Sustainable Gardening

by Vincent Simeone

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Sustainable Gardening is a tutorial and gardening guide written by Vincent A. Simeone. Originally published in 2013 as Grow More With Less, this reformat and re-release is due out 16th March 2021 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint. It's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

I just read an article that stated flatly that decades of exploitative mega-farming has completely depleted and destroyed the soil we literally depend on to provide us with food. Home gardeners and ecologists are always looking for ways to trap carbon, reuse, build up, and replenish the soil. This is a layman accessible, relevant, and usable manual full of tips to improve soil, grow plants and food, and do "more" with "less".

The introduction includes a good section on planning and philosophy/strategy followed by a useful and accessible introduction aimed at intentionally choosing plants which are suited to the place they're being planted and expected to grow. The author spends some time troubleshooting ways to manage garden pests whilst encouraging and supporting wildlife and the general health of the biome. Water is (obviously) an important consideration for maintenance, and there's a solid chapter on managing and using water responsibly and effectively. There has been a philosophical movement in home gardening to reduce the amount of open unornamented lawn and Mr. Simeone gives some compelling reasons why adopting a more natural and low maintenance planting aesthetic (with less lawn) makes sense in terms of resource use and renewability. There's a final chapter with some good advice on soil building and maintenance. The author has also included a short links and resources list (aimed at North American readers, but also useful for readers in other areas) and a cross referenced index.

The photography is very well done; clear and plentiful. Graphically, the layout is spare and easy to follow with double column text and highlighted text boxes for important points along with inset photographs and illustrations.

This would be a good selection for community gardens, public or school libraries, activities groups, or for the home gardener's library. Four stars.

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