First let me express that I am a sucker for a good looking book. I am often drawn in by the cover. When I first saw this little jem it was as a kickstarter project that Microcosm publishing had posted on their facebook wall. Right away the picture of the peppers in a mason jar with the banner around it was something I knew I had to check out.
As soon as I received a copy of the book I knew right away that it would become an indispensable reference guide in my gardening/cooking/preserving arsenal. For a small, slightly larger than pocket size book, it is choke full of helpful information. There are charts for almost anything you would want to know to have a successful garden. From the cost of seeds versus starts verses buying at the grocery, to what plants to plant next to each other. There are beautiful illustrations that give you a clear idea of what the author is talking about. There are instructions on how to make things yourself which is extremely eco friendly and economically sound. This book is a great addition to any D.I.Y. library.
There are eight chapters that break down as follows:
Chapter one: Know. For those of you who like to weigh the pros and cons, Robyn makes it easy with some great reasons to grow your own food.
Chapter two: Start. Growing your food from seed is so satisfying and this book makes that easy, with clear easy to find information.
Chapter three: Grow. Details on all your favorite garden veg to help you get the harvest on the table.
Chapter four: Plant. Ideas for getting your little babies in the ground no matter where or how you live.
Chapter five: Plan. Knowing where to put what, with what and when to put it there can have a big impact on the success of your plants.
Chapter six: Make. Who says that you need to spend a fortune on gardening accessories. Do it yourself and save money and natural resources.
Chapter seven: Eat. One of my favorite sections. Recipes to use up your goodies listed by vegetable.
Chapter eight: Store. One of the most important sections. Keep your hard work from going to waste by storing it up for the winter.
What do you have growing in your garden? Did you start them yourself? Do you plan on putting things up for the winter? Let us know.
To celebrate the start of the book tour (by train, how eco minded) the author Robyn Jasko has kindly offered to give away a copy of her book to one of our readers. Also to make it even sweeter she is throwing in some seed packets of herbs for the lucky winner. To have a chance at winning all you need to do is leave a comment below. A winner will be picked at random next saturday and I will contact them to let them know they have won. Thanks and good luck.
This post was written by
Beth is the folksy, radical, down to earth gal behind the creations of Unraveled Revelry. When not sewing or writing, you can often find her in the kitchen or garden, or reading a stack of how-to books. Self sufficiency and sustainability are two of her biggest passions. Lets make the world a greener place to live and add some flavor while we are at it!
Thank you to everyone for your comments. If you are not Anita don’t despair. Check Robyn’s Facebook growindie for other giveaway offers. Also this book is worth the ten bucks, trust me.
Happy gardening and eating folks
Anita you are the winner! I will contact you for the mailing info.
I like the simplicity of the book, easy to follow, with illustrations placed in to add interest. Its nice to eat some homegrown food.
Sounds like a very good book! Our tomatoes and peppers are starting to ripen. It was great watching our daughter and her three year old share a ripe bell pepper right off of the plant.
Wow you must be south of me. I just put those into the ground last week.
I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a copy of this book! We’ve been growing our own veggies & berries for 3 years. I’m especially interested in how to store everything! thanks
We have a wonderful container garden growing again this year. We grow tomatoes, squash, onions, cucumbers, green beans, jalapenos, peppers, carrots, radishes, and lettuce. Yes, all in containers. We are even trying to grow some peanuts for fun. My youngest son loves watering the plants and harvesting. But by far, the worm compost is his favorite thing!!
Peanuts sound like a fun one to try. I have my carrots, radishes, green onions and sage in a half barrel. Several herbs are in containers too. They are handy for sure. I also have a a raised bed and traditional in ground. I would take over the whole yard if possible. Love that have a worm compost going on.
So far, I have planted peas and potatoes. When it warms up a little, I’ll get more planted.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
Just now warming up here.
I love books and I love gardening. This is a match made in heaven! Thank you for this opportunity
This is a great book – It breaks gardening down in such a way that the overwhelming factor goes away. Thanks, Robyn, for the giveaway!!!
I just finished planting my seeds this morning – Green Beans (Jade) and Sweet Corn. – Finally!
Glad to hear you know of the book. Two things I’m not growing. I’ll have to trade tomatoes and peppers with someone.
looks like a great little book! thanks for the chance of winning.
I’m so interested to read about the tips and techniques in this book! A few months ago I started an indoor garden to start flexing my green thumb. Since I live in the city, there is not a whole lot of room for outdoor garden space so I do it all indoors. I would love to win this book and use it to help me develop my skills!
That looks like the coolest book! I would love to win it and read it!
This book reminds me dearly about my grandfather – a dentist who made his way to gardening with the help of books. His miracle garden fed 3 families for years. I missed learning from him out of my naive belief he was going to be with me forever and now I am hoping that Home sweet homegrown might be my ticket to better gardening and will get me closer to my grandpa.
Thank you for this opportunity!
It’s amazing what you can do with a little space and imagination. Our downstairs neighbors are also gardening in the yard. So our space is feeding two families.
I’m never a green thumb but I never give up on planting. I’ve planted pumpkins, pok choy and ladies fingers before. Wasn’t very successful with herbs (basil and rosemary) but I’m about to try again!
P/S: Thanks for including our planter in your article!
My pleasure your planter is super cute.
Looks like a lovely book! I am just getting into gardening with the intent to grow food myself and it would be perfect for me. Thanks for sharing!
this book looks awesome – I’d love to win a copy~
I would love to have this book! We just planted two greenhouses worth of veggies & herbs & plan to have an organic farm business for next year. This would certainly be a wry handy tool to have around.
Wow congrats. I’m excited to hear more let us know when you are up and going.
We just started a garden this year, too! If we have any success, we’ll need to know how to jar and preserve anything leftover for winter. Looks like a great book – and as an eco-fantasy author I need to start walking the walk!
This is a great book, as another Eco/DIY author wannabe I highly recommend this in your library (and in your books suggested reading section).
Looks like a perfect book for us – we have finally found the time to start our vegetable & herb garden – have wanted to do it for years & never got to it early enough. We know we have lots to learn and a lot to gain. It is a joy to have our children working with us on it!
Kids and garden are peas in a pod
I was just explaining the taste factor on homegrown vegs to my kids the other day. This book looks wonderful:)
There is nothing like it. Once you eat homegrown it seams like you start eating seasonal too. It’s like your taste rebel against the cardboard flavor and texture of a December tomato. Life is to precious to eat crap food.