The Smart Veggie Patch
Terry Memory
“Terry Memory built his veggie patch for his family of eight after surviving the Black Saturday bushfires. Determined to become more self-reliant in this era of unpredictable weather events and worsening health caused by highly processed food, he designed a system that combines ancient agrarian traditions with the latest in science and technology to deliver massively increased yields while radically reducing workload. Terry’s overview of the deteriorating state of our food supply will inspire you to take a step towards self-reliance, while his practical tips and how to’s offer the tools you need to get going.”
I was really excited for this book because we have just installed nine raised gardenbeds in our front yard instead of lawn! They all have dirt in them, and are just waiting for compost to be created and summer to come. I thought that the Smart Veggie Patch would tell me how to best plant them. It does, sort of, but I guess I expected more growing guides rather than infrastructure.
I think this book is supposed to make gardening seem accessible to everyone, but I found it to do the opposite. I felt demoralised that I’d already filled my beds with dirt. Then, I felt a bit ashamed that I hadn’t immediately built them a cover or any sort of inbuilt and responsible watering system. I hadn’t planned! I hadn’t put enough effort in! I’d never get fantastic crops!
I am determined to continue gardening because I like the thought of growing my own produce. I think I need to be realistic however, and the garden I create will take years to get to a point where I only need to check it for 2 hours a week. You need to be extremely handy or have funds to set up the garden in the way Terry suggests. The step-by-step process seems foolproof… as long as you don’t have anything done yet.
This is a potentially great book for people who have no idea how to garden, but have the room to grow one. It could be the great starter for people who have just moved into a home with a lawn and want to turn it into something good! Unfortunately, more and more land is being turned into townhomes and apartments, so I don’t know how many people this book will suit. I remain hopeful however that everyone will be just a little bit more conscious of their food waste after reading.
Pan Macmillan | 26 July 2022 | AU$29.99 | paperback
