Illustrated step-by-step instructions explain the techniques for canning, freezing, drying, and pickling. 179,000 copies in print.

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.

Discover the homegrown goodness of putting up your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Drawn from the perennial bestseller The Encyclopedia of Country Living, this guide offers even more expert advice on how to plan, can, preserve, and cook your own harvest Equipped with the knowledge of when to harvest, how to harvest, and what supplies are needed to preserve your harvest, anyone can learn what it takes to create authentic, old-fashioned recipes in this age of supermarket dependence. Carla Emery’s in-depth knowledge comes from her years spent with farmers and homesteaders who truly lived off the land. Culling from, and expanding on, sections in the famed Encyclopedia of Country Living, co-author Lorene Forkner offers a discussion of our changing motivation as food consumers, detailed explanations of the processes behind canning and preserving, and a wealth of recipes for fruits, vegetables, meats and fish, and herbs. From drying to pickling to freezing, Emery’s preserving methods are as broad in scope as the recipes themselves. Do-it-yourselfers can welcome summer's arrival with Chunky Peach Jam and Oven-Dried Tomatoes, or host a fall harvest with fresh Herb Bouquets and Smoked Chicken. Step-by-step instructions, illustrations, charts, and informational sidebars make the process easy and enjoyable.

“Makes it easy to find information in a snap, on most any edible you want to grow.” —Kylee Baumle, Horticulture Growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs from seed has many benefits for both the gardener and the planet. Why save seeds when you can buy them so cheap? Not only does seed saving allow you to grow a diverse, organic array of fruits and vegetables, it also offers an opportunity to work closely with nature and be even more hands-on with the food you grow, cook, and eat. Supported by research from the global conservation organizations Arche Noah and Pro Specie Rara, The Manual of Seed Saving features information on how to maximize seed quality and yield for crop plants like asparagus, carrots, corn, rhubarb, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. Plant profiles include critical information on pollination, isolation distances, cultivation, harvest, storage, and pests and diseases.

Now that you’ve mastered gardening basics, you want to enjoy your bounty year-round, right? Homegrown Pantry picks up where beginning gardening books leave off, with in-depth profiles of the 55 most popular crops — including beans, beets, squash, tomatoes, and much more — to keep your pantry stocked throughout the year. Each vegetable profile highlights how many plants to grow 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. Foreword INDIES Silver Award Winner GWA Media Awards Silver Award Winner

"This book is meant to trace the long life stories of the fruits and vegetables we grow within the United States today [1968], where they came from, and, whenever possible, who were the dedicated men and women who developed them into the superior products picked and harvested across out continent in this computerized, jet-propelled age in which we live." - From the Introduction "This delightfully original book makes colorful individuals of each of our fruits and vegetables, in character sketches that trace them down through history side by side with man. Apple and orange, pomegranate and dig, papaya, mango and banana, are as adventurous on their travels from land to land, from continent to continent as any Marco Polo or Columbus. Vegetables, too, are not to be outdone! So whether one is historian, agronomist, vegetarian, anecdotist, gourmet, or just plain housewife-going-to-market one will be most happily entertained and seriously instructed by these biographic vignettes with their charming illustrations by Frank Aloise." - Leslie Frost (Daughter of Robert Frost)