My gardening world changed when I read the author's Veggie Garden Remix book. I was introduced to so many new varieties, and I still grow cucamelons, ground cherries, yard-long beans, and add one or two things every year. So it is not really surprising that I was excited to read her newest book, Growing Under Cover. Niki Jabbour lives in Nova Scotia, and almost any Zone 5 gardener will want to extend their growing season as she does. Heck, I live in Zone 7, and the idea of starting the season earlier and protecting my fall plants from the first frost makes this worthwhile reading. I added a small cold frame several years ago, and I was ready to learn more.
The book is divided into two parts: Introducing the Covered Garden and Vegetables That Love a Cover. The first chapters provide detailed information and great pictures that will introduce you to polytunnels, cold frames, hoop tunnels, shade cloth, row covers, and more. If you see something that intrigues you, you won't even have to go find another book to learn what materials you need or how to build it, it is all covered here.
In the second part, you will find plants that will thrive under different covers. Every vegetable you can imagine is discussed, from artichokes to tomatoes, and everything in between.No matter whether you are a beginner with ideas for a few pots, have a small piece of land or have acres of land devoted to gardening, you can find something here that will make your life easier, and allow your plants to be more productive.
My two takeaways for next year are buying shade cloth and insect barrier fabric. I don't want to write a book here, but I haven't even mentioned disease control, watering, planning calendars, starting seeds indoors, succession planting, and a great index so you can refer back to what you need during the growing season. I am working on my garden plan for next year, and I will definitely spend time this winter reviewing this ebook page by page. Actually, I plan to buy a hard copy as a holiday present to me, and I think this would be a great gift for the gardener in your life.

Sounds like a spy novel, but no, it’s a book about gardening. And, it’s in fact a great one. It’s a subject I have had just the most basic knowledge about, but after reading the book I know quite a lot about the subject, and it’s time to put theory into practice.

The book is filled with awesome pictures, and great advice about for example what sort of cover works for you, depending on where you live and what you need the cover for, as well as other reasons clearly explained. The step-by-step instructions on how to build mini hoop and poly tunnels.

I particularly enjoyed the tips about how to deal wit pests and ventilation. Great to know beforehand what might go wrong, because it might be easier to predict when something is about to go wrong. The last chapter regarding which vegetables like covers is fabulous, because it shows someone else has put a lot of hard work into it all, so that the rest of us have it a bit easier. This book works very well for colder climates, and I appreciate it a lot!