Essential gardening books for 2010

Grow Great Grub
Organic Food From Small Spaces
By Gayla Trail
I really wish I knew about Gayla’s first book, You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening, when I first bought my house. Gayla has a way of making gardening sound so fun and easy and attainable. This fantastic follow-up inspires readers to grow their own fruits, veggies, herbs and edible flowers. Teeny tiny yards and balconies are no obstacle, you just have to work with what you have. That might mean growing tomatoes upside down or raising kumquats in your living room. Delicious, interesting recipes make full use of your harvest and a helpful section shows you how to preserve your bounty so that nothing goes to waste.

What makes this book unique: Gayla’s DIY ethos and conversational tone make you want to reach for your gardening gloves and start planting, salvage containers for plants and grow something you haven’t tried before—like potatoes in a metal garbage can!

Price: $24.99
Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Excerpts from Grow Great Grub

• Five tips for controlling animal pests
• Six eco-friendly DIY fertilizers
• Grow your own windowsill edibles