I Garden: Urban Style

If you garden on a postage stamp fire escape, a rooftop, or a pot jammed next to your only sunny window, you will love this new gardening book. It is a must have for any urban gardener. From serious gardens that feed the family, to eclectic styled gardens with just as much artistic flair as tomato growth, this is a great read.

Michael Nolan, writes with deep knowledge on the subject of urban gardening, with a sense of humor to reminds the reader that gardening is best undertaken with dirt, sweat and a smile. Not to be dismissed as just pretty to look at (although it is), I Garden: Urban Style, is full of serious gardening information for any level of gardener. There are break out sections that explain the whys and hows of fertilizer, how long seeds last, and how to build your own self watering containers.

If you are going for the gold standard in fitting in your crops, Michael also explains how to make your own seed tape! Let's all hear it for perfectly organized garden beds! This simple trick will make the most out of any size pot, reduce thinning and help a new gardener distinguish between a weed or a seedling. Your seedlings will grow in neat, straight rows, while the weeds will pop up everywhere else. It is a great way to boost the confidence of any new gardener, who worries that they won't distinguish between a baby cucumber and a grass seedling.

All humor aside, this is a book for every gardener's bookshelf. It has a wide range of tips and tricks that any gardener will benefit from. It is packed with beautiful photographs, plenty of real life gardener profiles, and enough ideas to make you want to break out the soil and pots in the middle of winter. In fact, if you follow his suggestions, you can do just that and still be successful at growing something.