Gardening For Everyone: Growing Vegetables, Herbs, and More at Home

by Julia Watkins

Overview

A guide to creating and growing a backyard garden simply and sustainably—from planning to planting to harvest, with profiles of essential vegetables and herbs, ecological tips, and fun and creative projects

Growing food in your backyard (or even on a porch or windowsill!) is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to nourish yourself, be self-sufficient, and connect with nature in a hands-on way. Here sustainability expert Julia Watkins shares everything you need to know to grow your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs (as well as wildflowers and other beneficial companion plants). The book covers all the nuts and bolts of creating and caring for your garden—planning, building, planting, tending, and harvesting—followed by a deeper dive into the plants themselves: demystifying annuals vs. perennials, cold-weather vs. warm-weather veggies, and profiles of favorite crops. Throughout, Julia offers tips for creating an eco-friendly and sustainable garden (such as vermicomposting, no-till “lasagna” gardening, and attracting pollinators), plus some fun and unexpected hands-on projects like how to build a bean teepee, make wildflower seed paper, and enjoy refreshing herbal lemonade ice pops.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358651901
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/08/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	291,142
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

JULIA WATKINS is a mother and maker who creates and writes from her home in Chicago. A lifelong lover of the natural world, Julia has a graduate degree in conservation science and policy. She's worked in environmental and natural resource management for most of her life, including as a naturalist in New England, a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, an energy policy researcher on Capitol Hill, a conservation scientist in the Greater Yellowstone National Park Ecosystem, and an international development specialist in Africa and Latin America. Along with her husband, Scott, Julia co-founded Lookfar Conservation in 2016, a nonprofit that supports foundations, other nonprofits, local communities, and social entrepreneurs with conservation and restoration projects in Africa and Latin America. Julia also hosts the popular Instagram account @simply.living.well, where she shares about living simply and sustainably at home and with children. When she's not experimenting with new recipes and remedies, you can find her with her nose in a book—studying holistic living, health, and healing—or gardening, practicing yoga, crafting with her children, or riding bikes with her family.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

How to Use This Book 7

Planning

Assessing Your Space and Choosing a Location 10

Growing in Small Spaces 15

Choosing a Gardening Method 21

Selecting Materials for Raised Beds 23

Choosing the Right Containers 26

Understanding Soil 31

Getting to Know Plants 45

What to Grow 56

When to Plant 63

How to Plant 64

Putting Your Plan on Paper 67

Keeping a Garden Journal 68

Building

Building a Framed Raised Bed Garden 74

Creating a No-Dig Raised Bed Garden 80

Preparing Containers for a Container Garden 83

Creating an Indoor Kitchen Garden 86

Planting

Starting with Seeds or Seedlings 90

Transplanting Seedlings 103

Direct-Sowing Seeds 104

Tending

Helpful Tools 108

Watering 111

Weeding 115

Feeding 116

Supporting 125

Pruning 133

Hand-Pollinating 137

Preventing and Managing Pests 137

Welcoming Beneficial Insects 139

Attracting Beneficial Organisms 143

Pest Control Methods 144

Common Pests and Solutions 146

Preventing and Managing Disease 150

Extending the Growing Season 155

Harvesting

Harvesting Tips 158

Storing Produce 161

Preserving Herbs 162

Saving Seeds 166

Tips for Saving Seeds 168

Preparing the Garden for Winter 172

Playing

Newspaper Seedling Pots 179

Seed Tape 180

Origami Seed Envelopes 183

Stepping-stones 184

Clay Garden Markers 187

Upcycled Chair Planter 188

Sack of Potatoes 191

Basket of Strawberries 194

Homemade Scarecrow 196

Bean Teepee 199

Gourd Birdhouse 201

Wildflower Seed Paper 204

Edible Flower Lollipops 206

Summer Bouquet Ice Pops 209

Hibiscus-Mint Sun Tea 210

Lilac Scones 213

Dandelion Flower Syrup 214

Sunflower House 216

Savory Herbal Biscuits 217

Botanical Shortbread Cookies 221

Herbal Soup Wreaths 222

Gardener's Hand Scrub 225

Herb and Spice Fire Starters 226

Citronella Lemon Bowl Candles 229

Plant Profiles

Arugula 234

Asparagus 235

Basil 237

Beets 238

Broccoli 240

Brussels Sprouts 241

Cabbage 243

Carrots 244

Chives 245

Cilantro 246

Corn 247

Cucumbers 248

Dill 250

Eggplant 251

Garlic 252

Green Beans 255

Kale 256

Leeks 259

Lettuce 260

Melons 261

Mint 262

Onions 264

Parsley 265

Peas 267

Peppers 268

Potatoes 269

Radishes 270

Rosemary 272

Sage 273

Spinach 275

Strawberries 276

Summer Squash 278

Sweet Potatoes 279

Swiss Chard 281

Thyme 282

Tomatoes 283

Winter Squash 284

Resources 286

Acknowledgments 288

Index 289

Editorial Reviews

02/07/2022

Simply Living Well blogger Watkins delivers a dandy primer on “planning, building, planting, tending, and harvesting an organic kitchen garden.” Organizing her advice into those steps, Watkins begins with “planning,” in which she recommends observing one’s space as well as the climate and access to sunlight in order to choose the best plot, and offers suggestions for small spaces, such as growing vertically. “Building” provides plans for raised bed gardens, no-dig raised gardens, and an indoor kitchen garden; “planting” covers methods of sowing; “tending” digs into watering, weeding, pruning, and pest-control (“Try to start with the simplest and least harmful methods and then work your way to more complicated treatments”); and “harvesting” is a guide to preserving and storing produce. A final section, “playing,” is a collection of projects and recipes, such as an upcycled chair planter and savory herbal biscuits. Though the endeavor is encyclopedic in its level of information—down to an alphabetical list of plant profiles—readers will appreciate Watkins’s ability to keep things light and straightforward: “Grow what you like to eat,” she advises, and “keep it simple.” Jam-packed with beautiful colorful photographs and helpful tips, this is just right for aspiring eco-friendly gardeners. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly