cover image The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally

The Heirloom Life Gardener: The Baker Creek Way of Growing Your Own Food Easily and Naturally

Jere & Emilee Gettle, with Meghan Sutherland. Hyperion, $29.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-4013-2439-1

In 1998, Jere Gettle started the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in an effort to preserve the legacy of nonhybrid seeds and to educate people about the magic that happens when they plant a seed and watch it grow. After 13 years, his company now sells two million seed packets a year. Through this homespun tale of success, the Gettles passionately proclaim the power of growing one's own food from heirloom seeds, and they provide simple instructions for getting started as a gardener whether you have acres of land, a small backyard plot, or simply a container. Their joyous message is that gardening can be done wherever you have dirt, sun, water, and pure seeds. At the heart of the book is an extensive "A to Z growing guide" that provides tips on growing, seed saving, pests and diseases, and preparation for preparing plants from amaranth to watermelon. In this lavishly illustrated guide, the Gettles convince us of the benefits of getting into the garden, gently encouraging and guiding us with steps for doing so. (Oct.)