By Michelle Metcalf
Community Information Librarian
Spring is officially here, which means that it’s time to start thinking about your vegetable garden. Here are a few books available at the Northern Onondaga Public Library (NOPL) that will help get you started:
“The Backyard Gardener,” by Kelly Orzel
A beautiful, simple guide to edible gardening filled with photographs, planting suggestions and helpful techniques from a Master Gardener. Written for gardeners of all levels from beginner to expert, the author takes you through soil preparation, planting and propagation, starting seeds indoors, companion gardening, intercropping and more to grow the healthiest produce.
“All New Square Foot Gardening,” by Mel Bartholomew
The square foot gardening method utilizes a raised bed with a grid system to maximize growth within a small space. Square foot gardening uses fewer seeds, less water and less space, reduces weeding time, and doubles the amount of produce. Author Mel Bartholomew details instructions on how to build the raised bed, create an optimum organic soil mixture and how many plants to use.
“Rodale’s Basic Organic Garden,” by Deborah Martin
Written in growing-season order, this book covers all aspects of organic gardening, from upkeep, pest control and weed management to attracting beneficial organisms. A calendar describes what to do each month, and general garden-building questions such as “How do I plant a seed?” and “How much should I water?” are addressed. There’s even a flower, vegetable and herb finder that highlights easy-care plants with good track records.
“101 Organic Gardening Hacks,” by Shawna Coronado
Make “seed tape” out of toilet paper, repurpose trash bins and wine bottles into rain barrels and garden edging, create your own water-retentive soil mix and more with the “hacks” found in this book. The colorful photos and whimsical illustrations guide beginner and experienced gardeners and DIY-ers through the eco-friendly and resourceful projects.
Whether you’re interested in vegetable or flower gardens, hardscapes or water features, the library has resources that can help you plan your outdoor spring and summer DIY projects. And don’t forget — NOPL Cicero’s LibraryFarm has organic garden plots available to “check out” for the season. Learn more at nopl.org/libraryfarm. Happy gardening!
