There are many garden books, but none that focus on the unique art of
Amish gardens. Told from the point of view of the women who plan and
tend them, it offers insight into their unusual designs that combine
vegetables, fruit, herbs, and colorful flowers, and what this artistic
outlet means to them. Color photographs of more than 18 gardens
beautifully capture that trademark mix of orderliness and ornamentation:
marigolds tucked among the melons, cockscombs with the cabbage, and a
whimsically painted chair, iron gate, or old balustrade. Included are 32
family recipes straight from the garden: hot-pepper jam, fried green
tomatoes, sweet dill pickles, sauerkraut for a crowd, corn fritters, and
creamed celery. Like the resourceful women who tend them, each garden
has its own personality and beauty.