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    Home » Articles

    The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener Book Review

    by Sarah · This post may contain affiliate links, its one way we pay the bills. · 49 Comments

    I was looking forward to reading Nikki Jabbour’s The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener because my farming apprenticeship had a significant focus on season extension, as the farm is currently going into its twelfth month of continuous harvest. But we were growing in Virginia, whereas Ms. Jabbour has succeeded in maintaining a year-round garden in the more challenging Nova Scotian climate. Because of this, her book achieves its subtitle: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live.

    Listen to Nikki talk with Eric on GardenFork Radio here.

    The Year Round Vegetable Gardener Book Review

    The book is chock full of information, from the basics (timing the seasons and intensive planting) to the complex (building structures to capture and maintain heat). It is comprehensive enough that a relative novice could start with The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener as a valuable resource. A more seasoned grower might be tempted to skip over some familiar-sounding sections, but I would urge you to read cover-to-cover as unique and useful tips are sprinkled throughout the entire text.

    The chapter on winter gardening progresses from light protection (like row covers) to using an unheated greenhouse or building your own polytunnel, so a grower in any hardiness zone or variously sized growing space can find techniques to meet his or her needs. The plans to build your own cold frame or polytunnel are easy to follow and call for inexpensive materials. Plus, the chapter motived me with photos of lusciously green vegetables thriving alongside snow and ice.

    Like many other gardening books, this one concludes with a crop index. Ms. Jabbour recommends specific cultivars based on cold or heat tolerance or days to maturity and includes an emphasis on vegetable varieties less talked about in other books; for example, Tatsoi has its own entry.

    watch more mini greenhouse vids
    In short: I love this book. It’s a wonderful resource for year-round vegetable growing knowledge and inspiration. Now, if only I didn’t live in a studio apartment!


    Order from Indie Bookstores here

    Order from Amazon here. (affiliate links)

    Grocery Gardening a new cooking gardening book that works

    « Frozen Brake Calipers & Haybox Cookers GF Radio
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Matt Uhrich

      February 17, 2012 at 5:37 pm

      Sounds like a great book. Thanks.

    2. Nick Wondra

      February 17, 2012 at 6:06 pm

      Thanks for the review! I've been getting interested in learning more about year-round vegetable production and I hadn't heard of this book. Have you read Eliot Coleman's "The Four Season Harvest", and if so how does it compare to this book?

    3. Janis Freeman

      February 17, 2012 at 8:11 pm

      Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Year round gardening seems like a great adventure!

    4. Janie Hummel

      February 17, 2012 at 8:20 pm

      OMG! This book would so come in handy for my cooking endeavors. I have successfully grown herbs indoors all winter. I would love to learn how to grow additional edible plants ALL year long. Wonderful!

    5. Ruth Myers

      February 17, 2012 at 8:38 pm

      Wow! This book sounds great! I would LOVE to be the winner!

    6. Brenda Duncan

      February 17, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      This sounds like a great book. I would love to be a winner.

    7. Brenda Duncan

      February 17, 2012 at 8:48 pm

      This sounds like a great book. I would love to win it.

    8. Eleanor Justice

      February 17, 2012 at 9:51 pm

      Sounds ever so useful -- I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!

    9. Michael

      February 17, 2012 at 10:01 pm

      This book looks and sounds awesome. Just what I need!! I love profuse produced with a bit of elbow grease!!!!!

    10. Jill

      February 17, 2012 at 10:07 pm

      Awesome!! Looks great!! Would love the chance at this book. Thanks!!

    11. Nancy Reitman

      February 17, 2012 at 11:02 pm

      Sounds like a wonderful book!!

    12. Geoff D

      February 17, 2012 at 11:08 pm

      Wonderful review and looks like a fantastic book. Thanks Eric. Another great way to feed the gardening addiction!

    13. Anje Cassel

      February 18, 2012 at 6:42 am

      We are excited about trying to garden year round, not just in the summer anymore, even in the mountains where the winders are cold.

    14. jerry peters

      February 18, 2012 at 8:44 am

      I sure could use this book about now because I would like to garden year round.In the part of Western N.C. where I live we have a moderate yet many days of COOOLD weather.I am wanting to try everything that will give me the ability to to have FRESH veggies.

    15. Randy Huyck

      February 18, 2012 at 8:59 am

      Thanks for the review, Sarah. I especially like the idea of individual crop listings.

    16. Sarah

      February 18, 2012 at 9:35 am

      Nick - I've never read The Four Season Harvest so I can't say. I have read Coleman's The Winter Harvest Handbook, which was excellent but better suited for farmers or serious market gardeners due to complexity, expense, etc.

    17. rosalind denny

      February 18, 2012 at 9:58 am

      first year adding 2 more seasons to my veggie gardening.
      now I'm so looking forward to add the last season.

    18. Marj

      February 18, 2012 at 10:09 am

      I would love to have a copy of this book! I have a hoop greenhouse and I need more ideas on how to use it. Need winter greens!

    19. Kate

      February 18, 2012 at 4:06 pm

      This book sounds great. I'm hoping to be able to grow more veggies through the winter this year.

    20. Dave Chapman

      February 18, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      I also live in NS and Niki has been in my life as a gardening journalist for years, although we only met last month. Her advice is practical, and based on a firm grasp of gardening fundamentals. Her knowledge is so innate, her advice seems almost trivial, but there is layer upon layer of horticultural wisdom in this book, a wisdom that only derives from rich experience and a deep love of the subject. On top of all that, Niki is a delightfully charming individual, and I feel fortunate to have met her. There is a very good reason that Year-Round Vegetable Gardening is the number one gardening book in Chapters right now.

    21. Carolyn g

      February 18, 2012 at 8:40 pm

      Wuld love this book. Thanks for the giveaway

    22. Julia

      February 19, 2012 at 2:11 am

      I could use some advice on managing winter weather up here in Wisconsin!

      I snagged a couple of old windows (wood frames, single pane) I saw by the side of the road after watching Eric's video on making cold frames, but I have not yet constructed one. I love the idea of the heat sensitive vent placed high on the north (back) wall--this is simpler than the heat sensitive greenhouse vent openers that other folks have called for.

    23. Genia Bohl

      February 19, 2012 at 8:09 am

      I would love this book!

    24. Solducky

      February 19, 2012 at 10:25 am

      Great review. I would love to read it too!
      soluckyducky at gmail dot com

    25. Amy Fiore

      February 19, 2012 at 12:59 pm

      This book sounds amazing! I love your description of it. I am a huge Garden Fork Fan and download all your podcasts as well as Garden Fork TV videos. I can't wait to try the outdoor pizza oven!!! Thanks, Eric!

    26. Wade from Calgary

      February 19, 2012 at 1:10 pm

      While most everybody assumes it is just cold up here in winter, Calgary has the unique problem of being very close to the mountains, and we get Chinooks. This leaves us with an average winter temperature of about -5, with swings from -30 to + 20 on a frequent basis.
      As we have a short growing season with very cool summer nights, anything I can to to moderate temperatures year round is very helpful. I will definitely have to find this at the library.

    27. Brenda Troutman

      February 19, 2012 at 6:37 pm

      I have started to read the "Four Season Harvest". This past winter I built several cold frames and kept swiss chard, along with several root veggies. So far, so good! However, it has been a mild winter.

    28. Donna Hummer

      February 19, 2012 at 8:57 pm

      I just discovered Garden Fork TV through Youtube when I watched the yogurt making video. I love gardening and this book would come in handy due to living in the Northeast. I am really enjoying your web site and thanks so much for a chance to win this awesome giveaway.

    29. Kris from CT

      February 20, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Yeah Sarah!!!
      I have been a GF follower for a couple years now and I am so glad you're doing book reviews! I have Eliot Coleman's "The Winter Harvest Handbook" but I would love a less commercially focused book that I can really get my hands dirty with while leaving my wallet intact. Besides I've had a pile of old windows and a sliding glass door in my yard that my husband keeps trying to throw out! I know if I only had direction I could re-arrange that pile into a beautiful (in my eyes) cold frame/green house. Keep em' comin', Sarah.
      Thanks,
      Kris
      PS. Congrats on the pregnancy, GR's growing leaps-n-bellies these days ;0)

    30. ruth deibler

      February 20, 2012 at 7:52 pm

      So, Sarah....just bought a house with a ready to go garden! Moving in in May and must gain some wisdom from you on your next trip into town!

    31. Thomas

      February 21, 2012 at 8:32 pm

      there are so many books that offer alluring promises of winter harvest, most from authors blesses with southern sunshine writing books that are little better than fiction. if this really is what it claims to be (I hope so) then break out the bubbly! lets celebrate! heaven on earth is atainable!

    32. Thomas

      February 21, 2012 at 8:42 pm

      There are so many many boooks out there offering tantalizing but empty promises of winter harvest. Most are little better than fiction to us northerners, written as they are by authors blessed with southern sunshine. A book from a somone ACTUALLY LIVEING AND GARDENING IN CANADA THOUGH! Now thats different! Feel that lump in your throats fellow northern gardeners? Thats hope!

    33. Christina

      February 22, 2012 at 9:54 am

      I would love to get this book for me and to share with our green thumb neighbors. By the way, I love the new "minimalist" look of the GardenFork site!

    34. Mark Nofsinger

      February 22, 2012 at 10:04 am

      I think I'd find this book very useful. The last couple of years I've been kicking myself for not planning on a longer gardening season and that's led into thinking about just how far I could push it. Year-round gardening would be the ultimate!

    35. Dan Bartolucci

      February 22, 2012 at 10:20 am

      Book looks awesome!

    36. Tonia Moxley

      February 22, 2012 at 10:27 am

      Going to try a four-season garden this year!

    37. Jennifer Fraser

      February 22, 2012 at 12:18 pm

      Very much looking forward to reading this book. Been looking at greenhouses and contemplating my options...being on a north facing hill in a zone 4 area of NH has shown me some challenges...hoping to find some much needed help with this book!

    38. Janet Creasy

      February 22, 2012 at 1:03 pm

      I have been looking for more information about year-round gardens. Can't wait to read more!

    39. Rhetta Giardina

      February 23, 2012 at 4:28 pm

      oh wow I could use a book like this since I Live around buffalo

    40. Hunter Melson

      February 23, 2012 at 7:15 pm

      Though it has been an unusually mild winter for us here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia we have been impressed by the success we've had with our season extension efforts. If you like to see some of what we have done check out Mattawoman Creek Farms on facebook.

    41. Kat

      February 24, 2012 at 12:49 pm

      I would love to have this book.

    42. Nancy Shaar

      February 28, 2012 at 7:42 pm

      This is a fantastic book which I am using daily! I've been gardening for over 45 years but I learned so many new things from Niki Jabbour's marvelous book. I also passed it along to an organic farmer friend of mine and he is already using some of her hints and vegetable choices. Sustainable living is the way of the future. I highly recommend this book for beginners as well as the more experienced gardeners.

    43. Joan FrisinaBowles

      February 28, 2012 at 8:06 pm

      This book sounds wonderful. With the high cost of food, and the not-so-healthy looking vegetables in Maine's grocery stores, my husband and I look forward to using this book, and growing year-round vegetables again. Our septic system erupted a few years ago and our wonderful garden area was destroyed, and we had to start all over. I would like to find an alternative way to grow foods, in smaller areas, and throughout the colder months. This book is just what I was looking for, and it was recommended by a friend.

    44. Phue

      March 02, 2012 at 10:10 pm

      I live in East Tennessee with similar climates, I would hope to be able to reproduce the same types of crops and ideas to expand our growing season.

    45. John Watton

      March 05, 2012 at 10:08 pm

      I live in zone 4b. As I write this we are in the middle of a snowstorm. Sure can't wait for spring to get back in the garden!

    46. Pat Lewis

      April 26, 2012 at 9:32 am

      I am very interested in year round gadening due the high price of gas and groceries. I am 80 yrs. old and plan to retire form my job March 2013, so I am going to need to learn how to live on less.

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    Trackbacks

    1. Cold Frame & Hoop House How To : GF Radio - GardenFork.TV says:
      June 20, 2012 at 4:46 pm

      [...] Read our review of The Year Round Vegetable Gardener here [...]

    2. Cold Frame & Hoop House How To With Nikki Jabbour : GF Radio 258 - GardenFork - Eclectic DIY says:
      April 24, 2020 at 10:40 am

      […] Read our review of The Year Round Vegetable Gardener here  […]

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