The Edible Container Garden: Fresh Food from Tiny Spaces (ISBN 1856752208)

Amazon.com Review:
It wouldn't matter whether or not a single strawberry or tomato raised in the pots pictured in this book ever made it to the table--they are beautiful ornamental plantings, worth growing just for their looks. But author and British permaculture expert Michael Guerra promises fresh-tasting, pesticide-free produce, and the chance to grow a luscious array of fruits and vegetables not available at the supermarket, all in small raised beds, pots, or window boxes. Whether you garden on the balcony of a condominium, the deck of a houseboat, or just choose to pack your garden with ornamentals rather than edibles, this book brings hope that you can easily harvest homegrown food, including herbs and edible flowers. "Gardening is like learning to cook," writes Guerra. "Start with the basics and with practice your menu will increase." He starts out with clear instructions about the basics of raised bed construction, soil enrichment, and maintenance of edibles. The most useful and unique parts of the book are the chapters entitled "What Shall I Grow?" that suggest the best varieties of salad greens, berries, peas, and peppers, as well as a great many more, for smaller gardens. Enlivened by color photographs and featuring detailed lists to aid in plant choices, this is a fine introduction to urban food gardening on even the smallest property. --Valerie Easton

Not enough practical information:
As a beginning gardener, I was looking for a book that would spell out, in a simple, organized fashion, exactly what I needed to do to start a vegetable garden on my rooftop patio. So, I went on Amazon and purchased this book, as well as "McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: A Container Garden of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers". Having read both, I would strongly recommend "Bountiful Container" over "Edible Container". "Edible Container" may seem more appealing because it is full of color photographs, but "Bountiful Container" is far more practical and a true reference book. "Edible Container" is largely anecdotal and may inspire you, but is frustrating if you're looking to have basic questions answered such as "what dirt should I use", "how often should I water", "what varieties should I plant and when", "should I use fertilizer", etc. "Bountiful Container" is so well-organized and clearly and concisely written that you can literally read it cover to cover (I did) and then you will find yourself coming back to it time and time again as your garden begins to grow. Swearing by the "Bountiful Container", I now how a flourishing garden full of lettuce, beans, squash, tomatoes, and strawberries.

Great for folks with limited space:
Wonderful insight, information, and photographs to help a beginning gardener with limited space start to paint her thumb green. Recycling suggestions and the use of the principles of perm culture principles in are included for those environmentally-concerned growers, and who among us isn't? At the end of this book are photos of the author's own urban lot, every inch burgeoning with plants to eat and those just for the sake of beauty. This book deals more with space and soil, however, rather than the actual plants themselves. But for what it offers, it's great.

Everything but the plants:
"The Edible Container Garden" is a fine book if you have a little mechanical/design savoir faire. It illustrates several ways of constructing raised beds and other garden structures, and contains an especially helpful diagram of the author's own garden in his London rowhouse. The book also contains detailed discussions of composting and lists of plants appropriate for container gardening. However, it has less detail on specific plants and basic gardening skills like pruning and fertilizing. And the construction sections assume a certain level of knowledge that many readers may lack. It's a good idea book, but should be supplemented with another that gives more detailed instruction on the business of actually growing plants.

Pretty but not useful:
This book was not very helpful to me. Most of the book is about making a container garden in a home with a small yard. It only had a very brief two page section about container gardening on a deck or balcony. The information it does have is very poorly organized and jumbled. Trying to find specific information is very frustrating. The photos in this book are beautiful, and if you're looking for a book of beautiful photos this book may be appealing to you. If you're actually trying to grow a container garden, I would suggest this useful book instead :McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers It's the only book on container gardening that you'll ever need.

Great Reference Book:
I was amazed when I got this book and read it. It was just full of so much informationa dn beautiful pictures. I am new to gardening so I found it to be extremly helpful fo me in that area. This is a keeper! I highly recommend it.