The urban garden 101 ways to grow food and beauty in the city

"Small-space gardening is a fact of life for a majority of those living in urban neighborhoods," write Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, and estate gardener Speight in this practical compendium. To help readers "concentrate on creating tiny jewel boxes," they advise on turning rooftops, stoops, and patios into lush areas. There are "clever container" ideas including stock tank planters (which provide an "urban chic" look), deep window boxes, and a home-built tower garden, as well as information on flowers (stick with perennials that need no fussing and self-sowing annuals). Growing food, they write, can be a challenge given "pressure from pests" and "the threat of theft," but garlic and root vegetables do well in pots. As for entertaining in a small garden, "anything that supports your weight" can be a seat, including straw bales or a board over two buckets. With their wealth of projects, the authors make a convincing case that small garden spaces need not mean skimping on style. Anyone with a yen to garden but little room for digging will find this worth returning to. (Mar.)