Hive Book Bingo Category: A Book By An Author I Want To Meet
Title: A Field Guide To Urban Gardening
Author: Kevin Espiritu
Published: 2019, Cool Springs Press
Pages: 224
Topics: Non-Fiction, Gardening, Raised Beds, Vertical Gardening, Indoor Edibles,Balconies and Rooftops, Hydroponics
The Author
I've picked this as my bingo choice for A Book By An Author I Want To Meet. I first stumbled upon Kevin's YouTube channel Epic Gardening when I was starting out with my container gardens. He had answers to all the questions I had. Better still, it seemed just about everything he grew in San Diego would also grow well here in our part of South East Queensland.
The Book
After watching a ton of his videos, I was excited to track down the book. I was able to get one at the library and spent the next week reading it cover to cover. It contains tips and info on just about anything you need to know to have a successful little urban garden.
The Container Gardening and Raised Bed Gardening sections were the most topical for me as I have a large yard. I'm particularly interested in the Birdies raised garden beds that Kevin uses, and sells through his online store. I think their corrugated look would suit my Queenslander style house well, and they seem very tough and rugged. They're actually an Australian product and if you're local you can get them direct from Birdies or at the local Bunnings.
The Vertical Gardening and the Balconies and Rooftops sections would be useful for those with limited growing space. There's also a whole section on Hydroponics.
In both the book and his videos Kevin breaks things down into easy to follow steps. He covers not just the How to do something, but also the Why, and throws in examples of his own successes and the occasional failure. His new venture with the Epic Urban Homestead has been fabulous to watch as he's setting up food growing (and bee attracting) gardens within a fairly standard suburban yard. It's incredibly relatable and I'm excited to try and emulate how he has set a few things up.
I've since returned the book to the library, but have ordered my own copy. I felt it's a good guide to have on hand and I'd also like to see if the Kid would be interested in reading some of it.
Why is Kevin an author I'd like to meet?
I just think he seems like a top bloke, very switched on, and that he'd be really interesting to have a conversation with.
He comes across in his videos in a very open and honest way, and I like the way he talks through his plans and decision making. If I were to meet him I would love to say Thanks! for all the great, practical advice I've gained from his book and videos, and also for inspiring confidence to get out there and start growing my own urban garden.
How about you? Who is an author you'd like to meet?
Until next time,
@Sammie
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