I'm a retired horticulture/biology professor who taught sustainable gardening for many years, and have gardened for over 50 years. I started reviewing this book with good intentions, because I was always looking for good reference books for my beginning students to use. And, there are lots of good ones out there written by people with decades of gardening experience, yet who are still able to make it simple for the beginner. I just don't see a need for a book written by someone who's only gardened for a relatively short time and has no science background. Yes, her experiences as a beginner help her to make things simple for the reader, but in the process of "dumbing it down," the accuracy is sometimes sacrificed. A few examples:
--When discussing watering the garden, the emphasis seems to be on the method (i.e., hose vs. irrigation) rather than the amount/frequency. A general rule of 1" per week is given, which is WAY too general to be useful for all climates. No mention is made of testing the soil first with a finger to see if water is really needed. [Moisture meters are a poor substitute.] In years of teaching gardening, that's is the one thing that can really make a difference in garden success.
--Some common plant diseases are mentioned, yet cultural controls (which should be the first line of protection) are not mentioned. This includes things like selecting disease-resistant plants, allowing for good air circulation, etc.
--Sustainability in all its forms is minimal in the techniques used. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles are not really discussed. Peat moss should not be recommended (or at the very least, the negative effects of mining such a non-renewable resource should be mentioned).

Finally, the drawings in the book are well done, but often more for decorative purposes rather than instructional. I found myself wishing there were some diagrams to illustrate some of the techniques (e.g., thinning or transplanting seedlings) or photos of diseases/pests. Those would be very helpful for a beginning gardener.

So, with those things in mind, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to a beginning gardener. The advice in it might be OK for an internet blog, where the reader can/should take everything with a grain of salt, but not for an instructional book.

perfect timing for this book! i am a new gardener and i feel like this was very helpful to learn how to do the right things to have a fabulous garden. I found it to be easy to understand. i loved how it was separated out into sections with valuable information - i'm excited to garden now!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Callisto Media/Rockridge Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a great beginners guide! I am about to start a garden and this was perfect for me. I live in the Marshall Islands and so some of this didn't apply but I have other issues! To much salt causes many things not to grow. Anyway, good advice in this book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the friends/for table. 4 stars