Homesweet Homegrown: How to Grow, Make and Store Food, No Matter Where You Live

by Robyn Jasko, Jennifer Biggs (Illustrations)

This succinct handbook is packed with practical information that will inspire and enable those who want to grow their own food and venture down the path of food independence. From choosing and starting seeds to preserving the harvest, cost effective and time-saving projects are set forth in detail. Instructions for making DIY planters and irrigation systems, designs for upcycling old furniture into gardening stations, recipes for homemade organic plant sprays, charts listing dollars-and-cents breakdowns of homegrown versus store-bought produce, and growing guides for fruits or vegetables are just a few of the projects that will inspire neophyte and experienced gardeners to dig deep into sustainable living.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Food, Plants, Cookbooks

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Robyn Jasko started Grow Indie in 2009, to empower people with the tools, know-how and gusto to try growing their own food, while being as resourceful as possible. For the past decade, she has written for several national and international magazines and websites, writing about sustainable living, gardening and travel destinations, on and off the beaten path.

Reviews

[Kira Mckee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome tips and references!

[Annie Cai · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book gifted by Brandon Lu to fuel my gardening addiction

[Shannon Rohrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chock-full of helpful information for anyone interested in not only growing their own food, but preserving it as well. Some of the information felt a bit outdated (it's amazing how much can change in a decade), but largely everything covered was practical in nature. I kind of wish they'd included some illustrations for interplanting and companion planting, since I find it hard to retain info written down in a graph (as I'm sure others do, too) but otherwise I have more complaints.

Solid and helpful. Recommended.

[Samantha Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and useful read. This little book is jammed packed with just about anything you need to know about growing your own food (when to plant, where to plant, companion planning, harvesting, canning, recipes, and a ton more.) I will definitely be referencing this book come spring.

[Quinn B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and very user friendly text. I love a good list and let me tell you this book is full of “what you need” and “dos and don’t” lists. Lots of information, and doesn’t miss a single question I had when reading. We will see In the spring just how good some of the instructions are.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy and accessible ways to plant your own garden and use your own veggies. I'm feeling inspired!!

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to plant my second ever garden this year and this book make me feel really excited and prepared! So many good ideas and really useful information!

[Karel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super easy and quick read on how to grow food. A good place to start for gardening!

[Maggie]

Cute little book to add to a gardening themed gift basket.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small, easy to read, and has more useful information than any other gardening book I've ever read. LOVE!!

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! Well rounded and good for quick reference

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏚️ cottagecore dreams 🇬🇧

[Wise Ape · Rating 4 out of 5]

a dream of having a farm in one's backyard seems more doable now

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a handy little reference for a new gardener. I'm ordering my own copy of it, as I got it as a library book. It has planting advice, storage and canning information and much more. A lot is packed into 123 short pages.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There really is no shortage of gardening books out there. I have checked out dozens from the library, usually for a quick skim for tips and ideas. Many times I get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information, stuff that as a newbie I have no point of reference to even give meaning to.

I just found this garden-tip book and I think it's one I'll buy (I have a tiny collection so far. Most books get returned to the library after I jot down a few relevant notes that I MIGHT use one day).

I like this book because it's tiny. I can skim through it in 20-30 minutes. It has all the good stuff: tips on specific plants, simple projects for the garden, practical tips and natural sprays that are easily made at home, and even...drumroll...recipes for EATING! I am a sucker for garden books that include recipes. I guess because I love to cook, I love to garden, and I can't see how the two are separate. The recipes have enough of a twist from the usual (including a method for kraut that seems simpler than any method I've seen so far) to have me intrigued and ready to try them out.

Since I can read this book in one sitting, maybe if I read it enough times, the information will stick and I can give the impression I know what I'm talking about. Ha!

The back of the book includes a nice handful of websites to check out for garden tips and gadgets. I plan to go browse them, specifically the site that sells canning lids that can be reused...never knew something like that even existed!

The book comes from micropublishing.com, which appears to specialize in publishing tiny books like this that are filled with good information. I may have come upon a goldmine of wonderful books! I really like this snippet from the website's 'about' section:

"Microcosm continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, influencing other publishers large and small with books and bookettes about DIY skills, food, zines, and art. Microcosm constantly strives to be recognized for our spirit, creativity, and value. As a commitment to our ethics, our books are printed by union workers in the U.S. and we are moving towards all production using post-consumer papers, with vegan inks and bindings. Further, while only 25-35% of authors are women, we continue to publish about 50% of books by women."

[Melissa Massello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how much gushier I could get about this book than my back cover blurb (below), so I'll just say that if you have any black thumbs like myself on your list then this amazingly accessible guide from former Rodale staffer Robyn Jasko is a must-buy.

"Makes planting and growing your own food so dead-simple, friendly & unassuming that even this black-thumbed gardener is encouraged to think she 'Can, Can, Can.' With instructions for making DIY planters and irrigation, designs for upcycling old furniture into gardening stations, recipes for creating homemade plant sprays, charts listing dollars-and-cents breakdowns of home-grown versus store-bought produce, and growing guides, this book is worth its weight in gold — or rather, golden beets." ~Melissa Massello, editor of Shoestring Magazine

Featured in Required Reading: Self-Reliance, Sewing, Sharing & Swapping on ShoestringMag.com

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best (and certainly THE best small) gardening resources I've come across. While it certainly isn't comprehensive, the specific information provided and the ways its presented is exactly what I'm always wanting from other books I've read. The will definitely be by our side this year as we continue our experimentation with home gardening. I also appreciate that the book covers every step from planning, planting, harvested, cooking, and storing your food. Good, quick read!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any person who does home gardening should have this book. It is an extremely useful tool, from helping you plan your garden to what to do with the food you've grown. I usually just wing it and during the spring haphazardly pick out some seeds and plant away. This year I feel organized, I'm not saying to myself, "I wonder if this will work..." and I cannot wait to get started. Go buy this book.

[pea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

the only reason for another gardening book is because you want info on flowers.
or you depend on chemicals and should just stick with buying your produce.
the illustrations are fabulous
the information is to the point & logical

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little gardening resource guide that I plan to keep handy for many years to come!!

[Hayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great information in here on how to start a garden, no matter what food you want to grow and no matter where you live. Love the illustrations in it too.

[Blaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic! extremely informitive and perfect for beginners! i will be buying this book (or hopefully getting it for my birthday that is coming up)
highly recommend!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource for beginner gardeners. It's really practical and full of great information.

[gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and full of info. ANother great practical guide from Microcosm!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great gardening resource! Small and simple.

[Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Lots of great info for all kinds of gardeners and all steps of the process. Very easy to understand!