Gardening for Geeks: All the Science You Need for Successful Organic Gardening

Gardening for Geeks is a reformat and re-release of a tutorial and tips guide aimed at organic gardeners. Originally published in 2013, this edition from Fox Chapel Publishing, due out 11th Feb 2020 is 248 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. A quick comparison with the first edition shows a profound reformatting along with updated photos and new content in the form of new plant profiles and project photos. This edition is significantly more polished and graphically appealing. I own the original edition and I am planning on buying this one as well.

The layout is logical and accessible and builds from the ground up (pun intended, sorry): garden ecosystems, beds, soil, planning the season, urban gardening, more planning, irrigation, plant support and training (trellises, cages, etc), pest control, harvest and uses for produce. These are supported and expanded with a solid section of appendices for composting, seeds, a tomato planting crib, and mount (freeform raised bed) planting. Packed into the back of the book is also a concise bibliography and resource list (with links), a glossary, and a cross referenced index, along with a short author bio/mission statement. The resource list is solid and will give readers a lot of additional info sources. The index is also well made and I didn't find any mistakes or omissions during my testing. I always test out indices when I'm reviewing nonfiction because I know the frustration of *knowing* that I read something in the book and not being able to find it again later.

Well made, a huge upgrade to the first edition (which is a good book in its own rights), accessible and fun language, graphically appealing, and scientifically accurate. This one's a winner.

Five stars. Well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.