A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season

by Barbara Damrosch

One of America's most well-known and bestselling gardening writers shares her reflections and advice on finding joy in the garden In A Life in the Garden, horticultural icon Barbara Damrosch imparts a lifetime of wisdom on growing food for herself and her family. In writing that's accessible, engaging, and elegant, she welcomes us to garden alongside her. Personal, thoughtful, and often humorous, this book offers practical DIY insights that will delight gardeners, cooks, and small-scale farmers. With a personal and sometimes irreverent tone, Barbara expresses the pleasure she takes in gardening, the sense of empowerment she finds in it, and the importance of a partnership with the real nature.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Food, Food and Drink

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Barbara has worked professionally in the field of horticulture since 1977. She writes, consults and lectures on gardening and farming and is owner of Four Season Farm, an experimental market garden in Harborside, Maine.

Barbara writes a weekly column for for The Washington Post called A Cook's Garden. She is also the author of The Garden Primer and Theme Gardens and her writing has been published extensively in national magazines. She is a horticultural consultant to John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds in Bantam, Connecticut and designed display food gardens for the Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture in Pocantico, New York.

Reviews

[Mara Strobel-Lanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading through A Life in the Garden. This was one of the most practical and useful gardening books I’ve come across as someone attempting to make the transition from garden-dreamer to actual gardener.

Thank you to Timber Press and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book!

[Racheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best gardening books I’ve found!

I’m a lifelong gardener. I started out helping my parents and grandparents in their gardens. When I moved out for college, I grew what I could on my windowsills and tiny balconies. Now I’m fortunate to have plenty of space to grow anything I want. love gardening, talking about gardening, and reading about gardening. This book is a beautiful conversation between an experienced and passionate gardener with her readers- from very beginners to the more experienced like me. It’s one of the best gardening books I’ve ever read!
Here are a few things that stood out to me:
- Personal reflections on the importance of growing our own food
- Beautiful, inspiring, and relevant photos throughout
- Further reading recommendations in most sections for where she learned information or to gain a more in depth understanding
- Useful tips from building soil and managing pests in holistic ways to growing and using specific plant families (tomatoes, greens, peas and beans, root vegetables, squash and cucumbers, fruits, herbs, and more!).

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gardening!

Thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for the advance read ebook copy. I look forward to adding the hard copy to my shelves when it’s released!

[Hallie Waugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this one from the library and definitely need to own it. This book is full of gardening gold.

[Noorilhuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t judge this book by its dull, uninspired & generic-looking cover image (bench under an apple tree & shrubs, which holds a special place in the author’s heart). Locavore horticulturist Damrosch is an expert in the field of organic & sustainable homegrown seasonal food. She runs a successful market garden with her husband Eliott Coleman with whom she wrote the award-winning book “The Four Season’s Farm Gardener’s Cookbook” (2013) & hosted a series on The Learning Channel (“Gardening Naturally”, 1993-2003). She also wrote a weekly column “A Cook’s Garden” in Washington Post from 2003-17. People familiar with her work, may find contents of the book repetitive. For me, of course, & for other budding & amateur gardeners, she & this book is all new & I love both.

This book is ideologically divided in parts: Chapters in Part 1 deal with the benefits of & passion for homegrown food; Part 2 consists of kinds of soil (& compost) required, geometry of garden, seasonal rotation, tools, etc.; Part 3 has the seasons & what grows in each; Part 4 lists tips for managing the various insects, bees, birds & animals & weeds that come to get a taste of the crops, alongwith people; & each of the chapters in Part 5 discusses one vegetable, fruit, & herb at length, the requirements for their successful growth, such as temperature, beds & frames, plantation & harvesting, & how she cooks & stores each.

In Chapter 1: “The Seeds Are Sown” (8-15), Damrosch talks of how she got into the habit & passion for homegrown food through her maternal gr&parents who had a farm in Haynesville, Louisiana.

In “Kitchen Gardens of America” (16-22), she speaks of the ills & repercussions of centralized, industrialized, GMO-modified, pesticide-sprayed & chemically fertilized, gasoline-powered, mass-production of food, devoid of flavor, nutrients & diversity.

‘What I see right now at home is a wave of food anxiety, almost a fear of food. Many people I know want a healthy diet but they believe that, by avoiding meat, fat, carbs, dairy, yeast, gluten, or some other single input, their lives will change for the better. Yet they’re still spending a lot of money on manufactured foods & nutritional supplements.’ (21)

In “You Can Do It” (23-37), she lays out the various myths & benefits associated with gardening: In the myths department, there are the usual gripes: that growing food is a time-consuming activity, it requires a large space, it requires expertise, buying organic food is expensive, lack of space in cities dwellings, etc. She debunks all of them.

Of the benefits, she observes that people who grow their own food usually have a positive view of the world, are more attuned to nature and ‘generosity of Earth’, and feel empowered:

‘It might involve more minor adjustments in the way you spend your time, such as limiting social media involvement, swapping aerobics class for gardening, or weeding on weekends instead of watching football.’ (25)

‘I’ve also swapped the convenience of finding anything I want at the supermarket, any day in the year, for the special pleasures of eating with the seasons.’ (25-26)

And you need to look no further than her picture on the last page to get an idea of how regular gardening naturally tones your body to see the health & exercise benefits of gardening regularly:

‘I get my weight-bearing exercise from carrying bales of mulch hay, my resistance training when I pull out stubborn roots & stumps, & my heart/lung workout when I break up sod to make a new bed. I may not know my gluteus maximus from my latissimus dorsi (weren’t they Roman emperors?) but I’m sure they both get well used.’ (34)

A couple of revolutionary ideas that she believes in: community gardens in urban spaces:

‘Pride in the community garden can sometimes turn a neighborhood around, as the spirit of cooperation overflows into other projects or causes.’ (27)

‘We need more urban land specifically targeted for growing food. Finding it is a great exercise of the imagination. Think of civic spaces that might have a bit of land that they can spare, such as parks, hospitals, churches, universities, prisons, libraries, apartment complexes, retirement villages, factories, office buildings, &, best of all, school (land)…not used for sports might well be tilled up to let oats, peas, beans, & barley grow, as the old song goes—plus the most important harvest: knowledge.’ (29)

Gardening is an excellent way to harness kids to positive ambition as opposed to the anxiety-& depression-laden teenage years bereft with harmful social media, bullies, gun-& drug-culture & an aimless existence:

‘The best way to guarantee a nationwide garden literacy is to teach it in school….Back in 2005, Eliot & I saw another powerful example of making the impossible happen. We got a hope-inspiring tour of the famous Edible Schoolyard Project at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. An urban school with few resources, it didn’t have a lunch program. Ten years before, it had drawn the attention of author & restaurateur Alice Waters. Then, fortunately, its principal Neil Smith caught Waters’s visionary spark. With help from many donors & volunteers, Waters & the school replaced an asphalt parking lot with a one-acre school garden, & then a kitchen classroom. The project is now the model for a nationwide movement to put gardening & cooking in schools.’ (30)

Chapters 4-8 (38-91) have the usual summary of soil & compost, garden geometry, crop rotation, beds, fences, & tools that you may have read in a million such books before, but Damrosch has a mission statement even here:

‘Garden soil isn’t a thing, it’s a process by which the residues of once-alive organisms are regenerated into new ones. It involves complex biochemical reactions among animals, vegetables, & minerals, including, no doubt, many “X” factors that are not on anyone’s list yet. We may study these X factors, try to understand their roles, pay homage to them, & find ways to better allow them to work. But that does not mean extracting them, simulating them, synthesizing them, & selling them for profit. That simply does not work. It does not get us better food.’ (41)

‘To make compost you need two kinds of ingredients: high-nitrogen substances & high-carbon ones. High-nitrogen materials tend to be soft, moist, & green. They include fresh grass clippings, weeds, carrot tops, coffee grounds, potato peels, rotting apples & other fruits. High-carbon ones tend to be crisp, dry, & brown. They include dead peavines, dry plant stems, straw, & hay. Some ingredients, such as manure from farm animals bedded on straw, are a combination of both. In terms of volume, you need more of the brown stuff than the green, but the green is essential. Think of it as the spark that lights a fire.’ (53)

‘Organic materials that should never be added include dog & cat manure, plastic & any other nonorganic material, coal & charcoal ashes, weeds at the seed-dropping stage, weeds with highly invasive root systems (unless you have laid them out & dried them thoroughly in the sun), highly toxic plants such as poison ivy, or plants that have been sprayed with poisons, including weed killers. Twigs much thicker than your finger will break down too slowly, & twigs from trees that chemically inhibit other plants’ growth, such as cedar & black walnut, are best avoided. Autumn leaves are fine in small amounts, especially if they are crinkly ones like oak leaves, which don’t mat down the way maple & other flat ones do. Leaves that have been chopped up by your lawn mower are okay too. But the best use of tree leaves is to let them slowly decompose in their own separate pile. The result will be a rich, light, fluffy substance known as leaf mold. It takes a long time to mature but is excellent both as a soil amendment & a mulch. You can even use it as a medium for potting up plants or germinating seeds.’ (55)

‘For a farmer, or someone with a large garden, rotation is common practice, & common sense. It’s a game in which you divide your vegetables into teams based on family relationships:
• Brassicas, such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, mustard, & turnips
• Legumes, such as peas, beans, & certain cover crops such as clover
• Cucurbits, such as squash, melons, cucumbers, & pumpkins
Solanaceous vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, & eggplants
Apiaceae, with their umbrella-shaped flowers, such as carrots, parsnips, fennel, & dill
• Grains, including corn
• The beet group, which includes spinach & Swiss chard
• Asteraceae like lettuce, artichokes & chicories
• Alliums, including onions, garlic, leeks, & scallions
The object of the game is to see how long you can go without repeating a crop, or its relatives, in the same place.’ (73-74)

‘It’s about seeds, soil, & compost, not gear.’ (77)

‘All garden tools are extensions of our bodies, fulfilling our need to be stronger, faster, & protected in our dealings with soil & stones. With small hand tools this is true in an intimate way. Holding a claw weeder, our fingers gain the power of an eagle’s talon…..Such tools are personal. We select them according to the job we’re going to do, but also to how our hand is going to feel doing it.’ (77-78)

The Chapters on the seasons (92-143) include oft-heard long-term storage ideas (cellar, storm window, green mesh, plastic sheet with metal pipe, hay, wood & how to use a basement as storage space) & can be skipped to make way for the chapters on your favorite garden veggies.

‘One of the most limiting factors of our country’s garden culture is that it’s a popular summer pastime, not a life support system.’ (130)

Intriguingly-titled Part 4 “Sharing with Others” (144-187) notes all the shareholders of a garden crop: the people who grow them, their neighbors, friends, other farmers bringing their own potlucks for lunching together, as well as the insects, bees, birds & animals & weeds, large & small, who come to do something wild & beneficial or destroy the crop itself. Tips on protection from each are given, as well as how to work alongside some of them (toads, for example). Benefits of edible nutrient-rich weeds such as purslane, dandelion, chickweed, Lamb’s quarters, burdock, wild sorrel, pigweed & galinsoga are given.

‘It’s good to know that something in my lawn might someday save me from scurvy, or starvation, but it is not welcome in the garden.’(184)

‘One day I found one of our workers, Mee-Young, yanking up the ubiquitous red-root pigweed after quitting time. It turned out she was picking it for supper. “With sesame oil, garlic, chopped scallions, & miso paste,” she said. When shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) dotted our farm with its pesky little rosettes, Mee-Young gave it a similar treatment, but added rice vinegar, sugar, & chili powder. Plantain leaves, too tough for salads, she tamed with blanching. They are a seasonal treat in Korea, her home country.’ (184-185)

‘I picked & nibbled a few leaves from the galinsoga forest taking root in some recently emptied beds. It wasn’t strong, bitter, or hot. Strangely, it had almost no flavor at all. Still, I’d resolved to prepare a reasonably authentic ajiaco, so I set about simmering some chicken, potatoes, corn, onions, garlic, & galinsoga in rich homemade stock. Because the dish is ordinarily served with an array of garnishes— avocado, diced hot peppers, capers, cilantro, & sour cream—I set those out too, in little bowls, & summoned the farm crew to the table. We loved this one-pot meal. We devoured it.’ (186-187)

However, the potluck way of life, where neighbors & friends & other farmers bring their own homegrown cooked food & raw veggies, feels forced & isolationist to me because they are joined together by food they grow 24/7, not good company or conversation.

Part 5 (pgs.188-316) is where things pick up again with guidance on how to grow frequently used garden veggies in uniquely-separated chapters: There’s one on Tomatoes of various varieties; Salad Greens, going beyond the ‘iceberg’ with arugula & chicory varieties & claytonia weed (separated from what she calls ‘Hearty Greens’ best for a nutritious fortifying meal in winter, such as spinach, brassicas like cabbage; kale, sorrel); Legumes, Peas & Beans; Then there’s a chapter on what she calls are the “Earth Vegetables” because ‘the name root vegetables doesn’t quite fit.’ Potatoes, sweet potatoes, candy carrots, rutabagas, beets, turnips, radishes are covered here. Moving on to ‘The Onion Tribe’ in which she includes onions of all colors & sizes, garlic & leeks; Cucurbits Family gets its own chapter (summer & winter varieties of squashes, exotic zucchini seeds, & cucumber); Corn, Eggplant, Celery, Asparagus, Cauliflower, & Spicy & Sweet Pepper; Garden Fruits suggestions for families, (not orchard-growers) such as grape vines, apple, strawberry, raspberry; She makes honorable mentions of the Herbs (perennials & annuals) that she grows e.g. Queen Anne’s lace, Dill, Angelica, chervil, fennel, caraway, cumin, anise hyssop, marjoram, oregano, thyme, sage, basil, with special emphasis on how she grows mint, rosemary, lemon verbana, tarragon, bay, cilantro, & parsley.

‘One way to beat [tomato hornworms’] defense [hard-to-detect green color same as stems & leaves] is to go out at night with a black light—that gizmo we used to view psychedelic art with back in the ‘60s. Medical pathologists use it to illuminate certain viruses & bacteria. Policemen use it to detect bodily fluids & counterfeit bills. & you can use it to light up the bioluminescence in a tomato worm. (197)

‘Most American gardeners don’t realize that runner beans are edible, even though they are culinary favorites abroad.’ (242)

‘Lazy gardeners consider chard their one true friend. Plant it now, & you will harvest it for many months, as it is less apt to bolt than summer spinach or lettuce…..Rosalind Creasy’s ‘red-ribbed types’….multicolored chards such as Bright Lights….a collection of old strains, reselected & strengthened for greater dependability by breeder John Eaton in New Zeal& & Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine. There are also varieties with only yellow ribs. Mixtures are often referred to as rainbow chard. For a more delicate leaf, some gourmets favor the Euro-style narrow-stemmed types like Perpetual Spinach & Erbette, both available from The Cook’s Garden. Personally, if I were to grow only one, it would be good old Fordhook, developed in the 1930s by Burpee. It’s a foolproof plant, good at any stage from salad-leaf-petite to palm-frond-huge.’ (228-229)

Celery root…grows in a tentative way, half in & half out of the ground, as if trying to decide whether to be a root or a stem….It’s certainly no beauty. Shoppers at our farm stand will hold one up & ask, “What do I do with this thing?”’ (251)

‘A gardener about to grow a cucurbit crop will be cheered to hear that they are vigorous, prolific, & easy to grow. But this is a bit like having a teacher praise your “energetic,” “enthusiastic,” & largely uncontrollable child. These are the overachievers of the vegetable world, so get ready, get set, go.’ (276)

‘Not all popular herbs are perennials. I sometimes think of my herb plot as a playing field with two opposing teams. In summer, amid all those blue & lavender spikes, umbrellas are also hoisted. That is to say, some members of the plant family called Umbelliferae are coming into bloom…(such as) Queen Anne’s lace, Dill, Angelica, chervil, cilantro, & fennel. Generally the goal of the herb gardener is to keep cutting & using the herbs’ foliage in order to keep them from flowering as long as possible. But I let a lot of them bloom. The umbels are little helipads where bees & other beneficial visitors l& & fill up on nectar. The flowers are lovely, too, & make great filler for bouquets. Many of the seeds they bear, such as dill, caraway, cumin, & fennel, are mainstays of cuisines around the world. & they are all annuals that start out as little transplants, or even seeds that are direct sown.’ (344)

Damrosch catalogues the work needed to keep veggies, fruits & herbs in shape, but doesn’t advise on the kinds of (natural, organic) pesticides one can use for various plant and fruit diseases. She uses GMO-free (heirloom) seeds & encourages readers to try out varieties from around the world grown in climates that mimic their own. She frequently mentions seed selling companies & catalogues. You can either look at it as cynical promotion or wisdom of a woman who gets her hands dirty for a living & knows what works. She also quotes from books by other experts showing a sense of humility & connectedness that other farm-owning authors don’t. She wants readers to use natural tools, not petrol & gas machines. All of her cooking suggestions start & end with olive oil & garlic - almost too simple to be a recipe - but maybe she wants the average fast food eating consumer to realize that real, nutritious, well-balanced meal doesn’t need that much cooking time either, so why not opt for it. She wants the reader to get involved in it as a necessity not a luxury or hobby. It’s a way of life & there’s a way to include it in your life, even if you are not selling potatoes & doing fancy landscaping projects.

She is careful in reminding readers that this is her lived experience as a Maine farmer, dictated entirely by the weather & climate conditions of Maine (mostly winter, short summer) & food that can be grown in those Maine-specific conditions. This is the reason why she gives no advice on lemons (even though she did grow them once to fruition in a semi-heated greenhouse, & cares for ‘orphan’ citrus plants left by others). To the average reader, this may seem like a limitation on the book’s usefulness. However, I contend that since she’s been doing it for more than fifty years, & the products given here are generally grown in similar seasons all over the world so her being a Maine resident should not limit the help you seek & will get from this book which is ‘printed in China on responsibly sourced paper.’ She imbues a sensual, earthy, & immersive experience in preparing, growing & cooking organic food. It’s hard not to pick up a shovel after reading it.

‘If there are vegetables or fruits we’ve had no time to dry, freeze, or can before their time was up, we must just say, with serenity, “That’s okay. I’ll do better next year.”’

Video Review on Youtube:
On Book: https://youtu.be/pb8P4rgw5c0

On Various Chapters:
1. https://youtu.be/YN8xM38mjHI
2. https://youtu.be/SqjG5nNSDaQ
3. https://youtu.be/E6HU01RsW8g
4. https://youtu.be/UQi475tmOpo

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a great book for garden dreamers who want to finally become real gardeners.  It's calm and inspirational, with a strong "you can do it!" motif.

I'm a big fan of Damrosch, I own her two previous books (The Garden Primer and Theme Gardens), so as soon as Timber announced a new book coming, I leaped for it!  She is very strongly in favor of small home gardens, and organic practices.

The photos are lush and gorgeous.  The somewhat dull cover photo does not give you any idea of what will come within!

I expected this to be a garden memoir, literally about her life in the garden, something akin to A Year at North Hill: Four Seasons in a Vermont Garden, or A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden, or From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden.  And maybe that was her original intent, there is some of that, but a lot of this book is another garden primer. Perhaps Damrosch just cannot resist instructing beginners!  This is chock full of great information for new gardeners, Damrosch feels strongly that gardening is and should be for everyone, and it requires no special know-how or tools (other than a few basics, of course).  This book covers a lot of the same ground that she covers in detail in her earlier garden classic, aptly titled The Garden Primer (and my personal introduction to garden planning), so I'd consider this a chatty companion piece to her more detailed bible.

The first half (the first four parts) cover some of Damrosch's family background and childhood, a brief history of kitchen gardens in the US, a brief overview of soil amendments, the basic tools you'd need to get started with a garden, why organic is best, garden tasks and harvests in spring, summer, fall, and winter, and "sharing" the garden with: friends, critters, and weeds.

The second half of the book (which is actually Part Five), broken into chapters covering various garden produce, is a bit more of a memoir.  Damrosch talks about her experience with this type of plant, her preferred varieties, and any tips or tricks she has learned over the years to grow, harvest, and store.  The chapters in this section are:
Tomatoes
Salad Greens
Hearty Greens
Peas and Beans
Earth Vegetables (ie root vegetables)
The Onion Tribe
Cukes, Zukes, and Beyond
Other Favorites (which includes corn, asparagus, celery, eggplant, cauliflower, fennel, artichokes, & peppers)
Garden Fruits (strawberries, raspberries, grapes, blueberries, melon, apples, & citrus - this is where you see the bench in the cover photo)
Herbs

It is a pleasant and entertaining read.  Damrosch is very funny, and the book is peppered with comments such as (and I'm hoping it's okay to quote just a few words from the ARC):

Round up any stray tools and put them away in their properly designated, agreed-upon, permanent spots where they can always be found when needed.  Good luck with that.

and

[this bird-scaring device] shoots a strong jet of water at anything that comes near - hopefully not you.

so you just KNOW she's btdt and speaks from experience LOL. 

I took my time reading this, just a few pages now and then as I sipped my coffee or relaxed before bed.  The entire book has a pleasant, chatty neighbor feel to it.  I wish Damrosch WERE  my neighbor, I would love spending time with her.

TW: she does refer to some snakes as "poisonous" - I know that's some people's pet peeve, so brace yourselves, whomever you are - hopefully that will be corrected before final release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Press for an early review copy of this book as an e-pdf.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Richly Rooted Memoir of Green Living

Barbara Damrosch’s A Life in the Garden is a beautifully written ode to the rhythms of nature and the soulful, often spiritual practice of gardening. Known for her work as a horticulturist and co-owner of the Four Season Farm in Maine, Damrosch weaves personal memoir, practical insight, and philosophical reflection into a work that both inspires and educates. While not quite a five-star masterpiece due to some pacing issues (sluggish in-between) and occasional thematic repetition, it remains a thoroughly enriching and rewarding read.


What Works for me:
Damrosch’s prose is elegant yet accessible, much like a well-maintained perennial bed—lush, structured, and inviting. She writes with the voice of someone who knows the soil intimately, drawing on decades of experience not just in gardening, but in living a life closely attuned to the natural world. The book is peppered with vignettes from her life—her childhood among the roses of her father’s garden, the challenges of homesteading, and the joys of running a farm with her husband, the late Eliot Coleman. These stories are laced with affection, humor, and occasional melancholy, giving the book emotional depth.

One of the standout features of this work is Damrosch’s ability to balance the poetic with the practical. Readers looking for gardening inspiration will find plenty of it here—seasonal reflections, growing advice, and an undercurrent of environmental awareness that never becomes preachy. She gently encourages readers to see gardening not just as a hobby, but as a way of being in the world, a practice of mindfulness and stewardship.


What Holds It Back:
The book occasionally falters in its structure. Some chapters meander a bit too long in reminiscence, which can dilute the momentum. A few themes—like the importance of observation in gardening—are revisited multiple times, which, while reinforcing their importance, might come off as slightly redundant for readers seeking a more tightly focused narrative.

Also, while long-time fans of Damrosch or those already immersed in garden culture will find deep resonance here, newcomers to gardening might wish for a bit more concrete how-to information or clearer seasonal organization. The book leans more into memoir than manual, which is lovely, but might not satisfy every reader’s expectations.


Final Thoughts:
A Life in the Garden is a love letter to a life lived in harmony with the earth. Damrosch writes with the wisdom of a seasoned gardener and the soul of a poet. This book is not just about planting things—it's about cultivating attentiveness, patience, and joy. It's an ideal companion for anyone who has ever found solace among vegetables, flowers, or trees.

A heartful recommendation for readers who love memoir, nature writing, or gardening philosophy with heart.

My NetGalley review

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: A Life in the Garden by Barbara Damrosch

Rating: 5 Stars

As someone who loves to garden, I always find myself on the lookout for books that not only provide practical advice but also inspire a deeper connection with nature. Barbara Damrosch’s A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season hits the mark beautifully. This book is like a warm hug from an old friend who just happens to be a gardening expert!

In A Life in the Garden, Damrosch shares her rich experiences and insights gathered over years of cultivating her own garden. She balances personal anecdotes with practical gardening tips, making it easy to follow along no matter your skill level. With a delightful mix of humor and humility, she invites us into her world, emphasizing the joy and empowerment that comes from working with nature rather than against it.

This book was PACKED with gardening information! I was genuinely impressed by how practical and comprehensive it is. Damrosch covers everything you need to get your garden thriving—from what to grow and how to grow it, to when to plant each crop. There are invaluable sections on soil preparation, tool selection, and even how to plan the layout of your garden. It felt like having a seasoned gardening mentor right there beside me!

What truly enhances the reading experience are the stunning garden images sprinkled throughout. They not only provide visual engagement but also serve as a fantastic reference for the instructions given. I found myself flipping back and forth between the images and the text, soaking in all the wisdom she had to offer.

Overall, A Life in the Garden is an absolute delight. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, there’s something here for everyone. This book has certainly motivated me to roll up my sleeves, dig into the earth, and improve my garden and food production. If you’re looking for a gardening book that combines practical tips with heartfelt storytelling, look no further—Barbara Damrosch has crafted a gem!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0/5.0 ⭐

"A Life in the Garden" is a beautiful and informative book that seamlessly blends memoir, history, and practical gardening advice. Barbara Damrosch's personal anecdotes and humor make the reading experience enjoyable as she explores the joy, empowerment, and partnership with nature inherent in growing food for oneself and family.

The book covers various topics from planning and gardening to picking and using produce, all while being realistic about time and budget constraints. It also offers valuable insights into sharing and what to grow, with engaging segments on initiatives like the Edible Schoolyard and Farm Lunch. The photos, illustrations, and typeface add to the overall charm of the book, making it a delightful read for gardeners and enthusiasts alike.

Thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, a renowned gardening expert shares a lifetime of wisdom and practical advice on growing food—offering engaging insights for gardeners, cooks, and small-scale farmers alike. With a personal and humorous touch, she emphasizes the joy, empowerment, and connection to nature found in gardening.

This book is part philosophy, part gardening advice. If you love nature, this is an enjoyable read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Damrosch grew up in New York city but would visit her mother's family in Louisiana where her grandparents grew most of their own food and Damrosch was exposed to gardening. After a short marriage, Damrosch and her son moved to Connecticut to be near her parents and she rediscovered the gardening bug. She started working at an organic farm and then became a landscaper and landscape designer. In 1991 she met Eliot Coleman in Maine and soon they married and started their own small farm in Maine. Eliot Coleman is known for his 4 season gardening even in a harsh climate like Maine and has written several books about organic gardening. I wasn't familiar with his wife before stumbling on this book. It's a beautiful ode to gardening - whether you're farming for a living like them or just wanting to grow some of your own food in your yard. Damrosch is a great writer and her descriptions really bring their garden to life for the reader. The book is divided into 5 sections - Why I Grow Food, Where to Start, The Garden Year, Sharing the Garden, and What to Grow. She gives a lot of great tips and suggestions but it's not an instructional book - it's really all about A Life in the Garden. If you're not already gardening, this book will definitely inspire you!

Some quotes I liked:

"People who view gardening as backbreaking are probably using their backs when they should use their brains. It helps to vary the position as well as the task. If you're weeding, kneel on one knee, then the other, then sit, crouch, or squat. It's easy to get caught up in the project and ignore what it's doing to your body - until the next morning when you try to get out of bed." (p. 34)

"One of the most limiting factors of our country's garden culture is that it's a popular summer pastime, not a life support system. We are not used to thinking of food growing as the necessity it once was. Anywhere you lived, adaptations had to be made, by means of crop choices, storage, and protective devices, to make sure the supply was year-round." (p. 130)

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most useful, informative, and interesting book I read about gardening. It's down to earth (no pun intended) and well written
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Jim Kownacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice blend of gardening and enjoying your garden and it's bounty.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, humorous tips and stories to encourage gardeners who want to grow their own food.

[Cozy Champagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book from an experienced gardener who has been gardening for about 50 years. She knows her stuff and did a wonderful job of sharing her experience in this book.

She covers everything you need to get your garden going. There are sections on what to grow, how to grow it, and when to grow it

You also get tips on preparing the soil, acquiring tools, planning location and shape, etc.

Beautiful garden images are interspersed amongst the text to provide visual engagement and support for instructions.

I enjoyed this book very much. We can all take something away from it and improve our gardens and food production.

I recommend this to anyone interested in vegetable gardening.

Thanks to Net Galley and Timber Press for an opportunity to read this amazing book.