Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Biggs (The Complete Book of Vegetables) continues along the path of unusual food gardening recently trod by Nikki Jabbour in her Veggie Garden Remix. This book is jam-packed with information, but its organization ensures intelligibility. It starts with advice on which crops to grow, then continues with discussion of 58 plants spread across seven categories: fruiting vegetables, salad vegetables, leafy greens, roots-bulbs-shoots, grains and seeds, herbs and spices, and fruits. Each plant is discussed generally in terms of its history, physical characteristics, and growing needs, and then Biggs slices and dices to offer more detailed knowledge with planting and harvesting schedules, step-by-step growing instructions, cook's tips, and even growing "difficulty" scales. Interesting factoids are sprinkled throughout. Many of Biggs's selections will be new to readers, and his repurposing of crops for the eye (e.g., dahlia)-now for the table-could surprise. If the gorgeous color photography doesn't entice, the verbal descriptions will-taste, for example, the fuchsia berry: "intensely sweet to slightly bitter, with notes of fig, kiwi, pomegranate, and spice." Verdict Most trend-spotters agree that people's desire for "incredible edibles" will continue strong in 2018, making this another solid choice for gardening collections.-Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.