Crops in Tight Spots

by Alex Mitchell

Short of outdoor space but want to grow fruit and vegetables? Congratulations. Really, lucky you. Not for you the back-breaking trudge of tending large spaces of land, the weeding, digging and pest vigilance. Gluts? They will mean nothing to you. Instead you can look forward to small but perfectly formed bursts of flavor. Handfuls of fresh leaves, berries and tomatoes, just when you want them, and at arm's reach. As more of us live in cities with restricted outside spaces, growing food becomes all the more important, not just for the delicious results, but as a mindful way to connect us to the seasons and to nature. Full of tried-and-tested, fool-proof crop ideas exclusively tailored for containers, raised beds and small gardens, Crops in Tight Spots guarantees vegetable growing success for even the most newbie of gardeners and limited of spaces.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Alex Mitchell is a writer and gardener who has grown her own fruit, salad, herbs and vegetables for years. She studied at the Chelsea Physic Garden and for the past five years her columns in The Sunday Telegraph have entertained readers with her experiences of turning her garden into an edible Eden. Alex lives and gardens in Greenwich, South-East London, with her partner and two young sons.


There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Alex^^Mitchell, gardener

Reviews

[Anne ✨ Finds Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful little book - easy to read, helpful tips, nice pictures, and a selection of projects to inspire you to action. There's great suggestions of which plants to put in each of the different types of containers/growing locations.

This book is written by a UK author, so keep that in mind with respect to climate and size/placement of containers. I live in an extremely hot summer region of southern USA, so the most difficult aspect of 'container' gardening is keeping the plants moist. This topic only gets a brief mention in the book, I definitely need more ideas on how to tackle that problem! For now, I'm going to start with spring/fall crops and see how it goes!

[Andy Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, very relevant to my gardening interests. Enjoyable read but very solid and practical advice for those keen to grow crops in small spaces. One I shall definitely be consulting in future, and which has already given me much inspiration.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranged mix of advice, but well-written and I enjoyed the planting boxes they advised, even if I doubt I’ll be able to pull them off. Inspirational!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great ideas for strategic planting in limited space. Resources are all UK based, but the ideas are universal. I *will* be getting a cardamom plant for the indoors the moment I come across one!

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

I've been enjoying various gardening books lately, and this one was a pleasant read!

I'd say this book was more relevant to my garden than most, as I don't currently have a big garden. There were many beautiful photos throughout the book, which made it a visually satisfying experience too.

I liked that it provided a 'difficulty level' for growing each plant (so I can blame it on the plant if it doesn't work out 🙈) and there were plenty of ideas to utilise limited space.

[Charlotte (novelsandteacups) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great! fantastic if your a beginner of growing your own produce I would highly recommend you read it, Its full of great tips. Recently I've decided to find ways of reducing plastic and start producing my own fruit, veg and herbs an making alternative swaps with products. Since climate change is on the rise and is one of the subjects that keeps popping up on the news, it makes you think of how much we use on a daily basis with not crossing our mind. Which we could essential grow or find alternatives. One of the things it makes me appreciate is my produce and knowing its not contaminated with pesticides or wrapped in plastic which makes it sweat when its transported from different countries; and second of all more fresh and most of all cheaper!

[Marianna Zelichenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really nice ideas for using spaces available in an urban environment to create your own edible garden. For inspiration, this is a great book. When it comes to practical information, it's not particularly comprehensive, so you'll need to complement this book with your own research. As it is, I just planted some tomatoes, spinach, and cucumbers. Curious to see what will come of it!

[Nicole Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book detailing how to grow veggies and such in apartments and small locations. The author is not from the states so there are a few details such as soil that don’t transfer to US readers. Great book still highly recommend!!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate that some people don't have a lot of green space, it tended to always look cluttered and messy.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some creative ideas for bringing garden and greenery into otherwise dead spaces.

[SassieMolassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was perfect for my needs. A lot of great information and it has inspired me to get creative with my container planting.

[Alex Gravina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book with several growing ideas for different types of spots