of keeping it sharp). A fundamental philosophy is the importance of early weeding while plants are getting started, and the ease of weeding when efficiently using a well-sharpened hoe.

Chapter 2: Soil — “millenia of heavy winter rains have leached all of our soils onto a kind of chemical imbalance that won’t grow highly nutritious food.” Three-year crop rotation scheme. Importance of lime. Manure vs. fertilizer. Tilling. Raised beds. Clay.

Chapter 3: Composting — I haven’t done any composting so can’t comment on this chapter.

Chapter 4: Planning — including succession, rotation, cloches, how to grow vegetables year ’round.

Chapter 5: Water — this was a surprisingly interesting chapter, as I’d not read much on the different ways to water a garden before. He also talks about how to garden without *any* watering.

Chapter 6: Seeds — after all, he *is* the founder of Territorial Seeds! He argues you need to get your seeds from companies that harvest their seeds in the same climate as you. Convinced me — I will be getting my seeds from them next year!

Chapter 7: Transplants — how to grow/plant/fertilize

Chapter 8: Predators — well, if you’re going organic (like I am), there ain’t a whole lot of choices here. I think rotation is the best option. He thinks garlic/marigolds/etc are a waste of time, and hinder weeding/planting. I admit, I did both this year, but will not come next year. I had a plot in a community garden and saw almost no bugs, but I think it was blind luck.

Chapter 9: How to grow it — detailed information on major types of vegetables. Invaluable. This is why you should buy the book. I found his observations for broccoli, tomatoes, corn (don’t!), carrots, beets, eggplant, watermelon, squash to be dead on. There are a lot of other vegetables I will try next year.

Summary: my gardening next year will be driven completely by this book. If you garden in the Pacific NW, get this book! If you rely on Colemans’ New Organic Grower you will plant too early.

Review by J. Notis:

I found this book to be incredibly useful. I get tired of being told to wait until my soil thaws in the spring, and articles talking about those humid summer nights are definitely not by locals. Much of the advice that applies well to gardeners across the continent comes up pretty short around here. From soil fertility to choosing suitable varieties to planting schedules, Steve Solomon covers all the specifics that make Cascadia a unique growing climate.

He is realistically, thoughtfully organic. Most organic authorities seem to blindly promote anything that seems like a natural product, and shun anything that seems like a chemical. Steve realizes that blood meal comes from the meat industry and may not be in line with the goals of healthy gardening (Mad Cow, anyone?) although he chooses to take his chances. He suggests Roundup in a couple of sections and explains why it’s not just another persistent harmful chemical.

The only irritation I have is that he clearly has a bigger garden than I do. I’ve got about 200 sq. ft. He talks in fractions of an acre. Sheesh.

Review by Grant Wiscour:

Howard covers the essentials of Basic Organic Gardening as well as the how to’s. I bought the book at Rohde’s for about the same price before shipping. If you can’t get to Garland; but it here. We just completed our 20′x20′ raised bed garden. Our front yard is the lushest greenest yard in the neighborhood with NO CHEMICALS. We have been a fan of Howard for a few years now.Grant Wiscour Irving, TX

Review by Kate Thornberry:

If you are intending to grow vegetables in Central Texas, you MUST buy this book! It is the only book out there that realistically tells you how (and WHEN) to grow vegetables in this, very difficult part of zone 8. ALmost tropical…and yet, so dry……and hot…..and such awful soil we have here! (Well, for the most part.)

It has been THE most useful Gardening book in my collection for the last eight years, and though I buy many gardening books, no other book can begin to touch it (mainly because what they have to say just doesn’t relate to Central Texas!)

Review by M. Treleven:

Good primer for a beginning organic gardener. You can read it cover to cover or skip around to find information on your specific organic gardening needs. The book takes a pragmatic look at the challenges of organic gardening while keeping the “first, do no harm” philosophy in tact. The technical information and references are comprehensive without being overwhelming.

Review by K. Batts:

This is an easy to read, easy to understand book on organic gardening. It is very straight forward and doesn’t assume more than basic gardening knowledge – just as it should.

Review by Lynette R. Fleming:

Got a little land? Love a lot of vegetables? Then build yourself a Winter Wonderfarm. You may not be able to enjoy fresh garden tomatoes in the dead of winter, but there are more than 30 green and root vegetables that you can enjoy. From carrots to onions, celery to kohlrabi, and almost every vegetable in between, your Winter Wonderfarm will become the envy of your neighborhood. Perhaps that’s where the expression “green with envy” came from . . . a better, greener farm.

The three components to a successful winter harvest, according to Mr. Coleman are:

1) Cold-hardy vegetables

2) Succession planting

3) Protected cultivation

As it turns out, if we can protect our vegetables from the winter winds, we can grow many vegetables successfully, even in the snow. Some vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce and matte, are actually even sweeter and more tender in cooler temperatures. Think you surely have to provide supplementary lighting? Nope . . . not needed when grown in one of Mr. Coleman’s “cold houses”. He uses these cold houses even in the Maine winters of Zone 5.

You’ll also learn about vertical production of tomatoes and how to create your own cold frame with quick hoops made of electrical conduit and 10-foot-wide spun-bonded row cover held down by sandbags. These hoops can cover the same area as a 22 by 48 foot greenhouse at 5% of the cost. Speaking of cost, a recent article in the AARP Magazine indicated that we can save ,000.00 a year growing our own vegetables in a small garden. Now add your winter crop savings, and imagine what you’d save. Your Winter Wonderfarm will yield delicious, organic vegetables, improving your diet and fattening your wallet. Forget putting out the Christmas lights . . . just grow vegetables.

Lynette Fleming, Coauthor of Lunch Buddies: Buddy Up for a Better Diet

Review by Richard L. Lachance:

Once again Elliot Coleman has provided us with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to both home and commercial gardening. In these times of change, it is reassuring to know that there are those who are more than willing to share what they have learned. We have been using some of his techniques here in New Brunswick, Canada with great success. We are currently eating spinach in April and May that we planted last fall in our cold frame. If a crop can survive one of our winters, they should survive elsewhere. If you want to put in a garden, this is a must book to own.

Review by GENE GERUE:

Eat fresh, home-grown vegetables year round? Eliminate canning and freezing? Do this all at low cost? Eliot Coleman does, you can, too, and here is the how. Coleman is a market gardener in Maine who may eat better than Bill Gates. He shows that sunlight and wind protection are more important that temperature–and, by the way, most of the U.S. gets more winter sunlight than Coleman’s place. Inexpensive, unheated greenhouses that he calls tall tunnel houses–some say hoop houses–and cold frames protect from wind and keep snow off the veggies. Greenhouse comfort is more to benefit the gardener. The key is what and when to plant. Full info given for planting dates, construction details, sources of seeds, tools, greenhouses. Well illustrated. An essential guide for organic gourmands.

Review by Terry:

Eliot Coleman’s love and deep knowledge of gardening comes through in this easy to read, and easy to use book. I love the idea of a four season harvest, and if he can do it in Maine, then anyone can do it! The book opens the readers mind to the wide spread possibilities that await gardener’s with imagination, an open mind, and the willingness to work at it. He offers ideas for cold frames, row covers and tunnels to extend the season. Good explanations as to how they protect crops. The book also gives a great amount of detail for a wide range of vegetables. Charts provide information on when vegetables can be harvested throughout the year, and offers the reader many vegetables to choose from for a three season harvest, and a fair number for the four season harvest. I would recommend this book to anyone, beginner or experienced gardener!

Review by Scott Roberts:

I think I’m in the same boat as the other reviewer, I’m just starting out and interested in learning everything I possibly can about organic farming. I’m not going to be as kind in my review, but I think it needs to be said that this book is boring. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very complete book, with lots of details packed into it. The problem though is that you have to sift through 90% chaff to get to the relevant parts. I’d almost compare it to an instruction manual that doesn’t dare leave out a single step, so you’ll read about how to assemble what you need, plan everything out, consider the ramifications of what you’re doing and that’s all without even talking about farming! I’d almost say these are the same writers of government extension pamphlets and they condensed every one that they every created into a single book.

Again, don’t get me wrong, the information is there, it’s just that I’ll be damned if I can stay focused long enough to read through it all. In other words, a page turner this book is not.