annieb123
Written on Apr 2, 2021
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.