Organic Gardener's Companion: Growing Vegetables in the West

If you are a vegetable gardener in the interior west buy this book and keep it close at hand on the shelf. As a gardener in Colorado for many years, I thought I knew all there was to know about growing veggies in this difficult area to grow, but I was wrong. This is not just a "how to" gardening book, but also an interesting brief analysis of our soils and climate, and the problems we must overcome. Ms. Shellenberger has cultivated other gardeners as well as her garden, and has incorporated their practices and ideas into her book. I may never try sheet composting, but I will now mulch my plot in winter, thanks to something I learned in this book. Most of us who love gardening also love the earth and the author certainly has this attitude. She helps to teach all of us to do what we can to save it.

Lots of solid information in this book with easy to understand explanations, lots of illustrations and pics. Very good book. I like to just thumb through most of the time and read what catches my interest at the moment. I've also used it to look up gardening terms and techniques plus information about particular plants and planting methods. There's a wealth of information in this book.

I know the author and she has but a lot of effort into writing this book. She is a master organic gardening and is also the publisher of the local "Colorado Gardener" magazine. I wish I would have bought a copy for myself!

my husband is the gardener and he checked this out at the library twice before deciding he had to have his very own. He likes that they list specific varieties that grow well here.

Best gardening book I've ever come across! I have recommended this book many times over to others. Indispensable- thank you, Jane for sharing your knowledge!

A little preachy. I mean c'mon. I bought a book called organic gardeners companion, not why should I grow organic. Some good general info, though.

It only takes a couple of times to use a book like this before it becomes my "Go To" source for the answers to my questions. I've had this book only a few months and have taken a whole new aproach to growing my garden, flowers and herbs. It's chalked full of simple effective techniques. I have used the layering of multch and compost tea and seen the results and it's only the middle of June. I love the way she drops names and helpful references throughout the book, and then she will make light of some our frustrations with Big Chemical companies, who just want to make a buck. Jane explains how nature is always our friend, to be embraced, allowed to be as it is and how to work with it and not against it. This book in my opinion is my new "Go To" garden book. We live in a house in the burbs with an HOA and I am so aware of how graced I am to even have a Garden. So thankful for this BOOK. Who knew I could use simple milk to keep the mildew on the squash down. Plus like i said before I'm seeing the results. Like they say walking the walk.

There's so much to be said for a book that strikes a chord between good information and conversation. It's not often you find a DIY gardening book that is this kind of a page-turner. It pulls you into organic gardening solutions by using an intriguing technique of science, personal anecdotes and photographs. The writing style made me appreciate this author who's not only practical and humorous, but also "down to earth" - (pardon the pun). Finding this book that is pertinent to the Western landscape and the gardening challenges that presents, is a real catalyst to my intentions to grow a little, share a little, and pass it on. It's definitely my "go-to" book for everything from skunks to skilled watering conservation, so I'll be keeping this book close at hand and giving it as gifts to all who appreciate the first bite of anything "just picked".