Guessing. Getting suggestions from neighbors and family- that’s how the art of vegetable gardening happens in most backyards yards around town. But what grows well in one yard might not always work in the next- what’s the deal?
You can shake your head and suffer from your fate of thinking that you did not follow the instructions right, or, you can step back and get the big picture.
That is exactly what Gardening for Geeks has done for me. I received a review copy of this new book by Christy Wilhelmi the other day and I’m very happy to bring to you what I got out of it.
First off, as I judged the book by its cover, I was a little scared- it calls out tests, mathematics, ecology, and gadgets to improve your garden. But, fortunately, the concepts printed inside Gardening for Geeks are very much a narrative, with well titled areas and excellent descriptions- the math is pretty much relegated to a few graphs.
This is what this book does
- Provides a comprehensive view of what affects the plants in your yard
- Suggestions on how to change what affects the plants in your yard- from bees to pH
- It touches on ecology, surrounding area, pests, garden shape, biodiversity, and materials
- It describes in details the tools, requirements, and efforts required for most common north american vegetables.
It does all these things in English – and not mathematical equations and notation.
SO, what I’m happy about is how this book brings a great big view, and ties together lots of different concepts and environmental pressures that can affect your vegetable garden yield.
Crispy (Addictive) Kale Chips Recipe
“What are kale chips?” That’s the question that is usually asked when a bowl of oven-crisped kale is put down in front of newbies. They eat one out of curiosity and are surprised to find kale can taste so good. That’s all it takes to get hooked. This is a delicious recipe for Crispy (Addictive) Kale Chips Recipe for all the Kale you will harvest from your garden!
Serves 4, or 1 addict
Crispy (Addictive) Kale Chips Recipe Ingredients:
- 12 ounces kale, stems removed (curly kale works best, but you can use several varieties for diversity)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup nutritional yeast (or more to taste)
- Salt to taste
Crispy (Addictive) Kale Chips Recipe Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Tear kale into 3″ pieces (they shrink).
- In a large bowl, combine kale, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
- Use your hands to massage the leaves until coated evenly. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt and toss to combine.
- Place leaves in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake in batches for 15–17 minutes until crisp, rotating trays halfway through.
- Curly kale takes longer than Dinosaur/Lacinato kale.
- Try not to eat them all at one sitting, or at least share with friends.
Buy Gardening for Geeks
If you like dirt and number, this is the gardening book for you. Buy Gardening for Geeks on Amazon.com.
Win Gardening for Geeks
You have the chance to win your own copy of Gardening for Geeks!
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Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on May 6, 2013 when a winner will be drawn at random. I will notify the winners and they will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be selected!
This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to Gardening for Geeks who provided the product for review and giveaway.
