arge raised beds or a few pots on the patio, Kathryn K. Fontenot's The Louisiana Urban Gardener offers easy guidelines and useful tools to jump-start and maintain small yet bountiful gardens.

Beginning and sustaining a successful home garden in an urban environment can be a daunting prospect, but Fontenot eliminates the guesswork with tips on testing and preparing soil, guidelines on what to purchase from local garden centers, and basic techniques, schedules, and strategies to produce a thriving crop. From where to plant for the best juicy home-grown tomatoes to how to organically protect against pests to when to grow fragrant oregano and rosemary, this resource offers definitive answers and ensures that novices have all the expertise they need to enjoy Louisiana's year-round growing climate.

The Louisiana Urban Gardener includes:

Guidance on choosing the best location for your garden
Tips on garden design for containers, raised beds, and in-ground gardens
Advice for preparing the best soil for your garden
Strategies for managing insects, disease, and weeds
Season-by-season instruction on what to plant and when to harvest
An appendix on Louisiana gardens to visit for inspiration

Tending to pots of young peas, sharing a fresh summer watermelon with friends, or bringing extra beets and kale to coworkers on a winter day are just a few of the rewards of gardening. The Louisiana Urban Gardener gives everyone, from young professionals to retirees, the knowledge they need to enjoy all the pleasures of homegrown food.