Building Projects for Backyard Farmers and Home Gardeners

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY APR 23, 2012

Gleason (Art of the Chicken Coop: A Fun and Essential Guide to Housing Your Peeps) calls on his own days as a farm kid in upstate New York and his urban gardening experience to guide the novice as well as the experienced gardener looking for new horticultural methods (rainwater system, above-ground potato planters, bean "leaners," greenhouses, compost boxes, and raised beds). Working with vermiculture bins, the wormy, but-oh-so-useful process of creating rich soil, is even de-grossed in the name of a producing a great wall of tomatoes. All projects for the ultimate urban garden in any climate are DIY, with clear instructions and photos. Potential prices on projects requiring more wood or PVC pipe would have been appreciated, though the charts and calculations on water consumption per household and anticipated veggie needs per family prove invaluable. Instructions on creating dwellings for other backyard pals requiring hives and hutches are a bonus.