From Grass to Gardens: How to Reap Bounty from a Small Yard

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Rowman & Littlefield, Jan 1, 2006 - Gardening - 232 pages
"Inspires, sustains, surprises, and consoles."--National Geographic Traveler (for River Time)

"The good stuff . . . Not only good history, but an engaging intellectual autobiography."--Sue Hubbell, New York Times Book Review (for Dangerous Birds)

Janet Lembke loves to garden. But when she moved into her urban home in Virginia, she only had one-eighth of an acre to work with: a small front yard and a small backyard. How she traded a postage-stamp lawn for an edible cornucopia is what this enchanting book is all about.

Lembke joyfully guides us on her gardening journey, in chapters called:

"Tomato Haven"
"The Grass Extermination Project"
"Tools of the Trade"
"How a Garden Grows"
"Herbs"
"Flowers"
"Vegetables"
"Outwitting the Gardener"
"Wooing the Green Man, Courting Dame Kind"
and "Garden Dreams"

From Grass to Garden is chock-full of tips and advice for gardeners with tiny plots, including what plants are compatible with others; garden paths and seating; what vegetables and plants work best in front versus backyards; and more. She offers everything a hopeful gardener needs to reap bounty for the kitchen table from what was once a small, pesky lawn.

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About the author (2006)

Janet Lembke is a writer and literary translator. Her books include The Quality of Life: Living Well, Dying Well; Soup's On! 60 Hearty Soups You Can Stand Your Spoon In; Tuscan Trees; Despicable Species: On Cowbirds, Kudzu, Hornworms, and Other Scourges; Shake Them 'Simmons Down; Skinny Dipping; Dangerous Birds: A Naturalist's Aviary; Looking for Eagles: Reflections of a Classical Naturalist, and River Time: Life on an American Frontier, among others. Her articles have appeared in Audubon, The New York Times, Raleigh News & Observer, Bird Watcher's Digest, North American Review, Oxford American, and Sierra, among other publications.

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