Veggie Garden Remix Book Review and Giveaway

I can't think of a gardening book that has generated more interest and excitement this spring than Niki Jabbour's Veggie Garden Remix. 

This, her third book, has garnished terrific reviews in both the print and online press. Readers on Amazon have given it 5 stars, and on Goodreads, it has been given a 4.5 star rating.

The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, © 2011 Niki Jabbour. Published by Storey Publishing

Used with permission of the author.

The Year Round Vegetable Gardener, © 2011 Niki Jabbour. Published by Storey Publishing

Used with permission of the author.

All the positive buzz not surprising. 

Niki created a reputation for being an innovative gardener early in her career with the publication of The Year Round Vegetable Gardener.  A few years have passed since its publication, but I still remember being amazed the first time I saw pictures of Niki in foot-deep snow harvesting fresh vegetables from her cold frames. At the time, I don't think most gardeners had any idea that cold frames had the potential of extending the growing season that far into the depths of an icy Canadian winter.

Photo of Niki Jabbour by James Ingram of Jive Photograph. Image from Veggie Garden Remix © Storey Publishing 2018. Used with permission of the author.

Fast forward to 2018 and Niki is back with another book that again may have a big influence on the way we grow edibles. This time it is less about how you grow vegetables and more about what you grow in the first place.

As Niki tells the story, it all began with a five-foot snake gourd she had grown as a Halloween decoration. When her mother-in-law dropped by Niki's garden one day, she recognized the long, thin gourds as a summer squash she had enjoyed back in her Lebanese homeland. Niki was surprised to discover unusual gourds were edible and was thrilled to have the opportunity to share them with her mother-in-law who hadn't had the pleasure of eating them in decades.

Niki's garden in Nova Scotia. Photograph by Niki Jabbour

Up to that point, Niki had grown a traditional range of vegetables in her garden, but the snake gourd made her wonder if it were possible to branch out and grow other global edibles from places like India, Mexico, Thailand, Argentina, Italy, Japan and China. Very quickly she discovered that many unconventional edibles–pak choi, edamame, mibuna, bitter gourds, daikon radishes to name just a few– thrived in her Nova Scotian garden. 

Niki began to question the limitations of traditional vegetable crops. Why grow standard spinach when she could experiment with an array of greens like amaranth, orach, hablitzia and molokhia? They're far more heat tolerant than spinach and produce fresh greens all summer long.

Cucamelons. Photograph by Niki Jabbour

And why grow ordinary cucumbers when she could play with bit-sized cucamelons that had the familiar taste of cucumbers, but with an interesting a citrus tang. 

"Play" was the key to this new outlook. It's fun to be adventurous in the garden and try new things.

Another view of Niki's garden later in the season. Photography by Niki Jabbour

The challenge for Niki was to convince other gardeners not just to grow off-beat and sometimes odd-looking global edibles, but to want to eat them in the first place. We are creatures of habit. We want our food to be comforting and familiar. When faced with something new, we judge it with our eyes. 

I think Niki has handled the challenge well by dividing her book into segments that pair standards edibles with their global relatives. For instance, she suggests that if you like broccoli, you'll like Piracicaba, Spigariello Liscia and Romanesco. 

A rainbow of carrots. Photography by Niki Jabbour

Like standard orange carrots? Then give these more unusual and delicious alternatives a try.

Some of these global crops hail from warmer climates, so Niki has added in a handy count of the days until harvest. She also provides some background on each of the edibles and growing tips that take the mystery out of the unfamiliar. 

This is by far the most stylish of Niki's three books. The design is smart and cohesive. The photography is just beautiful.

As always, Niki's writing is light, informative and entertaining. You can easily dive in and out of the book as time permits, or you may find yourself hopelessly drawn-in and read the whole book cover to cover. 

Many thanks to Thomas Allen & Sons for providing a copy of Veggie Garden Remix for me to give away. Because this book will go to a winner through the mail, we will have to limit entry to readers in Canada and the USA. 

Please leave a comment below, if you would like to be included in the book draw. The contest will remain open a little over a week (until Sunday, June 9th). If you are not a blogger, you can enter by liking the Three Dogs in a Garden Facebook page (there is an additional link to the Facebook page at the bottom of the blog). You are also welcome to enter by sending me an email (jenc_art@hotmail.com).

About the Author:

Niki Jabbour is the award-winning author of Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener, and Groundbreaking Food Gardens.

Her work is found in Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Birds & Blooms, Horticulture, and other publications, and she speaks widely on food gardening at events and shows across North America.

She is the host and creator of The Weekend Gardener radio show. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is online at SavvyGardening.com.

Book Review & Giveaway: Raised Bed Revolution

If you think that a raised bed is nothing more than a simple rectangle made of wood, this is the book that will change your mind.

The revolution, that author Tara Nolan writes about in her new book, is a fresh and innovative approach to the design, materials and construction of raised beds.

Image by Proven Winners from Raised Bed Revolution  © Quarto Publishing Group 

and Tara Nolan 2016.  Used with permission of the author.

With a growing interest in homegrown vegetables and fruits, raised beds have become increasingly popular. They elevate the traditional backyard veggie patch and make it organized and neat. Raised beds can be used for more than just vegetables of course. Here is just a sampling of the great ideas presented in the book:

• Creating a raised bed where you park newly purchased perennials is a smart idea. Plants raised in nursery pots are quick to dry out even after you plant them. I found my success rate with new purchases increased exponentially when I placed the plants for a time in a raised holding bed where I could keep an eye on them and water them regularly. Then I wait until fall or the following spring to plant the more established plants in their final positions.

• A small raised bed is a great way to control an aggressive spreader like mint or oregano.

• Placing a cutting garden in a raised bed makes a garden that is utilitarian neat and tidy. Tara also suggests that adding flowers to your raised vegetable beds is a great way to attract beneficial insects and valuable pollinators.

 Photograph by Donna Griffith.  Image from Raised Bed Revolution  © Quarto Publishing Group 

and Tara Nolan 2016.  Used with permission of the author.

• Growing herbs is yet another way to use a raised bed. There are a number of plans in the book, including this vertical herb planter, that allows you to grow herbs in close proximity to your kitchen.

• A raised bed can be used to create a garden pond. I love the mini bog garden project that uses a stock tank on wheels. The stock tank has an industrial vibe and the bog garden functions almost like a container planting. There is also a more traditional pond framed by a raised bed in the book. The ease in this type of pond design is the lack of digging required. Raising it up also makes it easier to access the pond's filter pump.

A raised bed that also serves as a cold frame.

• A raised bed can help extend the growing season. A simple row cover can transform a raised bed into a mini-greenhouse that can really be useful in the chilly days of early spring. With a few modifications, it's easy to turn a raised bed into a cold frame that will allow you to grow cold weather crops into the winter.  

Photograph by Donna Griffith.  Image from Raised Bed Revolution  © Quarto Publishing Group 

and Tara Nolan 2016.  Used with permission of the author.

Raised beds have lots of advantages, which Tara details at length, but just to give you an idea, here are a few:

•  One of the beauties of raised beds is they allow you to garden in a small footprint.  The pole beans, in the picture above, are a beautiful example.

• The soil in raised beds thaws drains and warms up earlier than soil in the ground making it possible to get a head start on cool-weather crops like peas, lettuce and beets.

• Because you fill a raised beds with fresh, nutrient-rich soil, you can garden almost anywhere; on top of gravel, clay or poor soil, pavement and even rooftops.

• Raised beds make it easier for those gardeners who may have trouble bending over or kneeling down to plant and weed.

Photograph by Donna Griffith.  Image from Raised Bed Revolution  © Quarto Publishing Group 

and Tara Nolan 2016.  Used with permission of the author.

Included is lots of practical advice on choosing an appropriate site, as well as the size, height and spacing between your raised beds. Tara offers tips on types of wood to use, alternate materials, and what soil is appropriate for a raised bed.

The book aims to inspire readers with tons of ideas and easy-to-follow projects. The wide range of plans all have a picture of the finished project, as well as pictures of the step-by-step instructions.  A detailed drawing, list of materials, tools required, and a cut list make each item achievable by the average DIYer with basic carpentry skills.

I should also mention that as well as the raised beds, there are plans for various plant supports, an obelisk, a protected strawberry planter and a classic Versailles-inspired planter box.

Photograph by Tara Nolan. 

For those who aren't particularly handy with a hammer and a saw, Tara devotes an entire chapter to creative up-cycled materials and containers. I love this washbasin on top of an old sawhorse that Tara's Dad put together for her.

Photograph by Donna Griffith.  Image from Raised Bed Revolution  © Quarto Publishing Group 

and Tara Nolan 2016.  Used with permission of the author.

And here an attractive way to up-cycle plastic pails to grow veggies.

This is not a book that you need to read cover to cover just to get started. The information is well organized and presented. Chapters are subdivided making it easy to find a subject or an answer to a question you might have.

If you are interested in fun and creative garden projects, you are going to love this book!

I have a copy of Raised Bed Revolution to give away to one lucky reader. I will have to send these books through the mail, so I will have to limit entry to readers in Canada and the USA.

Please leave a comment if you would like to be included in the book draw. The draw will remain open for the next 7 days. If you are not a blogger, you can enter to win on the Three Dogs in a Garden Facebook page. Please make sure there is a way for me to track down your email address should your name be drawn.

About the author:

Tara Nolan is a freelance writer, editor and digital consultant. For over six years, Tara was web editor of Canadian Gardening.com. She is a member of the Canadian Garden Writers Association and is co-founder of the blog Savvy Gardening. Tara has written for many publications including the Toronto Star, Glow magazine, Elle Canada and Canadian Living. Raised Bed Revolution is Tara's first gardening book.