Greetings! I am coming to you today with another book review. I recently purchased Homegrown Pantry by Barbara Pleasant. This book was published in 2017 and the subtitle tells us exactly what to expect: A Gardener’s Guide to Selecting the Best Varieties & Planting the Perfect Amounts for What You Want to Eat Year-Round. Does it live up to that big promise? Let’s take a look. The table of contents is very descriptive, easily allowing us to jump to what…
book review: epic tomatoes
May 24, 2021Hey there, all my tomato-growing friends! I have a book review for you on what is likely the definitive book on growing tomatoes, for all of us home gardeners at least. As I’m getting my tomato plants in the ground (finally! after a long, drawn-out period of cold spring nights), I am reading the book “Epic Tomatoes” by Craig LeHoullier. I’d heard of this book a long time ago as I’ve listened to interviews with Craig. He has been a featured…
book review: the family garden plan
December 18, 2019Hi all! I’ve been MIA for a bit, that’s because (1) Christmas season (aren’t we all so wrapped up in it? Fantastic time of year!), (2) I’ve been taking a course to help me become a better writer (please say some prayers for me because I might just need them, it’s tough work), and (3) my fitness instructor has started cracking the whip (as someone dealing with MS, gotta stay healthy!). But (!) I have a book review for you.…
book review: the old farmer’s almanac
November 19, 2019For the first time ever, I bought the farmer’s almanac. You know the one, that famed book of gardening, weather, and folklore that has been around forever. Or at least since 1792, when it was founded. I’ve heard many opinions about the almanac over the years, from those who swear by it to those who feel it’s full of hogwash. I like to keep an open mind. Anything that may help me succeed in my 2020 garden, I’m on board…
i’m digging! new books
May 10, 2019book review: a very small farm by william paul winchester
November 16, 2018I recently finished a great little book called “A Very Small Farm” by William Paul Winchester. Originally published in 1996, it is an account of his experience building a life of his choosing, self-sufficient and close to the land. Born in 1957, he imagined and planned the house he would build for himself ever since high school. Learning everything he needed to know from books, along with enlisting some help when needed, he constructed a 24′ x 30′ house for…
book review: forest bathing by dr. qing li
September 17, 2018In his book Forest Bathing, published this year, Dr. Li starts off by reminding us how good it feels to be in nature. It eases our stress, gives us energy, and helps us to think more clearly. We have known about these benefits for millennia. He set out to understand, from a concrete, scientific perspective, what this secret power of trees is all about. This book is the result of his studies. The Japanese have a practice they call shinrin-yoku,…
book review: woodswoman by anne labastille
August 21, 2018I just finished reading Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille. Published in 1976, this book was hard for me to put down. It is an autobiographical recounting of one woman’s life living alone in the Adirondack wilderness in a cabin that she mostly built with her own hands. Coming off of a divorce from a man she was married to for seven years, she decided that the solitary life amongst nature was her calling. She bought some acreage in the Adirondacks and…
book review: french dirt by richard goodman
August 5, 2018I’ve spent this Sunday afternoon in the best way: finishing up a satisfying book while enjoying some shade outside in the garden. The book “French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France” was originally published in 1991. Knowing that gardeners love hearing about the experiences of other gardeners, I’d like to share my thoughts on this charming, memoir style book by Richard Goodman. The title alone is sublime – how could I pass this up? An…
book review: the garden room by timothy mawson
April 6, 2016If you love books about gardening, you might like “The Garden Room: Bringing Nature Indoors” by Timothy Mawson. I recently ordered a secondhand copy and it arrived this week. Published in 1994, it is truly eye candy for us gardeners. The idea behind the book is that we can combine the natural beauty from the outdoors with our living spaces, or make living spaces right in the outdoors. Mr. Mawson has selected several noteworthy gardeners and provided some background on each…
