This is a fabulous book - even the only one you need to have a productive, healthy veggie garden.
Although there are plenty of wonderful photographs in the book, the information is the stuff that makes this book so good.
I too have been gardening for many years, and I remember at 4yrs old helping my grandfather, an Italian migrant, grow all the vegetables needed for our table. He continued to do so well into his 90s. Over the years I have read many book on growing vegetables, but none actually have been as good as this, answering sensible questions and explaining the "why and hows" as this book does.
The photos are truly amazing and consolidates the information on each variety. They also not only make me jealous, but offer inspiration that my next years crop will hopefully look as good (or half that good)
It all makes sense and it is quite simple when one understands.
Love this book

This book is organized first by plant group (e.g. nightshades or allium) and then by veggie.
There is good information on why you'd grow that veggie and varieties to choose.
While there was good information on soil type, germination, etc. the depth/layout fell below my favorite gardening books. That being said, it was better than many gardening books so it's worth a looksie.

Beyond your basic or average gardening book, this one is real wealth of in-depth information on seeding, growing, fertilizing, harvesting and addressing issues like pests, diseases and growing problems. Focusing on common species from artichokes to zucchini, Mattus gives quick rundowns on the history of each as well as a list of his favorite varieties. Really inspiring, informative and well done!

Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening
Rare Varieties * Unusual Options * Plant Lore & Guidance
by Matt Mattus


Gardening may sound easy...take a seed, stick it in the ground and water it...voila...a plant. Well, it is often much more difficult than that! Knowing which plants will thrive where you live may not be enough because there are always pests or amendments or any number of other things to take into consideration. This book provides the novice and the master gardener with information that will assist in creating a beautiful vegetable garden with the additional information of how to avoid foibles the author encountered in his years of gardening.

The photos of the plants are gorgeous and made me almost want to take up a shovel and do some planting but as that is my husband’s domain I instead shared some of what I learned with him. There are several unusual varieties I had not seen before of vegetables I eat weekly and I might look for some of those seeds to gift my husband with in the future.

Definitely a book I could sit and read in greater detail and one I would consider gifting a gardener with in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I grew up with a garden every year; my dad would raise so many different types of vegetables for us to eat through summer and fall and then can and preserve for the winter.  There is something magical about fresh corn in the late summer, fried okra from the garden, and cracking the seal on a jar of canned tomatoes in cold winter months.  If was those early years being in the garden and learning to eat from the land that gave me the appreciation for different types, flavors, colors, and textures of food that I enjoy today.  My diet is mostly vegetarian, and nearly vegan most of the time.  I say mostly because I don't turn down fresh tacos or tamales.  Because of that, I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits.  One of my goals in the upcoming years is to get back to my gardening roots and start growing most of the food I eat.  Since I left home for college way back in 2011, I have always dabbled in herbs and some container gardening.  Even though it is nice to have fresh basil and parsley on hand whenever you need it, it just isn't the same as a full garden bursting with colors, flavors, and life. 

So really, that desire was my impetus for reading and reviewing this book.  I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I have a black notebook that I keep for my random notes or entries or just things that I want to remember.  Sometimes, I flip back through it and highlight things that I have written that stick out to me even more.  The entire time that I sat down to read Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening I kept that notebook with me and made so many notes!  What I love about this book is that it isn't too heavy to actually read, but it gives you so much specialized advice and tips for growing vegetables that if you are serious, or want to get serious, this is the perfect book to read.  It feels as if you are taking a self-guided course into gardening.  I loved that the author, Matt Mattus wrote this book from his experience in vegetable gardening.  He makes clear in the introduction that all of the photos (except for a couple of pages) are his own and he has written everything in this book from his experience; he has tested and tried everything in the book.  It just makes it feel so much more genuine and trustworthy. 

Along with Matt's experience and obvious expertise, the photography is stunning.  It almost makes me want to find gardens and start taking photos.  I am not trained in photography or have had any formal education on it, but the balance of photos, the colors, the textures, the subjects, everything in the photos of this book is perfect.  They really give life to what Matt speaks about in his text and makes vegetable gardening so vibrant and inviting.  It is that kind of photography that really brings life to the pages of this book and makes it all so much more appealing. 

Matt's details when it comes to vegetable gardening is really what I took the most notes on.  It can be overwhelming to find a trusted source to teach you gardening, especially if you are looking for a book or online for guidance.  There are so many opinions and ideas out there, along with myths.  Matt works to dispel some of those myths in this book by opening them up for discussion and delicately refuting their incorrectness.  All while giving clear, and concise facts.  He does beat around the bush by offering solutions to growing problems that will leave you shelling out money or creating a chemistry lab of chemical and concoctions.  Honestly, when it comes to things like fertilizers, Matt clearly explains differences and mainly focuses on three major elements that plants need.  To get those, the fertilizer sources he names are easy to remember and probably commonly found at any gardening or home store.  There's no fancy names or brands to buy, just the straight facts on what you need and how to get it.  I love that in this book, gardening is for the reader and to make food, not to sell products or make it seem like more work than it might be.  


All in all, I loved reading this.  Currently, it is chilly where I live but I know the warmer rainy season is coming, so it is nice to read something with bright sunny photos of cheerful and colorful food and plants.  I cannot wait for warmer days and to hopefully get started planting some things and putting what I learned and took notes on, to use.  On Goodreads, I gave this book five stars because there really wasn't anything wrong or bad about it.  Each vegetable is explained in detail, most of which even have a short history or introduction.  His division of vegetables is smart and done in a way that connects some vegetables that we normally wouldn't.  The length of this book is perfect; each vegetable has its pages and then on to the next so that nothing is drawn out or dragging on.  I loved it!  This is probably one that I will buy to add to my collection since it is already available for purchase.

#MasteringTheArtOfVegetableGardening #NetGalley

Many vegetables are covered in this book including many rare ones. What separates this book from most of the others are the sections on care and processing. This book gives you a reference on how to process immediately for eating and how to process for storage, which is invaluable! The book takes you step by step from what kind, to how to plant, to how to pick and how to process. This is a great step by step guide for a newbie or seasoned gardener. It also has beautiful pictures but encourages people to have the size of garden that best suits their time and family need.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.