With a week of rainy weather comes the opportunity to brew some coffee, light a candle, find a comfy window seat and expand my knowledge of gardening and small-scale agriculture. For the beginner gardener, its so important to build your arsenal of knowledge so you can make the best decisions for your plants and minimize first-time mistakes. Of course, gardening is a science experiment. You're working with variables that are out of your control such as the wind, weather, soil composition, pests, and more...don't be discouraged if it doesn't work out on the first try! I've lost a few crops to avoidable catastrophes; for example, not gating my garden to keep my 100 lb dog from digging all of my seeds up...

Here are a few reads that may come in handy while you educate yourself on the art of growing food. Some I'm currently reading, some are on my wishlist. Happy Reading!

For Inspiration

Every garden, or any project for that matter, starts with a dream. An idea. A calling. This is the most fun part of beginning your garden, in my opinion. Be realistic with your time, space, and resources, but in all honesty, the sky is the limit to what your garden may grow.

Getting Started

Both of these books I am currently reading! Not only do they include stunning imagery, but they outline a clear path for you to actually get started in the yard. Everything from spacing to compost to soil to seed types is discussed between these two books.

Once the garden is underway...

For Small Spaces

Happy reading!!