Four Season Harvest

Description

Four – Season Harvest

by Eliot Coleman

This book describes how to harvest fresh organic vegetables from your garden all year long. It is a wonderful how to book from start to finish. Not only is extensive gardening information offered but generous encouragement as well.

From the introduction we read, “Imagine, a scenario in which spring work begins more gradually, summer spares time for other outdoor pleasures, fall is gearing up rather than a giving up, and winter, best of all is a time to reap a fresh harvest with almost no work. For most of us, “eating out of the garden” is a short seasonal pleasure, unless we live in a very warm place or can afford a heated green house, and the canning – freezing – drying scramble never quite compensates for summer’s loss, The Four Season Harvest presents a way to eat the best food – garden fresh and chemical free all year long, with little effort or expense, Most dedicated gardeners know some season extending techniques but this book is not merely about season extension. It’s about gardens and eating in a manner appropriate to each season.

The author at one point talks of the guilt free garden, – “Another subconscious garden negative is garden guilt. With year round production there are no mistakes or penalties to be paid for temporary neglect. This is the “don’t worry, be happy” school of gardening there is always tomorrow. If some other important aspect of your life calls you away and weeds dominate the beans or the new planting germinates poorly, just erase the problem and star again” Replant with next crop in the sequence.

Later the author speaks of weeds – “I suspect that weeds probably discourage more potential gardeners than any other single problem “Oh, the garden was so overrun with weeds that we finally gave up” is so common a statement that it is almost considered a normal reaction. It doesn’t need to be that way. I have never heard anyone say, “Oh, the living room finally got so dirty that we just stopped using it” We don’t stop enjoying the living room because of dust. We simply vacuum or sweep ever so often to keep the room clean. The same applies in the garden. Furthermore, just as dirt in the living room can minimized by placing a mat outside the front door or asking people to remove their shoes before entering the house, weeds can be prevented in a number of ways. All of them make less work for the gardener.”

The end is a chapter on sources to purchase your gardening needs which is a good resource for those who haven’t already accumulated their suppliers over the years. Another very useful tables of planting dates for an extended harvest is included. A map shows how to determine your particular frost date. And then you simply look on the table for you planting dates. This is a great tool for those of you who haven’t been experimenting for years on when you can plant. It saves you much trail and error.