DIY books with tips and tricks for urban gardeners

Silvia Appel blogs under the name Gartenfräulein (Garden Fräulein) on all sorts of topics related to balcony and terrace planting. But that's not all. Her best tips and tricks have now been published in two books.

My creative city balcony

The older of the two is fully titled " My Creative City Balcony: DIY Projects and Gardening Knowledge Presented by Garden Fräulein " and was published in February 2015. The phrase "do it yourself" is to be taken literally. With a wealth of knowledge and a great deal of attention to detail, Silvia Appel describes which vegetables, fruits, and herbs are easy to grow yourself, offering important tips and tricks along the way. But Appel also doesn't leave out such fundamental things as choosing the right tools.

The book, which runs to nearly 140 pages , describes how to grow various seedlings, which plants are best suited to different environments—from shopping crates to milk cartons and plastic bottles to cans and wine crates—and which plants are actually suitable for balconies. Of course, plant care isn't neglected. Entire chapters are also devoted to proper harvesting and preservation. Appel then goes on to explain how to make your own vinegar and oil from herbs.

And she certainly doesn't forget to describe in detail how we can keep the terrace and balcony cozy and homey with all the plants we grow. This chapter, which spans several pages, is truly something different and makes "My Creative Urban Balcony" stand out from comparable gardening books. The last 20 pages, entitled "Gardening Without a Garden," are a great idea, dedicated to the question of how to grow mini avocados, cresses, or mushrooms in the apartment. Important questions about guerrilla gardening and urban gardening are also answered here, for example, how to make your own seed bombs. So, if you think you already know everything there is to know about DIY in the world of hobby gardening, "My Creative Urban Balcony" should prove you wrong.

Indoor gardening

Appel's second book , published in April 2016, is in no way inferior to her first. It is a little more special than its predecessor because, although it is also about DIY gardening , it is aimed exclusively at readers who do not have a garden, a balcony, or a sufficiently wide windowsill. And of course, it is all about useful plants. At the beginning,Silvia Appel promises all hobby gardeners that there really are suitable plants for every indoor garden . The first chapter deals with the basics for plants: the right light, the right ventilation, suitable rooms, and the various options for using aids. These include, for example, (illuminated) shelves, floating windowsills, and green plant ladders. Appel also devotes a lot of attention to the question of the right soil.

Appel then goes directly into the plants suitable for indoor gardening. From B for basil to Z for lemon balm , there are a host of green delicacies included. And because Appel not only focuses on the plants themselves, but also on how to create original homes for them, there's definitely plenty of fun to be had while reading and later on in the process. In more than 20 pages, the author describes how to creatively create practical growing areas at home using cans, grandma's china, or tabletop beds.

On the final pages, Appel offers a few more great recipes that can be created using homegrown plants: wheat germ fruit yogurt, for example, avocado sprout ciabatta, or a goat cheese and pear salad. Hmm...

Conclusion

Both "Indoor Gardening" and "My Creative City Balcony" are, to put it bluntly, great books. The texts are crisp and don't digress too much. And the photos beautifully illustrate the text. Anyone interested in creative gardening should definitely check out Appel's books or at least her blog .