You Grow Girl: You Grow Girl

This is a fun and informative book for all ages.First of all, if you don't have this book and you're serious about gardening, just order it. You don't need to read all of my long review. Don't let the name fool you. The information would be helpful to anyone. A confidence builder for newer gardeners? You bet!You Grow Girl is well written and done in a way that makes it fun to read while giving you lots of great information! I really enjoyed this book. You can't go wrong with anything written by this author. I've learned more than I thought I would learn, without being afraid of making a mistake. She makes gardening easier. She shows that it can also be fun, not just a chore. I think she must be a joyful person, because it shows in her writing.This particular book is appropriate for varying levels of gardening experience and it covers a great deal of material in a simple, easy-to-follow manner. There are pros and cons of various kinds of pots and containers and specific recommendations for those of us with dry, poor soil, compact soil, sunny and wet soil, shady and wet, and/or wet, poor soil. If you like to make planter boxes, you'll find instructions on how to do it. That's only one way the author helps readers to save money or, as she puts it, "Getting Your Fix Without Getting Burned." Readers learn how to determine if a plant you're considering is healthy or not and how to decode those tags on plants at the store.I've got notes from the "Annuals, Biennials, Perennials" section on self-seeders, more notes on soil pH, nutrients and deficiencies and what will grow in the kind of soil you have. There is information on how to make compost, build and attach window boxes, and all about container planting. I liked her comment about when it's best to just go buy the right potting soil in the store. You may be interested in how to protect your plant from bad weather or how to irrigate properly or deal with drought conditions, fertilize, or grow organically. There are pictures of insects and instructions on what to do about them, how and when to prune, stake, and harvest.This book is PACKED with good information.I don't know how she was able to cover so much, so well, and without being tedious or boring. It's a very practical book and was definitely worth my time. I hope you enjoy it too.I have lots of gardening books and this is very high on the list of my favorites. I learned a great deal from it and recommend it with no hesitation.

I read the intro to this book here on Amazon and knew I had to have it. I have a couple other gardening books and they are all sooo... STUFFY. Though they are thick, scientific, and wordy, they convey hardly any useful information.YOU GROW GIRL is a refreshing opposite. The author, Gayla Trail, emphasizes that everyone is different and recognizes the fact that not everyone has the same reason for gardening. She encourages various approaches -- whichever is your style -- from an orderly, scientific, research-oriented approach to a more organic, exploratory "pick-your-pots-first" sort of approach.She also realizes that most women nowadays don't have a sprawling plantation on which to grow. She discusses container gardening in depth, as well as making the most of whatever space you have. There are detailed chapters on currently relevant topics, like organic gardening, environmentally-safe pest control, and growing edibles. There are also fun projects included, such as making your own raised planters and tool belt to decorating flower pots. All around, the book just takes a light, fun, HIP approach to an activity, which, up until recently, has been labeled frumpy and old-fashioned. Basically, YOU GROW GIRL makes gardening FUN.Because of Gayla's light, almost flirty writing style, she is able to open the world of gardening up to a whole new generation of women... she let's us know that gardening isn't just for Martha anymore :)

I recently purchased this book and have already read over halfway through it, and that's saying something for someone who usually doesn't enjoy either gardening or reading nonfiction books. This book is written in an easy-to-read, laid-back style that is very engaging and informative. I am really excited about growing vegetables and helping my husband (who is an avid gardener) get some plants into the ground, tend to our plants and harvest our own crops. The book includes crafty projects, garden projects (such as how to make your own worm bin, simple irrigation system, compost tea and more), and other inspirational ideas to make gardening more enjoyable as well. The end of the book includes sections on making your own garden journal, harvesting & saving your own seeds and even what you can do during the winter to maintain your garden area. This book is idea for anyone who wants to learn more about how to make gardening more exciting and inspiring, whether you live in the city or the country.

If you are a beginner like me, this book is amazing. It's taught me a lot. If you've been gardening for years it might not have so much to teach you. The artwork is pretty amazing and definitely charming. I like the section on gardening for your cat, the apron pattern and other DIY tutorials. It may seem geared towards younger women but honestly, I think any gender of any age could enjoy this book very much. It is focused on urban gardening, but I live in a rural area and it is still useful to me. If you're new to gardening *and* want to start an urban garden - you really must get this book because it'd be perfect for you !

I'm still reading through this book, and I'm having a great time learning all about gardening. There are great tips for those who have small spaces for gardens, large spaces, no space etc. It's written in an easy to read style. It's not like you are reading a bland instructional book on gardening - it's lively and conversational.This is a great book for those who are baby gardeners and there are great tips for the seasoned gardeners as well.I'm very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend it for my family and friends who are ready to jump in to gardening.Oh! I also like this book because of all its illustrations - I love books with pictures/drawings, because honestly, there are times where a drawing or photo makes the instruction SO much clearer.

This book is an absolute gem. I bought it because the cover was cute, and the chapters seemed relevant to what I needed it for. But upon getting it, I was pleasantly surprised, even excited by it.First, I am a visual learner, and this book is cute and well-designed in its layout: easy to read, lots of pictures which for a how-to book is necessary, so I appreciate the extra effort with the layout. As well as going over the basics of gardening, which I needed as a complete idiot/novice, it also has loads of garden 'recipes'. Not actual recipes, more like garden projects... the 'edible flower container', or the 'herbal tea garden', and 'cat garden' to name a few.It has great chapters on making compost, making a wormery, caring for tools, starting seeds... basically a really good 'grounding' (ha ha) in gardening.The icing on the cake are the garden-related craft projects, which I did not expect but totally adore: how to make a garden apron, making garden stones, make a planter, bath and beauty plants, with a hand-salve recipe! This books is awesome!Summary: This book is great for the novice, and the little extras would make it a great addition for the advanced gardener. Still not convinced? Go to amazon.com to "look inside" the book for better chapter content.

Not the most detailed book ever. I don't see myself doing most of the things in here or I've already done certain things or they are too simplistic/easy. Not useful for someone who is more experienced. Not what I thought it would be. I have other gardening books that I much prefer over this one. It's not something I would even suggest or buy for a beginner gardener.