An informative, well-researched read for the avid gardener and environmental crusader filled with useful suggestions for you to try at home.
Feature image credit: Pan Macmillan Australia
You are the only person responsible for your safety.
That’s the stark message Terry Memory, author of The Smart Veggie Patch, was left with after surviving the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009. Since that sombre day, food security for his family has been his top priority, and their garden has grown into what it is now a successful, abundant source of nutrients for their family of eight.
The bushfires were a catalyst for the Memory family. They began seeing the importance of harvesting their own food supply, and the benefits not only for themselves but for the greater environment. The beginning two parts of The Smart Veggie Patch deep dive into the issues the world is currently facing with our food supply and how that system drastically affects our environment. From soil depletion to excessive chemical usage, Memory investigates what our easily accessible and readily available food truly costs us. This section of the book is thoroughly researched with an extensive list of academic articles referenced throughout. It would be a mecca of resources for a research paper on the impacts our food system has on the environment!
While Part One and Two of The Smart Veggie Patch are intended to persuade the reader to start their own garden, environmental issues are often quite a confronting topic. They can bring up difficult emotions, like feeling helpless in the face of things happening on a global level. With that in mind, the fact that this section takes up more than half the book makes it a heavy read. If you’re not as interested in the impacts, you may be quite antsy to get to the topic promised: “A complete system for growing nutritional, abundant organic produce to feed a family and save a planet.”
It’s human nature to want one, simple solution to solve all our problems. We look for it in self-help books, productivity tips, and diet trends. So, when there’s a bright red sticker proclaiming “Maintain in under 2 hours a week” on the front of The Smart Veggie Patch, any gardener may instinctively grab this book.
Sinking your teeth into it with a magic-solution mindset may lead readers to extreme frustration. While Memory describes his smart veggie patch and how well it works for him and his family, it’s important to remember that they live in Tasmania. Some of the steps suggested to build your own smart veggie patch just would not work in Adelaide.
For one, Adelaide is stiflingly hot in the summer. Memory suggests building an enclosed shelter with minimal openings and one small fan. The mind instantly conjures an image of the sweltering heat on a 40-degree day and one can practically feel the leaves shrivelling and turning to dust as they walk past their tomato plant in a walled shelter. Memory also suggests building a veggie patch as an extension of your home. The intention of this is well meaning, however not practical for most homes as yard space unfortunately is often limited.
The steps provided in The Smart Veggie Patch are general, but that’s a good thing. There’s no guaranteed method that will grow spinach in every garden across the nation. Instead, what Memory has provided his readers with is food for thought, tips and tricks that have worked for him, and what he thinks are his keys to success in his garden.
For this keen gardener, I slurped up the idea of bringing technology into my garden with an automated watering system. Memory provided just enough detail for me to be interested and go research things for myself to implement it in the best way for my garden. There’s something for every gardener to learn in The Smart Veggie Patch; you’ll just have to grow it your own way!
Reviewed by Alessa Young
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: August 2022
RRP: $16.99
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