Don't Throw It, Grow It, 2nd Edition: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps

by Deborah Peterson, Millicent E. Selsam, Laurelynn G. Martin (Foreword)

Don’t throw out your kitchen scraps—grow them! With clear illustrations and step-by-step instructions, this innovative guide shows you how to cultivate 68 common shoots, seeds, pits, roots, and tubers that might otherwise end up in the compost bin.
 
Why throw away your food scraps when you could grow them into thriving plants? From carrots to caraway seeds and avocados to almonds, have fun transforming fruits, nuts, herbs, spices, and more into houseplants. Dozens of foods have pits, seeds, and roots waiting to be rescued from the compost bin and brought back to life on your windowsill. Planted and nurtured, the shiny pomegranate seeds left over from breakfast and the piece of neglected gingerroot in your refrigerator will grow into healthy, vigorous houseplants. With these 68 kitchen experiments, you’ll be amazed at the gardening possibilities hidden in the foods you eat. 

This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, How To, Plants, Nature

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2008

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

With grocery prices having risen to a ridiculous price, I know more people are looking to grow their own food again. I had looked at seed packets last year and couldn't believe how much they were charging for them. This book goes through all of the different fruits, vegetables and herbs, and it tells you how to grow them without having to buy a seed packet. Like how to take a carrot or potato that you already have to turn it into a new plant.

I would definitely recommend this book.

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad always grew a series of avocado plants from the pit in water in the windowsill of our kitchen. I've always been the type to buy seeds and starts at a greenhouse or nursery, but when I saw this book, I thought I should give it a chance.

I had a difficult time reading this book because, for some reason outside the realm of human understanding, my kitten fell in love with me suddenly while I was reading this. I read a lot, so it was definitely not the normal "cat thing" of trying to sleep on your book. She was literally throwing her body into my arms, purring wildly, and kneading my arm with her razor sharp claws. Has anyone else experienced temporary demonic possession in their cat while reading this book? Just curious.

Separate from the cat issue, this little book is so entrancing. Certainly, some of the items are geared toward producing decorative ornamentals, not food producing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fair number of suggestions for plants that would produce real food. The instructions are clear, the illustrations are darling. Starting plants from food scraps is kind of a hit-or-miss method, so you need to be a little relaxed and open to the adventure to figure it out. The authors cover plenty of familiar food-to-houseplant items, but there are also a ton of more exotic and exciting suggestions. There are 68 plants (as per the title), but at least half were totally novel to me.

Here's a list of things I am excited to grow after reading this book, even though I should have read it several months ago so I could have integrated it into my 2009 garden. I'm trying not to be bitter about the lost opportunity & just be glad I didn't miss the 2010 growing season as well.
-peanuts
-lemongrass
=chickpeas
-meyer lemons
-sesame
-dill
-sugar cane
-ginger
-fennel
-prickley pear
-garlic (no idea why i wasn't excited about this before, but i really wasn't)

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute little book is packed with good info and its funky design and layout make it that much more appealing. I have yet to experiment with any of the seeds/pits/roots they discuss, but the authors' simple instructions made me ready to go. The opening section of the book describes the propagation methods and materials/set-ups needed and it is all presented in the most unintimidating way possible (i.e. any idiot can do this...at least this idiot hopes so!). Then each vegetable/spice/fruit that can be grown is given its own section in which detailed instructions and descriptions of the resulting plant are given. I especially appreciated that the authors noted which ones are easy to grow and maintain as well as the life span of the plants (some like avocados last years, some like lentils last only a few weeks or months). By far, the most impressive thing about this book is the sheer diversity of foods covered - there are many Latin American and Asian fruits and vegetables covered that I have never even heard of, but that, assuming I could find them in the stores, would make exceptional houseplants. As an apartment gardener, this DIY type of plant alchemy is very appealing, let's just hope it's all as easy as the authors' say.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different than I'd hoped, but that was my fault for not reading the description carefully. This is mostly about growing decorative house plants green a variety of food items, and doesn't get deep into propagation for food production like I'd hoped.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
It did make me want to experiment with all sorts of fruits and vegetables I have in my kitchen, but they would mostly not fit on my kitchen window sill and would take a lot more effort than I want to give. And they mostly don't bear any sort of fruit in the end, so it's not actually growing food. But, on the other hand, it is growing interesting kinds of houseplants for free, so there's that.

[Giovanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this book did not fulfill how to grow your own vegetables and herbs from existing foods/plants. It's more for growing your own decorative plants and less about anything harvestable. Total disappointment. That said, it's well written, and does offer good advice for what it is. Just don't misunderstand its purpose like I did.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be infinitely more useful if they indicated which plants can be grown just for fun (that avocado seed will not grow into a avocado producing plant) and those that actually produce food you can eat.

[Thy Anonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a planting newbie this book is for you.
If you’re trying to be self sufficient and realize the power of propagation, this book is for you.
If you like to explore foods from all over the globe, this book is for you.

I really enjoyed this read. It’s concise and straight to the point. If you have space, some pots and soil then you should give this book a go and try out growing exotic fruits and vegetables!

I made note on my favourite plants and will experiment in the future. I’ve already started the prickly pear... still waiting.

What’s lovely about this book is not only the 70s drawings that they layout next to the description but the way they layout the information about the specific species. For example:

BLACK SAPOTE
Diospyros digyna
EBENACEAE

-plant type: evergreen tree
-growth rate: slow-growing
-method: from seed
-light: bright sun

What it looks like: ....

Image of tree and of fruit and seeds (drawings always)

How to grow it:...

Time to taste:...

And a little box explaining it’s origin and an interesting fact either historical or contemporary.



•••

So that’s the layout of every entry for each plant. I find that it’s easy to read and understand.

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I was yearning actual images of the plants because some are so new to me and different that I can’t believe they look how they are described! Also, nothing can beat nature’s real beauty no matter how talented you are at illustrating.

I understand it was the aesthetic they were abiding by, when the book was made cameras were only for the very rich and expensive to use. But I mean, if you’re going as far as to publish a book I would’ve added photographs perhaps at the end of the book if you would’ve wanted to maintain the artistic flow.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! This is largely about how to grow ornamental houseplants from weird fruits and veggies you find in specialty markets, not how to actually grow food from supermarket food (often impossible because it's irradiated... mmm... irradiated...), but some of the plants will yield useable items, and beautiful foliage or flowers from something you'd otherwise toss (if you don't compost) is pretty rad. I got this one from the library but it seems like it would be a useful manual to keep in one's handbag while checking out farmer's or ethnic markets, to check the easiness/hardiness/light requirements/zone of each. Seems like most you can grow inside no problem, but several will have to be put out in summer to bloom, some in the fridge (not gonna work in my apartment-sized one...) so worth owning as a reference- I will be looking out for it. I like plants and I especially like free plants.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I frankly expected more from this plant book. Sure, it has a unique spin in that all of these plants can be grown from kitchen scraps on your windowsill. However, there are no photographs and each entry only comes with the bare minimum of information. More hints and growing tips, photos, and information about the plants would have made this so-so book an excellent reference.

[Kelly Lynn Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Scraps" isn't quite the right word here. Sure, some of the things are legitimately scraps, but others you have to buy one if you want to grow it--you can't grow it from what's left over after you cook it/prepare it. Even so, it's an interesting book and I learned quite a bit about growing things like avocados and dates from leftover seeds.

[cheyanarchy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this book promised more than it delivered. I thought it would have more pointers for regrowing foods from kitchen scraps, but it was mostly about how to grow exotic fruits and vegetables for ornamental purposes. That's not really "kitchen magic" in my opinion.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

An okay read on how to grow your own plants from the items you buy at the grocery store. I'll admit, I didn't look at this too hard before getting into it, so I didn't realize it mainly focuses on growing houseplants rather than producing food. Fine for those looking to add some greenery to their house or yard.

The book opens with some basic growing techniques including how to start, care for plants, and deal with pests. It then goes through a variety of entries of plants that can be grown from the seeds, corms, tuber, and other parts of store-bought produce.

Each entry contains of the scientific name, plant type, growth rate, method, light level needed, what it looks like, how to grow it, and where it originates along with an illustration of the seed and full plant. There is also a designation of plants that a deemed easy to grow.

The 2008 edition is a republishing of the 1977 version. Though some information has been revised, it doesn't appear the tone has changed much. The focus is quite white-centric and assumes the reader is white as well. The authors "discovered" these growing techniques by going on excursions to a "particular ethnic neighborhood" to search for "unusual fruit or vegetable". They encourage readers to look for "unusual goodies" in Asian shops and enjoy the "exotic odors" of Middle Eastern markets, despite the fact their antics at times alarmed and irritated grocers.

The organization was a little confusing to me. It is broken down into basic sections of vegetables; fruits and nuts; and herbs and spices. Then there are separate sections on plants from Latin America and Asia. This seemed like an unnecessary distinction since some of the foods found in these sections are available in modern mainstream grocery stores (jicama, ginger, persimmons) and many of the plants featured in the first three sections also originate in Asia or Latin America (star apple, feijoa, kiwi). This may have made sense in the original version but doesn't really fit for the revised edition.

At its base, it's a fine book at presenting the information it has to share. It is a useful little reference guide on cultivating scraps. However, the tone was out-of-date and made it difficult to fully enjoy.

[Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t Throw It, Grow It (2nd Edition) by Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam sounds like the perfect book for anyone who’s ever stuck an avocado pit in water and hoped for leafy glory. My daughter and I love little growing experiments on the windowsill, so I was excited to see what new treasures this book might bring. Unfortunately, it left me a bit underwhelmed.

The book seems to be caught between audiences — half whimsical kid-friendly project guide, half a grown-up manual — but isn’t quite either. Some plants come with a bit of geographic background and snippets of origin lore and then others are just… there, without context. The selection itself feels a bit random too. The authors mention that they hunted through “exotic” shops for inspiration, yet the book swings from herbs like fennel and dill to cherimoyas and genip, skipping right over practical mainstays like tomatoes, cucumbers or strawberries. I enjoy growing from seed just for the fun of growing and seeing a few straggly shoots. Inclusion of a few more practical plants might however give some younger readers the joy of a successful harvest and not just the heartbreak of discovering that no amount of wishful thinking will give them a homegrown kiwis.

Structurally, the different sections feel don’t feel intuitive or logical to me. There’s overlap between the main vegetable and fruit section and regional chapters on Asia and Latin America. This and some of the more general gardening advice, make the book feel a bit outdated. Concepts like “sterile soil” and leaning on peat-based mixes without mentioning alternatives are a surprise in 2025. It’s a shame, because a fresh scientific perspective or thoughts around sustainability could have made this book feel genuinely updated.

That said, the book looks great. The design is tidy and bright, the illustrations are plentiful and charming. It’s visually delightful enough to flip through just for inspiration. Maybe it will spark curiosity in budding growers discovering the joys of plant life for the first time.

Thank you to Storey Publishing, NetGalley and the authors for an advance reading copy of this book.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to receive an e-ARC from NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review the second edition of this book.

While I haven't read the first edition of the book, Don't Throw It, Grow it is a great resource for people who: 1. Want to try plant propagation at home 2. Decrease food waste 3. Easily turn seeds and tubers into wonderful household plants!

The illustrations are colorful and helpfully depict the plant and process for propagation. The plants are divided up into sections (relating to their type, such as seed, nut, fruit, and also by geographic location). Finally, there is a thorough index in the back of the book in case there is something you want to find without reading the whole book front to back.

I plan to buy a copy for myself and can't wait to start using it to successfully grow plants from seeds at home. I enjoyed the e-book copy, but think I'll look for a physical copy that I can put post-it notes in to quickly jump to certain pages and plants again and again.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you a plant enthusiast? This book teaches you how to grow new plants from the seeds of everyday items you already use! The author provides clear, detailed growing instructions, including information on growth rate (for example, whether it’s a slow or fast grower) and light requirements for each plant. I appreciated the multiple illustrations for each plant—they make the process so much easier to visualize!

I also liked how the author labeled some of the growing instructions as “easy,” which is perfect for beginners. The book balances the factual information with little anecdotes about the different species, making it both informative and enjoyable to read.

This book would make a perfect gift for any plant lover!


Thank you NetGalley and Storey Publishing for providing me with this ARC!

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little book with brief information for most of the items - sometimes too brief, and at times confusing. I know nothing about cooking Prickly Pear and the instructions were incomplete. (What are pads? Is the flesh that you scoop out edible?) For the Jerusalem Artichoke, the author never tells us how or even what to harvest to eat! Several plants were very short-lived ornamentals, which I found discouraging for the effort. Some things will eventually become productive but many will not! It would be nice to have an indication of all that at the beginning of the planting description. I found this book alternately frustrating and interesting. No photos, poorly organized. This could have been a much better book if it had a more standard format, but an interesting idea.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing guide to for those who like to foster unusual houseplants, but don't want to pay expensive shipping costs to have tropical greenery sent to their homes. This book is fun for both the avid gardener and the curious house plant enthusiast alike. In addition, there is a valuable introductory section on starting some of the more challenging plants by varied methods. This book is also sort of a work in memoriam of Deborah's Peterson's partner in adventurous plant cultivation Millicent Selsam. Ms. Peterson includes short asides about their experiences shopping the ethnic markets and groceries of New York City that simply add charm and kindly understanding of the desire to create one's own domestic Eden.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the price of food going up more every day, it only makes sense to grow your own, especially when you can grow fresh foods from table scraps. My family has grown tomatoes and peppers from the compost pile for years, but this book takes the practice several steps past an occasional tomato. The practical guide to what can be grown and how best to utilize space and resources made this an excellent book for the beginner and expert gardeners on my gift lists this year. Everyone I know is excited to grow their own food, and this book makes it much easier. I'd recommend it to every gardener on your list, and don't forget a copy for yourself.

[Megan Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very simple how to for growing and yielding plants from home! As someone who has a garden out here in the middle of nowhere, sometimes I need some advice or suggestions of what to plant and when to yield my best supply. With the way inflation has taken over and the recent food stamps crisis, some people are having trouble affording food and something simple like good wholesome veggies. I find that this guide could come in handy for such an event like this or for someone who wants to take up gardening and don't know where to begin.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good starting point if you’re interested in cultivating food sources. It starts with some basics on different ways to start them off, then lists 68 items ranging from fruit, nuts, herbs and vegetables with a brief description on each and which method is best to try. You will find information on carrots, ginger, peanuts, persimmon, black sapote, dates, taro, etc.

It’s a quick read that points one in the right direction, not a complete detailed resource. I would recommend for anyone interested in experimenting with kind of a “give it a try” attitude.

Thank you Deborah Peterson, Millicent Selsam and Storey Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simplified intro for growing your own produce without much prior knowledge. There's an easy to read layout. My kid was really excited to try some of the ones stamped 'easy' first, they love experiments.

Yet, I wish there was more to it. It seemed like it's trying to be geared towards kids and adults but doesn't completely hit both marks. Plus it would have benefited with more visual aspects (I would have liked to see what stages could be expected), even if they were drawn and not photographs.

* NetGalley 2nd Edition review

[FrannyPack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book. It wasn't very enjoyable to read from start to finish as it wasn't intended for that (similar to a cookbook), but the information was valuable. My enjoyment was only a 3, but the book deserves a 4 since it's not my fault I read it the way I did lol. I liked the history/origin of the plants that was included.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
This was an interesting book with lots of ideas on how to grown things at home.
The only downside for me was the author was American and this book was obviously aimed at that market.
There were a significant number of plants discussed that were from South America and not available here in the UK.
Hence the 3 stars.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aww man, not what I thought. I guess I should have read the title better. This is a great how to on growing unique houseplants from scraps. If that is your desire, then read this one!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information, easy read but nothing I couldn't find in an online search. Recommend for a very beginning gardener.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was helpful, but disorganized - it would have helped to have the items you can grow alphabetized so you're able to quickly find the items you want to grow.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent step by step instructions for turning all kinds of food scraps into plants and sometimes more food!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had some really great tips and tricks.

[Tiffany Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this! It was super kid friendly, but also had enough information for adults to use thoroughly. I loved the graphics!