Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History

by William Woys Weaver, Jere Gettle (Contributor)

"This book is sure to be a modern classic and is one of the most important books on gardening in the current century."
—Jere Gettle, founder, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening has always been a book for gardeners and cooks interested in unique flavors, colors, and history in their produce. This updated edition has been improved throughout with growing zones, advice, and new plant entries. Line art has been replaced with lush, full-color photography. Yet at the core, this book delivers on the same promise it made two decades ago: It’s a comprehensive guide based on meticulous first-person research to these 300+ plants, making it a book to come back to season after season.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, History, Plants, Nature, Reference, Cookbooks

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop ReaderNonstop Reader.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening is an updating and re-release of the classic reference book by William Woys Weaver. Originally published in 1997, this second edition has been updated with many new photographs, new content, and a new introduction. Republished by Quarto - Cool Springs and released 20 March, 2018, it's 480 pages of well written advice and information very well presented. The author, William Woys Weaver, is a genuine expert whose love of plant diversity and heirlooms shines through in the warm and well written prose.

This is a great reference book, but along with the clear instructions and culture information comes a wealth of side-stories, history, and trivia. The book is beautifully written and the author manages to convey his lifelong love and respect of plants without being strident or fanatical.

I have a copy of the first edition of this book and have worn it out. I treasure it because it still has margin notes and clippings from my paternal grandmother inside.

Genetic diversity in our plants and especially in our food cannot be overstated. It's absolutely critical that we reclaim and preserve the varieties which still exist. In the last 80 years, we've lost approximately 93% of our vegetable varieties. It's scary and sad, and luckily there are dedicated folks making an effort to protect our heritage.

I don't know anyone who can really look at this graphic and not be terrified.




Dr. Weaver continues the good fight. This book is informative, engaging and vital.

Five stars, honestly off the scale in terms of accessibility, correctness, information, and importance.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

[Jonesy.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Woys Weaver's "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening" is an excellent source of information for all of your favourite heirloom vegetables and many more that I' m sure will be new to you. The history of each specific variety of vegetable and how it came to be is included with some dating back almost 10,000 years ago. Who knew that you could grow heirloom peas in your own backyard that originated in the Mediterranean in 7800BC, absolutely incredible! Filled with eye catching photography, tips, tricks, and antidotes. A wonderful reference book that must be included in the heirloom gardeners collection.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, and extensive book of heirloom vegetables (almost 500 pages!). The author has been saving old vegetable varieties his entire life, with some of the seeds from his grandfather from the 1930's! He also includes a very comprehensive history of people saving seeds. The list of plants is very extensive, from artichokes to yams. Each vegetable gets a thorough discussion.
This is the kind of book that you want to read over and over again, especially when one is stuck inside on a cold winter day, and are dreaming of what to plant in the spring.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a thoroughly enjoyable book for the avid vegetable gardener. The history of so many heirloom varieties is presented in a knowledgeable way, complete with photographs and/or drawings. Valuable for many reasons, and a necessity for your garden shelf.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’m totally thrilled with the cultural history of these heirloom veggies, truly fascinating stuff, I expected there to be a bit more on actually planting as well.

May have to add this to my collection someday.

[Adam]

William Woys Weaver is a sweet, intelligent man and a great historian. In the book's brief introduction, a wonderful picture is painted of Weaver's warm, loving, family-centric Quaker community and the healthy relationships he has with the Amish and Mennonite homesteaders near him. It also gives a brief but informative overview of the history of seed breeding and propagation and the US, starting from the importation of Dutch and French vegetable varieties to the beginning of commercial vegetable production and breeding for the market. In the process, he reveals some pretty stunning facts - less than a hundred vegetable varieties from before 1800 still exist, due to lack of preservation and the huge amount of breeding that's been done since, largely replacing the older varieties with spiffier ones.

I enjoyed Weaver's emphasis on old varieties, even among heirlooms. This emphasized some of the most obscure and endangered varieties, unearthed some of the most enlightening histories, and adds a sense of complex historicity to the often dichotomous organic food movement (GMO bad, heirloom good). Since I came to the book looking for these histories, I enjoyed that aspect the most. Of course, I would have loved it if Weaver had provided even more of this. A lot of the stories I got a taste of in Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health were not mentioned here - for instance, Robinson discusses the development of modern sweet corn varieties using mutation induced by nuclear radiation, but Weaver goes back to Indian corn varieties before even the pre-hybrid sweet corns. There's a lot of interesting material in there, and I'm not sure where else to go to find it at this point.

From a practical point of view, I didn't note many vegetable varieties per se, but I do appreciate the inclusion of obscure greens and crops that were used to fill important niches in pre-industrial rural economies, but are now overtaken by flown/trucked in out of season veggies. Some of these may come in handy if/when I move into serious food production of my own.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed up at the perfect time, just when I was getting ready to plan my garden this Spring. I'm so happy to have found it and was able to put the information to use.
There's nothing better than fresh fruits and veggies, especially when you grow them yourself!
Filled with beautiful photos and tons of details, whether you're just starting out with a small garden or going big with a full spread of fresh greens, roots vegetables and more this is the only book you'll need!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love gardening! And homegrown produce is a passion of mine.

My parents and grandparents were great edible gardeners! As a child, I remember hours spent working in their large vegetable beds. My job was to follow instructions and help with any tasks. At harvest time, our whole family was involved in picking and what didn't go to the table would be frozen, canned or shared with neighbors.

So, I was pleased to receive a copy of this book from Quarto Publishing Group. Yes! Heirloom Vegetable Gardening A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History by William Woys Weaver is full of history and I love that it includes the different growing zones and popular Heirloom vegetables.

We recently stopped at an Amish market. In addition to a variety of tomatoes and peppers, we bought some Bush Green Bean JAKE seeds. But, until I read this book I had no idea of all the different varieties of these vegetables.

This book also included leafy vegetables we love like beets, chard, kale, collards, cabbage, and lettuces. We love growing loose leaf lettuce and have a raised bed devoted to it. I also plant lettuce seeds in clay pots.

And for those that love unusual root vegetables, this book offers a great deal of information on the different varieties. I feel the details and new plant entries combined with the colorful photos will make readers want to expand their gardens and plant more.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heirloom Vegetables is a weighty history book on a multitude of vegetables that can be grown now.

The author includes many many vegetables that can be grown (aimed at the American climate) and the numerous different varieties that are available, plus provides details of the suppliers for the seeds.

There is a lengthy introduction, in fact there is two, one that introduces this addition and another that introduces the first edition. The growing guide gives a general overview on how to grow each type of vegetable, and whilst there are pictures of some of the vegetables grown, there are none on the seedlings being started.

Whilst I liked the idea of the book and its inclusion of many different varieties, I know it would suit those that are looking to include lots of older varieties of vegetables in their gardens and who already know a lot about vegetable gardening. It certainly isn't for the novice gardener looking for tips on how to grow vegetables.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the casual gardener. This is an excellent reference book on a large number of heirloom vegetables with a strong emphasis on the history and genetic heritage of the seeds (at least as much as can be known or reasonably surmised). There are some notes about growing, seed saving, and flavor for various vegetables, but that's not the main focus. It's a fascinating read and a good resource for people who are really into growing heirlooms. Some vegetables are covered more extensively than others because of the author's long experience with growing those heirlooms, and other vegetables are based primarily on the author's research. A good book to browse during winter while dreaming of the spring planting. I have this revised edition ebook. I think the physical edition may be out of print (and consequently is much more expensive).

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed up at the perfect time, just when I was getting ready to plan my garden this Spring. I'm so happy to have found it and was able to put the information to use.
There's nothing better than fresh fruits and veggies, especially when you grow them yourself!
Filled with beautiful photos and tons of details, whether you're just starting out with a small garden or going big with a full spread of fresh greens, roots vegetables and more this is the only book you'll need!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand the historical background is interesting if a bit dense. This part might be of interest to people looking to establish a historical accurate garden at a historical property. But from the perspective of a normal everyday gardener, this historical background is just dry and unreadable. I didn't find a whole lot that I couldn't have gotten out of catalogs such as Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I would have preferred a more readable version.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A drool-worthy gardening book discussing the history and current day vegetable gardening scene. Makes me feel better as I planted my tiny garden while reading this book. I would love to have a HUGE garden.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Weaver writes amazing books on heirloom veggies! I've been a fan for several years now. This book is another for the collection. Wonderful informative book.

I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for fair review.

[Katie Topp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly so damn cool. Learning the cultural significance of heirloom plants and what exactly that means on top of actually seeing them?? Unmatched. Such a well written, well researched, well rounded look at what it means to have biodiversity and attachment to history. 100/10

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thoroughly enjoying this book! I love learning about Heirloom plants and the history behind them. As a gardener and a mom who loves to cook, this is a great resource!

[Gay Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique vegetable book on heirloom vegetable plants and growing them. Not for the average gardener.

[Critterbee❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encyclopedic essential reading for kitchen gardeners and the home chef who gardens, tailored to the United States.

*eARC Netgalley*

[A. Reiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic compendium of a master gardener’s knowledge and legacy.

[Peter Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it pretty ponderous and long-winded. If you know me, that's saying something.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

a reference to come to if wanting to look at specific heirloom vegetables. less a general guide and more about specific strains.

[Lgordo · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have space, this is a nice book to have on your shelf to consult when you want to plant something new. It's schmoozy and doesn't really attempt to be thorough or unbiased. However, it is frequently interesting.

I do wish it could have been more consistent and organized. The author clearly knows his vegetables. But some chapters provide more seed-saving info than growing info. I wish the squash could have been clearly labeled with which are compact and which sprawling. Some chapters had interesting ancient advice, some assumed you knew what you were doing.

So, I can't give it more stars because I found it too frustrating. It's not something to read straight through for an education. It's more of an occasional snack kind of book. Like "oh hey let's see what Weaver has to say about radishes" like how you'd cue the chatty neighbor, unsure whether you're going to get gems or not.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the definitive resource for information on heirloom vegetables and their history. It is very well organized with excellent photos and very skillful drawings of vegetables.

Note that this is no longer in print but is available on a CD. It was originally published by Henry Holt & Company in 1997 in hardback. I don't think it was ever offered in soft paperback. Michelle Obama personally requested a copy of this book a couple of years ago, for the White House Garden.

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more fabulously interesting than the best seed catalog. Where that variety came from and when and by whom and why and what it should look like growing in the garden. Not to mention it includes recipes.

[Na1905 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm more concerned with unique and possibly clouded history than a plants productive and prolific abilities, this book did not really fulfill that craving, but it's an interesting look at a master growers personal favorites.

[Angela]

from a master gardener class: she considered this, with "The Manual of Seed Saving"/heistinger to be the bible on seed saving. Well laid out, invaluable info (ex. corn can pollinate with other corn within a one-mile radius. Be aware of other crops around your property. )

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book to start with if one wants to learn more about heirloom veggies!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent review of literature as well as the documented history of hundreds of heirloom varieties that are still available, mostly thru Seed Savers Exchange.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a nice resource to add to add to your library.

[Gabi Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photography is insanely beautiful, and I loved reading the stories of each of the selected heirlooms.