Goodness, my head is reeling! There is so much information packed into this book.
Author Kevin Espiritu is obviously passionate and incredibly knowledgeable about gardening in general and grow bag gardening in particular, and his enthusiasm shows on every page. It’s only to be expected that the reader absorbs this fervour too, along with all the information.
Anyone, anywhere can do grow bag gardening, whether you only have a balcony or are blessed with a good-sized garden. Grow bag gardening means you can create a small, dedicated environment for a particular plant. If your soil type has hitherto limited what plants you can grow, well, that’s no longer the case. You can create a patch of sandy, well-draining soil in the midst of your heavy clay, or vice versa. You can grow everything from microgreens to a tree in a grow bag. The author gives you the ‘how’ for every scenario. He also throws in the where (indoors and outdoors), when (seasonal or pretty much all year round depending on the plant involved and where it’s being grown), what (everything) and why (too many reasons to list here!) for good measure. And don’t forget the who – everyone can grow-bag garden.
I learnt a truckload, and not just about how to choose or make the ideal grow bag for whatever project is in mind. I’ve been gardening for years but hadn’t come across air-pruning before, nor such detailed guidance concerning creating your own potting mixes and fertilisers. I love to discover new concepts, approaches and ideas and I’m already putting them into practice.
The book is well written in that everything is clearly explained and demonstrated, and the accompanying photographs are relevant and instructive.
It’s without a doubt one of the best gardening books I’ve ever read. And in nearly six decades I’ve read a heck of a lot!
I could go on for days about this book, but you’ll have to excuse me now as I have to go and do some grow bag gardening!
Revolutionary, inspiring, absolutely to recommend.
Published by Cool Springs Press. Available from 23 February 2021.