Rosalind Creasy

This book takes on too much material, and is less successful than it could have been.

Since it went out of its way to be comprehensive, it would have benefitted by being split in two. Volume 1 should have been the general education and design essentials. Volume 2 should have been the edible plants directory itself. There is plenty to learn here, but the crowding makes it harder to keep clarity.

Some good info on everbearing varieties. A good index of sources at the back.

I've owned this book a long time and although I had long had a vegetable garden, at the time I bought the book and first read it I was entering a fallow period. At that time my reading was more about imaginary garden. It was a joy to rediscover this book as I unpacked my gardening books following a move because it is filled with information and inspiration for my new garden. It was pretty easy, design wise, to have a separate fenced vegetable garden, apart from the rest of my yard but that show more is not a possibility now in this new home. The book has really helped me refine my ideas, and it is full of useful bits that will help as my garden evolves. show less

This is not a light read. Thick with information and listing plenty of sources for more, I went straight home from the library (once they made me give it back) and put it on my wish list. The encyclopedia of plants is, on its own, worth every penny this one will cost you. If you plan to garden, get this book, don't just borrow it. Each of the plants in the encyclopedia is labeled with a labor scale rating to help you determine how difficult it is, as well as information on how to plant, show more grow, maintain, harvest, preserve, and use it in the kitchen. show less

Ruth Heller was a good choice for illustrator. i really do want to grow a rainbow garden and try these recipes now! Creasy is very thorough - children ages 8 up could succeed with very little help; children younger would still have a wonderful experience sharing the work with their grownups.