Greenhouse Gardeners Companion Revised Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace
Greenhouse Gardeners Companion Revised Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace
There’s something refreshing about a gardening book that doesn’t start out with soil. Smith ( The Bountiful Solar Greenhouse ) puts off the nitty-gritty subject until chapter nine. In the meantime, he covers such subjects as vegetables, flowers and herbs, light and temperature, ground beds and containers, and crop spacing and scheduling. This is not a complicated book; the operative word for it is “companion.” And while some of the advice is rather elementary, it does lead the reader painlessly through the steps and requirements of owning and gardening in a greenhouse. Undoubtedly, Smith’s role as a lecturer and host of a radio gardening show has also inspired him to write in terms simple enough for beginners. His saving grace is a quiet sense of humor that’s evident throughout the book–from his warnings about weather to his “biased opinion of hydroponics.” When Smith does get around to soil, he goes at it from the point of view of providing plants with a healthy root system–covering soil pH and nutrients and organic soil amendments in beds and pots. The extensive final chapter is devoted to everything that can go wrong–i.e., pests and diseases, for which Smith recommends mostly organic and biologic controls. As he points out, a “greenhouse or sunroom garden is probably the closest garden you’ll ever live with.” This is a book to live with. Illustrated. Garden Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion
Another great book on greenhouses…..My husband just got an old greenhouse that he put in the back of the house as it gets great sunlight alot each day….This book was a Christmas present and well enjoyed so far by the gardener in this family…..Highly recommended….
5 Stars Got a greenhouse? You need this book!
Shane Smith gives important basic information about passive solar design and production in a winter growing space. When I first started out, four years ago, it was the one book I was flipping through daily. I grow vegetables in winter in Minnesota, so I figured a guy in Wyoming would understand my challenges of weather conditions and day length. This made his planting schedules a useful tool. I did read this one cover to cover and then referenced certain sections again and again in those first two years. If you are thinking about building a greenhouse or just got one, add this book to your library and you won’t be sorry. He’ll show you how to save some money by applying passive solar design elements to your structure that will save you money in heating costs and make your growing space more productive and fun. As to the comments one reviewer posted about Smith’s aversion to hydroponics, I happen to concur with the author. I like working with soil. I don’t care if hydroponics has gone “organic.” It still creates waste water that must be dealt with and lacks the beneficial fungus interactions that soil provides for plant roots on a cellular level. At least Smith’s upfront about his preference and there are plenty of resource materials out there for folks who want to work with hydroponic systems. This book is a plain and simple introduction to greenhouse growing that makes it accessible to beginners. I still flip through it from time to time and always find some tidbit I can use to improve things in my own growing space.
5 Stars Shane Smith Greenhouse Gardeners Companion
This is a no-nonsense, common sense book, written in plain language so is easy to understand. I’m a seasoned gardener, but beginning greenhouse gardener, and they seem to be quite different. Some books, after you read them, make you just want to give up before you even start, but this one makes you think you can do it! It’s still too early for me to know how successful I’ll be, but I’ve got lettuce seedlings, and, it is December, we’ll see if I have salad greens in a few more weeks.
4 Stars the “Bible”
Very good book, very comprehensive, great for beginners (like me). There is a ton of information in here.
5 Stars Excellent Reference
I just purchased my first greenhouse and wanted a good reference book. This is it! An excellent resource which is easy to read and use. Love it!
Growing Cacti And Other Succulents In The Conservatory And Indoors
Growing Cacti And Other Succulents In The Conservatory And Indoors
No longer are cacti viewed as boring, dusty plants that will survive anything thrown at them but remain unattractive. Architectural in form, they are now attracting the attention of garden designers and plant retailers. Today’s modern planters suit these amazing plants admirably. From terracotta through to stainless steel, there are cacti and succulents that will match and enhance these materials, adding instant glamour to a home or conservatory. Furthermore they are easy to keep, except for those who have a tendency to overwater, and will happily survive alone for two to three weeks while the owners are on holiday. Another hidden charm, not commonly known, is their ability to flower on a regular basis. Provided the necessary neglect is given during the winter months, flowers will appear like clockwork in the spring to give a welcome start to the new growing season. Many flower during winter too, such as the crassulas and schlumbergias, which gives them an added attraction during these otherwise flowerless months. Shirley-Anne Bell’s book is a long overdue look at the variety and uses of these wonderful plants in the home and conservatory. From clump-forming to columnar, from trailing to climbing, there are cacti and succulents for every situation and many are listed here according to their uses. Illustrated by her husband’s excellent photographs it is a good overview of the subject, albeit lacking slightly in depth, in particular the cultivation details of the different genera. For the novice collector this is a well-informed look at the way these plants can be displayed and should inspire them to search out the more unusual varieties at the same time as discovering new ways of showing the plants off to their best advantage. For those uninitiated in these plant’s charms, just a flick through the book will incite a more lingering look and possibly the start of a new interest.
Secrets To Growing A Bonsai Tree
Secrets To Growing A Bonsai Tree
Bonsai are miniature trees grown in pots. The aim of bonsai culture is to develop a tiny tree that has all the elements of a large tree growing in a natural setting. This look is achieved, principally, by branch and root pruning and shaping, but other factors are also important. The texture of the trunk, its look of age, the moss and the under plantings in the container — all contribute to the illusion of a miniature tree as it is seen in nature.
A presentable bonsai can be created in a few seasons. Cultivating these miniature potted trees is both an intriguing hobby, and a means of adapting a wide range of plants to specialized and decorative uses. Bonsai require daily watering during their growing season, and, because the plants are rooted in shallow pots, careful pruning.
Beginners Guide to Growing Orchids DVD
Beginners Guide to Growing Orchids DVD
“Orchids & How to Grow Them” is not only a step-by-step guide to raising orchids, it is a visual awakening and a sensual treat. This quality DVD gives you the history of orchids, as well as easy instructions to successful orchid growing.
The splashes of color. The varieties of shapes. From wild to delicate. From exotic to sublime. Orchids have stimulated the imagination of gardners for more than a century and now Carol Shields takes you on a journey into the world of orchids.
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Greenhouse Gardeners Companion Revised Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or SunspaceGreenhouse Gardeners Companion Revised Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace ...
