Armchair Gardening

On the heels of my last post, I thought it would be fun to give a very, very small list of my favorite books as recommendations for reading this winter, and for perhaps, 

gift giving in the upcoming holiday season.

Cold Antler Farm by Jenna Woginrich

 Jenna writes about homesteading, animal husbandry, and the trials of a one woman farm.

Her style of writing is engaging and the stories are compelling. 

The Cook and the Gardener  is a charming story of a chef, hired by a wealthy family

on their estate in France, her struggle to connect with the aging gardener, and her seasonally-inspired recipes.  The book reads like a novel inside of a cookbook.

Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison is the closest thing to garden porn I've ever seen.

She treats the vegetables by family (for example, the Umbelliferae or Carrot family) and details variety selections, how to use the entire plant, nuggets of kitchen wisdom, as well as good oil, herb, and seasoning companions for each family. 

Dear Mr. Jefferson by Laura Simon is a cute novel in which a gardener imagines a dialogue with Thomas Jefferson and his gardens at Monticello, writing letters to him as she travels
down a path of discovery in her own garden.
A light read with many interesting nuggets of gardening information.

I would like to assume that everyone has read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by 

Barbara Kingsolver,  but if you haven't, it's great insight on eating locally, eating seasonally, and being a bit more self-reliant and not so tied into the processed food system.

Try making the mozzarella cheese from the recipe 

(they sell rennet at the Natural Harvest Co-Op in Virginia).  

Amazingly easy / homemade caprese!

Being a gardening and cooking junkie, I loved Cooked by Michael Pollan.  I have enjoyed all of his books, but this one is my favorite.  A perfect read for anyone interested in the 'techniques' and the history of cooking broken down into four categories:  Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.

Pollan handily dispels the myth that only the wealthy glitterati can afford to eat healthily.
The section on housewives being the focus of the processed food industry
after WWII is fascinating.

Turn Here Sweet Corn, by Atina Diffley is a favorite Minnesota story.  Atina writes about her struggles with urban development and its effects on their organic farm, "Gardens of Eagan".  If you lived in the Twin Cities in the '80s and '90s, you'll remember them well.

Blessing the Hands that Feed Us chronicles Vicki Robin's year long quest to eat locally on Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington State.  Her endeavor educates and astonishes her.

Armchair gardening is a favorite pastime for Zone 3 gardeners like us.  You can while away

hours planning next year's garden, pick through recipes and decide how 

you will plant and eat next spring and summer.

Any of these books would be delightful as a hostess gift if you are lucky enough to have been invited to share a Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, 

and/or great to wrap and put under the 

 Hanukkah bush or Christmas tree.

A gift certificate from Gracie's Plant Works would also be fabulous for any

gardener in your life.  Next spring, we will be offering a wider array of

botanical treasures 

and are sure to have something for everyone: 

an expanded selection of flowering annuals, perennials and 

nursery stock (including fruit trees), garden art, and a new gift shop
full of garden gifts, accessories, kitchen and home decor!  

GPW gift certificates are available in any amount you'd like, exquisitely gift wrapped at your request, certain to please, and they never expire.

Please contact Patty or Kathy
(call, leave a private message with your contact information on
our Facebook page or email us) if you'd like to purchase a gift certificate any time this winter for  hostess, holiday or birthday presents.

Click here to go to Gracie's Plant Works on Facebook 
Click here for Kathy's email
Click here for Patty's email
Cheers!
Kathy and Patty

A side note:  all of the opinions in this post are mine, I have read every book from cover to cover personally, 
and I have not been compensated for writing any of these reviews.