Congratulations on your herb garden. I've been growing several varieties of basil in a bay window in my kitchen for a little over a year now. It actually does well for me in terra cotta pots though they need daily watering in the summer heat. I now have some chives growing there as well but most of the window is taken over by plastic pots with various seedlings since things sprout good for me there. The basil has been manageable for me there cause I use a lot of it so am always pinching to keep the plant short and the variety of basils in terra cotta pots make the window look very nice. I found that plastic pots stay wet too long there and some plants don't like that. I do tend to overwater though and have to watch myself. Herbs are really fun to grow and your cooking will taste so much better than using dried herbs from the store. I'm still pretty new at this myself but growing herbs has been very rewarding for me. Ania

When I think of pioneers I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I know she was a little later in the time period but things didn't change nearly so fast in those times. I don't beleive tomatoes were grown or used back then but I remember from Laura Ingalls they grew beans and wheat and corn. They would have also grown potatoes. Pioneers were trying to keep body and soul together so they would have concentrated on edible plants and some herbs. In that series of books Farmer Boy gives the best description of what was grown in Almonzo's father's farm. Joann

Now this is a subject dear to my heart. Many months when I don't post to the month's reading thread, it is because I am immersed in garden books and thought they were really too off topic to include. I am simply delighted to have an excuse to describe a few of my favorites. Currently I am reading Plant-Driven Design by Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden. This is a landscaping book that presents the novel concept that gardens are for the growing of plants, not for hardscape, the non-growing parts of a garden. This approach is long overdue in my opinion. On the other hand, I find Nan Fairbrother's The Nature of Landscape Design to be a very thought-provoking book about how shaping outdoor spaces influence people. It has long been a favorite with me. You can probably tell from my forum name that I am enthusiastic about growing roses. No doubt it comes as no surprise that I suggest two rose books. The first is Visions of Roses by Peter Beales, eye candy raised to an art form. The second, oddly enough, is a rose catalog, Vintage Gardens Book of Roses Not only is the catalog highly informative, it is also one of the most beautifully written rose books I know. I grow food, too, and like to read about that as well. Amy Goldman's book The Compleat Squash has inspired me to experiment with growing all sorts of heirloom squashes, and to cook with them too. I'll end with recommending Gene Logsdon's The Contrary Farmer, a book that eloquently advocates a return to the small mixed farm. His is not the only voice that speaks for this approach to food production, but his was the one that made the life actually appeal to me. Not that I'm going to take up farming, mind you. But I have gone from growing a strictly ornamental garden to growing one that is heavy in vegetable and fruit as well as flowers and shrubs. As for the question posed by PAM, it is downright dangerous to ask me what I grow in my garden! First off I grow roses along with all kinds of perennials, bulbs, and herbs in the front and roadside areas. In the back my husband grows tomatoes, peppers, beans, and eggplants. I have a couple of beds with garlic, shallots, peas, broccoli, Swiss chard, beets, and fennel. I'm digging a bed for 30 asparagus crowns that should arrive in the mail any day. And of course I'm getting ready to plant all those heirloom squashes. Besides that we have lots of fruit plants, all sorts of citrus as well as plums, a peach, a fig, an apricot, a loquat, apples, mulberries, pomegranates, persimmons, blueberries, grapes, and a young avocado tree. Some of these plants are established and producing food, but many are young and not yet mature enough to bear fruit. Rosefolly

Hey everyone i wanted to share a book I recently published called "Gardening For Beginners: Simple Guide To An Organic Vegetable & Herb Garden" I truly feel this book will be very helpful and offers a lot value for those seeking to gain some knowledge on what steps they need to take in order to start their own organic vegetable & herb garden. It’s currently available for $0.99 on Amazon. It will be free for 5 days starting May 27th – May 31st. I'm open to gift the book to anyone looking to look it over and give me some honest feedback. Thanks in advance :) https://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Beginners-Techniques-Vegetable-Hydroponics-ebook/dp/B01FGZ8TOC