by Jon VanZile
Genres: Non-Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Make your garden flourish with these 300 easy and inexpensive gardening hacks to help your plants blossom—perfect for any green thumbs, first-time horticulturalists, or reluctant gardeners!
Think you don’t have a green thumb? Think again! No matter your gardening woes, Gardening Hacks has the solution.
Perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you’re starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection, you’ll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow. Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like:
-Saving your eggshells, which can serve as everything from an organic seed starter to a natural snail and slug repellent.
-Adding a pinch of cinnamon to help prevent fungal diseases that might prevent your plants from maturing.
-Using the newspaper to help deter weeds from sprouting.
-Creating your own DIY seed packet catalog to help keep your seeds organized as your garden grows.
-And many more!No matter the size of your garden—from a small herb collection to an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables to any indoor plant that needs some perking up—Gardening Hacks will make your plants flourish!
Today we have Sophia Rose on the blog to share her thoughts on the non-fiction novel Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time- and Money-Saving Hacks for the Most Beautiful Garden Ever! by Jon VanZile. Grab an iced mocha and your gardening gloves!
Sophia Rose’s Review
Growing your own vegetables and landscaping your own yard or home is a necessity for some and a fun hobby for others. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. I love finding books that give me ideas beyond what I’ve already learned about making my yard a lovely place to see and be, spend less and repurpose what I have, and get better results especially from my veggies and herbs.
Garden Hacks caught my attention as soon as I spotted the title. It shouts practical and do-able to me. The book is broken into five chapters: Chapter One Seeds Seedlings, and Cuttings, Chap Two Container Gardening, Chap Three Outdoor Gardening, Chap Four Indoor Gardening, and Chap Five Tools, Pests, and Harvesting. Followed by a thorough Index and helpful further Resource List.
The text of the book is straight up what the title says- a list of hacks sorted into the topics of the chapters. Some are just quick ideas for how to do something like a simple science experiment that determines the acidity or alkali of the soil or another might offer a how-to with illustration for building risers to make tiered growing stations. Sometimes its advice for how to keep tools from rusting or a quick suggestion for saving your 2-liter plastic bottles and plastic gallon milk jugs to further their use as garden aids.
The ideas and suggestions lived up to my expectations and my head is buzzing with excitement to go out and do so many of the ideas. Some are old tried and true methods that I’ve heard from other gardeners while others were new-to-me and welcome ways to use materials I already have or recipes from items in my pantry for pests or diseases that attack the plants. I admit to being skeptical about a few of the hacks whether it was the idea working or my ability to make it work. But, there are a plethora of suggestions. Even suggested ways to extend the life of a few different vegetables to keep producing. I definitely want to try growing a second head of Romaine leaf lettuce from the base of the one I just finished. And, I spotted some extra cinder blocks out behind the garage that are left over from one of my husband’s projects that I can repurpose into containers and raised bed borders. And, the list of hacks I want to try go on…
Oh yes, Gardening Hacks was a wonderful find. Not everything was new to me and probably won’t all be new to other gardeners, but it was easy to pour through the book and find several ideas that were. I can definitely recommend it as a practical resource for the beginner to moderate gardener’s shelf and especially those who are gardening on a budget or want to use up and reuse what you already have.
Sophia Rose is visiting the blog to share her thoughts on the non-fiction novel Gardening Hacks: 300+ Time- and Money-Saving Hacks for the Most Beautiful Garden Ever! by Jon VanZile. #Gardening #NonFition Share on XStay Caffeinated!
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About Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
MarthaE
This sounds like a worthwhile listen. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Sophia Rose
Sure thing, Martha!
ShootingStarsMag
I love books that share various hacks. They make me so happy!! Glad this was a good read and you learned some new tips and tricks.
-Lauren
Sophia Rose
Yes, they sound easy to do and will make me look good as a gardener. LOL Kidding, but I do like to find ways of gardening better.
Joyousreads
The Plant Parenthood movement is becoming increasingly popular. So this is very timely and probably a must for those who do not kill plants on first touch. Lol.
Sophia Rose
Yeah, it’s a swell quick idea book to have on the shelf. 🙂
Anne - Books of My Heart
I love learning about gardening. Great cover too.
Sophia Rose
Same here! I loved catching several easy ideas that I can incorporate right away.
sherry fundin
i have a brown thumb, but love to try. i am happy for any help i can get
Sophia Rose
That’s how I feel! Show me how and I’ll give it my best shot. 🙂
Debbie Haupt
oh yes please I need this Thanks Sophia Rose
Sophia Rose
Ha, this is a good one to get you jazzed about the garden, Debbie!
Nadene
I wonder if this would help with my lack of a green thumb. ? I think I will give it a try and see.
Sophia Rose
LOL There are some good explanations about how to work with plants, but also a lot of cheaper or easier ways to do something with indoor or outdoor gardening.
Carole @ Carole's Random Life
After killing the plants in the garden at the house we bought this year, I probably need to read something like this before I attempt another garden. This sounds like a good resource.
Sophia Rose
Yes, this is a good one to help pinpoint problems. Oh no, hope your next attempt goes better, Carole.
Melliane
It looks like a nice one! I never tried a book about gardening
Sophia Rose
I hadn’t either until last year and now I can’t believe I waited because I got some great ideas.