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A Woman's Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things - Plants and Projects for Home, Health, Beauty, Healing, and More
Led by beautiful photography, take an inspirational tour around the garden for helpful growing advice and step-by-step instructions for creating over 35 projects, edibles, and art from your garden.
In A Woman’s Garden, the creative force behind LovelyGreens.com, Tanya Anderson, shares the great variety of ways you can use the power of plants for home and health.
Gardens grow more than just pretty flowers. They grow well-being and a deeper connection with nature. Gardens can also produce plant material for creating homemade skincare, natural dyes, artisan crafts, delicious foods and beverages, and medicines—homegrown ways to create a wholesome lifestyle.
Making things with your hands and heart, and then sharing the fruits of your labors with friends and family, is both satisfying and soul-stirring. Learn how to grow dozens of plants and then transform them into gorgeous items to nurture yourself or gift to others.
Visit the kitchen garden where you will find tips for growing your own produce and learn how to make a strawberry planter from a pallet. Embrace the joys of edible flowers—learn to make floral ice cubes and food featuring flowers, both savory and sweet. Enjoy the flavors and scents of culinary herbs, which you will learn to use to enhance cooking oils, drinks, and pasta. Grow and harvest plants and flowers to make skin care products such as herbal bath fizzies, lavender and alkanet soap, and more. Grow plants for herbal medicine, including chamomile for calming tea and calendula for healing minor cuts and scrapes. Cultivate an array of plants with uses around the home, including rosemary and citrus kitchen-cleaning spray and lavender for scenting linens. Brighten your world with plants for dyeing wool and cloth—learn methods for extracting color from a rainbow of different plants, including goldenrod, onions, and butterfly pea flower. Make a garden that overflows with creativity by crafting garden makes such as fossil imprint stepping-stones, papier-mache leaf lanterns, and pressed flower candles. In addition to a wealth of hands-on projects, you’ll take a trip around the globe and visit the gardens of 8 women, including Deanna Talerico from Homestead and Chill, Ashlie Thomas from The Mocha Gardener, Melissa Will from The Empress of Dirt, Rekha Mistry from Rekha’s Garden and Kitchen, Giovanna Becker from Herbstead, in addition to several others.
Find inspiration, healing, health, and happiness right outside your own backdoor with A Woman's Garden.
In A Woman’s Garden, the creative force behind LovelyGreens.com, Tanya Anderson, shares the great variety of ways you can use the power of plants for home and health.
Gardens grow more than just pretty flowers. They grow well-being and a deeper connection with nature. Gardens can also produce plant material for creating homemade skincare, natural dyes, artisan crafts, delicious foods and beverages, and medicines—homegrown ways to create a wholesome lifestyle.
Making things with your hands and heart, and then sharing the fruits of your labors with friends and family, is both satisfying and soul-stirring. Learn how to grow dozens of plants and then transform them into gorgeous items to nurture yourself or gift to others.
Visit the kitchen garden where you will find tips for growing your own produce and learn how to make a strawberry planter from a pallet. Embrace the joys of edible flowers—learn to make floral ice cubes and food featuring flowers, both savory and sweet. Enjoy the flavors and scents of culinary herbs, which you will learn to use to enhance cooking oils, drinks, and pasta. Grow and harvest plants and flowers to make skin care products such as herbal bath fizzies, lavender and alkanet soap, and more. Grow plants for herbal medicine, including chamomile for calming tea and calendula for healing minor cuts and scrapes. Cultivate an array of plants with uses around the home, including rosemary and citrus kitchen-cleaning spray and lavender for scenting linens. Brighten your world with plants for dyeing wool and cloth—learn methods for extracting color from a rainbow of different plants, including goldenrod, onions, and butterfly pea flower. Make a garden that overflows with creativity by crafting garden makes such as fossil imprint stepping-stones, papier-mache leaf lanterns, and pressed flower candles. In addition to a wealth of hands-on projects, you’ll take a trip around the globe and visit the gardens of 8 women, including Deanna Talerico from Homestead and Chill, Ashlie Thomas from The Mocha Gardener, Melissa Will from The Empress of Dirt, Rekha Mistry from Rekha’s Garden and Kitchen, Giovanna Becker from Herbstead, in addition to several others.
Find inspiration, healing, health, and happiness right outside your own backdoor with A Woman's Garden.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2021
51 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 7, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. I don't know why it was given this title but I loved all the gardeners profiled and their diverse, beautiful gardens. They each grow a different sort of garden, like one has lots of edible flowers and one grows plants for natural dyes and another focuses on herbs. It's packed with beautiful photos of all of their gardens and tons of projects. I have far too many books and have banned myself from buying more but this is still one I'd be tempted to buy when it's released. It's gorgeous and inspired me to want to do so many more garden projects in my overflowing gardens.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
January 26, 2021
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book! I dug in and did not want to uncover myself from the yummy dirt I had uncovered! There is just something spiritual about being among God's Plants and flowers that truly feed a woman or man's soul! This book has so many wonderful projects to grow and harvest to food recipes beauty ( my favorite is rose petal facial mist ) and MORE! From the beginner to advanced gardeners, he/she will be green with envy to get started and itching for Spring! I would buy this book for any nature lover and would recommend it as well!
December 22, 2020
I received A Woman's Garden by Tanya Anderson to preview. I cannot wait until this book comes out. I will be the first person to buy it. I have a lot of gardening books, but this one is destined to become my favorite. It made me want to jump out to my garden and make some of the preparations for next spring. She covers LOTS of subjects: veggies, herbs, edible flowers, crafts, etc. I must have this book. Easy to read and colorful photos.
May 11, 2021
Overall, I thought A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things was a rather charming book. The book itself is filled with stories of different women’s gardens and what they make using the bounty of their gardens. However, the real gem is the various things you can create using herbs, spices, and other beautiful plants straight from the garden. Some of the projects include a variety of crafts, including soaps, skincare products, hand-dyed yarn, and of course, recipes for making delicious treats. With so many people picking up new hobbies after the pandemic, this is a must for anyone who wants a useful garden!
November 16, 2021
This is a pretty book but all the tips are totally impractical. If you're into learning how to dye yarn or what to make with edible flowers (ice cubes with flowers in them for your drinks) then this book is for you.
June 20, 2021
The title kinda turned me off, but I persevered because I was interested in what the subtitle said: Grow beautiful plants and make useful things. That said, this book is very basic on the gardening end and the craft projects weren't that interesting to me, either. Maybe, as an experienced gardener and crafter, I am beyond the skill level of the audience the author was writing for? I dunno, but I was disappointed. The numerous lists were helpful but still not very inclusive. As an example, the list for classic Mediterranean herbs contains nine but excludes oregano. Waaa?
April 11, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
A Woman's Garden is a tutorial and gardening guide by Tanya Anderson. Due out 27th April 2021 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available currently).
This is one of those wonderfully useful garden/DIY hybrids which include a fair bit of good gardening advice alongside a plethora of small tutorials and inspiring crafting projects. I doubt that many of us have time to implement many of the projects in a meaningful fashion (or maybe I'm just the inefficient one) but these are the books I find myself revisiting again and again for inspiration and using over the long haul instead of just reading once and tossing aside.
The information is presented in a straightforward fashion: three edible gardens three ways: kitchen, flower, and herb. The gardening bits are followed by the tutorials: health and beauty and garden related crafts. There are (by my count) 28 complete tutorials including a remarkably useful and complete section on natural plant dyes which could easily take up many volumes on its own. The tutorials are well written and appealing and would provide hours of activity and productivity for maker's groups, scouting, home gardeners (especially with kids!), and similar uses. The tutorial projects are easy enough to do without a great deal of extra tools and supplies and will give readers a good overview of different traditional crafts that they can evaluate for exploration later on a more comprehensive level. There are short gardener profiles (all female) scattered throughout the book. It's interesting to see how they thrive in their own climate/soil/garden locations.
The photography is superb; Quarto's art department rocks. The illustrations are clear, colorful, and easy to understand. Tutorial recipes contain a general description and overview. Ingredients are listed bullet style in a sidebar with measurements given in both American standard and metric (yay!), followed by step by step instructions. Special tips and alternative preparations are presented in highlighted text boxes in the footers.
This is a lovely book. It would make a good selection for library acquisition, gardening & makers' groups, allotments, community gardens, home gardeners, crafters, and for readers looking for inspiration.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Woman's Garden is a tutorial and gardening guide by Tanya Anderson. Due out 27th April 2021 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available currently).
This is one of those wonderfully useful garden/DIY hybrids which include a fair bit of good gardening advice alongside a plethora of small tutorials and inspiring crafting projects. I doubt that many of us have time to implement many of the projects in a meaningful fashion (or maybe I'm just the inefficient one) but these are the books I find myself revisiting again and again for inspiration and using over the long haul instead of just reading once and tossing aside.
The information is presented in a straightforward fashion: three edible gardens three ways: kitchen, flower, and herb. The gardening bits are followed by the tutorials: health and beauty and garden related crafts. There are (by my count) 28 complete tutorials including a remarkably useful and complete section on natural plant dyes which could easily take up many volumes on its own. The tutorials are well written and appealing and would provide hours of activity and productivity for maker's groups, scouting, home gardeners (especially with kids!), and similar uses. The tutorial projects are easy enough to do without a great deal of extra tools and supplies and will give readers a good overview of different traditional crafts that they can evaluate for exploration later on a more comprehensive level. There are short gardener profiles (all female) scattered throughout the book. It's interesting to see how they thrive in their own climate/soil/garden locations.
The photography is superb; Quarto's art department rocks. The illustrations are clear, colorful, and easy to understand. Tutorial recipes contain a general description and overview. Ingredients are listed bullet style in a sidebar with measurements given in both American standard and metric (yay!), followed by step by step instructions. Special tips and alternative preparations are presented in highlighted text boxes in the footers.
This is a lovely book. It would make a good selection for library acquisition, gardening & makers' groups, allotments, community gardens, home gardeners, crafters, and for readers looking for inspiration.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 26, 2023
This turned out to be a delightful book. I am a full time white woman eco farmer & crafter. I am always at my happiest when I am outdoors in nature. I don't mono crop, rather I grow in a way that is very similar to the other women farmers in this book. I also naturally raise my own animals organically & pastorally.
Eight different farms are featured. Each farm has it's own specialty. Each farm is then followed with a project inline with the theme of the farm. The projects are beautiful & very useful. I also find the book to be incredibly inspirational. It is rare that I come across a book of this nature that I find so relatable & useful!
Chapter one is the kitchen garden. It features a farm in California. The book shows the basics in how to get your own eco friendly garden started. The project is a pallet strawberry planter. Aside from growing plenty of crops, I too grow strawberries. I find them a royal pain in the butt thanks to their constant runners & the endless battle with weeds. This planter idea helps one deal with the weeds & makes harvesting easier. Note that it's not big enough for producing massive amounts of strawberries, but it is still worth trying. It appears to be a huge time & back saver.
Next is a garden in the UK (Devon). This farm is mainly focused on edible flowers which is always a lot of fun & beautiful to boot! A list of popular edible flowers is provided along with when they bloom & what temp they are hardy to. As with the previous section, plenty of inspiration photos & ideas are provided to enjoy your own edible flower garden. The projects are an edible flower planter (the planter isn't edible, the contents are), floral ice cubes, edible flower frittata, & lavender shortbread.
A garden in the UK (London) that focuses on herbs is featured next. As with the other farmers, this section provides a little background information on the farmer herself. A photo gallery of culinary herbs is provided followed by explaining how to grow culinary herbs. A chart is provided for classic Mediterranean culinary herbs, varieties to try, plant spacing & hardiness. Projects include a DIY Herb Spiral which lets you create a mini microclimate where you will plant various herbs in the spiral based on the herbs needs. How to create your own herb infused oils, growing & enjoying your own three mint Mojito, & herb embedded pasta, with you guessed it, your own made from scratch pasta.
Plants for skin care. This farm is based in the UK (Isle of Man). This farmer mainly grows plants for their known skin benefits. How to grow plants for skin care is provided, plus a photo gallery & a chart on skin care plants & their uses. Projects include how to create botanical extracts, rose petal facial mist, herbal bath fizzies, & how to make your own lavender & alkanet soap. Hint: Once you make your own soap, you'll never want to buy the mass produced stuff in the store again.
Learn herbal medicine basics from a farm in Germany (Hamburg). This section provides relevant information regarding herbal medicine in the same vein as it does for the other cops/plants grown in the previous sections. Projects include growing chamomile for tea (& how to brew & enjoy it), chamomile tincture, calendula skin salve & lemon balm cold sore balm. I also make my own teas, tinctures, salves & balms. These are incredibly useful & I feel it is more important than ever to learn how to do these things ourselves & not be so dependent on outside sources as the most recent pandemic has shown us how quickly our supply chain can be disrupted.
Finally, back in the USA is a farm in North Carolina who focuses on herbs for the home. For example, preserves, home cleaners & skin care. As with the other farms the photos are gorgeous & inspirational. Guidance on how to grow your own home garden is provided with a basic chart & a cute example of drying your linens on blooming lavender & how you can bring sweet pea flowers into the home for a intense perfumed bouquet. Another chart lists plants with home uses, the plants growing preferences, etc. Projects include how to make your own raised garden bed, DIY rosemary & citrus kitchen spray (hint this is so easy to make!), natural wood furniture polish, & soapwort multipurpose cleaner.
While I love every single farm (really, I do), Teresinha's garden in the UK (Birmingham) is one of my favorites because it's all about using natural dye plants. Note there is a small amount of misinformation in this section. Here you will learn the basics of how to grow your own dye garden. The main focus is on using these homegrown dyes on fibers. However, there is a fun example of how certain plants can be used to dye foodstuffs. This is not only great for adults but also a great project to try with kids. How to use dye plants, a chart of the common dye plants & the colors you can expect to get from them is provided. Projects include preparing the fibers for dyeing, dying yarn with onion skins (the colors will amaze you) & naturally coloring handmade soap (as a soap maker, I can tell you this is a lot of fun). The minor errors in the section are in listing the colors animal fibers, stating they come come in only white, grey, brown, & black. For some reason shades of red was left out. Not brick red or fire engine red, but more of a soft orangy fawn or buff color. Angora rabbits & angora goats can & do produce coats known as red along with the colors already mentioned. The other minor error is in listing that cotton only comes in creams & white. As a grower of organic heirloom cotton plants I want you to know that cotton comes in green as well. There are several shades of green depending on the type of cotton plant. There is also a rich brown that one would hardly refer to as cream.
The last garden is in Canada (Ontario). It features fun ways to upcycle & recycle goods giving them a new purpose in the garden, including making your own fall leaf garland. A photo gallery of creative garden ideas is provided. Some are more eco friendly than others. Some repurpose while others use nature; a woven unpainted basket. Guidance on how to create your own creative & low cost garden. Lists of plants you can propagate from cuttings & from divisions are included (rather than having to buy which gets expensive fast), how to create compost & how to craft with plants. Learn how to make your own fossil stepping stones, pressed flower candles & papier mache leaf lanterns.
From the farms above, you can clearly see that the majority of them are based in the UK. As a US Appalachian farmer I would have loved to see at least one farm featured that was at least in the Midwest. The United States is huge & we have so many different growing climates. Often a growing climate in the UK, will not be suitable for those of us in the US. Be sure to pay attention to the growing requirements provided to see what works for you. To be fair to the author, in the back of the book the author explains how she first wrote this book during the first months of the China virus outbreak. This limited her ability to travel. I sincerely hope she creates another book featuring another handful of farmers in the future as I will be sure to get it.
Eight different farms are featured. Each farm has it's own specialty. Each farm is then followed with a project inline with the theme of the farm. The projects are beautiful & very useful. I also find the book to be incredibly inspirational. It is rare that I come across a book of this nature that I find so relatable & useful!
Chapter one is the kitchen garden. It features a farm in California. The book shows the basics in how to get your own eco friendly garden started. The project is a pallet strawberry planter. Aside from growing plenty of crops, I too grow strawberries. I find them a royal pain in the butt thanks to their constant runners & the endless battle with weeds. This planter idea helps one deal with the weeds & makes harvesting easier. Note that it's not big enough for producing massive amounts of strawberries, but it is still worth trying. It appears to be a huge time & back saver.
Next is a garden in the UK (Devon). This farm is mainly focused on edible flowers which is always a lot of fun & beautiful to boot! A list of popular edible flowers is provided along with when they bloom & what temp they are hardy to. As with the previous section, plenty of inspiration photos & ideas are provided to enjoy your own edible flower garden. The projects are an edible flower planter (the planter isn't edible, the contents are), floral ice cubes, edible flower frittata, & lavender shortbread.
A garden in the UK (London) that focuses on herbs is featured next. As with the other farmers, this section provides a little background information on the farmer herself. A photo gallery of culinary herbs is provided followed by explaining how to grow culinary herbs. A chart is provided for classic Mediterranean culinary herbs, varieties to try, plant spacing & hardiness. Projects include a DIY Herb Spiral which lets you create a mini microclimate where you will plant various herbs in the spiral based on the herbs needs. How to create your own herb infused oils, growing & enjoying your own three mint Mojito, & herb embedded pasta, with you guessed it, your own made from scratch pasta.
Plants for skin care. This farm is based in the UK (Isle of Man). This farmer mainly grows plants for their known skin benefits. How to grow plants for skin care is provided, plus a photo gallery & a chart on skin care plants & their uses. Projects include how to create botanical extracts, rose petal facial mist, herbal bath fizzies, & how to make your own lavender & alkanet soap. Hint: Once you make your own soap, you'll never want to buy the mass produced stuff in the store again.
Learn herbal medicine basics from a farm in Germany (Hamburg). This section provides relevant information regarding herbal medicine in the same vein as it does for the other cops/plants grown in the previous sections. Projects include growing chamomile for tea (& how to brew & enjoy it), chamomile tincture, calendula skin salve & lemon balm cold sore balm. I also make my own teas, tinctures, salves & balms. These are incredibly useful & I feel it is more important than ever to learn how to do these things ourselves & not be so dependent on outside sources as the most recent pandemic has shown us how quickly our supply chain can be disrupted.
Finally, back in the USA is a farm in North Carolina who focuses on herbs for the home. For example, preserves, home cleaners & skin care. As with the other farms the photos are gorgeous & inspirational. Guidance on how to grow your own home garden is provided with a basic chart & a cute example of drying your linens on blooming lavender & how you can bring sweet pea flowers into the home for a intense perfumed bouquet. Another chart lists plants with home uses, the plants growing preferences, etc. Projects include how to make your own raised garden bed, DIY rosemary & citrus kitchen spray (hint this is so easy to make!), natural wood furniture polish, & soapwort multipurpose cleaner.
While I love every single farm (really, I do), Teresinha's garden in the UK (Birmingham) is one of my favorites because it's all about using natural dye plants. Note there is a small amount of misinformation in this section. Here you will learn the basics of how to grow your own dye garden. The main focus is on using these homegrown dyes on fibers. However, there is a fun example of how certain plants can be used to dye foodstuffs. This is not only great for adults but also a great project to try with kids. How to use dye plants, a chart of the common dye plants & the colors you can expect to get from them is provided. Projects include preparing the fibers for dyeing, dying yarn with onion skins (the colors will amaze you) & naturally coloring handmade soap (as a soap maker, I can tell you this is a lot of fun). The minor errors in the section are in listing the colors animal fibers, stating they come come in only white, grey, brown, & black. For some reason shades of red was left out. Not brick red or fire engine red, but more of a soft orangy fawn or buff color. Angora rabbits & angora goats can & do produce coats known as red along with the colors already mentioned. The other minor error is in listing that cotton only comes in creams & white. As a grower of organic heirloom cotton plants I want you to know that cotton comes in green as well. There are several shades of green depending on the type of cotton plant. There is also a rich brown that one would hardly refer to as cream.
The last garden is in Canada (Ontario). It features fun ways to upcycle & recycle goods giving them a new purpose in the garden, including making your own fall leaf garland. A photo gallery of creative garden ideas is provided. Some are more eco friendly than others. Some repurpose while others use nature; a woven unpainted basket. Guidance on how to create your own creative & low cost garden. Lists of plants you can propagate from cuttings & from divisions are included (rather than having to buy which gets expensive fast), how to create compost & how to craft with plants. Learn how to make your own fossil stepping stones, pressed flower candles & papier mache leaf lanterns.
From the farms above, you can clearly see that the majority of them are based in the UK. As a US Appalachian farmer I would have loved to see at least one farm featured that was at least in the Midwest. The United States is huge & we have so many different growing climates. Often a growing climate in the UK, will not be suitable for those of us in the US. Be sure to pay attention to the growing requirements provided to see what works for you. To be fair to the author, in the back of the book the author explains how she first wrote this book during the first months of the China virus outbreak. This limited her ability to travel. I sincerely hope she creates another book featuring another handful of farmers in the future as I will be sure to get it.
April 28, 2021
Inspiring Ideas and Simple, Beautiful Garden & Self-Care Projects
I received an advanced ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and loved it so much I pre-ordered it.
If you want to start planting a garden that is a feast for your eyes, and provides materials for food, skin care, medicine, house cleaning and furniture treatment, and beautiful crafts, this book, which profiles several gardeners in the UK, US and Germany, will provide huge amounts of both inspiration and also the instructions to get you going. Soap, candles, bath bombs, and much much more. Directions for a raised bed are included, and most projects use the most "frugal" of construction materials.
Each gardener gives instructions on how to create and grow plants for specific purposes...such as edible flowers, plants that can be used to dye cloth or yarn, as well as garden projects that make growing more productive and also beautiful.
I love having so many different gardeners profiled, because you get to see gorgeous examples of multi-purpose gardens from a variety of sources.
And while there may be individual books that cover some topics in more depth (soap making or plant dyes, for example), this kind of book is the perfect way to get you started in ALL of these activities, with top notch, visually appealing projects that even make me want to make soap (and I've never had the inclination!).
I think this is a perfect book for both a beginner and advanced gardener for the same reason...this book helps you envision your own garden, and gives you the wisdom of several gardeners who are also artists in what they do. The photographs and instructions are top-notch and just pure inspiration.
Absolutely LOVE this book. My physical copy arrived yesterday and it's a feast for the eyes.
I received an advanced ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and loved it so much I pre-ordered it.
If you want to start planting a garden that is a feast for your eyes, and provides materials for food, skin care, medicine, house cleaning and furniture treatment, and beautiful crafts, this book, which profiles several gardeners in the UK, US and Germany, will provide huge amounts of both inspiration and also the instructions to get you going. Soap, candles, bath bombs, and much much more. Directions for a raised bed are included, and most projects use the most "frugal" of construction materials.
Each gardener gives instructions on how to create and grow plants for specific purposes...such as edible flowers, plants that can be used to dye cloth or yarn, as well as garden projects that make growing more productive and also beautiful.
I love having so many different gardeners profiled, because you get to see gorgeous examples of multi-purpose gardens from a variety of sources.
And while there may be individual books that cover some topics in more depth (soap making or plant dyes, for example), this kind of book is the perfect way to get you started in ALL of these activities, with top notch, visually appealing projects that even make me want to make soap (and I've never had the inclination!).
I think this is a perfect book for both a beginner and advanced gardener for the same reason...this book helps you envision your own garden, and gives you the wisdom of several gardeners who are also artists in what they do. The photographs and instructions are top-notch and just pure inspiration.
Absolutely LOVE this book. My physical copy arrived yesterday and it's a feast for the eyes.
January 21, 2021
This is such a lovely book, so much so that I am going to buy a copy when it is released.
As a gardener, both veg and flowers I am always intrigued to find new ways of utilising what I grow. Many vegetables have various uses and I know the same can be said for flowers. I have in the past used flowers in my homemade candles and soaps but that is all. This book has given me so many more ideas for other things.
Not only is the book full of hints, tips, crafts and recipes, it also gives gardens from around the world. Often I find with gardening books they are specific to one country. This one has gardens from the US, Germany, UK and more. It gives a range of plants and growing conditions as well as introducing different techniques.
Some of the things I am going to be trying when things start growing again are, floral ice-cubes, simple and one of those "why haven't I don't this before" thigs, yes flowers in ice-cubes, that's it simple and obvious when you think about it. Also, an edible flower frittata sounds and looks amazing and I seriously need to make the lavender shortbread, I have been meaning to use lavender in my baking since I read a fictional book about this a while back. Oh, and the herb embedded pasta sounds and looks great aw well.
As well as recipes there are a few growing ideas for structures, crafting ideas for soaps, bath bombs and so many other great things. It is a book that will appeal to gardeners, crafters, making homemade products and for those who bake. I like this book so much that I need to get a copy when it is published.
A fabulous book that has gorgeous photos and is perfect for me and I know several others who would love it as well. I would absolutely recommend this book.
As a gardener, both veg and flowers I am always intrigued to find new ways of utilising what I grow. Many vegetables have various uses and I know the same can be said for flowers. I have in the past used flowers in my homemade candles and soaps but that is all. This book has given me so many more ideas for other things.
Not only is the book full of hints, tips, crafts and recipes, it also gives gardens from around the world. Often I find with gardening books they are specific to one country. This one has gardens from the US, Germany, UK and more. It gives a range of plants and growing conditions as well as introducing different techniques.
Some of the things I am going to be trying when things start growing again are, floral ice-cubes, simple and one of those "why haven't I don't this before" thigs, yes flowers in ice-cubes, that's it simple and obvious when you think about it. Also, an edible flower frittata sounds and looks amazing and I seriously need to make the lavender shortbread, I have been meaning to use lavender in my baking since I read a fictional book about this a while back. Oh, and the herb embedded pasta sounds and looks great aw well.
As well as recipes there are a few growing ideas for structures, crafting ideas for soaps, bath bombs and so many other great things. It is a book that will appeal to gardeners, crafters, making homemade products and for those who bake. I like this book so much that I need to get a copy when it is published.
A fabulous book that has gorgeous photos and is perfect for me and I know several others who would love it as well. I would absolutely recommend this book.
February 16, 2021
Immersing ourselves in nature can bring such incredible peace and grounding. But for many of us, escaping the bounds of the city can be daunting. What if we could bring that peace and calm just a few steps closer... maybe as close as our own backyards? What if our little pieces of earth could be turned into beautiful and functional havens?
A Woman's Garden encourages us to do just that. Author Tanya Anderson takes us on a journey of transforming whatever little piece of ground we have into a sanctuary full of life. In this book, you'll meet women from all over the globe who have created gardens of healing, nutrition, and health. Each woman is unique and each garden reflects that uniqueness either in design or functionality. Besides their inspiring stories, you'll also learn along the way, whether it be how to create a herb spire, strawberry planter pallet, or variety of foods.
I loved reading through A Woman's Garden. Each section because a new and beautiful discovery for me. I found myself taking so much away from the women's stories and learning from their gardening techniques. Each garden was different and offered unique elements that I hope to include in my own backyard. This is truly a wonderful book and one that I will reach for often in my own gardening journey.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
A Woman's Garden encourages us to do just that. Author Tanya Anderson takes us on a journey of transforming whatever little piece of ground we have into a sanctuary full of life. In this book, you'll meet women from all over the globe who have created gardens of healing, nutrition, and health. Each woman is unique and each garden reflects that uniqueness either in design or functionality. Besides their inspiring stories, you'll also learn along the way, whether it be how to create a herb spire, strawberry planter pallet, or variety of foods.
I loved reading through A Woman's Garden. Each section because a new and beautiful discovery for me. I found myself taking so much away from the women's stories and learning from their gardening techniques. Each garden was different and offered unique elements that I hope to include in my own backyard. This is truly a wonderful book and one that I will reach for often in my own gardening journey.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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February 16, 2021Now that we own a home, I've been obsessively reading gardening books in hopes of creating an inviting backyard space. My goal for the garden is for it to be both beautiful and useful, and this book was absolutely perfect for that goal. There's such a wide variety of projects in the book that it's never even crossed my mind to think about trying. I absolutely want to try making my own pasta encrusted with herbs. There are other ideas, like dyeing yarn with natural dyes from plants, that I don't think I'll try but I still found interesting.
The photos throughout offer visual inspiration. I love that the author profiled different gardeners and their gardens in each section. All of these gardeners have a blog or other social media platform, so it's a great way to discover even more sources of gardening inspiration.
This book has been one of my favorites out of the gardening books that I've read so far in preparation for spring, and it's been completely different from any of the other ones that I've come across so far. If you're interested in creating a garden space for yourself, then I'd recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The photos throughout offer visual inspiration. I love that the author profiled different gardeners and their gardens in each section. All of these gardeners have a blog or other social media platform, so it's a great way to discover even more sources of gardening inspiration.
This book has been one of my favorites out of the gardening books that I've read so far in preparation for spring, and it's been completely different from any of the other ones that I've come across so far. If you're interested in creating a garden space for yourself, then I'd recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2021
I've been following Lovely Greens on Facebook for a few years now...so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see that Tanya Anderson had written a book! A Woman's Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things is everything that it promises – and more.
This is the perfect book for gardeners and foodies alike. If you love gardening and the concept of clean food, well, I was going to say that you'll love this book – but realistically, you'd also love Lovely Greens, so I just want to tack that on.
I think what I enjoyed the most about this book, personally, was the ability to see several different gardens and their designs. I'm currently in the planning phase for my own garden, so this was extremely helpful.
Thanks to Cool Springs Press and #Edelweiss for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
This is the perfect book for gardeners and foodies alike. If you love gardening and the concept of clean food, well, I was going to say that you'll love this book – but realistically, you'd also love Lovely Greens, so I just want to tack that on.
I think what I enjoyed the most about this book, personally, was the ability to see several different gardens and their designs. I'm currently in the planning phase for my own garden, so this was extremely helpful.
Thanks to Cool Springs Press and #Edelweiss for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
April 1, 2022
Really enjoy books that have information on self-sufficient gardens and by extension providing information on recipes, making household/beauty/medical product and especially plants to dye with.
This is no ordinary book on gardening, but it has a wealth of information on building a garden, growing herbs and vegetables, and producing some beautiful items and using plants to make hand dyed wool/fabric. I love the information on making herb embedded pasta, edible flowers, especially the flower ice blocks, and much, much more.
The information is easy to understand, projects well illustrated and products easily accessed. I have been doing natural dyeing for a number of years and this book's section on the subject was very good.
A great book for all gardeners, and I though children would love to learn from it.
This is no ordinary book on gardening, but it has a wealth of information on building a garden, growing herbs and vegetables, and producing some beautiful items and using plants to make hand dyed wool/fabric. I love the information on making herb embedded pasta, edible flowers, especially the flower ice blocks, and much, much more.
The information is easy to understand, projects well illustrated and products easily accessed. I have been doing natural dyeing for a number of years and this book's section on the subject was very good.
A great book for all gardeners, and I though children would love to learn from it.
February 4, 2021
I was browsing NetGalley, saw this, and thought why not? It's pretty, and the gardener profiles are nice, but it's pretty basic; I feel as though I might have an old copy of Mother Earth Living magazine (or maybe Mary Jane's Farm) (or maybe just a Pinterest board) containing much of the same guidance and projects for a fraction of the cost. It might be great for a newbie gardener/crafter, but I was hoping for more. Especially given the title. There is nothing inherently womanly about the featured gardens; they just happen to be maintained by women. A better title might have been How to Make Stuff with the Plants You Grow (Featuring Tips from Some British and North American Ladies Who Do).
February 5, 2021
A Woman's Garden: Grow beautiful plants and make useful things by Tanya Anderson
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden
Release Date: March 23, 2021
A Woman's Garden: Grow beautiful plants and make useful things by Tanya Anderson is a great resource for gardening plants with purpose. It contains beautiful pictures and suggestions for repurposing items.
I look forward to making my very own Pallet Strawberry Planter!
This is an easy to read guide, filled with great tips and suggestions!
I'm so grateful to Tanya Anderson, Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden
Release Date: March 23, 2021
A Woman's Garden: Grow beautiful plants and make useful things by Tanya Anderson is a great resource for gardening plants with purpose. It contains beautiful pictures and suggestions for repurposing items.
I look forward to making my very own Pallet Strawberry Planter!
This is an easy to read guide, filled with great tips and suggestions!
I'm so grateful to Tanya Anderson, Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
December 20, 2021
3.5*
While this book is gorgeous with wonderful photography, I find myself frustrated with these types of books because it seems they are redundant. Do we need a how to grow plant section in every gardening book? There are plenty and then plenty more "how to grow the basic edible garden" plant books piled high in every bookstore and library. I'm sure the publisher had something to do with this being added in. I would have loved to have just seen a hefty book with a showcase of 25 different women's gardens. And I don't know if my complaints have anything to do with the author because I know what kind of work goes into these books, but publishers, come on...enough already!
*I received an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for my review*
While this book is gorgeous with wonderful photography, I find myself frustrated with these types of books because it seems they are redundant. Do we need a how to grow plant section in every gardening book? There are plenty and then plenty more "how to grow the basic edible garden" plant books piled high in every bookstore and library. I'm sure the publisher had something to do with this being added in. I would have loved to have just seen a hefty book with a showcase of 25 different women's gardens. And I don't know if my complaints have anything to do with the author because I know what kind of work goes into these books, but publishers, come on...enough already!
*I received an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for my review*
April 11, 2021
I just finished reading A Woman’s Garden that shares the journey of ladies who have been growing and developing their gardens for several years. Each section of the book shares a look at how gardening can provide what we need for our health and beauty, home and crafts, food and enjoyment. Many of us have been gardening and exploring new ways to connect to our roots and A Woman’s Garden is a great resource to help us grow. As I read the book, I found myself with a renewed intention to discover new ways to use the flowers, vegetables and herbs that are growing in my world.
**I received a copy of this book. No monetary compensation was received.**
**I received a copy of this book. No monetary compensation was received.**
August 12, 2022
I enjoyed this book cover to cover. I loved reading the stories of the various gardens and their caretakers, and I learned something new about a plant in each section. The recipes and projects in the book were inspiring - even if I might not do the exact project mentioned, they were useful to give me ideas. Having just recently visited the Isle of Man for a couple of weeks, I also really enjoyed learning about Tanya Anderson's garden and home there, and now regularly visit her website for more stories.
This is a great book for beginner or gardeners in their first few years, or an experienced gardener who might want some new inspiration for a new garden space.
This is a great book for beginner or gardeners in their first few years, or an experienced gardener who might want some new inspiration for a new garden space.
December 23, 2020
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a surprisingly thorough book!
This book profiles various women and their gardens while touching on things like edible flowers, herb gardens, flowers used for dye, and even plants used for skincare. There's lots of information on plants and how to grow your own garden. There's also how-to information for projects like making a raised bed. There's even recipes based on commonly grown edible plants!
This is a great book for people interested in gardening and eating from their garden.
This is a surprisingly thorough book!
This book profiles various women and their gardens while touching on things like edible flowers, herb gardens, flowers used for dye, and even plants used for skincare. There's lots of information on plants and how to grow your own garden. There's also how-to information for projects like making a raised bed. There's even recipes based on commonly grown edible plants!
This is a great book for people interested in gardening and eating from their garden.
February 13, 2021
As someone who was raised watching my mom garden and then tasting and seeing the fruits of her labor, this book was a walk down memory lane. As a new home owner wanting to follow in my mom’s steps, “A Women’s Garden” helps me to see the vision of my own garden. The book shows different garden styles from women’s gardens all over the world. Each has their own style and special touch, which makes me realize that a garden can be anything you want it to be. I love how author Tanya Anderson gives us ideas for edible gardens and recipes, while also including instructions for design and crafts. If you are a seasoned gardener or dreaming of becoming one, this book is a great choice.
(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.)
(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.)
March 26, 2021
A different kind of gardening book - part biography, showing the gardens of a handful of women in the US and the UK; part recipe book and skill builder, outlining how to make everything from soap to chamomile tea to medicinal balms using the plants from your garden. I loved seeing the photos of the different gardens, and the detailed instructions about how to grow, harvest and use the highlighted plants were invaluable.
May 27, 2021
I was awestruck by the simplicity and user friendly book I found in 'A Woman's Garden'. I have always been one to keep plants and I value the use of herbal remedies, but never stopped to think that there is so much more that can be done in a garden. The fact that this book is full of pictures to inspire you to create the perfect garden of your own, will keep me busy and enthused for a long time to come.
February 1, 2021
A Woman's Garden offers a wide variety of information on gardens and provides wonderful pictures to go along. In an attempt to become more self-sufficient, my family and I have been working on our garden here and there and I've found great inspiration from this book. The information this book provides ranges from growing fruits and veggies, to using herbs and spices, using plants for dying, and all sorts of hobbies, crafts, and recipes. I gathered so much information that I'm looking forward to implementing in our own garden. This book would make a great addition to anyone looking to be a little greener in any way.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
January 30, 2021
I received a free digital advance copy from NetGalley in return for an impartial review. A beautiful and informative book about gardening and how to use plants for cooking, skin care, herbal remedies, cleaning products, dying and crafts. I loved the combination of women's stories, gardening advice and instructions for projects, accompanied by gorgeous photographs.
February 21, 2021
A great and very informative book! This is the one garden book I would love to have a physical copy of at home. It talks about edible herbs and flowers and then there are some recipes. Then it talks about plants for skin care, herbal medicine, herbs for the home and more recipes (soap recipe, extracts). I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
March 26, 2021
I absolutely loved how Tanya presented other women's gardens, stories, and crafty projects in this book. The photographs are beautiful, the women were relatable, and I got jealous of the lovely spaces they've created! Most of all, I can't wait to try out the projects in this book. It's making me very excited for warmer weather.
May 30, 2021
A really good book on Garde3ning and the list goes on. Recipes and the views of other female gardeners. Love the recipes and information about the different oils tinctures etc. It will be in my reference library along with all my gardening books. One I especially like is the recipe for furniture polish.
September 8, 2021
A nice enough book that caught my eye on the library shelf in spite of the title which just seems odd. Why highlight it as “a woman’s garden” when men might enjoy these crafts too. Why not just title it, Growing Beautiful Plants and Making Useful Things?
Most of these gardens are in the UK so not really appropriate for my climate in the semi-arid West of the US but it was fun to skim through.
Most of these gardens are in the UK so not really appropriate for my climate in the semi-arid West of the US but it was fun to skim through.
March 9, 2024
I liked this book looking at different types of gardens and using plants for - cooking, medicines, beauty products, home products, dying and crafting.
I definitely learned about plants to use to dye soaps and liked the lists of different herbs and the included information about winter hardiness temperatures for some plants
I definitely learned about plants to use to dye soaps and liked the lists of different herbs and the included information about winter hardiness temperatures for some plants
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