Vertical gardening is utilizing teepees, A-frames, trellises and fences to support tomatoes, melons, beans, peas and other climbers such as winter squash vines. Smith gives plenty of help with how-to build and install them.

Organic mulches are usually recommended as the best for weed suppression, soil enhancement and moisture conservation. Smith also recommends IRT, infrared transmitting plastic as good for weed control. IRT blocks visible light that weeds need for growth.

When your soil is fertile from a few years of the addition of organic matter and rock powders, the only fertilizer you will need is compost and maybe some fish emulsion.

This winter is a good time to get a soil test before adding spring fertilizers, so you will know what you are doing.

Watering has its own chapter: Watering cans, nozzles, irrigation systems, etc.

Then he covers soil and plant health, including the nutrients plants need and how to provide them, soil pH (acid and alkaline), followed by the benefits of green manure. Planting a cover crop in the fall can improve soil texture and fertility.

There are 100 pages of plant descriptions for a typical vegetable garden.

Scattered throughout the easy to read text there are garden wisdom tidbits such as these: Grow lettuce among onions, carrots, corn, beets, and cabbage.

The lettuce shades the roots and cools the soil.

Soil nutrients pass into plants through the water surrounding their root hairs so careful watering is essential.

Pick corn in the morning when the sugar content is highest.

Treat seed potatoes with sulfur to help prevent potato beetles. Carrot roots grow 1.5 feet out on all sides and 3-feet downward so deep, wide beds work best.

The book has 320 pages and hundreds of photos and illustrations to guide you, including how to get a head start on the season, protecting vegetables in the summer and extending the season into late fall.

Story Books published “Vegetable Gardener’s Bible” by Ed Smith in 2000. It is available for $17 on Amazon.com and Overstock.com and the paperback edition is available from Walmart.com for around $17. Muskogee and Eufaula libraries have a copy of the book, too.