If you’re looking for a good gardening book to curl up with this winter, Groundbreaking Food Gardens is my pick for 2014. Niki Jabbour, author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener, has collected an impressive series of vegetable garden designs from 72 (73 if you count her own design) renowned gardeners around the USA and Canada. Having read it from cover to cover, I can honestly say it “fills the well” for idea-strapped gardeners everywhere.
Groundbreaking Food Gardens is chock-full of beautiful illustrations, complete with a numbered legend of plant varieties for each clever garden design. Niki is an expert interviewer (having the first-hand experience when she had me on her radio show, The Weekend Gardener) so naturally, the book flows through conversation after conversation with garden pros like Joe Lamp’l, Amy Stewart, Rebecca Sweet and Jeff Lowenfels.
Given that Niki lives in Canada, much of the book offers seasonal tips for northern gardeners, but she didn’t leave out the south entirely. Nan Sterman and other prominent lower-latitude gardeners weigh in with their designs. You may need to tweak the timing or plant varieties in some places, but the take-away design ideas are still applicable all over the world.
Take Marjorie Harris’s shade garden design above, for instance. She used a checkerboard pattern of white pavers to reflect light back to the plants, giving them a little more heat and light to boost vitality. Folks dealing with shade issues can steal this garden design to improve their growing conditions.
Emma Cooper‘s Circle of Life Garden was one of my favorites because it incorporates a chicken run around the perimeter of the garden. Fear not, the chickens are kept in check with a retaining wall, but there is still easy access to the run to gather manure for compost bins and to drop off garden snacks for the hens.
Laura Henderson‘s Slow-Food Garden offers a comprehensive chart of succession plantings for each bed in each season. It includes compost bins tucked under a cleverly designed water catchment roof (lower left) that drains into rain barrels. I loved this design because of it’s orderly state, which satisfies the OCD in me.
The book wouldn’t be complete without Niki’s own design: the fall/winter garden for northern climates. She helps cold-season gardeners get the most out of their garden space with cold frames and hoop tunnels covering cold-weather veggies.
The book offers designs for small spaces, containers, and vertical growing situations as well as traditional garden beds. It explores layouts for everything from biodynamic farms to school gardens, to 4’x10′ patches of land. There are even some humorous garden designs, like the Chicago Hot Dog Garden. From backyard brewers, to pizza-centric, to bee-friendly gardens, Groundbreaking Food Gardens will leave you with ideas for every corner of your property.
The Giveaway
Now for the fun part: Gardenerd is giving away a copy of Groundbreaking Food Gardens! Post a comment below before October 8th, 2014 and we’ll choose a winner at random. The winner will be announced in the Oct. 9th Weekly Update, so make sure to subscribe to the Gardenerd Gazette. Now get posting!
My wife has become obsessed with winter gardening (thanks to Niki). This means that I have been spending a lot of time repurposing old lumber and windows and PVC into cold frames and hoop houses. First fall salad tonight of pak choi and arugula (and some other spiky greens). Well worth it.
i was introduced to Niki at a trade show where she was speaking
G. Her passion for gardening and her appreciation for a northern climate will put this book on my ‘must read’ list!
Imm about to ‘break ground’ on a new garden in the spring. Seems like this book could help, and give me something to read during the winter!
I love the fact that there is a plan laid out for fall and winter gardens. That is exactly what I am in need of! I also love the illustrations and that all gardens large and small can take part .
Great ideas for any garden big or small. Lovely illustrations!
You always have such helpful info!
I love learning about gardening. It would be a wonderful prize.
Very nice post, intriguing book. I would love to have a copy!
another great book from niki like the recycling station pg 87 building one asap
Love reading your blog! Now I am inspired to plant kale again!
Looks like a great book! I’m always up for new ideas, and love the illustrations!
We’ve begun the process of removing all the thirsty grass from our front yard, which is where the sun shines best for us. This book looks like just the inspiration we need to complete the transformation into our dream of an edible garden. I love the drawings in the book and the fact that she shows examples of many gardeners ideas. Thank you Christy for sharing your undying passion for growing food with us all.
I’m looking forward to your fall planting class later this month!
Love your garden layouts. Do you have one with pungent plants on the perimeter to deter deer?
Carol, Niki has a Wildlife Friendly Garden with tips on how to keep deer away.
This book looks amazing! I think a couple of those gardens could solve a few problems for me. Thanks for the giveaway!
This looks like a wonderful book! I’m always looking for new ideas.
The illustrations are very nice.
Niki’s writing is top-notch, and it looks like there is something in this book for everyone. Thanks for your review and the chance to win. 🙂
The book looks great! I love seeing the big picture approach and think it’s often missing from gardening books.
BIGGEST FAN EVER!!! Pick me, pick me!
🙂
Niki,
I can’t wait to read for all the great garden design ideas!
We totally need this book to advance the state of gardening here in Philadelphia, PA !! Beautiful book too !!
Love the cover! Can’t wait to see what’s inside!
I keep collecting gardening books – and the *next* one is going to turn me into a great gardener.
Love Niki’s work–inspirational, easy to read, approachable. Would love to have this book.
Your book ” Year Round Vegetable Gardener” has been a great inspiration and demonstrates the adaptability and capabilities of us Canadian gardeners. I look forward to reading your new book. Thank you.
I’m so glad to see this, and in perfect timing! I am hoping to start my garden very soon. Thank you for writing this book!
Great pick Christy! Can’t wait to get my hands on this book. I already love the garden designs shown here. How clever!
I truly respect your passion for gardening and you tips of the trade 🙂
Nikki’s book have a unique edge over the many others I own. When you read you know you are uniquely able to apply her tips anywhere in Canada and beyond.It isn’t about simplicity.. It’s about basics with class applied. Excellent books