The Preserver’s Garden: How to Grow a Garden for Fermenting, Canning, Pickling, Dehydrating, Freeze Drying & More by Staci & Jeremy Hill
We gardeners want to grow a lot of our own food. We are often met with plenty of challenges, however. Which veggies are the most productive? Which preservation methods can we use? What are the best practices to keep our gardens growing well?
I’m happy to report there’s a brand-new garden book to help you be successful, no matter what size your garden is. “The Preserver’s Garden” by Staci and Jeremy Hill is filled with wonderful photos and illustrations, and down-to-earth advice on this very important topic.
Chapter breakdown of The Preservers Garden:
In chapter 1, “Planning Your Preservation Garden,” you’ll find tips for determining what you could grow in order to become more self-sufficient. The authors suggest vegetables that store for a long time in their natural state. That way, you don’t need to use special preservation techniques.
Chapter 2, “Urban Gardening Versus Homestead Gardening,” contains advice on which crops are better to grow in your garden. For example, ones that give big harvests in a small amount of space versus crops that are more worth buying at farmers markets… especially those that tend to ripen at the same time. The authors recommend the freeze-drying method because that results in a much longer shelf life. They discuss interplanting, succession planting, growing vegetable varieties that produce a lot, companion planting and more.
They underscore the importance of focusing on growing the crops that do really well in your garden. Then you can purchase other produce from farmers or other sources. The authors use organic methods which is great to hear and they source organic produce from others. That always makes me happy!
In chapter 3, “Maintaining Your Preservation Garden,” they focus on the importance of staying on top of things. This helps plants grow well and insures harvests are timely. You’ll find great tips for garden success, including the frequency of those tasks.
Chapter 4, “Seasonal Preservation Methods,” is all about preservation methods for your harvests. Examples include drying, pickling, fermenting, freezing, canning and so on. I found it really interesting to read the history of the different techniques.
Readers will especially enjoy chapter 5, “Produce Profiles.” Why? This is where the authors cover ideal crops to grow in a preservation garden. There are 22 categories of edible crops (including herbs) in this chapter. The focus is on planning how to grow each crop, the amount of light a crop requires, which season they grow in, potential pests, variety recommendation, when to harvest, and how to preserve them. It’s so nice to have all of this information together. This chapter also includes tree fruits, berries, and even preserving flowers.
In chapter 6, “Achieving Success,” they address final considerations. This includes a dose of reality: what’s practical to grow versus what’s ideal? The authors cover tips on caring for your soil, dealing with weeds, organizing your garden, and weather issues. There’s also the importance of checking on your garden regularly. As you can see, The Preserver’s Garden is a valuable resource no matter how large or small your garden is. You’ll pick up plenty of helpful tips, choose great crops to grow, and perhaps try some new preservation techniques.
Book source:
You can find this book in my Amazon store, under the “Other Great Gardening Books” category. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. However, that won’t impact the price you pay in the least.