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You Grow Girl
This is not your grandmother's gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality.
Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience:
Preparing soil
Nurturing seedlings
Fending off critters
Reaping the bounty
Readying plants for winter
Preparing for the seasons ahead
Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as:
Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products
Converting household junk into canny containers
Growing and bagging herbal tea
Concocting homemade pest repellents
...and much, much more.
Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!
Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience:
Preparing soil
Nurturing seedlings
Fending off critters
Reaping the bounty
Readying plants for winter
Preparing for the seasons ahead
Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as:
Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products
Converting household junk into canny containers
Growing and bagging herbal tea
Concocting homemade pest repellents
...and much, much more.
Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 2, 2005
34 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Gayla Trail
8 books240 followersI write and speak about urban gardening and growing food. I take pictures too. I do graphic design work. And some other stuff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
July 25, 2008
I'm obviously a little biased.
June 6, 2008
Punk rock gardening.
February 18, 2017
Full review to come!
April 13, 2008
i've got this at home from the library right now and already regret not having purchased it as there are so many great ideas and recommendations, i wish i could bookmark and write notes on the pages.
i love that it's a gardening book for impulsive, crafty, urban people - very niche but i completely relate (although i feel there's an unusual emphasis on growing a garden on your fire-escape or window sill and making the most of your space, although the cover gives exactly the opposite impression of this book, picturing the typical garden environment which is honestly more what i have.)
one major complaint i have with this book is that the photos are uncaptioned. practically every photo, i wonder: 'what am i looking at?', 'where is this garden?', 'what plant is this?' and i've only seen one captioned photo so far: a flower with a caption reading its latin name, pretty much completely unhelpful to a novice gardener like me.
but i love the enthusiastic, can-do writing style of the author and the illustrations keep me engaged -- the book is well designed in general which always wins me over. there are a bunch of how-to garden/crafty projects that i actually look forward to doing such as making your own garden stepping stones, making cool chalk-paint pots, binding a garden journal, harvesting seeds, making a gardening apron, etc. all in all, an awesome book (imo not just for girls, despite the title).
i love that it's a gardening book for impulsive, crafty, urban people - very niche but i completely relate (although i feel there's an unusual emphasis on growing a garden on your fire-escape or window sill and making the most of your space, although the cover gives exactly the opposite impression of this book, picturing the typical garden environment which is honestly more what i have.)
one major complaint i have with this book is that the photos are uncaptioned. practically every photo, i wonder: 'what am i looking at?', 'where is this garden?', 'what plant is this?' and i've only seen one captioned photo so far: a flower with a caption reading its latin name, pretty much completely unhelpful to a novice gardener like me.
but i love the enthusiastic, can-do writing style of the author and the illustrations keep me engaged -- the book is well designed in general which always wins me over. there are a bunch of how-to garden/crafty projects that i actually look forward to doing such as making your own garden stepping stones, making cool chalk-paint pots, binding a garden journal, harvesting seeds, making a gardening apron, etc. all in all, an awesome book (imo not just for girls, despite the title).
January 13, 2016
When I first stumbled across a hard copy of this book, I cringed at the title (being unfamiliar with the blog) and the cover art, but decided to read it anyway. I'm so glad I did because this was exactly the kind of guide I needed to understand what I was getting myself into. As a few reviewers have mentioned, the introduction is not a good or accurate representation of the book on the whole and I'd recommend skipping it completely - this book is as great a guide for suburban dwelling newbies as inner city living novices. I never felt condescended to and found subjects like soil (!) very interesting. If you're interested in gardening but intimidated by the prospect and other, more cerebral guides, then this is the book for you.
March 7, 2011
This is a great read and reference guide if you are interested in starting a garden. Trail lays the details of gardening out in a way that is simple to understand and easy to pick back up later to reference when you are having problems. I think between this book and her other book on growing in small spaces, we can hopefully grow a somewhat successful garden this summer.
August 22, 2021
A good basic how-to, with some crafty goodness thrown in for good measure. Even though I’m obviously not the target demographic, given that I’m one of those middle-aged ladies now, I appreciate that it focuses on small and unconventional spaces, since we’re working with a small yard and less than ideal lighting.
April 10, 2011
At first I thought "You Grow Girl" was going to be a disappointment. The introduction seemed to be very specific towards urban gardening. I'd read the summary and the reviews online and while it talked a lot about "small space" gardening it never suggested the book was solely for the urbanites. There's even one point during the introduction that suburbanites seem to be all wealthy white women with too much time and money.
That's not me. I live in my parents garage because I can't afford a place where both me and my dog can live (and living without my dog is not an option. When you make a commitment to an animal its for life. End of story).
But the problem with the book seems to lie solely in the introduction (which FYI editors & writers you don't want to exclude a whole population with your introduction if your book isn't quite so slanted).
I've been wanting to review the book for a few months. The problem is everybody wanted to borrow it. Everyone who has looked at the book likes different things about it. Different projects have jumped out at them. The easy projects are one of the best parts about this book. They're practical, inexpensive and well explained.
Another thing I like about this book is that organic is not a huge scary word. I don't feel like I have to make a political commitment or life commitment to "organic." In fact my garden is not going to be 100% organic BUT I feel like I can go mostly organic and that's A-okay. I'm trying to cut out the miracle grow (manure here I come!) and I'm going to try some non-chemical pesticide options. But the soil I buy is not Certified Organic (it's Hyponex Topsoil which I've used for years and trust) and I just buy whatever seeds/plants suit my fancy. The book did not evangelize organic--at least not in an off-putting way--it just gave me my options.
Probably the best thing about this book is that it's made me willing to try new things. I've started seeds indoor this year (we'll see how that goes). I bought *gasp* organic seed starter rather than miracle grow. I used manure in my garden for the first time. My tomato plants are going to be heirloom because now I know what heirloom is. Overall the book has just broadened my gardening horizons without being fussy or pretentious.
It's got nice crafty projects without becoming a craft book. The pictures and illustrations are superb. It's a good gardening book for the beginner or dabbler.
That's not me. I live in my parents garage because I can't afford a place where both me and my dog can live (and living without my dog is not an option. When you make a commitment to an animal its for life. End of story).
But the problem with the book seems to lie solely in the introduction (which FYI editors & writers you don't want to exclude a whole population with your introduction if your book isn't quite so slanted).
I've been wanting to review the book for a few months. The problem is everybody wanted to borrow it. Everyone who has looked at the book likes different things about it. Different projects have jumped out at them. The easy projects are one of the best parts about this book. They're practical, inexpensive and well explained.
Another thing I like about this book is that organic is not a huge scary word. I don't feel like I have to make a political commitment or life commitment to "organic." In fact my garden is not going to be 100% organic BUT I feel like I can go mostly organic and that's A-okay. I'm trying to cut out the miracle grow (manure here I come!) and I'm going to try some non-chemical pesticide options. But the soil I buy is not Certified Organic (it's Hyponex Topsoil which I've used for years and trust) and I just buy whatever seeds/plants suit my fancy. The book did not evangelize organic--at least not in an off-putting way--it just gave me my options.
Probably the best thing about this book is that it's made me willing to try new things. I've started seeds indoor this year (we'll see how that goes). I bought *gasp* organic seed starter rather than miracle grow. I used manure in my garden for the first time. My tomato plants are going to be heirloom because now I know what heirloom is. Overall the book has just broadened my gardening horizons without being fussy or pretentious.
It's got nice crafty projects without becoming a craft book. The pictures and illustrations are superb. It's a good gardening book for the beginner or dabbler.
January 24, 2009
As a new gardener, I was looking for a beginner's guide to learning about gardening. I liked this book because it went beyond creating a beautiful aesthetic to really enjoying the actual act of gardening. Some other gardening books I have come across are mostly concerned with the final result of having a beautiful, this author focuses on also enjoying the process, learning and growing plants you can eat and use in out of the ordinary way.
I loved the photos and the illustrations, along with the thrifty tips. She encourages you to find alternate means of getting seeds and plants, instead of just doling out tons of dough to get them. She gives great tips to fill out your garden during the first few years when perennials won't be amazing yet. She even shows you how to take clippings from plants to start your very own plants. Fabulous!
Part of what I liked about this book is that she encourages you to use whatever space you have to grow. I have had a hard time to find books about container gardens, but this goes into a lot of detail about this and how to choose containers and plants that will thrive.
I also liked her tutorials about DIY projects related to gardening - a gardening apron, seed packets and hand lotion are good examples. And, who would have known that you can grow loofahs in your garden???
I think that this book is a great start and will be a companion to a general gardening book with all the types of plants that I hope to plant, along with detailed instructions on planting, etc. I checked this out from the library, but hope to get a copy of my own. I think it is that useful.
I loved the photos and the illustrations, along with the thrifty tips. She encourages you to find alternate means of getting seeds and plants, instead of just doling out tons of dough to get them. She gives great tips to fill out your garden during the first few years when perennials won't be amazing yet. She even shows you how to take clippings from plants to start your very own plants. Fabulous!
Part of what I liked about this book is that she encourages you to use whatever space you have to grow. I have had a hard time to find books about container gardens, but this goes into a lot of detail about this and how to choose containers and plants that will thrive.
I also liked her tutorials about DIY projects related to gardening - a gardening apron, seed packets and hand lotion are good examples. And, who would have known that you can grow loofahs in your garden???
I think that this book is a great start and will be a companion to a general gardening book with all the types of plants that I hope to plant, along with detailed instructions on planting, etc. I checked this out from the library, but hope to get a copy of my own. I think it is that useful.
July 15, 2011
I wanted to do a garden this year, but stopped short because I also seem to ruin them. I did a bit of container gardening and only got basil in return. I found this book and just wanted to see if I could get gardening figured out.
This is labeled as a punk rock gardening book, but I think that's a stupid label for anything. It actually had a lot of great information about gardening, if you have a big yard or just a rooftop or fire escape. There is a lot of info about plants, what is good where, edible pretties, soil and much more.
I've dogeared this book to pieces already and am happily planning a real garden next year.
This is labeled as a punk rock gardening book, but I think that's a stupid label for anything. It actually had a lot of great information about gardening, if you have a big yard or just a rooftop or fire escape. There is a lot of info about plants, what is good where, edible pretties, soil and much more.
I've dogeared this book to pieces already and am happily planning a real garden next year.
May 28, 2009
Great inspiration and some really cute ideas throughout the season.
I recommend this as part of anyone's garden book collection, and recently got a copy for my sister.
It won't tell you everything you know to be a master gardener, but it will inspire you to garden.
So it's a good book for:
newbies
crafty folks
container gardeners
folks who have way more than containers
folks who like to make up their own rules and style, but don't wanna kill their plants.
I recommend this as part of anyone's garden book collection, and recently got a copy for my sister.
It won't tell you everything you know to be a master gardener, but it will inspire you to garden.
So it's a good book for:
newbies
crafty folks
container gardeners
folks who have way more than containers
folks who like to make up their own rules and style, but don't wanna kill their plants.
September 13, 2009
By far the loveliest gardening book I have read! It is tailored to DIY type people with great activities (ie sew your own gardening tool belt! and how to paint your pots with chalkboard paint to make them super cute). It is also tailored to people who have small spaces and need to container garden!
February 17, 2008
Okay, so I bought this for the permaculture guild but liked it so much that I kept it. Oh, simplified. Wonderful.
May 8, 2024
This is just the book. Attractive page layouts in intuitive chunks at just the right level of depth for the beginner gardener.
This author explains her journey as a garden lover in a compelling way: petite spaces, small budgets, and perhaps a shorter attention span than your average retiree. ;) Though I haven't visited it, she explains that she began a blog to reach the younger beginners who might not be the perfect fit for a garden club when she could find no such resource for herself. I can imagine that to be a helpful community! (I literally picked this up at a library plant swap in which I saw one other person who wasn't silver-haired and very experienced, so I chuckled when I read her description!)
I did not find her to be irritatingly bloggy. I think because she keeps to the topic and doesn't go rambling like a dental surgery patient about her favorite grilled cheese sandwich or whatever. She is concise, humorous, and very informative. And so organized. This is ordered like a reference book, but it is much, much more user-friendly than the typical dry, details-overload gardening book. My nature-loving middle schooler liked flipping through it as much as her academic would-be-gardener mom. We recommend it as a positive, helpful, practical intro to gardening.
This author explains her journey as a garden lover in a compelling way: petite spaces, small budgets, and perhaps a shorter attention span than your average retiree. ;) Though I haven't visited it, she explains that she began a blog to reach the younger beginners who might not be the perfect fit for a garden club when she could find no such resource for herself. I can imagine that to be a helpful community! (I literally picked this up at a library plant swap in which I saw one other person who wasn't silver-haired and very experienced, so I chuckled when I read her description!)
I did not find her to be irritatingly bloggy. I think because she keeps to the topic and doesn't go rambling like a dental surgery patient about her favorite grilled cheese sandwich or whatever. She is concise, humorous, and very informative. And so organized. This is ordered like a reference book, but it is much, much more user-friendly than the typical dry, details-overload gardening book. My nature-loving middle schooler liked flipping through it as much as her academic would-be-gardener mom. We recommend it as a positive, helpful, practical intro to gardening.
April 15, 2019
This is an excellent and easily digestible introductory gardening book aimed at the 'millennial' generation. The author wrote this book to appeal to people closer to her own age since when she got into gardening it was still the realm of older ladies, suburban housewives with cash to spare and nothing she could find published spoke to her as a younger person without land or money. As such this book broadens the definition of gardening to include patios, windowsills, recycled containers, community plots, and other small or otherwise 'unsuitable' places.
Of course this is a trend that has been going strong for a while now, but You Grow Girl was published closer to the beginning of said trend.
Trail covers all the basics of gardening, location, soil, light, water, seed starting, and plant care without going into too much depth and thus scaring off the potential gardener. She puts an emphasis on experimentation, trial-and-error, and that the best teacher is experience. She encourages aspiring gardeners to do what feels good to them and find their own gardening 'style' instead of trying to 'keep up with joneses' after all, gardening should be fun, otherwise what's the point?
Of course this is a trend that has been going strong for a while now, but You Grow Girl was published closer to the beginning of said trend.
Trail covers all the basics of gardening, location, soil, light, water, seed starting, and plant care without going into too much depth and thus scaring off the potential gardener. She puts an emphasis on experimentation, trial-and-error, and that the best teacher is experience. She encourages aspiring gardeners to do what feels good to them and find their own gardening 'style' instead of trying to 'keep up with joneses' after all, gardening should be fun, otherwise what's the point?
November 15, 2020
Who knew I would try my hand at making a worm casting bin this fall? Or foliar feed my plants every few months with sticks and stems of herbs? Or learn that it’s important to keep your tools clean and even what tools are a must have?
I’ve had this book for a while but it’s one gardening book I’ve been reading more thoroughly during the rona. despite all the info out there on the internets especially YouTube which is always good for visuals, Trail covers a ton of garden issues that might be hard to find in one place except for the specifics of your growing zone.
Gayla Trail makes gardening accessible to everyone regardless of what kind of space you have and what kind of money to invest. In fact she makes do with all sorts of stuff most people have around and promotes upcycling water bottles, shoelaces, old stockings, and ice cream sticks. It’s definitely geared more toward the urban gardener with limited space but advice is applicable to all. All organic recipes for dealing with pests and diy fertilizer. Props also for the 2 pages she dedicates to creating a Cat garden!
I’ve had this book for a while but it’s one gardening book I’ve been reading more thoroughly during the rona. despite all the info out there on the internets especially YouTube which is always good for visuals, Trail covers a ton of garden issues that might be hard to find in one place except for the specifics of your growing zone.
Gayla Trail makes gardening accessible to everyone regardless of what kind of space you have and what kind of money to invest. In fact she makes do with all sorts of stuff most people have around and promotes upcycling water bottles, shoelaces, old stockings, and ice cream sticks. It’s definitely geared more toward the urban gardener with limited space but advice is applicable to all. All organic recipes for dealing with pests and diy fertilizer. Props also for the 2 pages she dedicates to creating a Cat garden!
June 23, 2018
This book taught me everything I know about gardening. I read it years ago, and read it again this year to get a refresher before diving into more intimidating gardening tomes. If you're interested in gardening, be it a container garden on your windowsill or a full-fledged acre of your heart's delight, this is the book for you. It's full of great information without being uptight or stuffy, and also is really encouraging. Because gardening is a roller coaster of happiness and heartbreak, so any encouragement is particularly helpful until you're a full-on garden nerd. Also, don't be thrown off by the gender-specific title. This is a solid gardening book for anyone.
July 18, 2017
I've been looking into growing an edible garden in the Midwest with minimal space, and this is one of the books I picked up in my search. I think it's a good read and a basic starting guide with general information thrown in here and there along with some projects. The projects, I wasn't a fan of. There are plenty of places to find a gardener's apron, but in this book it just wasn't what I was looking for. Again, a good basic guide, but with some excess.. stuff... which I didn't care for.
December 18, 2017
Whenever someone says they want to start ggardening and have no idea how to start, this is the book I recommend. Experienced gardeners should read it to remind ourselves why we started gardening in the first place.
July 31, 2024
Couldn’t find the actual book on this app but I got a book called you go girl and it has power quotes in it read the whole book and it made me feel amazing. It made me realise what I’m worth and it made me realise that people shouldn’t push me around.
May 28, 2017
Great book for beginner gardeners and urban gardeners! I have tons of things bookmarked in here. Lots of great ideas, crafts, how-to's, etc.
September 10, 2019
Easy read. Lots of different ideas for gardening.
June 24, 2016
Another one in the haul of gardening books I picked from my library when bit by Spring garden fever! A title like "You Grow Girl," nearly had me groan over the cheesy-factor, but it got so many good reviews on Amazon I went with it anyway. And boy was I pleasantly surprised!
First of all, I love the general layout and design of this book. The illustrations are very stylized. There's pops of color on nearly every page. Gayla Trail has a good voice as an author. She doesn't come across as trying too hard; and by that I mean, writing to me like I was her "gay-pal" foaming at the mouth with "girl-power." Instead, she sounds passionate and knowledgable. The book is a general gardening guide. She covers veggies, flowers and even plants that aid in creating your own herbal teas and beauty treatments. There's helpful tips about pests, dirt, container planting, companion planting, all the way down to harvesting. The book even includes a good variety of simple crafty-projects to appeal to any level DIYer.
The book covers a pretty good spectrum of advice and focuses primarily on giving you the confidence to get something . . . ANYTHING growing even if you have the smallest of small spaces. I DID end up putting a good bit of her tips into action when I restarted my garden. I had great success with the recycled plastic jugs as seedling protectors and her no-fuss branch-plus-string staking methods for my tomato plants. STRONGLY recommend this to any lady looking to get her gardening on!
First of all, I love the general layout and design of this book. The illustrations are very stylized. There's pops of color on nearly every page. Gayla Trail has a good voice as an author. She doesn't come across as trying too hard; and by that I mean, writing to me like I was her "gay-pal" foaming at the mouth with "girl-power." Instead, she sounds passionate and knowledgable. The book is a general gardening guide. She covers veggies, flowers and even plants that aid in creating your own herbal teas and beauty treatments. There's helpful tips about pests, dirt, container planting, companion planting, all the way down to harvesting. The book even includes a good variety of simple crafty-projects to appeal to any level DIYer.
The book covers a pretty good spectrum of advice and focuses primarily on giving you the confidence to get something . . . ANYTHING growing even if you have the smallest of small spaces. I DID end up putting a good bit of her tips into action when I restarted my garden. I had great success with the recycled plastic jugs as seedling protectors and her no-fuss branch-plus-string staking methods for my tomato plants. STRONGLY recommend this to any lady looking to get her gardening on!
Read
December 6, 2015Confession: I am not reading this book in sequential order, and there are some parts that do not apply to me right now because I am very new at gardening, so maybe, it is not fair to say I have read the WHOLE book, but here's what I know so far:
1. Just flipping through the book at the store, I learned several helpful facts that I had not known.
2. Immediately, I started looking for other books by this author or similar to You Grow Girl.
3. I went home (after purchasing the book)and started doing more research.
4. There were realistic, colorful pictures....so important for newbies like me who need to know what things should or will look like.
5. The print is big, and the pages are sturdy...you know, in case you want to refer to to book while you are outside with your plants.
6. You do not have to be an expert gardener or a scientist to comprehend the material.
7. There are other useful tips about things related to successful planting...things not mentioned in other books, like journaling, and that bath and beauty plants chapter..#lovedit.
8. There is diversity in the illustrations showing people...maybe, that does not matter to some people, but it was huge to me.
9. There is a bibliography. If you want to teach me how to do something, I need to know that you have done your homework.
10. I love the resources. Thanks for telling me where to get more information.
1. Just flipping through the book at the store, I learned several helpful facts that I had not known.
2. Immediately, I started looking for other books by this author or similar to You Grow Girl.
3. I went home (after purchasing the book)and started doing more research.
4. There were realistic, colorful pictures....so important for newbies like me who need to know what things should or will look like.
5. The print is big, and the pages are sturdy...you know, in case you want to refer to to book while you are outside with your plants.
6. You do not have to be an expert gardener or a scientist to comprehend the material.
7. There are other useful tips about things related to successful planting...things not mentioned in other books, like journaling, and that bath and beauty plants chapter..#lovedit.
8. There is diversity in the illustrations showing people...maybe, that does not matter to some people, but it was huge to me.
9. There is a bibliography. If you want to teach me how to do something, I need to know that you have done your homework.
10. I love the resources. Thanks for telling me where to get more information.
September 6, 2010
When I had my first in-depth to Gayla Trail with her Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces, I noticed that, while I loved the book, it was missing some of the more basic info that was needed by beginners like me, so I went back to her fist book, You Grow Girl. And lo and behold, there was the missing link. You Grow Girl covers all the gardening fundamentals, starting with basic gardening equipment you should have and going through all of the stages of planning, planting, caring, harvesting and preparing for winter. You’ll find the same conversational and very readable tone that makes Grow Great Grub more than just a how-to manual. There are fewer recipes and more crafty type projects, something which doesn’t appeal to me, but may to some. But the only real drawback to the book was the chick-litty illustrations and design, which follow from the restrictive, if catchy title. You don’t need a pair of ovaries to benefit from the accessible, down-to-earth advice in this book, but unfortunately the title and design treatment will alienate most male, and many female, readers. In any case, while I may prefer the design of GGG, the information is enough to make me consider picking up a copy of You Grow Girl part of next year’s essential garden preparation.
February 28, 2013
So, this is a pretty kickass gardening book that originated from www.yougrowgirl.com which is an excellent resource for all things gardening.
Don't be fooled by the title or the lame cartoony cover, this book is crammed with useful information that is for young gardeners, not just girls.
Gayla covers lots of topics and includes some awesome little DIY projects and recipes in the book. One thing that got a bit tiresome was the "all natural" "organic" aspect of things. Growing organic in an environment prone to powdery mildew, aphids, spider mites, hornworms, and every other pest known to man is virtually impossible, and I get really tired of people telling me to just mix something up in the kitchen that will kill them. Sorry, but vinegar doesn't solve all your problems. Sevin does.
With that said, I highly recommend this book. There are great seed-starting tips, staking tips, and lots of growing tips like planting certain items together that will attract the right type of bugs. Such as planting tomatoes with basil and marigolds. It was all very interesting. I also enjoyed reading about composting and am somewhat inspired to start a worm farm.
Really love the website and will be following her blogs.
Don't be fooled by the title or the lame cartoony cover, this book is crammed with useful information that is for young gardeners, not just girls.
Gayla covers lots of topics and includes some awesome little DIY projects and recipes in the book. One thing that got a bit tiresome was the "all natural" "organic" aspect of things. Growing organic in an environment prone to powdery mildew, aphids, spider mites, hornworms, and every other pest known to man is virtually impossible, and I get really tired of people telling me to just mix something up in the kitchen that will kill them. Sorry, but vinegar doesn't solve all your problems. Sevin does.
With that said, I highly recommend this book. There are great seed-starting tips, staking tips, and lots of growing tips like planting certain items together that will attract the right type of bugs. Such as planting tomatoes with basil and marigolds. It was all very interesting. I also enjoyed reading about composting and am somewhat inspired to start a worm farm.
Really love the website and will be following her blogs.
June 7, 2013
Written well enough to read for fun, but still has all the information you could ever hope for in a garden how-to book. It's written for a novice gardener, which I am not, but I still found lots of great tips and my copy is now littered with post-its marking pages.
There is information about planting, growing, harvesting, and storing vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers in both containers and in the ground. If that weren't enough (it is!) there are also "recipes" for ways to use your herbs (edible and non-edible recipes), things to make to make gardening easier (a sweet little apron that I made in 30 minutes) and to make your garden pretty. There are even tips for attracting birds and other beneficial insects, and a thorough resource guide at the end, in case you want more information than that.
It sounds overwhelming, but it was so well written, it never felt that way reading it. I started when there was still snow on the ground, and I've already referenced it many times since I finally started gardening this spring. The readying your garden for winter section will come in handy in the future, but I hope not for a while!
There is information about planting, growing, harvesting, and storing vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers in both containers and in the ground. If that weren't enough (it is!) there are also "recipes" for ways to use your herbs (edible and non-edible recipes), things to make to make gardening easier (a sweet little apron that I made in 30 minutes) and to make your garden pretty. There are even tips for attracting birds and other beneficial insects, and a thorough resource guide at the end, in case you want more information than that.
It sounds overwhelming, but it was so well written, it never felt that way reading it. I started when there was still snow on the ground, and I've already referenced it many times since I finally started gardening this spring. The readying your garden for winter section will come in handy in the future, but I hope not for a while!
March 20, 2011
Love this book!!! Will own it soon.
IMO this book is a must have for the crafy garden girl on a budget. This book helps with the projects that would cost a whole lot more if you had to buy from the chain department store or local nursery. I plan on making some of the trellises that are shown in the book. I have been putting off buying them at the store b/c I wanted my flower budget to go to buying actual flowers and not the items needed for the flowers. Yes, I could look up some of the DIY gardening on the internet but this book is just pure instructional fun with a ton of personable information. I am going to start making stepping stones- not exactly as the book instructs but my own. This book helped me realize that I am able to DIY my own stepping stone.
IMO this book is a must have for the crafy garden girl on a budget. This book helps with the projects that would cost a whole lot more if you had to buy from the chain department store or local nursery. I plan on making some of the trellises that are shown in the book. I have been putting off buying them at the store b/c I wanted my flower budget to go to buying actual flowers and not the items needed for the flowers. Yes, I could look up some of the DIY gardening on the internet but this book is just pure instructional fun with a ton of personable information. I am going to start making stepping stones- not exactly as the book instructs but my own. This book helped me realize that I am able to DIY my own stepping stone.
March 27, 2011
Having read this book, do I feel like I can grow a plant successfully, or even multiple plants successfully? Eh, maybe. Do I hate how these kinds of books make it seem like [insert activity which you suck at] is easy peasy? Yes.
All in all though, it does give some good basic instructions for basic gardening (for those with the Black Thumb of Death), and I really liked the emphasis on organic gardening and natural pest management, foregoing all the chemical nonsense. I read a little of the author's other book Grow Great Grub, and it seems like that has more specific advice on growing particular plant species, for the urban/limited space gardener.
All in all though, it does give some good basic instructions for basic gardening (for those with the Black Thumb of Death), and I really liked the emphasis on organic gardening and natural pest management, foregoing all the chemical nonsense. I read a little of the author's other book Grow Great Grub, and it seems like that has more specific advice on growing particular plant species, for the urban/limited space gardener.
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