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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> Have you read Four-Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman? 

Yes, it's one of the books I broke down and bought.  Although some of 
Coleman's other writings irritate me, I gave the book a shot.  It's one 
weakness, or 
omission, is that although treating ways to extend the harvest into winter 
and 
get an early start on spring, it doesn't even address hot frames at all.  I 
know Coleman is describing *his* system and he doesn't use them, but is still 
seems like a gross omission on the subject matter.

Like any other gardening book one reads though Compost 101, and kale is 
related to cabbage, and you can grow things on trellises.

But it seems there are no rotten oysters that don't contain some pearls.  The 
most significant bit in the book is summarized in the title.  It's "Four 
Seasons HARVEST".  Not Four Seasons Growing.  Here very far south of 
Coleman's 
Maine, growth days are rare in what he calles the Persephone months (not so 
much 
now as when the book was published, it's warmer now).  New vegetative growth 
during these months is a treat but by no means may be relied upon.  Deep 
winter 
gardens are a matter of holding what has already grown.

Although he rightly points out that green houses are more for the gardener 
than the plants, he also correctly points out that a cold frame IN a green 
house 
augments the heating effect and can be put to good use if such exists.

All in all it's a worthwhile book.  It changed the way I did some things and 
for an aspiring old codger becoming more and more set in his ways, that's 
something.