Here in Wisconsin, planting season doesn’t start for quite  a few more weeks and after last night’s snowstorm those weeks feel like months.  I’m so anxious to get down and dirty in my garden, but until the ground warms up I’m stalled inside, planning, starting seeds, and reading.

What are some good additions to the victory gardener’s library?

My first obvious choice is the Victory Gardener’s Cookbook.  If your budget limits you to just one gardening book, consider this one.  With over 800 recipes plus tips on planting, growing, harvesting and storing, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge.  In print since 1982, this book has remained popular through the years.  Used copies start around $17.00 via the Amazon marketplace.

This book is everywhere.  The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible (also known as the “W-O-R-D System”) is particularly appealing to me because it has helped me make great strides in planning a garden in a relatively small, urban environment.  Filled with useful reference charts and even a list of suppliers, this book is a personal favorite.

I can’t think of victory gardening without thinking of canning, so the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving goes on my list.  With over 400 recipes for everyone from the canning novice to canning goddesses like my own mother, this book has a wide appeal.  The book covers the basics like pickles and green beans, but it offers so much more for those who think they’ve seen it all, including some interesting ethnic recipes.  The book retails for around fifteen dollars.

Trowel and Error: Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener.  Old hands probably already know much of the advice that author Sharon Lovejoy imparts in this humorous book, but for those of us with limited experience and no real mentor on hand, this book is worth its weight in gold.  Despite its wonderful whimsy, the book is well-indexed and extremely easy to use.  Well worth the $7.50 price tag.

Like any decent human being, I also have a “to be read” stack of books that I’ll get to reading “pretty soon.”  Among them are a few gardening books that I suspect would make this list, but I can’t be certain.  Readers, what are your opinions?

All New Square Foot Gardening.  The concept is interesting, and the reviews speak highly of the technique.  Readers, what are your experiences?

Gardening When it Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times.  My Victory Garden is partially motivated by financial concerns, and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment.  This book sounds like it could have some good advice, but the reviews on Amazon give me pause.

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