Raised Bed and Container Gardening: 9 Practical Steps For Turning Your Backyard or Balcony Into Your First Successful Vegetable Garden. Low-Cost and Beginner-Friendly.

by Emma Andrews

Gardening has long been an extremely rewarding practice – giving you the power to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs for your kitchen and your dinner table.

However, it can require a lot of time, patience, and, most importantly, space. Space is a big issue, especially if you live in an urban area or don’t have access to the sprawling, open ground. And that’s where raised beds and containers come in! These compact mini-gardening methods allow you to plant and maintain a garden easily and are flexible enough to let you grow whatever you want. Whether it is a small strip of land, a balcony, a patio, or a terrace, raised bed and container gardening allow you easy access to nature’s freshest bounty in miniature gardens – with the same quality and freshness of a large one. So, where do you start? just follow these 9 steps! In Raised Bed and Container Gardening , you will And much more. Gardening is a long-term investment – it changes your lifestyle and allows you to live sustainably and naturally. Discover how to start gardening no matter how much space you do or don’t have.

Genres: Gardening, Nature

212 pages, Hardcover

Published July 30, 2022

Reviews

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot to know and do when it comes to starting a raised bed garden area and this book makes it simple to get started with simple and complete step by step guidance and encouragement. An enjoyable read. I thank Librarything and Emma Andrews for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Being an apartment-dwelling, non-gardener who was interested in growing a little fresh produce, I thought that this book would be perfect for me. It was not. The book is better suited for someone planning on a serious raised bed garden and has lots of space for the many containers and different soils, mulch & fertilizer that they will be needing to purchase. There was a lot of information that wasn’t relevant to me, notably on raised bed gardening, including how to make the frames. It is not a step-by-step guide, but more a series of chapters on gardening including pests, different vegetables, compost etc. I was overwhelmed with the number of different soils I am supposed to purchase (a few for each of the different stages from seedling to transplant to outdoor plant) and the time-consuming acclimation process prior to transplanting to the great outdoors. It was all a bit much for my basic needs of just wanting to grow a few strawberries. And as beginner, I would have preferred a straightforward, month-by-month instruction manual. So ultimately, the book functioned as a gateway guide, so now I know what I need to look up (if I go ahead with the project that I am less enthusiastic about having read this book).
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're like me and you have terrible, rocky soil, or you live in a city with minimal "green space," you may have considered containers or raised beds to create a garden space. I struggled for a few years planting in-ground--the yield was not great. Soil conditions, pests, weeds out of control--I wanted fresh produce, but I needed to do something different.

In came the planters. And while I *think* I have a good enough handle on it, I'm always looking for new resources and new tips to get better. So I was thrilled to check out Emma Andrews's Raised Bed and Container Gardening. And while it seems to be geared to the beginner, there was much I could find useful in here as well, particularly the charts on spacing and companion plants (always good refreshers or to have handy), and the many resources the author provides at the conclusion.

If you're in the market to grow your own food (trust me, there's nothing like fresh tomatoes and good old basil, rosemary, and thyme), but aren't sure where to start, a few containers are a great place. And this book will be a nice help to guide your garden journey.

Special thanks to LibraryThing and the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, little gardening book that takes the time to not only state what certain things are done in container gardening but also the all important why. If you are looking for a book that explains the 'why' of things then this is it. Emma Andrews, takes the time to explain the 'why' of each topic and provides plenty of jumping off points for the reader to use. Thus allowing that reader to go forth and start their own research within the subject of their own choice.

More so this book is beginner friendly, it's not tossing it's readers into the deep end of hard science; which means that even a child should be able to read, understand and be able to follow along with the information provided. While being beginner friendly it's also veteran friendly giving small tips and hints as ways more seasoned gardener can become better at their craft.

If you're looking for a book that can ease you into container gardening or maybe just gardening in general this is it.

[Toni Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok the joke at my house is that I kill silk. However this book makes it possible for even me to make a success of growing something alive in a raised bed or container garden. Ms Andrews takes you through everything you need to know about this and she explains in layman's terms that are easily understood. She takes you step by step through a nine easy to follow processes. She covers such things as preparation, soil, tools needed, building materials, compost tips, diagrams and so many more helpful tips. She's very encouraging throughout making you feel you absolutely can do this. If you have been wanting to do this for yourself and are hesitant this book will take the fear away. Let's get growing. I won a copy of this book for which I am so grateful. The opinion expressed is entirely my own.

[Debbie Burfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and easy to understand

If you're new to any sort of raised bed or container gardening then this is your one stop bible. So easy to understand none of the fancy words and explained in such a way that motivates me to want to give it a go.. well i did start and I'm loving it. Got to grips with some of the basics that other books made sound complicated and now I'm on the right path. Fab book.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I am looking to move into a townhouse/unit soon, I would like to try to incorporate some potted or moveable plants and garden.

This book was extremely helpful and informative in how to get set up if you want to have a garden in pots or boxes. It went through a very helpful list of pros and cons of gardening this way as well as discussing various materials and soil to use.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Savaş Gönen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book, which contains a very clear, clear and simple explanation for beginners. My favorite part is that the book draws your attention to potential mistakes you can make when starting a gardening business and suggests planning to avoid them. On the other hand, the differences of gardening on the balcony or in the garden are expressed simply. With this book, you can reduce the risk of making mistakes when starting out. So you don't lose your enthusiasm and you can go further.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wanting to learn about raised beds and container gardening. This book had it all! Diagrams, water differences, pH and soil contents and tons of answers to every question I have ever had. I am not sure if I have ever bookmarked a book as much as this one. This is a MUST-READ!

[Mohamed Shee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Found this book very informative and got a many ideas from here. Easy to read - a great guide for people who are looking into raised bed gardening.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference

A well written book in a clear, concise manner including all steps from prepping soil to harvesting. A great guide for the novice and experienced.

[CTS Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for new and experienced growers. I’m excited to try the fertilizer and pesticide tips using the masses of aloe vera I have growing. Thanks for your hard work, Emma!

[Matúš · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginner gardeners. Very clear, simple and helpful with tons of information. It really motivates me to think about container gardening and its implementation to my balcony.