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Your Edible Yard: Landscaping with Fruits and Vegetables
The author of Grow Create Inspire gives readers “a beautiful synthesis of organic, regenerative, and permaculture practices for an abundant yard anywhere” (Matt Powers, author of Regenerative Soil ). Journey into the good food movement by unleashing the potential of your yard, transforming it into a beautiful and vibrant space that offers a continuous supply of food. Using dozens of beautiful color photographs and watercolor planting charts, infographics, and landscaping designs, Your Edible Yard is the comprehensive how-to guide you need to turn your yard into a bountiful feast. It Whether you’re a beginner or experienced gardener in the city, the suburbs, or the country, this manual is the A-Z guide for how to make use of the space you have, highlighting the colorful and abundant array that edible landscapes promise. “Crystal lays out the path for us to turn our bland yards into the gardens of our dreams, full of healthy food, while saving us money at the grocery store and precious environmental resources. This book has the potential to change the landscaping of our nation and the design of our lives.” ―Rob Greenfield, author of Dude Making a Difference
- GenresGardeningNonfictionFood
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2020
12 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 23, 2020
Poorly written
I really wanted to love this book. I have been wanting to learn how to grow edible plants and also how to landscape my yard, so I was so excited to find one book that would teach both of these skills! But I was so disappointed - it was not at all what I expected.
Too much time is spent on convincing the reader of the importance of growing one's own food - but if I needed convincing, I wouldn't have purchased this book in the first place.
The author takes a very doomsday approach, spending a LOT of time talking about the problems with modern society in a very depressing way. When the author finally shares something more hopeful, she spends a long time passionately writing about why she loves 'permaculture' - which she believes can save the world - before she shares what it actually is - and even once she does, I still did not find it clear.
The actual landscaping part was more minimal than I expected, and I felt that the information provided was something I could have figured out myself. It can be summed up this way: put taller plants in the back or middle of an arrangement, shorter plants in the front, and add borders and paths if you want.
On the plus side, she mentions the symbiotic relationship between different types of plants, and how it is beneficial to place those types of plants near each other in your yard, which was good to know.
However, I felt that there was a definite lack of explanation on HOW (or even why) to do many of the things mentioned in the book. For instance, the author says all fruit-and-veggie scraps can be composted, but later corrects herself and says not to compost citrus fruit - without explaining why. Also, MANY pages are devoted to various types of compost bins, but I am overwhelmed and have no idea how to choose the right one, and I found the instructions for building them to be confusing and incomplete.
The author also too often includes lengthy and so-technical-it's-hard-to-understand excerpts from other writers and 'experts' - and even advises readers to visit certain web pages or simply do their own research! Which makes me feel like, what was the point of buying this book?
I found the author's own writing to be dry and hard to read. It was very factual, without much warmth or personality to make it interesting. Worst of all, the information was so disorganized that the book was often confusing, repetitive, sometimes even contradictory (like the compost bit mentioned above; even the illustrations - of which there were way less than I expected - sometimes conflicted with the text!) and filled with grammatical blunders. After reading this book, I have more questions than I did before.
I would summarise the book in this way: modern farming and lawn maintenance methods are harming both us and the earth, so we should stop doing that and return to traditional, non-chemical-using methods that are beneficial for all. We can help save the soil by composting our produce scraps, and consider adding worms to the mix. Rather than getting rid of all weeds, we can eat them or use them to make medicinal remedies. Finally, we should look up which edible plants are native to the area we live in, find a way to buy or source favourite ones...and then find a better landscaping book to help us decide how to arrange them.
I personally found that the book 'Home Outside' by Julie Moir Messervy explains landscaping techniques in a MUCH better way.
I really wanted to love this book. I have been wanting to learn how to grow edible plants and also how to landscape my yard, so I was so excited to find one book that would teach both of these skills! But I was so disappointed - it was not at all what I expected.
Too much time is spent on convincing the reader of the importance of growing one's own food - but if I needed convincing, I wouldn't have purchased this book in the first place.
The author takes a very doomsday approach, spending a LOT of time talking about the problems with modern society in a very depressing way. When the author finally shares something more hopeful, she spends a long time passionately writing about why she loves 'permaculture' - which she believes can save the world - before she shares what it actually is - and even once she does, I still did not find it clear.
The actual landscaping part was more minimal than I expected, and I felt that the information provided was something I could have figured out myself. It can be summed up this way: put taller plants in the back or middle of an arrangement, shorter plants in the front, and add borders and paths if you want.
On the plus side, she mentions the symbiotic relationship between different types of plants, and how it is beneficial to place those types of plants near each other in your yard, which was good to know.
However, I felt that there was a definite lack of explanation on HOW (or even why) to do many of the things mentioned in the book. For instance, the author says all fruit-and-veggie scraps can be composted, but later corrects herself and says not to compost citrus fruit - without explaining why. Also, MANY pages are devoted to various types of compost bins, but I am overwhelmed and have no idea how to choose the right one, and I found the instructions for building them to be confusing and incomplete.
The author also too often includes lengthy and so-technical-it's-hard-to-understand excerpts from other writers and 'experts' - and even advises readers to visit certain web pages or simply do their own research! Which makes me feel like, what was the point of buying this book?
I found the author's own writing to be dry and hard to read. It was very factual, without much warmth or personality to make it interesting. Worst of all, the information was so disorganized that the book was often confusing, repetitive, sometimes even contradictory (like the compost bit mentioned above; even the illustrations - of which there were way less than I expected - sometimes conflicted with the text!) and filled with grammatical blunders. After reading this book, I have more questions than I did before.
I would summarise the book in this way: modern farming and lawn maintenance methods are harming both us and the earth, so we should stop doing that and return to traditional, non-chemical-using methods that are beneficial for all. We can help save the soil by composting our produce scraps, and consider adding worms to the mix. Rather than getting rid of all weeds, we can eat them or use them to make medicinal remedies. Finally, we should look up which edible plants are native to the area we live in, find a way to buy or source favourite ones...and then find a better landscaping book to help us decide how to arrange them.
I personally found that the book 'Home Outside' by Julie Moir Messervy explains landscaping techniques in a MUCH better way.
Read
July 1, 2021 Now that summer is here, but still in the midst of a pandemic, with more leisure time, people are always looking for home projects. With more time to spend outdoors, finding outdoor work is the perfect answer. Once you read YOUR EDIBLE YARD, you will come away with basic ideas for making your yard a work in progress.
In the book you will find dozens of ways to turn your yard into a food source with little effort. Stevens, who lives with her family on a ten acre farm, is a pro at making the most from the land. Within the pages of this informative book, you can find ways to create the same backyard paradise she aspires to.
The book follows the step by step process in assessing what is best for your area, making the most from your efforts. The first challenge is making sure the soil is right for growing your intended crop. There are ways to make the soil better, by composting items like coffee grounds, eggshells, grass cuttings, and basically anything that is compost-friendly. Of course worms are one of the biggest bonuses to your yard, also vital to success.
There is a long list of growing zones that will help you decide what grows best in that zone. Certain fruits and vegetables will excel in the right conditions. Herbs are also something you should check into growing as well. With dozens of photos, along with some tasty recipes for what you have harvested, the book is the perfect source for a backyard bonanza. Putting Crystal’s ideas into action, you can proudly proclaim, “I grew that!”
In the book you will find dozens of ways to turn your yard into a food source with little effort. Stevens, who lives with her family on a ten acre farm, is a pro at making the most from the land. Within the pages of this informative book, you can find ways to create the same backyard paradise she aspires to.
The book follows the step by step process in assessing what is best for your area, making the most from your efforts. The first challenge is making sure the soil is right for growing your intended crop. There are ways to make the soil better, by composting items like coffee grounds, eggshells, grass cuttings, and basically anything that is compost-friendly. Of course worms are one of the biggest bonuses to your yard, also vital to success.
There is a long list of growing zones that will help you decide what grows best in that zone. Certain fruits and vegetables will excel in the right conditions. Herbs are also something you should check into growing as well. With dozens of photos, along with some tasty recipes for what you have harvested, the book is the perfect source for a backyard bonanza. Putting Crystal’s ideas into action, you can proudly proclaim, “I grew that!”
February 20, 2021
This book is trying to be all things for all people, a problem with many non-fiction books that apparently the publishing world encourages. Crystal Stevens clearly is very knowledgeable but she needed to provide more depth so the book would be more useful for the readers. Instead she skimmed through a wide array of subjects: environmentalism, our grass culture, harmful chemicals, local zoning or rules against gardening, healthy soils, composting, reuse and recycling, mulching, choosing the right plants...even how to cook your vegetables and make your own herbal teas! On the subjects that maybe viewed as political, Stevens often presents a depressing aspects that include no actions the reader can take. It left me wondering why she included these things. Her lists of plants for different applications were too short, too incomplete, and tried to hit every growing zone in the continental United States! Crystal Stevens needs to break this book into parts and produce a bunch of books on specific subjects with sufficient depth that readers can learn enough to actually accomplish her goals!
March 12, 2021
This is a book written by a very smart person. The trouble lies in that Stevens attempted to cram in everything about gardening. It isn't really about creating an edible yard; it is a manifesto (preaching to the choir), a cookbook, an herbal remedy book, a compost book, and at least four other things in one. If you want good, dense chapters on each of these topics, get this book. I was looking for a bit more design and garden planning content.
April 15, 2020
Crystal Stevens's newest book, Your Edible Yard: Landscaping with Fruits and Vegetables, is a comprehensive resource to help you transform your yard or any space you have into a lush edible wonderland. Full of photos and 'do it yourself' recipes, this book will inspire you to take the next step and incorporate permaculture principles into your yard and create a healthier world.
February 16, 2020
A very useful and interesting book, full of informations and ideas.
I do not have a vegetable garden but I'm interesting in starting one and this book gave me all the information needed.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I do not have a vegetable garden but I'm interesting in starting one and this book gave me all the information needed.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
March 28, 2020
This is an amazing Guide for taking you further along the journey of growing your own food. There is nothing more local then just outside your door and this book clearly lays out and prompts some critical thinking along the way on how you can fill your plate from closer to home.
April 10, 2025
Good amount of pictures. Some recipes. Some things were a bit vague.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews