This is a book review of A Guide to Happy Family Gardening by Tammerie Spires.
A Guide to Happy Family Gardening is a slim, readable, paperback book published by Good Books. This book was first published in 1999 (Amazon.com incorrectly states that it was published in 1969). Although it is not in stock at Amazon.com you can purchase it through Amazon.com marketplace sellers for around $3. That’s a good deal!
Things to Like about A Guide to Happy Family Gardening
If you’re fond of lists you’ll like this book. It starts with point 1. in the first chapter and continues to point 121. at the end of Chapter 7.
What You Will Not Find
There are no colored illustrations or photographs in this book. There are no garden planting plans.
What is in A Guide to Happy Family Gardening
All the information is presented in bite-sized pieces which is just perfect for busy parents. There are simple and fun suggestions for involving kids, such as “To measure how much water you have applied with the sprinkler, ask a child to set a cup in the garden to catch water.”
Chapters are as follows:
- Anytime, Instant Gardening
- The Dreaming Season (I love this title) – thinking about what you want to grow and planning your family garden.
- The Digging Season
- The Planting Season – what you need and how to involve your kids.
- The Tending Season
- The Harvesting Season – includes some very simple recipes such as pesto and tomato salad as well as information on storing the harvest.
- The Sleeping Season
- Resources – includes reading suggestions and five simple designs for vegetable garden essentials – composting bin, cold frame, drip system, plant cage, raised bed.
Who Should Buy This Book?
This book is ideal for a beginning gardener who wants to try growing a few vegetables and wants an uncomplicated guide to getting started and involving kids. It certainly won’t answer all of your gardening questions, but it’s an inexpensive and inspiring book to add to your garden book collection.
Notes: written by a mom who speaks from experience. Contains a couple of religious references, such as a Gardener’s Prayer.
Although A Guide to Happy Family Gardening is not in stock at Amazon.com you can purchase it through Amazon.com marketplace sellers for around $3.
Do you have a favorite beginners or family gardening book you’d like to recommend? Are you planning to garden with kids this spring?
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I think any book that inspires us to get outside with our kids to discover nature is a good one. We can teach science, biology, natural history, and even good writing by journaling our outdoor adventures. Gardens are wonderful examples of good places to learn about nature.
I second what Carol wrote. Family gardening is a wonderful way to teach children. A book that gives ideas on how to do it for around $3 is a treasure! Thanks Alison!
Carole, you are so right. The garden is a learning micro-cosmos. Almost every subject we want kids to know about can be learned through the garden. Also, the garden teaches all kinds of virtues and skills.
Lisa, I agree with you – who can’t afford $3 to give gardening with kids a try?
This sounds great! Thanks for the review cause otherwise I might not have found out about it!
Great timing, Alison! We are most definitely planning on starting a garden sometime in the near future. Thanks for the review!
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I haven’t thanked you yet for the Ranger Rick magazines – the kids are really enjoying them! This book sounds quite good – I like the short chapters part!
This book sound great! I would like to start The Dreaming Season soon so maybe I should pick it up. Thanks for the fabulous review!
Wendy´s last blog ..Green Tip – Invest in Experience Consumption
I agree with Carole, gardens are an amazing place to learn about nature. Although I’m really enjoying the winter snow I look forward to Spring so that we can start planting! Thanks for sharing.
My girls (my son, not so much – need to work on that!) love to plant seeds and see what comes up. It’s so much fun to watch them nurture it, name it (what can I say, they name their plants!) and protect it.
Roy Scribner´s last blog ..Gear for Camping with Kids
I’m looking forward to gardening with my kids this summer. This will be the first year my older son is old enough to join me. I’m thinking of planting a sunflower house for the boys and giving them a small section to plant whatever they want.
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