Apartment Kitchen Gardening: A Guide to Growing Food Without a Garden of Your Own
James Jacques
Description
No garden? No problem. You can grow your own fresh, healthy fruit, vegetables, and culinary herbs inside your apartment. Veteran gardener James Jacques explains everything you need to know, from choosing and sowing to growing and harvesting a wide range of edibles, from oregano to oranges to oyster mushrooms.
This easy-to-follow, practical guide outlines the basic equipment that will set you up to succeed, with an emphasis on low-budget options, including DIY and creative upcycling projects, before also introducing more advanced gear from lighting to hydroponic kits. After touring potential growing areas around your apartment, from windowsills and window boxes to balconies and hanging displays, James also explores possibilities for growing elsewhere, from rooftop gardening to community and allotment gardening schemes.
Whether you just fancy having a few herbs on a windowsill, or want to transform your home into an abundant oasis of produce, James will help you get the best out of your plants and inspire you to get growing.
I received a copy of this book from Christopher Crompton, Publisher, Pelargonium Press.
Review: Apartment Kitchen Gardening: A Guide to Growing Food Without a Garden of Your Own by James Jacques
We recently received a bouquet of flowers from our neighbor which rests on the end table in our family room. Yesterday, I poured some more water into the vase that holds the bouquet and walked outside to enjoy some fresh morning air.
Seeking out the earliest signs of spring, I observed the birds scampering about in our forsythia bush on the front lawn and a few busy chirping near our dining room window. They were likely warning me they will soon be building a nest in our spouting.
Breathing deeply, I rounded the east corner of our house and was delighted to discover daffodils blooming in our yard. I found myself longing for warmer weather so I can dig in the dirt. This led me to contemplate - what if you live in an apartment where there is no dirt?
I searched through my TBRs to find an answer to my self-induced question. After a few moments, I located a gifted copy of Apartment Kitchen Gardening by James Jacques.
To my delight, Jacques covers the basic equipment you will need to create a garden indoors and offers alternatives to purchasing new. He provides a variety of vegetables you can grow and list details from start to harvest. He mentions recycling items such as using yogurt pots. If you are not into recycling, perhaps you are into seed saving. His book offers ideas such as utilizing seeds from store-bought produce.
Many feel their kitchen gardens would not be complete without the addition of culinary herbs. Jacques teaches you how to grow herbs well in a sunny window box. There are topics on lighting, hydroponics, and growing low-maintenance fruit such as strawberries and blueberries. Jacques even covers fascinating, unusual edibles like ‘beef and onion plant’ and saffron.
Don't have space in the apartment? Well, don't fret - you'll be clued into ways to create a rooftop garden or set up space in your own community garden. Needless to say, you'll find yourself inspired by your garden possibilities.
About the Author
James Jacques is from the West Midlands of England. A former head gardener, he has many years of experience of growing plants, both indoors and outdoors. These days, he grows a wide range of food at home and at his beloved allotment. A self-confessed massive foodie, he has a passion for fresh, organic produce and for cutting waste through creative recycling and upcycling projects.