This season’s One Book, One Chicago theme is “Eat, Think, Grow” and this year’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, tells the story of Barbara Kingsolver and her family as they plant a garden and grow their own food for a year. If you’re thinking of starting a garden, but you’re not quite the traditional type, here are some reads you may enjoy.
Did you know that you can grow fruit from pits in pots? Plants From Pits will teach you how you can enjoy avocados, mangos or apples that you grow from their pits, as houseplants in your home.
If like many people, you’ve taken up home brewing as a hobby, your garden can help make your beer even more local. The Homebrewer's Garden takes you through the process of growing the freshest hops, malts and herbs for your special brews.
Raised bed gardening is growing in popularity for many reasons. It allows you to grow in dirt you choose, it may increase your yield, and it is much easier for children, seniors, and people with physical disabilities to participate in. Raised Bed Revolution will get you started.
Your landscape can be beautiful and useful, when you hide edibles with plants and flowers. Gardening Like A Ninja shows you how to integrate herbs and plants into your landscape, providing curb appeal for your home and delicious food too.
You can’t eat them, but they might be a fun thing to plant along the fence by your nosy neighbors, or to grow with the children in your life. The Savage Garden is a comprehensive guide to popular insect-eating plants.
Finally, you’ll be the hero of your neighborhood when you plant a garden in those little random patches of land on the corners of streets or alleys. Hellstrip Gardening provides inspiration from people around the country who have made their communities more beautiful with plants.
Do you have an unusual or non-traditional garden? Share your tips in the comments!
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