Apartment Kitchen Gardening: A Guide to Growing Food Without a Garden of Your Own - Choose and grow culinary herbs, fruit and vegetables for every season to make an indoor garden full of fresh produce

by James Jacques

No garden? No problem. You can grow your own fresh, healthy fruit, vegetables and culinary herbs inside your apartment. Veteran gardener James Jacques explains everything you need to know, from choosing and sowing to growing and harvesting a wide range of edibles, from oregano to oranges to oyster mushrooms. This easy-to-follow, practical guide outlines the basic equipment that will set you up to succeed, with an emphasis on low-budget options, including DIY and creative upcycling projects, before also introducing more advanced gear from lighting to hydroponic kits. After touring potential growing areas around your apartment, from windowsills and window boxes to balconies and hanging displays, James also explores possibilities for growing elsewhere, from rooftop gardening to community and allotment gardening schemes. Whether you just fancy having a few herbs on a windowsill, or want to transform your home into an abundant oasis of produce, James will help you get the best out of your plants and inspire you to get growing.

138 pages, Hardcover

Published March 28, 2022

Reviews

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed with the Apartment Kitchen Gardening guide.

I was expecting pictures and recipes. However, what I got was a wonderful, informative guide on how to garden indoors, with limited space and resources.

He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the best view of them.-Aristotle

This book discusses the basics of what you need, from water, the growing medium, and the amount of light, to a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables that you can grow. It also explains where in your home you can grow the different plants. I learned so much from this book. I especially loved the pineapple project, it pretty much blew my mind.

I thought the graphics were okay. They look hand-drawn, which is fine, but I would have preferred real pictures and some illustrations as I can't easily visualize things. Other than that, I was impressed with this book.

I would recommend this to anyone with a desire to grow their own plants, regardless of the amount of space you have. It is a valuable resource that you can come back to again and again as you try your hand at growing your own food.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Terri Steffes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in growing your own food but are limited on the ground space you have to grow, you must read this book! As a gardener who has had acres to plant down to using only a hydroponic garden, this book is chock full of ways to grow food. The investment of money isn't large, but the gains are huge. Knowing where your food comes from, what's in it, and how it is prepared gives you a feeling of ownership in your own health. I love the illustrations and the wide variety of topics. Are you in a shaded area? There's a chapter for that. How about limited space? Yep, that's covered too. Do you like to upcycle? This book is full of ways to make things for your garden. Even if you don't think you have a green thumb, this book will encourage you to give it a try. I hope you do! Disclaimer: I was given a copy to review but all opinions are my very own! Highly recommend!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some great suggestions on how to grow a garden in an apartment or in small spaces. This is particularly helpful to me as our yard isn’t very big, and much of our growing will need to be done in containers. I love that there are so many ideas for using up-cycled household items. It really isn’t necessary to invest a huge amount of money into growing your own fresh veggies. You’ll find loads of tips on where, when, and how to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and miscellaneous edible plants (like ginger!), growing zones, watering guides, and more. A really excellent resource!

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, you decided to begin a garden. But you live in a place with no yard or even a balcony? Plus, money is tight right now? No problem with Apartment Kitchen Gardening by your side.

This book feels like your best friend is speaking directly to you about how to begin your gardening adventure! From lettuce to tomatoes to potatoes and even mushrooms, all the basics to begin growing your favorite vegetables are included. The author even explains the container size, soil composition, and watering required for each type of vegetable.

I especially admire the author’s DIY thriftiness. You can grow mushrooms in a trash bag or use empty toilet paper rolls to contain bean roots. Using the bottom of a 2-liter soda bottle painted like a pig for a container is brilliant! So is planting leftover fresh herbs to resurrect them.

It is helpful to read the book on a Kindle if you are not British. There are some words that will confuse most Americans, like biro for pen and chicory for endive. However, the recommended vegetable seeds are all available here in the States.

Apartment Kitchen Gardening is a great choice for anyone looking to invest in a garden regardless of the size of your residence or your wallet. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!