The Bookend - February 2025

Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest. by Linda Gilkeson

"Grow more food with less work in any yard." The cover of Backyard Bounty just about says it all. With the climate crisis and food insecurity at hand, this may be the most important book we have in the HCP Library.

This is a guidebook and reference, one that you may want to read cover-to-cover because it is engaging, inspiring and full of practical and valuable information. Gilkeson writes about how to achieve a 12-month “living refrigerator” in your garden by extending the growing seasons. While our USDA zone is 8, microclimates rule, she explains. The monthly gardening calendar is geared to our PNW climate. Other topics include the importance of soil and pests, and how understanding them can lead to a more successful harvest. Garden journals are highly recommended. Vegetable and fruit profiles discuss culture, harvest, pests, varieties, and saving seed.

Gilkeson's sharing of her education and experience through writing, teaching, and workshops make her a treasured regional resource. Backyard Bounty will support novice and experienced gardeners to grow resilient and productive food gardens year- round.

Two other books by Linda Gilkeson available to borrow from the HCP Library are Year-Around Harvest: Winter Gardening on the Coast and West Coast Gardening: Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control.