Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food In Hard Times

A lot of books will show you how to have a cute backyard micro-garden; this one will show you how to make sure the produce you get from it is plentiful, has the proper nutrients, and doesn't wear out your soil. Steve Solomon drops his knowledge about how to actually make serious gardening work on a practical elbow grease level, while saving water and money to boot. If you're willing to bust ass, you can do this right, even if you come in with no existing skills. If you live in a temperate climate (he talks especially about his experience in the Pacific Northwest or New Zealand, but really anywhere without super extreme temps), and you've ever been disillusioned by the high cost in time and actual money of producing a few wilted kale leaves in your backyard, this book is for you! Fair disclosure: This book's fertilizer recipe is definitely non-vegan. But you'll still learn a bunch.