The Tao of Vegetable Gardening: Cultivating Tomatoes, Greens, Peas, Beans, Squash, Joy, and Serenity


Carol Deppe - 2014
    In her latest book, groundbreaking garden writer Carol Deppe (The Resilient Gardener, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties) focuses on some of the most popular home garden vegetables--tomatoes, green beans, peas, and leafy greens--and through them illustrates the key principles and practices that gardeners need to know to successfully plant and grow just about any food crop. Deppe's work has long been inspired and informed by the philosophy and wisdom of Tao Te Ching, the 2,500-year-old work attributed to Chinese sage Lao Tzu and the most translated book in the world after the Bible. The Tao of Vegetable Gardening is organized into chapters that echo fundamental Taoist concepts: Balance, Flexibility, Honoring the Essential Nature (your own and that of your plants), Effortless Effort, Non-Doing, and even Non-Knowing. Yet the book also offers a wealth of specific and valuable garden advice on topics as diverse as: - The Eat-All Greens Garden, a labor- and space-efficient way to provide all the greens a family can eat, freeze, and dry--all on a tiny piece of land suitable for small-scale and urban gardeners.- The growing problem of late blight and the future of heirloom tomatoes--and what gardeners can do to avoid problems, and even create new resistant varieties.- Establishing a Do-It-Yourself Seed Bank, including information on preparing seeds for long-term storage and how to -dehybridize- hybrids.- Twenty-four good places to not plant a tree, and thirty-seven good reasons for not planting various vegetables. Designed for gardeners of all levels, from beginners to experienced growers, The Tao of Vegetable Gardening provides a unique frame of reference: a window to the world of nature, in the garden and in ourselves.

The Amish Canning Cookbook: Plain And Simple Living At Its Homemade Best


Georgia Varozza - 2013
    Whether instructing a beginning canner or helping a seasoned cook hone her skills, certified Master Food Preserver Georgia Varozza shows people how to get the very best out of their food. Here, readers will find...a short history of canning lists of all the tools and supplies needed to get started basic instructions for safe canning recipes for canning fruit, vegetables, meat, soups, sauces, and more guidelines for adapting recipes to fit personal tastesWith its expert advice and warm tones, The Amish Canning Cookbook will become a beloved companion to those who love the tradition, frugality, and homestyle flavor of Amish cooking!

Second Nature: A Gardener's Education


Michael Pollan - 1991
    A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. "As delicious a meditation on one man's relationships with the Earth as any you are likely to come upon" (The New York Times Book Review), Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

The Joy of Jams, Jellies, & Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits


Linda Ziedrich - 2009
    It's summer in a jar! A jar of jam, writes Linda Ziedrich, is a memory brought back to life - a memory of summer's bounty and abundance. With the recipes and techniques in this comprehensive, clear-cut handbook, you can enjoy the sweet taste of the season's fruit all year round. Picture your pantry shelves lined with sparkling, colorful jars of jams, jellies, and other sweet preserves, and imagine the fun and satisfaction of creating these delicious, economical treats. You'll point with pride at your Caramel-Apple Jam, Concord Grape Jelly, Pear-Apricot-Orange Preserves, Strawberry-Kiwi Jam, Lemon Curd, Red Grapefruit Marmalade, Ginger Preserved in Syrup, Brandied Peaches with Vanilla, and much, much more!

A Fig at the Gate


Kate Llewellyn - 2014
    Delight and enrichment come with the learning of new skills, being close to family and old friends, long companionable beach walks, rediscovering old recipes, food and wine.Wise and joyful, accepting what she cannot change while relishing what she has, Kate shares the beauties and frailties of the human condition and shows us what the gifts of ageing can bring.

Regrow your Veggies: Growing Vegetables from Roots, Cuttings, and Scraps


Melissa Raupach - 2018
    PRODUCE YOUR OWN PRODUCE!Potatoes need to be dried out first, then planted between January and March.The stems of romaine lettuce will start to sprout roots in water in just 5–10 days.Great to cook with, ginger is also a remedy for stomach pains and colds.Individual coriander stems can't be regrown—make sure you have the roots intact.NASA considers sweet potatoes an essential crop for all future space exploration missions!You can easily regrow scallions both in water and in soil!Don't throw a mango core away—grow an exotic tree instead!Harvesting a whole pineapple may take a few years, but it's such a decorative plant that makes the wait enjoyable!If hard when cut, Jerusalem artichokes can simply be planted directly in soil, no water bath needed!

The Family Garden Plan: Grow a Year's Worth of Sustainable and Healthy Food


Melissa K. Norris - 2020
    Melissa K. Norris, fifth generation homesteader and host of the popular Pioneering Today podcast, will walk you through each step of the process, from planning your food crops and garden space to harvesting and preserving the food you grow. Even intermediate to experienced gardeners will discover dozens of new ideas. More than just practical advice, you’ll learn how gardening can contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and give you a sense of accomplishment, peace of mind, and overall joy. Make the Family Garden Plan your “grow-to” guide for good eating and greater well-being for you and your loved ones.

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Growing Vegetables at Home


Jill McSheehy - 2020
    Whether you’re new to gardening or interested in saving costs, Vegetable Gardening for Beginners offers easy-to-follow steps for starting and sustaining your very own vegetable garden.Learn the basics of starting your dream garden, including tips on choosing between in-ground or raised bed gardens and creating a full-season garden plan. Discover how to make your own soil mix, transplant seedlings, and maintain and harvest a thriving vegetable garden for seasons to come.Vegetable Gardening for Beginners includes:* Beet-by-beet gardening―Get the lowdown on planning, prepping, and planting―including building and filling garden beds, watering, mulching, and more.* Garden variety―Choose the right seeds with 30 in-depth profiles on popular vegetables and key decisions, like choosing companion plants.* Weed out problems―Troubleshoot plant problems, including bitter carrots, blight, and even pests like the squash vine borer.Go from greenhorn to green thumb with Vegetable Gardening for Beginners.

Buck, Buck, Moose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope and Other Antlered Things


Hank Shaw - 2017
    

Barnheart: The Incurable Longing for a Farm of One's Own


Jenna Woginrich - 2011
    Poignant offbeat observations on learning to farm by trial and error punctuate the story of her quest to find a permanent home for herself and her livestock: chickens, geese, sheep, ducks, rabbits, a goat, and a turkey. Alone and on a shoestring budget, Woginrich takes on cranky neighbors and small-town politics without ever losing her trademark humility or comedic style.

How to Window Box: Small-Space Plants to Grow Indoors or Out


Chantal Aida Gordon - 2018
    "A colorful (and meticulous) how-to guide for creating gorgeous indoor and outdoor window boxes."--Real SimpleMeet the window box: by far the most accessible garden for any skill level, space, or quality of light. Whether your window faces south where the sun floods in or north with nothing but shade, these indoor and outdoor projects show you how to easily grow succulents, herbs, cacti, monstera, and more.Bright photography and instructions take you from understanding soil and watering needs to personalizing your own box, making this a great primer for anyone who's green to gardening.

Homesweet Homegrown: How to Grow, Make, And Store Food, No Matter Where You Live


Robyn Jasko - 2012
    Jasko and Biggs are committed to turning you into a healthy, happy farmer even if you live in a big city high-rise. Built around eight comprehensive sections (Know, Start, Grow, Plant, Plan, Make, Eat, and Store), this wonderful 128-page guide walks you through all the steps of successfully nurturing a crop of delicious, healthy vegetables. Everyone from the base beginner to the seasoned farmhand will find something for them in these pages. (The recipe section alone is enough to keep you comin' back to this gem for years!) Narrated in a friendly, helpful tone by Jasko and buoyed by Biggs's great illustrations, this book is the definition of awesomely useful. Super, super, SUPER inspiring. Grow your own everything!

The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Drying Food, Plus 398 Recipes, Including Making Jerky, Fruit Leather & Just-Add-Water Meals


Tammy Gangloff - 2014
    The dehydrator is an incredibly useful tool for long-term food storage and making the most of your garden harvest.

Homegrown Pantry: A Gardener's Guide to Selecting the Best Varieties & Planting the Perfect Amounts for What You Want to Eat Year-Round


Barbara Pleasant - 2017
    In-depth profiles highlight how many plants to grow of each crop for a year s worth of eating, and which storage methods work best for specific varieties. Author Barbara Pleasant culls tips from decades of her own gardening experience and from growers across North America to offer planting, care, and harvesting refreshers for every region and each vegetable."

Creative Concrete Ornaments for the Garden: Making Pots, Planters, Birdbaths, Sculpture More


Sherri Warner Hunter - 2005
    A selection of 30 beautiful designs suggests the range of this increasingly popular material, and the illustrated instructions make the craft's fundamentals easy to learn. Because the simplest projects come first, beginners can work their way through the book progressively, building on their skills. Novices will have fun making the carved trough, sandcast bowl, and elegant relief panel. More sophisticated projects, including a decorative walkway and polished table, come next, and they'll bring charm to any outdoor space. More adventurous artists can unleash their creativity on a "Garden Guardian" sculpture or water feature. A Selection of the Crafters Choice and Homestyle Book Clubs.