Micro Food Gardening

Well, this book didn't succeed in making me feel like becoming a full-on grower of my own micro-foods, but I would strongly suggest if you have that inclination and are looking for the last step of impetus, it's on these pages, and it certainly did show me how some of it could be easy – although it certainly took its time about it. We start with the basics, of the whys and wherefores, and thoughts to organic fertiliser, soil, growing and watering techniques, and of course positioning in or out of the sun. We then crack on with the projects, that will get us eating our own herbs, mini-greens, fingerling potatoes and so much more in no time. And that's where things went if not pear-shaped then perhaps strawberries-grown-in-guttering-shaped, for the second project involved drilling this and safety that and so much else I will never get the aptitude to use. Before long we're making drainage holes in aluminium gutter pieces, coffee tins and unwanted cake pans, getting specific glass- or ceramic-friendly drill bits, and so much else.

Like I say, not for me. But I'd have had to have been starved of all food and most of my oxygen to not recognise the quality of this production. The pictures are brilliant, the advice is perfectly readable and sound, the mixture of DIY and botany spot on – to repeat, this is probably up there with the very best books in this category (if there are indeed other options out there). And you know what – finally we do even get inspiration for the likes of muggins here. And if 'everything you need to make your own pasta tomato sauce or veggie pizza topping in the one container' is not inspiration, I don't know what is. So I can certainly quibble at this not exactly guiding the newbie into easy projects with baby steps, and leaving the more daunting stuff til last, but that's the only flaw I found.

I love this book! It is refreshing, useful, and inspiring. The 30 craft projects are clearly explained, and the pictures help to understand what is going on. I will try a few this spring, let’s see how it goes. Nothing seemed to hard to do. Gardening is such a great hobby, and the possibilities are endless, which this book shows. I have a hard time imagining these things in my head, so I’m very thankful to get clear instructions on how to do these things.

A very compact book with lots of pictures to visualize the ideas for the micro planters. This is a perfect book for anyone new to planting greenery and keeping it alive. Lots of good ideas and how to build your own small garden in a confined space.

For me, as a plant parent, all the basics about light, soil and watering were unnecessary but for the proper beginners this might be useful to know.
Really enjoyed getting inspiration from these many ideas. Will definitely plant some of the herbs and spices on my balcony this year.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun book!

There's lots of information about growing various plants in small containers and spaces. Some of the information is very specific to certain plants and some if it is general guidance for small indoor or outdoor gardens. Overall it's a helpful guide to start a garden anywhere! There are tips on growing edible and non-edible plants.

A fun a little guide to getting started and maintaining a small garden.

Micro Food Gardening: Project plans and plants for growing fruits and veggies in tiny spaces by Jennifer McGuinness
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine | Home & Garden
Release Date: March 30, 2021

Micro Food Gardening by Jennifer McGuinness is an interesting resource for growing fruits and vegetables in tiny spaces.

I thought this was very neat. I love the idea of repurposing items as planters. This book shared so many ways to take advantage of the space you have to grow your own food. The photos were great additions and the instructions for the projects were easy to follow. There are also so many tips on how to plant your seeds and best nourish them.

I'm so grateful to Jennifer McGuinness, Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Micro Food Gardening by Jennifer McGuinness is a compact book full of ideas for how to start a micro food garden easily. There are lots of photos to visualize how to make different planters for micro food. This is a quick read with many good ideas.

Lots of great ideas in this book! I feel a little overwhelmed with all of the information, but I feel like this is a great place to start if you want to have a micro garden!

Turns out I've been micro food gardening all along! Jokes aside, many of the projects suggested are rather original and I haven't seen them before so for the creativity alone, this book is worth reading. For the beginner, this is an encouraging book that makes food gardening accessible to those who think houseplants are the only gardening they can do.

This book gives great information about how to start growing edible plants in containers. It covers how to grow plants completely indoors as well as how to start projects indoors and then move outside.

There are a bunch of very creative and cute projects detailed here. Most of the information is on how to build or adapt the containers to grow plants. Bicycle baskets, muffin tins, PVC pipes, and gutters are among the containers repurposed for growing food. I didn’t really need that information. I got the most use out of the sidebars in the book. This is where advice is given for different varieties of edible plants that grow well indoors and in small spaces.

The photographs are beautiful. The whole book is inspiring in a way that only gardening books can be in the dead of winter. I’m looking forward to finding some of the plant varieties mentioned and starting my indoor garden.

What an interesting book. Beautifully organised and presented with inviting and stimulating photographs. Every topic has interesting, relevant and money saving information. Whoever knew that you don’t have to plant a whole seed potato? Cut one potato into pieces ensuring each one has an eye or shoot, with a photograph to demonstrate. Brilliant! Sections on containers, watering lighting, soil choice, then whether you are starting with seeds or plants ready started. The sun is out, spring is here, do I read the whole book or just dip in and get started. Either would be great. The most inspiring book for anyone, a lovely gift.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Such a cute little book! cant wait to try some of these out!

Micro Food Gardening is a project oriented gardening guide with tutorials by Jen McGuinness. Due out 20th April 2021 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available now).

This book is full of creative tutorials for maximizing space and light access along with highlighting specific vegetable and fruit varieties bred to be compact and/or dwarf sized, many with tiny edible bits. The book's presentation is full of whimsy and fun. It's not much counterbalanced by emphasis on maximizing production or yields, but it is full of childlike wonder. Many of these tutorials would be wonderful to do with younger kids who will be all about the lilliputian aspects of these tiny fruits and veggies.

The 30 project tutorials run the gamut from slightly twee (salad greens grown in a bicycle front basket) to the utilitarian (strawberries in a repurposed rain gutter). Each tutorial includes an introduction, finished project photo in color, tools and materials listed bullet style in a highlighted text box, and step by step directions (most include process photos). Many of the projects can easily be adapted to recycling and upcycling instead of purchasing new supplies. Many of them (but not all) are also easily adaptable to younger gardeners with some adult help on some steps. Project measurements are given in American standard as well as metric (yay!).

The author has also included a useful abbreviated resource list for more info as well as an index.

I would recommend this one for public and school library acquisition, gardening and maker's groups, community garden/allotment libraries, or possibly as a nice gift for a young gardener bundled with some seeds and supplies and the promise of a few hours of help/mentoring.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Micro Food Gardening is a space-saving way to learn to garden and eat healthier! Plus, it is just fun to get your hands dirty once in a while.

No matter the size of your home and yard, you can micro garden. The author cleverly repurposes items many people already have in their house like coffee cans, teacups and mason jars into clever planters. If you, like me, are not good with hand tools, there are purchased planter pot projects too. With thirty projects offered here, there is sure to be something that will work for you. Overall, Micro Food Gardening shows how to get your microgreens and mini veggies in innovative ways. Even potatoes can be grown in a container. 4 stars!

Thanks to Cool Springs Press, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I read many articles about people growing plants at home during the lockdown, so the book attracted my attention.

The book starts out explaining the basics such as lighting, soil, watering and fertiliser. We get an in-depth guide with tips and tricks covering multiple techniques to help us out. This leads to projects such as herbs, vegetables and a lot more. At this stage, things may become too hard for people. There's a deal of D.I.Y. coverage. For example, growing plants in a bicycle basket is not something most of us would ever do. At the same time, I enjoyed reading ideas about things I wouldn't do and looking at the pictures.

The book is well-formatted. I loved the pictures even when I was not too fond of the projects or information. The overall layout is professional, clear and straightforward. It's easy to read and coveys a lot of information in an easy to comprehend manner.

I like the book. If you're looking to grow something on your balcony, in or around your house, then you should buy this. I bought an air plant kit and a cacti terrarium kit from etsy since they are easy.

If work gets less hectic and I have more free time, I feel confident I have a much better idea about growing and caring for plants now.

What a lovely book to pick up as spring approaches.

This approachable guide would be a great way to get into growing your own food whether you have lots of space or only a little. Starting with micro gardening is certainly a cheap intro and with guidance on upcycling various different containers it shouldn't cost much to have a go.

There are indoor and outdoor ideas here and a good variety to choose from along with lots of helpful tips and advice. I think this would even be great to do with kids (with supervision) because if they (or you) do lose interest then at least it hasn't been a huge investment of time, money or space.

A lot of the ideas are quite pretty, with an instagram style aesthetic, but practical nonetheless. I think this would make a lovely gift for someone getting into gardening or even for a more avid gardener if they move somewhere with less space.

This book is wonderful for people like me. I’m very interested in gardening, but the soil where I live is poor and I certainly don’t have green thumb. I’ve been gardening in containers for a few years now and this book is exactly what I needed to give me the confidence to start growing more healthy and nutritious varieties. I am excited to try microgardening and feel confident I can succeed thanks to this book. I love all of the creative project ideas and the indoor food growing projects I can do all year. This is a great book for gardeners who cannot have or don’t want a full-size garden.