Ben Raskin

Forty-eight years ago my husband and I took a class in organic gardening and rented a plot in the seminary garden. We grew tomatoes and zucchinis and green beans and leaf lettuce and radishes and more, watering the garden from a creek nearby and mulching it with newspaper. I canned quarts of tomatoes and green beans for the winter.

Now we are in retirement and gardening again. Only one parsonage in the intervening years provided us with a garden plot; for a few years we had the best broccoli I ever ate!

We have a small suburban yard. There is an herb garden and two raised planters for spinach, chard, and leaf lettuce. We have huge tubs for tomatoes.

But I want to expand my garden and I wanted new ideas. I hoped that Zero Waste Gardening would give them to me.

'Zero waste' is about sustainability, the awareness that resources are finite. Making use of everything we grow, and using the whole plant, is the focus of this book.

The presentation is very attractive with full pages with color illustrations. The contents are divided into Space (including preparation of the ground, manure, inter-planting, under-sowing, space, yield); Taste (recipes, using all the plant, food preservation, storage); and Waste (sowing and harvesting, reducing energy, water); and information on the garden plants.

The garden plants include the stock choices but also more unusual crops. Information on plants include when to sow, plant, and harvest; yield per plant; how to pick; growing tips; zero waste tips; and how to use.

There is a page on gardening tools needed and how to keep them sharp. And a full index and glossary.

I learned to use the leaves of root vegetables as food and that some seeds are also edible. I did not know that we can eat the roots of Swiss Chard. But we do eat the stems, which we cook and serve in a white sauce on toast with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

I especially liked the idea of not disturbing the soil but adding mulch to disintegrate over winter, providing soil for planting.

There are numerous ways we can participate in zero waste. For several years we have shopped with a delivery service that distributes 'imperfect' vegetables and fruits. They are too big or too small or have blemishes or are in oversupply or being phased out.

Microgreens are all the rage now. The raised planter beds need to be thinned out, and I plan on keeping the baby plants for eating.

We save zinnia seeds. I dry herbs. We freeze leftover veggies for soups, and dice up and freeze vegetables on the verge of going bad.

I always thought of these habits as being economically and environmentally friendly. Now I know, they are zero waste habits!

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.… (altro)

Raskin’s Bees, Bugs, and Butterflies is a lovely non-fiction children's book that looks at gardens, and how they function as an ecosystem. A big focus is on pollination and why it's so necessary. Kids will learn all about the various critters that help gardens function and flourish. There are plenty of gorgeous pictures and sketches. Scattered through are plenty of neat factoids, and fun activities and crafts to carry out.

My cubs loved the pictures, and learning about different insects. Especially the bees. We love bees and have been thinking of an apiary. The crafts and activities were fun, even for the adults to share! Perfect for nature-loving kids, and a great classroom resource.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Shambhala Publications for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (altro)