Damrosch Barbara

Whether it's for love of gardening, love of the freshest produce, the desire to maintain good health, or economic thrift, more of us are looking to our yards as not only a source of beauty but as important source of food. For those looking to get started and for those who are started but in need of supportive and good advice, comes the full-colour, fully illustrated, thorough season-by-season guide to getting your garden up and running. Written by this country's foremost organic gardeners, Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman, it is the complete resource for anyone who wants to grow more of what they eat, even if they've never before put trowel to dirt. "Since eating is one of the most important things we do, it is life-changing to regain control lover it," write the authors in the Introduction. Written with wit and charm and a joy that comes from a lifetime in the garden, Part 1 is a practical gardening step-by-step resource and part 2 is a cookbook with 120 farmhouse recipes created by Damrosch, who is also a master cook. Turn what you grow into Stuffed Squash Blossom Fritters, Shell Beans with Tomatoes and Sage, Red Thai Curry with Fall Vegetables, Provencal Pot Roast, Springtime Chowder, Baked Beet Salad with Mache, Blueberry Peach Cobbler, and a Chilled Raspberry Pie.

This is the most comprehensive, entertaining, down-to-earth, one-volume gardening reference that has ever been completely revised and updated. The new edition has gone 100 per cent organic, which in Barbara Damrosch's hands also means completely accessible. It reflects the latest research on plants, soils, tools, and techniques. There is updated and expanded information on planning a garden, recommended plants, and best tools. Ecological issues are addressed much more extensively, covering lawn alternatives, the benefits of native species, wildlife-friendly gardens, and how to avoid harmful invasive species. More attention is paid to plants appropriate to the South, Southwest, and West Coast, while cold-climate gardeners are given detailed advice on how to extend the growing season. Simply put, the book is a richer and fuller compendium than ever before, with more text, more illustrations and garden plans, expanded plant lists, and gardener's resources. But Barbara Damrosch's core of practical, creative ideas and friendly style remain - she is still an 'old-fashioned dirt gardener' at heart.