Vegetable Gardening Basics

Are you yearning to hunker down and till the soil in your backyard so you can grow a gorgeous vegetable garden? In this beginner's gardening guide, experienced landscaper and gardener, James Gipson walks you through a detailed overview of vegetable gardening, containing all of the fundamental elements required to successfully grow an old-fashioned and highly productive victory garden. Once it's established your victory garden will easily slash $100 or more off your monthly produce bill! This informative guide is ideal for the novice gardener because it contains a detailed overview of essential basics -- from A to Z! You'll learn about the pros and cons of planting seeds versus plants and important factors to consider while selecting the vegetables you'd like to grow. Once you're past the planning stages, Gipson offers a treasure trove of information, including: o preparing your soil for planting o protecting your vegetables from local wildlife "home invasions" o basic equipment to keep on hand o effective insect control methods o instructions on growing an indoor herb garden Gipson helps you resolve common gardening problems, such as how to rid your garden of pesky weeds and how to prevent soil erosion. When it's time to reap the rewards of your hard labor, Gipson tells you what to expect from your harvest and how to preserve that robust bounty via canning, pickling, freezing, or root cellar storage. Root cellar? If you are unfamiliar with root cellars, no worries! There's an entire chapter covering the ins and outs of root cellar storage. Once you start gardening, you will quickly discover how relaxing growing your own vegetables can be--not to mention the inexpressible experience of biting down on a flavorful, home grown tomato--freshly plucked from your very own garden. With Gipson's help, you'll start feeling and acting like a professional gardener in no time at all!