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2nd out of 3 books
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Garden Anywhere: How to grow gorgeous container gardens, herb gardens, kitchen gardens, and more, without spending a fortune
by
Alys Fowler
Have a small patch of soil? Or just a window box? Not a problem. Garden Anywhere shows how anyone can create an oasis in the smallest of spaces. We're not talking just a simple pot of marigolds, here. Garden Anywhere outlines everything an aspiring gardener needs to know to sow a bounteous, thriving garden. Alys Fowler, trained at the New York Botanical Garden, guides read...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
March 25th 2009
by Chronicle Books
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I do not prefer this book. It is supposed to be about small space gardening on a budget, which is great and important to me, so I thought I would like it. But I did not.
I thought this book could benefit from better organization and more information about indoor growing (small space gardeners gotta use every inch). Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting is a much better resource for someone interested in small space food pr...more
I thought this book could benefit from better organization and more information about indoor growing (small space gardeners gotta use every inch). Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting is a much better resource for someone interested in small space food pr...more
Alys Fowler is British. Her book, The Thrifty Gardener, has been a hit in England. Garden Anywhere, the re-titled North American version, deserves the same success in Canada and the U.S. as it has across the pond.
Fowler started gardening as a teenager. Now roughly 30, she goes against the grain of British gardening—or so it seems. Her sartorial look—given to shades, plimsolls without socks, and a print shift that a First Nations artist might have designed—is somewhat neo-hippie. A shot or two of...more
Fowler started gardening as a teenager. Now roughly 30, she goes against the grain of British gardening—or so it seems. Her sartorial look—given to shades, plimsolls without socks, and a print shift that a First Nations artist might have designed—is somewhat neo-hippie. A shot or two of...more
I think of this author as the Jamie Oliver of gardening - her pictures show her to be a hipster looking chick who knows her stuff when it comes to frugal gardening. She has cool tips on how to brew your own compost tea from comfrey and nettle plants, how to get cheap/green materials for raised beds or container gardening, and how to grow plants from grocery store leftovers like past due chickpeas or lemon seeds. It's a motivating read with lots of helpful, if a bit random, tips. It's not an ency...more
This book is really cool and inspiring. It focuses on gardening for those of us who are never going to hire a gardener: making do in rental spaces, community gardens, container gardening on your balcony without looking like a hobo...Lots of great upcycling and DIY suggestions. That said, I probably would have only given it four stars because it kind of made me feel like gardening skills are beyond me (which might be true). HOWEVER, the author earned an extra star when she referred to compost pil...more
I picked this up on a trip to San Francisco because I fell in love with the images. This adorable hippie/gnome running around the garden with her wild strawberry blond hair sticking out and dirt under her fingernails. A woman after my own heart. After reading the book, I can say I'm happy I bought it and will be using it as constant reference from now on. Her frugality appeals to me: she uses junk like nobody's business and nothing goes to waste. There are instructions for making compost tea out...more
I ABSOLUTELY love this book! It is one the most helpful and resourceful books about gardening, whether you live in the city or country. She details variations of herbs, flower, vegetables, composting, unique containers, good soil mixtures, and suggestions for superior planting conditions. Beautiful and artsy pictures coincide with earthy toned pages. A perfect gardening book to enjoy on a bright sunny day. This is a very inspirational gardening book!
Can you give half stars? I rate this 3.5
This book has great pictures-- Fowler looks like a kind of kitschy-cool youngish person who unexpectedly gardens in fun looking clothes-- it is a great book for inspiration but it is by no means any sort of encyclopedic guide to container gardening (not that I guess it expressly claims to be) (I didn't buy it-- sorry Tattered Cover-- I sat cross legged on your floor and read portions-- it is very skim-able-- and concluded it wasn't worth the $24.95 + tax...more
This book has great pictures-- Fowler looks like a kind of kitschy-cool youngish person who unexpectedly gardens in fun looking clothes-- it is a great book for inspiration but it is by no means any sort of encyclopedic guide to container gardening (not that I guess it expressly claims to be) (I didn't buy it-- sorry Tattered Cover-- I sat cross legged on your floor and read portions-- it is very skim-able-- and concluded it wasn't worth the $24.95 + tax...more
I'm a beginning gardener, and I thought this book was a light and lighthearted introduction to gardening in the types of small spaces I'll be working with. Yes, all the photos of the author felt more than a little self-indulgent, and no, I still have no idea what I'm doing. But it was a nice push to get started, and made for good airplane reading.
This is a beautiful book with gorgeous photos, written with just enough encouragement to help get you outside to try some of the gardening ideas. Fowler does a great job of pointing out the path to local sources of wisdom without coming off as bossy or know-it-all. Also, any book that makes dumpster diving more approachable is a good one.
Good introduction to all kinds of gardening and garden-like activities. Fowler incorporates great fun/interesting/cheap/green tips. Provides a lot of good ideas, and even pictures to help to explain herself more clearly. She doesn't really get too in depth about any gardening subject. Quick easy read, and a great book to flip through.
This is a beautiful book. The color photographs are wonderful as is the page design. For some reason, I just couldn't get into the actual book though. I found myself falling asleep and having to re-read sections quite a bit. I think I'll give this one another try some time.
Beautiful pictures, interesting ideas, but I was still a little disappointed with this book. I was expecting a lot more tips on how to garden within small means like an apartment, but only a few pages were dedicated to growing things indoors.
Simple, quick read. Well thought out info for audience: young people getting into gardening without a lot of space or money (talks about container gardening, windowsill gardening, dumpster diving). Awesome pictures (both of plants and her outfits).
love this book! especially since i'm currently growing my first raised gardens. the book has thick pages filled with beautiful photographs and alys fowler brings great insight into simple, practical gardening.
There were some excellent ideas in the book--especially for someone trying to be frugal. I would like to follow up with the following seed companies: www.heirloomseeds.com, www.rareseeds.com, www.johnnyseeds.com
This had some useful information, but the organization was lacking. I often felt I was getting bits of what I wanted, with pieces missing. Not necessarily for beginners.
This had lovely, inspiring pictures, sound advice, and easy to follow instructions for the beginner.
Good book. I didn't read the whole thing because lots of stuff was not relevant to me, but a decent intro to the basics of gardening. More of a practical guide rather than an inspirational one.
A delightful gardening book, you can grow in any space large or small and without spending a fortune.
Written by a delightful English gal
Written by a delightful English gal
Very inspiring. Great info and tips, topped off with beautiful photography.
Useful, but not as organized nor as comprehensive as I had hoped.
A really easy guide to getting started with gardening without a lot of fuss. It reminds you of the simple joy we all feel from watching something sprout. Great advice for indoor houseplants or outdoor gardens.
Beautiful photography. TONS of info for gardens of all types. Very easy read, even for novices. I got my copy from the library, but am seriously considering buying my own copy to have on hand.
Great now I want to buy. Thanks for being awesome book.... thanks a lot! :P
good reference book
I really enjoyed this book and will keep it on the shelves as a reference book. Her hands-on and utilitarian approach helped me to approach my garden with a broader perspective and greater willingness to experiment. With her advice, I've found great bargains at places I might not have explored, and begun to compost my kitchen scraps. The photos are lovely and inspirational while still maintaining a "real" feel; unlike the extreme perfection so often displayed in gardening books.
I thought this would be a little cute and puffy--you know, how to grow basil in an olive oil can, that sort of thing. Actually, Alys Fowler covers a lot of ground (ahem) here, addressing propagation, soil maintenance, pest control, seed gathering, and many other useful topics in an engaging and approachable way. And the book is pretty to look at. So, surprisingly, I enjoyed this book (and learned) much more than I expected.
This is a great informative book on economical gardening. Being innovative with garden containers, dumpster diving, and creating spaces of green bliss. Great fun read for any gardener
many gardening books make me feel dumb because they make it really complicated with plans and all of that. thought this was a really nice book-- she covered things in a mostly (realistic) way that makes sense for first timers and for people with limited space, not a lot of money, and with varying growing conditions--with lots of practical examples and lovely photos. would look at this again for a reference.
For the *very* beginner, but it does focus nicely on using what you have and making it beautiful.
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Alys Fowler is a gardener who loves food. She has an allotment and an urban back garden with two chickens, lots of flowers and plenty of vegetables. She is author of several books and writes a weekly column on gardening for the Guardian.
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May 15, 2013 02:09pm