The Resilient Gardener

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Author Carole Deppe added an extensive subtitle to her new book. The full title is "The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times" Including the Five Crops You Need To Survive and Thrive - Potatoes, Corn, Beans, Squash and Eggs.

Gardening in USDA hardiness zone 8, since 1979, Deppe has considerable experience with growing vegetables. This book is a 300 page paperback packed full of useful information. Published by Chelsea Green. $20 at online book vendors.

Deppe is also vegetable breeder and wrote a previous book on the topic, "Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties"

"Resilient" focuses on five crops with calorie, nutrient, and storage values: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and, raising ducks for eggs.

Deppe describes her personal life and experiences with a variety of crops in coastal Oregon, tips for success, and gluten free recipes. Now in her mid-60s, Deppe is concerned with being able to garden no matter what one's life circumstances.

Like another of my favorite gardening book, "Gardening in Hard Times" by Steve Solomon, "Resilient" is a reflection of the author's philosophy. What I like about both books is that neither assumes you have a staff of people to put up structures and pull weeds. And, neither assumes that readers mostly want a display garden.

"Resilient" is a personal memoir as well as having plenty of gardening science.

Deppe's bio from her webpage

"Oregon freelance plant breeder Carol Deppe specializes in developing public-domain crops for organic growing conditions, sustainable agriculture, and human survival.

Her writing includes The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-reliance in Uncertain Times, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener’s and Farmer’s Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving, and Tao Te Ching: A Window to the Tao through the Words of Lao Tzu.

Deppe, who has a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University, has been experimenting with crops and gardening in Corvallis, Oregon since 1979.

Subscribe to her email newsletter for information about new website content, new varieties, seed availability, duck workshops, and continuing gardening adventures. "

"Resilient" isn't a grow-your-first-tomato book; it is an awfully good read written by an intelligent and sincere writer. There's plenty of new material to inform even the most experienced among us.

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