Kim Stoddart

Discover a new, more dynamic and durable way to grow food in the extremes of our changing climate in The Climate Change–Resilient Vegetable Garden.Whether it’s water-usage restrictions, extended heat waves, disastrous flooding, “super weeds,” or prolonged pest lifecycles, the coming years will be filled with daunting challenges for food growers around the world. What’s a gardener to do? Author Kim Stoddart outlines a clear path toward building resilience in your vegetable plants, your soil, and yourself. With actionable tasks that reduce resource use, stabilize the garden’s ecosystem, and offer regenerative solutions to the most challenging issues faced by gardeners, Kim comes to the rescue with advice to help you weather these storms with ease. Learn to: Foster adaptation by selectively breeding your favorite veggie varieties for local growing conditionsNurture biologically active soils that are better able to support your plants Create bioswales, berms, and rain gardens to improve your garden’s flood tolerance Plant windbreaks, erect cold frames, and make mini hoop tunnels to protect plants from wind, snow, and surprise frosts Enhance biodiversity in your garden to increase pest predation and keep “bad” insects in checkDiscover intensive planting techniques to improve yields while protecting your soil and reducing water usageSelect the most adaptable fruit and vegetable crops to grow and tend them in a climate change–savvy wayRecycle rainwater, repurpose household items, and live lightly on the land for a more resourceful gardening lifeEven long-time vegetable gardeners will face unexpected challenges in the years to come. Take the time to build resilience in yourself and your garden by shifting your thinking today, and you’ll be prepared for the unpredictable future ahead.

In this global gardener’s guide to creating a resilient, climate-wise garden, learn how to adapt your garden to cope with volatile weather extremes and other effects of a rapidly changing climate.It’s no longer gardening as usual. Heat waves, droughts, flooding, violent storms…the long-predicted extremes of weather caused by climate change are now on our doorstep, and gardeners around the world are feeling the effects. Certain pests are staying active until much later in the season, many plants are blooming earlier, soils are eroding and degrading at a rapid pace, unpredictable rainfall is water-logging our gardens, and fiercer storms are uprooting trees and snapping branches. Not to mention the effects of prolonged drought in many parts of the world and the water rationing that comes with it. What’s a gardener to do?We need to learn how to protect the garden against climate extremes, exotic pests, invasive weeds, and more. The Climate Change Garden is the first book to reveal which types of gardens are better suited to deal with such extremes and which techniques, practices, and equipment can be put to good use in our gardens to help temper the issues. There’s no getting away from it; no matter where on the planet you live, the climate and weather patterns are changing fast, and our gardening practices need to catch up.With the aim of building a more durable, robust, and productive garden beneath the shadow of climate change, you’ll learn how to: Adapt your plant selections, planting practices, and garden maintenance techniques for the new futureSelect vegetable and fruit varieties that are more adaptable to weather extremes and more capable of resisting pests and diseases Find ways to manage excess storm water runoff and minimize the heat island effectFoster wildlife and discover the importance of creating a safe haven for these creatures in a changing worldUse season extenders like cold frames, high tunnels, and row covers to protect edible plants from weather eventsTake measures to reduce your garden’s carbon footprint, including going no-till, building a green roof, and compostingLimit the risks from wind, frost, and snow by taking advantage of microclimates, planting wind breaks, and physically protecting plantsPlant more of the right trees for your future climate to help cool your home, slow the movement of water, and hold soil in placeThe Climate Change Garden is about working with the natural world to create a productive, low-maintenance, climate-savvy garden that’s capable of standing strong against the effects of a changing climate.