The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables [Paperback]

Chris McLaughlin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 7, 2010 | Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide

A garden of delight-and healthy, economical eating.

In The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Heirloom Vegetables, readers will learn the rewards of growing heirlooms; find hundreds of descriptions and histories of a variety of available vegetables and find out how to make pollination work.

?Helps readers grow and eat locally, reduce or eliminate pesticides and additives, and save money along the way

?Includes step-by-step instructions for harvesting, drying, cleaning, and storing heirloom seeds

?For economical reasons-as well as concern for the environment and personal health-the popularity of gardening has grown in recent years

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris McLaughlin has been an avid gardener for 30 years. She's a master gardener and garden writer whose work has appeared in magazines such as Urban Farm Magazine, The Herb Companion, and The Heirloom Gardener. Chris is a regular contributor to Vegetable Gardener.com and the feature writer for Vegetable Gardens at Suite 101. In between writing assignments, Chris teaches kids about gardening and wildlife.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; Original edition (December 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615640525
• ISBN-13: 978-1615640522
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The short story is that I'm a plant-freak and Master Gardener turn garden writer, blogger, and author. I live and breathe my work.

The long story is that:

I Was Taken From My Real Family and Raised by Wolves

I was an Old MacDonald child born into an IBM family. My brothers and I grew up being chauffeured around in one of those station wagons that had a third seat facing backwards. Looking out that big window, along with breathing in a little exhaust, I was able to take in expanses of land and watch it slowly disappear from view.

Along the stretches of highway, I would see property with fenced land and think how wonderful it would be to have a pumpkin patch right out here where everyone would see it and want to stop by. It could come complete with crisp cornstalks flanking the entry to straw bale mazes.

Looking back, I'm certain that my parents were masochists as they kept moving us to the suburbs that rested just on the shoulders of farmland. They carefully chose housing developments that seemed to always bring me within feet of my true love. I spent my weekends walking to nearby farms, pretending they were mine for a while.

When I shuffled back to my side of the fence, I was determined to create my own little farm. As I dug into the hard pan soil of our backyard, the difference in the freshly cultivated earth of the neighboring land was clear. Would it have really been a stretch for my parents to move one street away? But, I digress.

When I was ten, I snagged some Dixie cups from the upstairs bathroom and filled them with some potting soil out of a bag my mother had bought to top off the planters in our yard. Using a hand shovel, I carefully scooped up some small seedlings (I would later learn that they are called "volunteers") in our yard and transplanted them.

Being raised by entrepreneurs, my instincts told me there was a profit to be made. I lined probably fifty of those little paper cups into my younger brother's red wagon and rolled down the street selling them door to door for ten cents each. Looking back, I realize I made a 100% profit since I had zero start-up cost and no overhead (considering my mom's "donations" and the fact that being underage, legally, I was assured overhead until I was eighteen).

With over three decades of plants and soil behind me, I am very sure of just who it is I am.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book That Defines the Why and How of Growing Heirloom Vegetables January 30, 2011

By Shawna Coronado

Format:Paperback

Once again, garden author Chris McLaughlin knocks one out of the park! Hooray!

Want to know the WHY's and HOW's of growing heirloom vegetables? "The Complete Idiot's guide To Heirloom Vegetables" takes a definitive approach in educating you on the fundamentals of both heirloom vegetable growing and collection.

Heirlooms are packed with amazing benefits; nutritionally as well as flavorfully. In this book, Chris McLaughlin introduces readers to heirloom vegetables, gives advice on growing flourishing plants, educates on hand pollination, harvesting plants, and securing seed for next year's growth season as well as many other tips. Easy to read at 307 pages, the heaviest part of the book is dedicated to a detailed A to Z variety directory which can give readers insight into what varieties of vegetables are available to the modern day gardener.

I think this heirloom vegetable reference book is perfect for new gardeners and experienced gardeners to shorten the learning curve on heirloom vegetables.

Chris is also the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Composting", which I use as a "compost bible" for my garden. I will keep "The Complete Idiot's guide To Heirloom Vegetables" right next to her composting book on my shelf as a quick reference for planting in garden season's to come, making the translation of heirloom plants easy to understand.

Thanks for a great heirloom vegetable reference book!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars great book March 27, 2012

By Diana S. Ward

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book offers good basic information about heirloom vegetables.i am writing a newsletter for people new to gardening .This was a great.reference book for me to use

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars great info December 19, 2011

By Jaye

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This little book should help me grow my garden even better than last year. I've loved growing heirloom vegetables and this book has information about everything I can think of as the garden lies quiet for the winter.