Book Review: Grow Easy: Organic Crops for Pots and Small Plots

What could be better than a sun-warmed alpine strawberry or a crisp, just-picked-from-the-garden French bean? How about bath salts infused with fresh rosemary or lemon verbena iced tea, flavored with herbs from one’s own backyard? What if those small bits of perfection were organic? Such luxuries need not be reserved for those with acres of growing space, horticulture degrees, or personal gardeners. Rather, Anna Greenland's 2021 guide to organic edibles, Grow Easy: Organic Crops for Pots & Small Plots, can make all of these treats attainable for even the most novice gardener with its simple, straightforward tips. As the number of home harvesters seems greater than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Greenland's book is a powerful tool in the arsenal against empty grocery shelves—and with frugal, organic means at that.

Greenland, an Englishwoman with experience as Head Vegetable Gardener at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, an acclaimed restaurant in Oxfordshire, speaks to the everyday gardener wishing to pick fresh, healthy, organic produce from his or her own windowsill, pot, raised bed, or "small plot." However, even the accomplished gardener will find valuable pointers for growing a myriad of plants, from edible flowers to fruit trees. Through it all, Greenland appears as a kindly neighbor offering thoughtful gardening wisdom along with a few "by the way, here's a recipe I think you'll enjoy" type gifts for her readers.

After guiding the inexperienced gardener to basic tools needed, inspiring the land-poor reader how to take advantage of windowsill space, suggesting to the thrifty saver how to use even the most unusual vessels as growing pots, and explaining to the handy homeowner how to build—and fill—raised beds, the author drifts into specific advice on adopting organic principles (including through the use of oft-mentioned peat-free compost), handling plant pests and disease, starting seeds, and planning gardening tasks on a month-by-month basis. The latter half of the book, then, is dedicated to what the author calls her "top 30" choices for small-space-friendly vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. For each of these plant suggestions, Greenland provides a useful reference tool that covers sowing/planting, spacing, harvesting, choosing varieties, dealing with problems, and more. This section is a treasure-trove of knowledge that brings to mind rich lessons passed from generation to generation. Still, perhaps the most delightful aspect of the lengthy "top 30" chapter is the rare inclusion of unique, delicious-sounding recipes for utilizing the harvest.

On a practical note, this reviewer does advise some caution when experimenting with the various herbal concoctions or other recipes for the plate or skincare. One should always consult a physician before consuming or utilizing such preparations, and one should be especially careful when selecting weeds or foraged items for use.

In terms of organic principles, Greenland maintains an easy-going, less-is-more tone. For example, several times she reminds readers to leave plants by an open windowsill so as to invite in beneficial predatory insects that will naturally solve minor problems such as aphid infestations. She discourages practices that disrupt soil structure, and her solution to several plant diseases is to trim, re-pot, or dispose of infected tissue.

From the basic supply list near the opening of the book, to the enjoyable stroll from plant to plant, to the glossary-style jargon list at the close of Grow Easy, the reader, whether new to gardening or an experienced grower, will find plenty to enjoy. Moreover, as one reads Anna Greenland's Grow Easy: Organic Crops for Pots & Small Plots, one may even be inspired, as Greenland poses in her introduction, to "find beauty in the simple things, like a squash tendril clinging bravely to its trellis."