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Don't Throw It, Grow It!: 68 Windowsill Plants From Kitchen Scraps
Don’t throw out your kitchen scraps — grow them! Discover how you can transform leftover pomegranate seeds, mango pits, and dried bits of gingerroot into thriving plants. From the common carrot to the exotic cherimoya, you’ll be amazed at the gardening possibilities hidden in the foods you eat.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 19, 2009
My dad always grew a series of avocado plants from the pit in water in the windowsill of our kitchen. I've always been the type to buy seeds and starts at a greenhouse or nursery, but when I saw this book, I thought I should give it a chance.
I had a difficult time reading this book because, for some reason outside the realm of human understanding, my kitten fell in love with me suddenly while I was reading this. I read a lot, so it was definitely not the normal "cat thing" of trying to sleep on your book. She was literally throwing her body into my arms, purring wildly, and kneading my arm with her razor sharp claws. Has anyone else experienced temporary demonic possession in their cat while reading this book? Just curious.
Separate from the cat issue, this little book is so entrancing. Certainly, some of the items are geared toward producing decorative ornamentals, not food producing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fair number of suggestions for plants that would produce real food. The instructions are clear, the illustrations are darling. Starting plants from food scraps is kind of a hit-or-miss method, so you need to be a little relaxed and open to the adventure to figure it out. The authors cover plenty of familiar food-to-houseplant items, but there are also a ton of more exotic and exciting suggestions. There are 68 plants (as per the title), but at least half were totally novel to me.
Here's a list of things I am excited to grow after reading this book, even though I should have read it several months ago so I could have integrated it into my 2009 garden. I'm trying not to be bitter about the lost opportunity & just be glad I didn't miss the 2010 growing season as well.
-peanuts
-lemongrass
=chickpeas
-meyer lemons
-sesame
-dill
-sugar cane
-ginger
-fennel
-prickley pear
-garlic (no idea why i wasn't excited about this before, but i really wasn't)
I had a difficult time reading this book because, for some reason outside the realm of human understanding, my kitten fell in love with me suddenly while I was reading this. I read a lot, so it was definitely not the normal "cat thing" of trying to sleep on your book. She was literally throwing her body into my arms, purring wildly, and kneading my arm with her razor sharp claws. Has anyone else experienced temporary demonic possession in their cat while reading this book? Just curious.
Separate from the cat issue, this little book is so entrancing. Certainly, some of the items are geared toward producing decorative ornamentals, not food producing, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fair number of suggestions for plants that would produce real food. The instructions are clear, the illustrations are darling. Starting plants from food scraps is kind of a hit-or-miss method, so you need to be a little relaxed and open to the adventure to figure it out. The authors cover plenty of familiar food-to-houseplant items, but there are also a ton of more exotic and exciting suggestions. There are 68 plants (as per the title), but at least half were totally novel to me.
Here's a list of things I am excited to grow after reading this book, even though I should have read it several months ago so I could have integrated it into my 2009 garden. I'm trying not to be bitter about the lost opportunity & just be glad I didn't miss the 2010 growing season as well.
-peanuts
-lemongrass
=chickpeas
-meyer lemons
-sesame
-dill
-sugar cane
-ginger
-fennel
-prickley pear
-garlic (no idea why i wasn't excited about this before, but i really wasn't)
September 3, 2008
This cute little book is packed with good info and its funky design and layout make it that much more appealing. I have yet to experiment with any of the seeds/pits/roots they discuss, but the authors' simple instructions made me ready to go. The opening section of the book describes the propagation methods and materials/set-ups needed and it is all presented in the most unintimidating way possible (i.e. any idiot can do this...at least this idiot hopes so!). Then each vegetable/spice/fruit that can be grown is given its own section in which detailed instructions and descriptions of the resulting plant are given. I especially appreciated that the authors noted which ones are easy to grow and maintain as well as the life span of the plants (some like avocados last years, some like lentils last only a few weeks or months). By far, the most impressive thing about this book is the sheer diversity of foods covered - there are many Latin American and Asian fruits and vegetables covered that I have never even heard of, but that, assuming I could find them in the stores, would make exceptional houseplants. As an apartment gardener, this DIY type of plant alchemy is very appealing, let's just hope it's all as easy as the authors' say.
July 30, 2022
Different than I'd hoped, but that was my fault for not reading the description carefully. This is mostly about growing decorative house plants green a variety of food items, and doesn't get deep into propagation for food production like I'd hoped.
August 12, 2016
This was okay.
It did make me want to experiment with all sorts of fruits and vegetables I have in my kitchen, but they would mostly not fit on my kitchen window sill and would take a lot more effort than I want to give. And they mostly don't bear any sort of fruit in the end, so it's not actually growing food. But, on the other hand, it is growing interesting kinds of houseplants for free, so there's that.
It did make me want to experiment with all sorts of fruits and vegetables I have in my kitchen, but they would mostly not fit on my kitchen window sill and would take a lot more effort than I want to give. And they mostly don't bear any sort of fruit in the end, so it's not actually growing food. But, on the other hand, it is growing interesting kinds of houseplants for free, so there's that.
October 29, 2017
Sadly, this book did not fulfill how to grow your own vegetables and herbs from existing foods/plants. It's more for growing your own decorative plants and less about anything harvestable. Total disappointment. That said, it's well written, and does offer good advice for what it is. Just don't misunderstand its purpose like I did.
December 4, 2012
This book would be infinitely more useful if they indicated which plants can be grown just for fun (that avocado seed will not grow into a avocado producing plant) and those that actually produce food you can eat.
February 20, 2021
If you’re a planting newbie this book is for you.
If you’re trying to be self sufficient and realize the power of propagation, this book is for you.
If you like to explore foods from all over the globe, this book is for you.
I really enjoyed this read. It’s concise and straight to the point. If you have space, some pots and soil then you should give this book a go and try out growing exotic fruits and vegetables!
I made note on my favourite plants and will experiment in the future. I’ve already started the prickly pear... still waiting.
What’s lovely about this book is not only the 70s drawings that they layout next to the description but the way they layout the information about the specific species. For example:
BLACK SAPOTE
Diospyros digyna
EBENACEAE
-plant type: evergreen tree
-growth rate: slow-growing
-method: from seed
-light: bright sun
What it looks like: ....
Image of tree and of fruit and seeds (drawings always)
How to grow it:...
Time to taste:...
And a little box explaining it’s origin and an interesting fact either historical or contemporary.
•••
So that’s the layout of every entry for each plant. I find that it’s easy to read and understand.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I was yearning actual images of the plants because some are so new to me and different that I can’t believe they look how they are described! Also, nothing can beat nature’s real beauty no matter how talented you are at illustrating.
I understand it was the aesthetic they were abiding by, when the book was made cameras were only for the very rich and expensive to use. But I mean, if you’re going as far as to publish a book I would’ve added photographs perhaps at the end of the book if you would’ve wanted to maintain the artistic flow.
If you’re trying to be self sufficient and realize the power of propagation, this book is for you.
If you like to explore foods from all over the globe, this book is for you.
I really enjoyed this read. It’s concise and straight to the point. If you have space, some pots and soil then you should give this book a go and try out growing exotic fruits and vegetables!
I made note on my favourite plants and will experiment in the future. I’ve already started the prickly pear... still waiting.
What’s lovely about this book is not only the 70s drawings that they layout next to the description but the way they layout the information about the specific species. For example:
BLACK SAPOTE
Diospyros digyna
EBENACEAE
-plant type: evergreen tree
-growth rate: slow-growing
-method: from seed
-light: bright sun
What it looks like: ....
Image of tree and of fruit and seeds (drawings always)
How to grow it:...
Time to taste:...
And a little box explaining it’s origin and an interesting fact either historical or contemporary.
•••
So that’s the layout of every entry for each plant. I find that it’s easy to read and understand.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I was yearning actual images of the plants because some are so new to me and different that I can’t believe they look how they are described! Also, nothing can beat nature’s real beauty no matter how talented you are at illustrating.
I understand it was the aesthetic they were abiding by, when the book was made cameras were only for the very rich and expensive to use. But I mean, if you’re going as far as to publish a book I would’ve added photographs perhaps at the end of the book if you would’ve wanted to maintain the artistic flow.
November 26, 2012
Fun! This is largely about how to grow ornamental houseplants from weird fruits and veggies you find in specialty markets, not how to actually grow food from supermarket food (often impossible because it's irradiated... mmm... irradiated...), but some of the plants will yield useable items, and beautiful foliage or flowers from something you'd otherwise toss (if you don't compost) is pretty rad. I got this one from the library but it seems like it would be a useful manual to keep in one's handbag while checking out farmer's or ethnic markets, to check the easiness/hardiness/light requirements/zone of each. Seems like most you can grow inside no problem, but several will have to be put out in summer to bloom, some in the fridge (not gonna work in my apartment-sized one...) so worth owning as a reference- I will be looking out for it. I like plants and I especially like free plants.
March 28, 2012
I frankly expected more from this plant book. Sure, it has a unique spin in that all of these plants can be grown from kitchen scraps on your windowsill. However, there are no photographs and each entry only comes with the bare minimum of information. More hints and growing tips, photos, and information about the plants would have made this so-so book an excellent reference.
March 13, 2017
"Scraps" isn't quite the right word here. Sure, some of the things are legitimately scraps, but others you have to buy one if you want to grow it--you can't grow it from what's left over after you cook it/prepare it. Even so, it's an interesting book and I learned quite a bit about growing things like avocados and dates from leftover seeds.
June 14, 2015
I felt like this book promised more than it delivered. I thought it would have more pointers for regrowing foods from kitchen scraps, but it was mostly about how to grow exotic fruits and vegetables for ornamental purposes. That's not really "kitchen magic" in my opinion.
March 26, 2023
For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle
An okay read on how to grow your own plants from the items you buy at the grocery store. I'll admit, I didn't look at this too hard before getting into it, so I didn't realize it mainly focuses on growing houseplants rather than producing food. Fine for those looking to add some greenery to their house or yard.
The book opens with some basic growing techniques including how to start, care for plants, and deal with pests. It then goes through a variety of entries of plants that can be grown from the seeds, corms, tuber, and other parts of store-bought produce.
Each entry contains of the scientific name, plant type, growth rate, method, light level needed, what it looks like, how to grow it, and where it originates along with an illustration of the seed and full plant. There is also a designation of plants that a deemed easy to grow.
The 2008 edition is a republishing of the 1977 version. Though some information has been revised, it doesn't appear the tone has changed much. The focus is quite white-centric and assumes the reader is white as well. The authors "discovered" these growing techniques by going on excursions to a "particular ethnic neighborhood" to search for "unusual fruit or vegetable". They encourage readers to look for "unusual goodies" in Asian shops and enjoy the "exotic odors" of Middle Eastern markets, despite the fact their antics at times alarmed and irritated grocers.
The organization was a little confusing to me. It is broken down into basic sections of vegetables; fruits and nuts; and herbs and spices. Then there are separate sections on plants from Latin America and Asia. This seemed like an unnecessary distinction since some of the foods found in these sections are available in modern mainstream grocery stores (jicama, ginger, persimmons) and many of the plants featured in the first three sections also originate in Asia or Latin America (star apple, feijoa, kiwi). This may have made sense in the original version but doesn't really fit for the revised edition.
At its base, it's a fine book at presenting the information it has to share. It is a useful little reference guide on cultivating scraps. However, the tone was out-of-date and made it difficult to fully enjoy.
An okay read on how to grow your own plants from the items you buy at the grocery store. I'll admit, I didn't look at this too hard before getting into it, so I didn't realize it mainly focuses on growing houseplants rather than producing food. Fine for those looking to add some greenery to their house or yard.
The book opens with some basic growing techniques including how to start, care for plants, and deal with pests. It then goes through a variety of entries of plants that can be grown from the seeds, corms, tuber, and other parts of store-bought produce.
Each entry contains of the scientific name, plant type, growth rate, method, light level needed, what it looks like, how to grow it, and where it originates along with an illustration of the seed and full plant. There is also a designation of plants that a deemed easy to grow.
The 2008 edition is a republishing of the 1977 version. Though some information has been revised, it doesn't appear the tone has changed much. The focus is quite white-centric and assumes the reader is white as well. The authors "discovered" these growing techniques by going on excursions to a "particular ethnic neighborhood" to search for "unusual fruit or vegetable". They encourage readers to look for "unusual goodies" in Asian shops and enjoy the "exotic odors" of Middle Eastern markets, despite the fact their antics at times alarmed and irritated grocers.
The organization was a little confusing to me. It is broken down into basic sections of vegetables; fruits and nuts; and herbs and spices. Then there are separate sections on plants from Latin America and Asia. This seemed like an unnecessary distinction since some of the foods found in these sections are available in modern mainstream grocery stores (jicama, ginger, persimmons) and many of the plants featured in the first three sections also originate in Asia or Latin America (star apple, feijoa, kiwi). This may have made sense in the original version but doesn't really fit for the revised edition.
At its base, it's a fine book at presenting the information it has to share. It is a useful little reference guide on cultivating scraps. However, the tone was out-of-date and made it difficult to fully enjoy.
June 23, 2018
Little book with brief information for most of the items - sometimes too brief, and at times confusing. I know nothing about cooking Prickly Pear and the instructions were incomplete. (What are pads? Is the flesh that you scoop out edible?) For the Jerusalem Artichoke, the author never tells us how or even what to harvest to eat! Several plants were very short-lived ornamentals, which I found discouraging for the effort. Some things will eventually become productive but many will not! It would be nice to have an indication of all that at the beginning of the planting description. I found this book alternately frustrating and interesting. No photos, poorly organized. This could have been a much better book if it had a more standard format, but an interesting idea.
March 16, 2020
An intriguing guide to for those who like to foster unusual houseplants, but don't want to pay expensive shipping costs to have tropical greenery sent to their homes. This book is fun for both the avid gardener and the curious house plant enthusiast alike. In addition, there is a valuable introductory section on starting some of the more challenging plants by varied methods. This book is also sort of a work in memoriam of Deborah's Peterson's partner in adventurous plant cultivation Millicent Selsam. Ms. Peterson includes short asides about their experiences shopping the ethnic markets and groceries of New York City that simply add charm and kindly understanding of the desire to create one's own domestic Eden.
May 31, 2022
A good reference book. It wasn't very enjoyable to read from start to finish as it wasn't intended for that (similar to a cookbook), but the information was valuable. My enjoyment was only a 3, but the book deserves a 4 since it's not my fault I read it the way I did lol. I liked the history/origin of the plants that was included.
April 10, 2019
Aww man, not what I thought. I guess I should have read the title better. This is a great how to on growing unique houseplants from scraps. If that is your desire, then read this one!
July 14, 2019
Good information, easy read but nothing I couldn't find in an online search. Recommend for a very beginning gardener.
August 19, 2019
This book was helpful, but disorganized - it would have helped to have the items you can grow alphabetized so you're able to quickly find the items you want to grow.
August 15, 2020
Excellent step by step instructions for turning all kinds of food scraps into plants and sometimes more food!
August 6, 2022
This had some really great tips and tricks.
October 20, 2022
Interesting ideas to grow that I had never thought of.
June 24, 2014
"A fabulous exercise in resourcefulness and recycling for the green thumb set, Don't Throw It, Grow It!: 59 Windowsill Plants From Kitchen Scraps, the popular mid-seventies tome by Deborah Peterson and the late Millicent Selsam, was recently re-released by Storey Publishing, much to the delight of DIY foodies and gardeners everywhere. This beautiful reprint is as much the essential urban gardener's handbook as it was over 30 years ago. Filled with retro-style illustrations and simple-to-follow instructions, Peterson actually makes us believe that "there is no such thing as a green thumb." From instructions on building an indoor grow light to how much water to give your growing plant, it's one quarter gardening handbook and three quarters step-by-step manual, but also chronicles the horticultural adventures of these two ladies through ethnic markets, farm stands, and their own backyards. Any sophisticated gardener who pushes this book aside as a beginner's guide would be doing themselves a huge disservice."
Read the full/entire review on ShoestringMag.com
Read the full/entire review on ShoestringMag.com
January 19, 2013
Some good ideas and basic guidelines/encouragement to experiment with all kinds of fruits, nuts, and legumes out of local and ethnic groceries in indoor pots. I'm going to try lentils, almonds, peanuts, coriander, sesame, and chickpeas. I've had poor luck with fruiting plants in my north-facing windows (avocados! ah!), but it'll be a good late winter inspiration to sprout random dry goods around the house, and to get some legumes going in the pots, green manure for veggies in the summer.
I've been thinking about sweet potatoes and ginger since reading Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World last winter, so maybe I'll try those too.
I've been thinking about sweet potatoes and ginger since reading Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World last winter, so maybe I'll try those too.
January 5, 2017
Somewhat disappointed in this incredibly cursory handling of the topic of seed saving.
While this book list some bare minimum statistics about most of the plants (for example "bright light, low light"), it doesn't talk about temperature requirements (another example: regardless of how much light tropical and sub tropical plants get, they need to be kept above certain temperatures--frequently temperatures that are much, much, much high than freezing) so if you live in the north it's unlikely you will be able to afford to keep your heater high enough to make certain plants produce actual goof, and none of that info is listed.
This book is better for a conversation starter, or for teaching children about a plant life cycle, than for literally trying to use it to grow you own food.
While this book list some bare minimum statistics about most of the plants (for example "bright light, low light"), it doesn't talk about temperature requirements (another example: regardless of how much light tropical and sub tropical plants get, they need to be kept above certain temperatures--frequently temperatures that are much, much, much high than freezing) so if you live in the north it's unlikely you will be able to afford to keep your heater high enough to make certain plants produce actual goof, and none of that info is listed.
This book is better for a conversation starter, or for teaching children about a plant life cycle, than for literally trying to use it to grow you own food.
March 12, 2011
This is the greatest impulse buy I've made in years! It's an entertaining, quick reference to things you can grow in your kitchen.
There aren't any revelations here, but if you have kids or don't think you have a green thumb (like me) this is great fun. It's taking me back to my school year 'science project' days: watching roots grow from a sweet potato that we didn't get around to eating and creating table-pieces out of sprouting garlic.
Not recommended for people know how plants work and already grow miraculous gardens in- and out-of-doors, but absolutely exciting for someone who is getting getting their hands dirty for the first time and likes to be in the kitchen.
There aren't any revelations here, but if you have kids or don't think you have a green thumb (like me) this is great fun. It's taking me back to my school year 'science project' days: watching roots grow from a sweet potato that we didn't get around to eating and creating table-pieces out of sprouting garlic.
Not recommended for people know how plants work and already grow miraculous gardens in- and out-of-doors, but absolutely exciting for someone who is getting getting their hands dirty for the first time and likes to be in the kitchen.
January 23, 2009
This would be great for indoor gardeners looking for interesting houseplants, and it gives a good introduction to seed-saving. If you have limited space, a limited budget to spend on gardening supplies, and are hoping to eat what you grow, however, this book won't have much to offer you. I found two bits of information really helpful and exciting, and I will here pass them along to you: guavas will fruit indoors, and you can pick the tamarind seeds out of those plastic packages of tamarind pulp and plant them. Sweet!
March 18, 2013
I really like the concept of this book (since I read it, I now have some green onions in a cup, a lettuce stump in a dish of water, and a clove of garlic in some dirt), and I like that the author doesn't shy away from fruits etc that are fairly exotic. I found myself wanting more information on certain plants, though, than the 1-2 small pages offered. I found myself confused at times over which plants just grew as pretty plants, and which ones would yield further fruit. That could just be me, though.
September 22, 2009
I haven't tried to grow any of the plants in this book, but this inforation it provides inspired me to try to do a little gardening this summer (some in the ground and some on windowsills.) With zero gardening experience to speak of, I've grown yellow pear tomatoes, grape tomatoes, green onions, bell peppers, and some sort of mysterious squash vine (that never grew fruit). None of these plants were grown form store-bought seeds or seedlings.
November 25, 2014
I was not so much disappointed in the book by how apparently difficult it is to grow plants from kitchen scraps.
Really you have to buy a whole second plant to grow and on top of that, most of these plants will not flower or fruit inside, or in the climate of my house, or if you don't already have a good base of gardening knowledge. Definitely a better for book for those interested in doing a bit more intensive gardening or growing more exotic plants.
Really you have to buy a whole second plant to grow and on top of that, most of these plants will not flower or fruit inside, or in the climate of my house, or if you don't already have a good base of gardening knowledge. Definitely a better for book for those interested in doing a bit more intensive gardening or growing more exotic plants.
December 27, 2008
i love the style of the illustrations done in this book with its 50's retro approach and the design of the book is very nicely done. its well organized and very easy to follow. it makes me want to try it out and it also makes me curious about the adventures that these two women had. i love the idea of trying out new foods and then planting them!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews