I've reviewed several other books by this author and have found that they've become staples of my gardening library. This one promises the same. As a gardener in a northern climate, if I ever want peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, or other such garden goodies (and I do, always) I have to extend my growing season and stack the deck a bit in my favor. Ditto with late-season hailstorms. This book is absolutely full of good usable advice and techniques for extending the season, protecting the garden from predation by insects/animals and environmental factors.
I liked the layout here, chapters are arranged thematically around two ideas: Semi-permanent structures and coverings with a really good sub-chapter on hoop tunnels and cold frames, and an herbarium with specific plants and varieties which do well under cover. The book is well photographed throughout. The photos are clear and understandable and (for tutorial photos) logically sequenced and followable.
The selection of plant profiles is comprehensive and includes lots of intriguing possibilities beyond the standard fare (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes). I confess I'd never really considered growing artichokes under cover before, and I will definitely find some space to increase our yields - they're monstrously expensive locally, and my family loves them in dips, salads, and everything in between. I'm also contemplating fennel (which we normally grow outdoors in limited quantity) as well as squash and watermelon (they just take up so much *space*).
This is a nice volume full of usable gardening advice, and a good addition to the author's oeuvre. It would be a nice selection for the allotment library, gardener's home library, public / school library, or gift for a gardening friend.
Four and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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