On the first day of the new year, I posted a Happy New Year message where I stated there will be some special announcements here at Veggie Gardener this year. I am proud to finally let you know what one of those special announcements will be.

I will be giving away three fantastic vegetable gardening books - absolutely FREE!

Here are the books up for grabs:

The Prizes

  1. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition)

    by Edward C. Smith





    Ed's system is based on W-O-R-D: Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, Deep soil. With deep, raised beds, vegetable roots have more room to grow and expand. In traditional narrow-row beds, over half the soil is compacted into walkways while a garden with wide, deep, raised beds, plants get to use most of the soil. In Ed's plan, growing space gets about three-quarters of the garden plot and only about a quarter is used for the walkway. Ed teaches you how to create raised beds both in a larger garden or in separate planked beds. One of the most important--and most often overlooked--aspects of successful vegetable gardening is crop rotation. Leaving a crop in the same place for years can deplete nutrients in that area and makes the crop more likely to be attacked by insects. Rotate at least every two years and your vegetables will be healthier and bug-free. There's also a good section on insect and blight control.

    Before choosing what to grow, go through the last third of the book, where Ed takes a look at the individual growing, harvesting, and best varieties of a large number of both common and more exotic vegetables and herbs. Whether you are a putterer or a serious gardener, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is an excellent resource to have handy.
  2. All New Square Foot Gardening

    by Mr. Mel Bartholomew

    Best-selling author, Mel Bartholomew was an engineer by profession and a gardener by weekend. Using his engineering expertise, he developed a system that yields 100% of the harvest in 20% of the space. Mel's method gained popularity and ultimately he converted millions of gardeners world-wide to his Square Foot method. The Square Foot Gardening titles have sold more than 2 million copies.
  3. Vegetable Gardening Simple Steps To Success

    by Jo Whittingham

    With all the latest horticultural tips and techniques to guarantee success, this series is designed to meet the requirements of today's small garden owners who want to enjoy gardening while making the most of their time and effort.


Here's What You Do To Win One Of These Books!

All you have to do to win one of these great vegetable gardening books is to sign up for the Veggie Gardener free monthly newsletter between today, January 18, 2010, and January 31, 2010. Everyone that signs up for the free monthly newsletter between those dates will be entered into a drawing for one of the books.



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On February 1, 2010, I will draw two (2) email addresses from the list of addresses that signed up between January 18th and January 31st. The two (2) winning addresses will win one (1) free vegetable gardening book each. I will then contact those two email addresses (using the email address you used when signing up) with a special email stating they have won a vegetable gardening book. I will ask for the winner's name and shipping address so that I can ship the book to the winner.
Note: At no time will I disclose your shipping address, nor your email address to the public. This information will only be used in order to ship the winning prizes and is strictly confidential.
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It's that simple!

Now, for those of you that signed up for my free monthly newsletter prior to January 18th, I want to say thank you! And you are eligible for a free vegetable gardening book as well. This is just my way of saying thanks!

On February 1, 2010, I will draw an email address from those that signed up prior to January 18, 2010. The email address that is drawn will win one of the free vegetable gardening books. I will then send you an email (to the email address you provided when signing up) stating that you are the winner of a free vegetable gardening book. I will request your name and shipping address so I can ship the book to you.

I decided to do this because I didn't want the previous signer uppers to be left out. ;)

The Fine Print

  • You must sign up for the free monthly newsletter between January 18, 2010 (12:01 a.m. EST) and January 31, 2010 (11:59 p.m. EST) to be eligible for the giveaway.
  • There is a limit of one (1) prize per email address/person.
  • You can only enter an email address one (1) time. If you have already subscribed, you are already entered and cannot enter again.
  • When signing up for the free monthly newsletter, you must confirm your subscription in order to be eligible for the giveaway. To confirm your subscription, you will need to go to the email account that you used when signing up. You should receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription. Open that email, click the link contained in the email, then follow the instructions. If you do not confirm the subscription you will not be eligible for any prizes!
  • Please use a valid email address. If you don't use a valid email address, you will not be able to confirm your subscription, and you will not be eligible for any prizes. So make sure you confirm your subscription and complete the process!
  • If you are contacted by Veggie Gardener stating that you have won one of the free vegetable gardening books, please reply with your name and shipping address within 7 days after being notified that you are a winner (i.e., if I notify you stating you are the winner on February 1, 2010, then you have until February 8, 2010 to reply). If I have not received your reply within the 7 days, then another email address will be drawn, and the process starts over. This will continue until a winner has replied properly with their name and their shipping address, or I get tired of drawing email addresses, whichever comes first.
  • The notification email that you receive from Veggie Gardener will contain the name of which book you have won. If by chance you already own this book, or you aren't interested in receiving it, you may forfeit the prize and another email address will be drawn. Another option is you can have it shipped to a gardening friend or relative. Just reply to the notification email with their name and shipping address, and I will gladly ship it to them instead. This will make a nice surprise gift to someone, and I'll think you are a really sweet person. :)
  • The prizes will be shipped USPS Priority Mail. Shipping will be insured and is free to you, of course. If a winner should live outside the U.S., the prize will be shipped USPS Priority Mail International. It may take some time to get to you due to customs (depending on where you live), so please be patient.

The Steps...One More Time

Ok, let's recap a bit:

You have a chance to win one (1) fantastic vegetable gardening book (described above) by signing up for the free Veggie Gardener newsletter, and confirming your subscription.

For those that sign up between January 18, 2010 and January 31, 2010:

  • Sign up for the free Veggie Gardener monthly newsletter between January 18, 2010 and January 31, 2010.
  • Confirm your subscription by going to the email account that you used when signing up, click the link contained in the email, then follow the instructions.
  • On February 1, 2010, two (2) email addresses will be drawn from the list of those that signed up (and confirmed their subscription) between January 18, 2010 and January 31, 2010.
  • The two winning email addresses will be notified that they have won one of the free vegetable gardening books. You will be told which book you have won at this time.
  • If you receive a notification that you are a winner, reply back within seven (7) days of receiving the notification email to receive the prize. Make sure to include your name and shipping address.
    Note: At no time will I disclose your shipping address, nor your email address to the public. This information will only be used in order to ship the winning prizes and is strictly confidential.
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  • Once you have replied to the notification email with your name and shipping address, you will receive an email from Veggie Gardener when your prize has been shipped.
  • Keep an eye on your mailbox - your free vegetable gardening book will be there soon!

For Those That Signed Up Prior To January 18, 2010:

  • On February 1, 2010, one (1) email address will be drawn from the list of those that signed up prior to January 18, 2010.
  • The winning email address will be notified that they have won one of the free vegetable gardening books. You will be told which book you have won at this time.
  • If you receive a notification that you are a winner, reply back within seven (7) days of receiving the notification email to receive the prize. Make sure to include your name and shipping address.
    Note: At no time will I disclose your shipping address, nor your email address to the public. This information will only be used in order to ship the winning prizes and is strictly confidential.
    Click to expand...
  • Once you have replied to the notification email with your name and shipping address, you will receive an email from Veggie Gardener confirming that your prize has been shipped.
  • Keep an eye on your mailbox - your free vegetable gardening book will be there soon!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, or leave it below in the comments section.

Good luck to everyone that signs up and happy gardening!