Are you thinking of planting a garden? Dreaming of getting chickens, but need inspiration on coop designs? Wanting to incorporate edible plants into your landscaping?
Whether you’re working with five acres, a city lot, an apartment balcony or a community garden plot, there are books and other resources available at the library to help you grow your own food.
Check out the titles below for ideas on growing, cooking and foraging.
• “The Beautiful Edible Garden: Design a Stylish Outdoor Space Using Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs” by Leslie Bennett and Stefani Bittner
This book offers landscape design ideas that incorporate plenty of edible plants along with ornamentals, for a beautiful garden in the front yard or backyard.
• “Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening, Including 50 Recipes, Plus Harvesting and Storage Tips” by Willi Galloway; photographs by Jim Henkens
Portland author and former West Coast editor of Organic Gardening magazine, Willi Galloway offers tips for growing a kitchen garden and includes delicious recipes for feasting upon on your backyard harvest.
• “Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat” by Ellen Zachos
Venture into your backyard to explore familiar ornamental plants and weeds. With this book as your guide, you can safely discover delicious unexpected edibles growing in your neighborhood.
• “Reinventing the Chicken Coop: 14 Original Designs with Step-By-Step Building Instructions” by Kevin McElroy and Matthew Wolpe; photography by Erin Kunkel
Who knew chicken coops could look so classy? If you’re looking for inspired ideas for building a home for your hens, check out this book.
• “Gardening for the Birds: How to Create a Bird-Friendly Backyard” by George Adams
This title offers garden design ideas that incorporate native plants to create habitat and attract birds to your backyard. Note: Currently on-order; publication date is July 2, 2013. To place a hold on the title, visit www.nols.org.
• “How to Eradicate Invasive Plants” by Teri Dunn Chace
200 common invasive plants are discussed in this book, with suggested methods for eradication. The bindweed on the cover may make some readers cringe!
• “The Speedy Vegetable Garden” by Mark Diacono and Lia Leendertz
From sprouts you can grow on your kitchen counter to baby salad greens ready to eat in a few weeks, this book features 50 crops that grow quickly.
Emily Sly is a volunteer and outreach program coordinator with the North Olympic Library System. When she’s not at the library, Sly can be found in the garden with her family. She’s currently looking forward to the first ripe strawberry of the season.
