The Planet Whizbang Idea Book for Gardeners
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The Planet Whizbang Idea Book for Gardeners by Herrick Kimball offers a great combination of tools, tips and stories to enlighten and inspire just about any gardener. From sturdy trellis systems, cloches and raised beds to biochar and Brix meters, this is one you’ll come back to year after year. (Yes, this is written by the creator of the Whizbang Chicken plucker.)
Sprinkled throughout the text are excerpts from old books, magazines and almanacs dating back to the 1800’s. So often we think we’re creating something new, when we are really rediscovering what was lost. Take this featured quote by E.P. Roe from The Home Acre (1886) about cheaper vegetables:
I am often told, “It is cheaper to buy fruits and vegetables than to raise them.” I have nothing to say in reply. There are many cheap things we can have. Experience has proved that one of the best things we can have is a garden, either to work in or to visit daily when the season permits. We have but one life to live here, and to get the cheapest things out of it is rather poor ambition.
I couldn’t agree more. We need to take the best from the past and team it up with the best new ideas to create a better future. Herrick strikes me as the sort of fellow who understands this wholeheartedly.
How The Planet Whizbang Idea Book for Gardeners is Organized
There are 35 sections to the book, plus a list of additional resources. Some of the projects covered include:
- How to Make and Use Solar Pyramids
- How to Make Your Own Forever Plant Tags
- How to Harvest and Use Wood Stove Biochar
- An Introduction to Soil Remineralization
- An Introduction to Brix and Brix Testing
One “project” that I implemented right away (that had me thinking “I should have thought of that” was How to Make a Whizbang Pocket Cultivator. Herrick re-purposed an old fork by giving it a nice tape-padded handle for an easier grip. This hand cultivator is then used to work up the soil in tight areas between closely spaced or small plants. The last time I swung through Goodwill, I hit the mis-matched silverware bin and found myself a nice bent tine fork with a chunky handle. Ta-da! Hand cultivator.
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Pros and Cons of The Planet Whizbang Idea Book for Gardeners
Pros:
- Lots of food for thought – literally dozens of ideas, plus the historical excerpts
- Clear illustrations to help you replicate the project at home
- Conversational tone of writing, easy and comfortable to read
Cons:
- Some photos would be nice, but I understand that increase the cost of the book significantly
- I need more hours in a day to build more of these things, or my kids need to get building… 😉
You may also enjoy our other Gardening posts, including:
- Build Your Own Simple Seed Starting Shelves
- 5+ Terrific Tomato Trellis Ideas
- Cleaning and Sharpening Garden Tools
Just for the record, I received nothing for doing this review other than a copy of this book and another book of Herrick’s, Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian. I believe that this is an exceptional book that my readers will enjoy, so I chose to share it with you.
Note: This post did include a giveaway when it first went live, but the giveaway has ended.
I like learning about anything that makes gardening easier!
There are two things I’d actually like to learn more about. One is aquaculture but the one I’d really like to more about is permaculture. Great giveaway thanks for the opportunity to win this book. Good luck everyone.
I am trying square foot gardening for first time and so far the bugs are eating my crops as fast as I can plant them. I have tried several eco-friendly sprays such as garlic, hot pepper spray, dawn mixture, etc. Out of five tomato plants I may have gotten a dozen tomatoes and had my first run in with cutworms (which I made my husband pluck off ha ha).
this looks like a nifty book – love the fork tip!
I need to learn so much, so it would be great to win this! Thanks for the opportunity.
this is a great book i love using things i have around the house to become something else that is useful
I am new to gardening and the book looks great!
Companion gardening
I would love to win this book, I need all the help I can get. I have a small yard for my garden but love growing my own food and herbs. Thanks, 🙂
I’m a beginner gardener and I would love to have this book.
I would love this book
This book seems very impressive. I’m a beginner gardener and love what I’ve done so far. Thanks for offering this.
Would love to use this book as I get back into my gardening!
Minifarmmom
The whole book looks great but I am really interested in making forever plant tags!
I could use the book a lot ! I want to know more about how to keep weeds and grass out of my garden and how to get more blueberries on my blueberry plants and how to get the plants to grow really big, also I want to learn how to get a better yield from cucumbers, tomatoes green bell peppers and everything else in my garden ! I am really excited about winning this book !
I would just like tips on starting a raised bed garden. I am just starting out and the book sounds interesting! Love the fork idea 🙂
I’d like to learn more about raised bed gardening–especially for tomatoes.
You asked what I would like to know more about. That is a really tough question to answer. I guess the thing that most confuses me is the pattern and compatibility of a garden. Should I make my raised beds (Furrows) go north and south or should I make them go east and west. I live in Western Washington at the bottom of the Rain Forest. I know that Corn goes on one side and receives sun all day long. I could really use a map to plant by with North marked for me. LOL.
I love your blog. As a beginning gardener I would like to get my soil as healthy as I can so that the food I grow will be nutritious.
I’m new at following Common Sense, but I’m enjoying what I’ve seen so far. Looking forward to what comes next. Maybe homemade ice cream?
I do have an ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid, and have been known to put it to use now and again.