Growing Perennial Foods: A Field Guide to Raising Resilient Herbs, Fruits, and Vegetables

by Acadia Tucker, Krishna Chavda (Illustrator)

Acadia Tucker’s long love affair with perennial foods has produced this easy-to-understand guide to growing, harvesting, and eating them.

A regenerative farmer and gardener deeply concerned about global warming, Tucker believes there may be no better time to plant perennials. Sturdy and deep-rooted, perennials can weather climate extremes more easily than annuals. They can thrive without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And they don’t need as much water, either.

These long-lived plants also help build healthy soil, turning the very ground we stand on into a carbon sponge.

In this book, Tucker lays the groundwork for tending an organic, sustainable garden. She includes practical growing guides for 34 popular perennials, among them, basil, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, garlic, radicchio, spinach, and sweet potatoes, and wraps in a recipe for each of the plants profiled.

Growing Perennial Foods is for gardeners who want more resilient plants. It’s for people who want to do something about climate change and the environment. It’s for anyone who has ever wanted to grow food, and is ready to begin.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Food, Sustainability, Plants, Cooking, Nature

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2019

About the author

Acadia Tucker is a regenerative farmer, climate activist, and author. She has just published Growing Perennial Foods: A field guide to raising resilient herbs, fruits & vegetables. It’s a call to action to citizen gardeners everywhere, and lay the groundwork for planting an organic, regenerative garden. For her, this is gardening as if our future depends on it. Before becoming an author, Acadia started a four-season organic market garden in Washington State inspired by farming pioneers Eliot Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier. While managing the farm, Acadia grew 200 different food crops before heading back to school at the University of British Columbia to complete a Masters in Land and Water Systems. She lives in Maine and New Hampshire with her farm dog, Nimbus, and grows hops to support locally sourced craft beer in New England, when she isn't raising perennials in her own backyard. She is also the author of Growing Good Food: A citizen’s guide to backyard carbon farming.

Reviews

[Vincent G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent and is a must-read for anyone who is interested in starting a garden or enhancing their current one! It is accessible, knowledgeable, and personal. Ms. Tucker has done an incredible job and creating an in-depth yet approachable guide to growing perennials.

Some of my favorite aspects of GPF are:

Accessibility: The book does a great job of describing jargon and breaking things down to the core components. There is also an excellent glossary and FAQ section. With that said this book is not simply for novices, even after spending many years gardening I have been able to take away a great deal and apply many practices to my own garden.

Recipes: After each plant, there is an easy, yet delicious recipe. Everyone I have tried so far I have loved and I can’t wait to continue making these recipes.

Personal: I love how Ms. Tucker weaves in personal anecdotes throughout the text. You truly gain a perspective of her background and passion. It is inspiring.

Credit must also be given to the artist, Krishna Chavda, whose illustrations helped bring more life to this already wonderful book.

I hope that this book is read and shared. The time I have spent in my garden has not only improved the lives of myself and my family but also the environment and this book only inspire me to spend more time in it.

Needless to say, I will be purchasing the next book Ms. Tucker publishes without hesitation!

[Katie Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy this book! It’s great for experienced and inexperienced gardeners alike. I have a couple years of farming experience, but this is the first year I will be tending my own garden. Even with farming experience under my belt, I've definitely still been nervous about completely botching my own garden. This book provides a very straightforward guide to growing a plethora of perennials with tips and hints about how to make each plant the happiest--soil preferences, sun vs. shade, temperature, etc. You won't be disappointed!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tucker is a delightful guide for anyone who is excited to grow their own food but may not know how to get started. Growing Perennial Foods clearly walks readers through the important concepts, skills and steps for starting a garden of any size. Trucker’s joy in growing and eating her crops is absolutely infectious, and she writes with an approachable style that encourages and motivates her readers. I gobbled the book up, and when I put it down, my mind was swimming with exciting ideas of what I could grow and eat this year!

[Joyce Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insight into growing perennials. Wonderful writing style as well.

[Monica Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone with no yard and not much experience growing food, I found this book to be very accessible and fascinating. I’m increasingly looking for ways to make my daily life align better with my values, and Tucker’s perspective made growing perennial foods seem not only possible but really meaningful. A great read no matter where you are in your journey!

[Jim Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for the backyard gardener.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an amateur gardener, Growing Perennial Foods by Acadia Tucker has proved invaluable. (The soil test was especially helpful to me.) The simple pen and ink drawings are super cute and it’s written in clear and concise language. The recipes are very easy to follow and the ones I’ve tried are delicious! Highly recommended.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so impressed with this book that I ordered a copy for my gardening son. The information about low-tillage, high-carbon (compost, mulch) gardening as a way to increase the soil's effectiveness as a carbon sink to fight global warming was particularly valuable. While not a cookbook, it does contain 34 recipes, one for each recommended garden crop.

[Ezra Sassaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great option for beginners and experts when it comes to gardening in small spaces, or interested in gardening sturdy plants that can resist the effects of climate change. Included extensive, detailed descriptions of so many different herbs, vegetables, and fruits! This book includes a wide selection of recipes for a garden-to-table vibe as well! Everything you could ask for in a gardening book.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is an engaging, comprehensive and easy to follow guide that teaches you how to grow plants in your own backyard. This is great not only for avid gardeners but for anyone who wants to produce some of their own food.

[Isabella Schnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing Perennial Foods is a wonderful introduction for the novice gardener or refresher for seasoned experts. Acadia’s bounty of knowledge comes through every page as she breaks down a selection of resilient herbs, fruits, and veggies to build harmony and soil health in any garden. She even includes common challenges and recipes for each item, as well as an FAQ section to tie up any loose ends. The book is informative, unpretentious, beautifully written with charming illustrations. A must-buy to add to your personal library or gift to others!

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It is a thrill for our whole family when we can grow something in our garden that we all love to eat. But as a relative novice to growing food, I've had mixed successes. This book is quickly teaching me the fundamentals and proving to be a great resource! It is easy to read, thoughtfully written, and laid out. Most importantly though, it provides individual step-by-step instructions to growing all of the herbs, fruits, and vegetables our family and most people enjoy, as well as the challenges I might encounter along the way and what to do about them. There are great recipes for each of the plantings too. And, I'm gaining a better understanding of soil composition, compost, mulch, pruning, how to combat weeds, organic pest solutions, and much much more. I definitely recommend it!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gardener I'm just getting started with perennial crops and would like to add more in the future. In this book Tucker does a great job of explaining the prep work of gardening in the first few chapters. She explains the importance of good soil and building soil and also planning out your garden based on your yard/space available. The majority of the book covers perennial plants by category - herbs, fruit, and vegetables. Each entry gives basic info about that plant like varieties, companion plants, etc. then best places to plant that type of plant, how to plant, growing, challenges, and harvest. Each entry also includes one recipe using that plant/produce. Overall, a good look at starting to grow perennials.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. It does not tell about GROWING what are literally labeled perennial when you shop seed and plant vendor websites. The book description reads: "... these hardy crops. Perennials can weather climate extremes, promote healthy soil, mitigate drought conditions, and thrive without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many can be harvested year round." Quite a bit of the book is about bringing plants indoors to try to keep them alive over the winter. What gardener has space to bring the garden inside? A very inexperienced gardener who likes to tinker, wants recipes as much growing tips, and is not feeding a family year-round, might find the book helpful -- It organized for those 2 goals, yet title of book is misleading.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book for free through GoodReads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.

This book will come in super handy for me as I'm slowly trying to build a garden. It has great tips on how to keep your plants alive - and I need all the help I can get! Highly recommend!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great info about soil building and carbon farming, in easy to understand and apply methods for gardner's at every stage. Extensive plant profiles are helpful, even if many are the usual suspects. A must for any regeneritave growers' shelf.

[lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great guide to growing perennials. Acadia Tucker is extremely knowledgeable, and she's created a book that is perfect for beginners who want to learn more about growing perennials and transforming their gardens into something more resilient. Tucker walks you through building your raised beds, choosing what to grow, and all the tools you'll need to maintain your garden. The sections on each individual perennial are extremely in-depth and detailed, answering any and all questions about where to plant when to plant, and any other questions about growing. Additionally, after giving an overview of various herbs, fruits, and vegetables, Acadia includes a recipe to try with what you've grown! It's very inspiring and the recipes look great! I'm excited to try them and to begin growing perennials of my own.

[Laura]

Some great ideas in this book about how to keep vegetable plants year after year. For tomatoes, and peppers, the author recommends cutting the plants back, potting them up and bringing them inside for the winter. I think I'll skip that and get fresh seed at the Seedbrary each spring unless I find a really great variety that I love. Then I will simply layer the plant and pot it up.

Great reminder about pH needs for blueberries. I'll see how mine do and consider potting them up instead.

I'll use my strawberries as groundcovers as I have in the past and encourage some runners each year.

[Erin Torgerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives you the confidence and know-how to start a home garden as soon as you put down the book. Acadia's writing is easy to read, and makes you feel like she right there in the garden with you. I have been interested in planting perennials for awhile, but I wasn't sure which plants I should choose for my yard. Acadia made it easy - I learned what kind of soil was in my yard, my growing region, and from there I could quickly discern which plants would thrive in my garden. I can't wait for my first harvest and a chance to try out some of her recipes.

[Anna McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes a great all-encompassing approach to gardening and to growing perennial gardens. Not only does it include awesome tips on how to start a perennial garden and provide a great intro on the importance of regenerative agriculture, it also includes fun and delicious recipes! I appreciated the glossary on plants to grow and also the section with commonly asked questions. This book will definitely make it a lot easier for me to grow my own perennial garden and I can’t wait to try some of Acadia’s fun recipes and suggestions.

[Wendopolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good tips but I was disappointed the author didn’t see the value of caterpillars and labeled than as ‘bad’ for the garden. She wasn’t talking about cabbage loopers, but tomato hornworms (giant pollinating moth) and the ‘parsley caterpillar’ which becomes the beautiful swallowtail butterfly. In speaking about the environment, it’s important not to forget about insects and their place in the garden. It is possible to share space with critters in the garden.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

note: page 185 is where I stopped updating goodreads (for my reference).

I am not actually done yet, but I'm going to buy a copy for myself; this book is SO thoroughly packed with referential materials that even experienced gardeners should have on hand. The author's definition of perennial is rather loose (which I'm sure is the publisher's fault). Regardless, it is an incredibly informative book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and informative book :D Absolutely perfect for beginners or even the experienced food growers; new ideas and perspective never hurt anyone. I love this book and look forward to trying some of Ms. Tucker's tricks. The perfect book to have on my shelf to reference when I'm just not sure.

[Vi Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting & good information for the new and seasoned gardeners. Beautifully illustrated and you can tell the author is passionate about this concept. It's not too technical for anyone but down to earth info. Great reference

[The Belle With the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading through this book! It was very informative (and the recipes were a nice touch, too!) She gives a lot of detail from her personal experiences, and gives gentle reminders that not every area will grow the same plants the same way. I've already started planning for next year.

[Joshua Hitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good enough book. It’s not so much a read as it is a reference though. It’s essentially an encyclopedia of different plants and how to best grow them. Would be good on a gardeners shelf and not much else I reckon.

[Gay Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gardening books fills the need of tips on raising resilient vegetables, herbs and fruit. This is the garden that will last a life-time.

[Marita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one. I made of what I want to grow and how, and I'll definitely be consulting it during the gardening season.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for the beginner, not meant for a more experienced driver.