Shiny green cucumbers; firm, juicy tomatoes; baby lettuces handpicked one salad at a timeand#8212;these are the tasty benefits of the backyard vegetable garden. But earth gardens are a lot of work. They require a plot of plantable land and a significant time commitment to sowing, watering, weeding, and tending each plant.

Is there a solution? Self-watering containers allow vegetable gardenersand#8212;from the casual weekender interested in a tomato plant or two to the very dedicated gardener with limited spaceand#8212;to grow richly producing plants in a controlled, low-maintenance environment.

Lifelong gardener Ed Smith became fascinated with the possibilities of self-watering containers and began testing dozens of vegetables in various containers, experimenting with nutrients, soil mixtures, plant varieties, and container positioning. Now Smith is here to tell gardeners that anyone can grow and enjoy wonderful organic vegetables, using pots with continuous- flow watering systems.

Smith shares advice on choosing appropriate containers, how to provide balanced nutrition using his secret soil formula, and what additional tools benefit the container gardener. The reader will also find advice on starting from seed versus buying plants, which vegetables thrive in containers and which might be a bit more challenging, along with space-saving tips on pairing plants in single containers. After the last green tomato has been picked and is ripening on the windowsill, Smith wraps everything up with a chapter on fall clean-up and preparing for next spring. Now thereand#8217;s really no excuse for store-bought tomatoes!

and#8220;This handy book makes gardening for edible easier than ever.and#8221;and#8212;Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post

Edward C. Smith lives with his wife, Sylvia, and two children, Lindsey and Nathaniel, in Cabot, Vermont, where he is Town Moderator. The Smiths tend a garden of over 1,500 square feet filled with raspberries, blueberries, flowers, herbs, and nearly 100 varieties of vegetables, including some Vermont heirlooms. His great knowledge and love for gardens is present in his Storey title, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible. Edward is also an award-winning woodworker whose writings have appeared in Fine Woodworking magazine.