Planters, Containers, and Raised Beds: A Gardener's Guide

Nothing gives me a greater challenge, or more joy than container gardening. As a city girl, having the ability to create both flower and vegetable gardens in limited space is a blessing. HOW to go about the planning, choice of plant material, and care of a container garden or raised bed left me with many unanswered questions. This book answered all of them.The first thing that the authors do is to challenge your thinking about just what consitutes a garden. Increasingly, people who live in apartments or townhouses with small areas have been able to transform their surroundings with the use of planters and containers & householders who have patios can add an instant garden simply by building raised beds. Those who do have the space to plant anything that they want can ALSO opt for a container garden because of the CONTROL that it offers. Living in N.Y.C., I have seen fire escapes, patios, roof gardens & porches transformed into beautiful, colorful, inviting spaces by using these methods. As someone who prizes fresh fruits and vegetables, containers have been my method of gardening. The authors give you options too: you can have a container garden that you can move from one area to another or permanent planters that are built to fit a house's architecture. This book gives you excellent samples of the various materials available for this purpose, and how to preserve and finish them. The rest of the book shows you the various types of pots and planters which are available, and samples of various raised beds. The color photos are quite good and give you many excellent plant combinations. My favorite was on page 47, which showed a stunning example of Conifers, Japanese Maples, blubs, Annuals, and Perennials. Again, the Crandall's prove that the only limits are those that you put on your own imagination. The last section deals with soil mixes & fertilizers and superbly handles the organic vs. chemical fertilizer debate. Maintaining your garden is well addressed with a chapter on pests and how to eliminate them. I was impressed with the straightforward manner in which the authors present all of this material. Reading this book was truly enjoyable, and will make anyone a gardener!