Mr. Weaver writes amazing books on heirloom veggies! I've been a fan for several years now. This book is another for the collection. Wonderful informative book.

A great addition to an avid gardener's library. The history of heirlooms is presented in a great way and the photos and drawings really help to see the vegetables and fruits. This book really makes me want to focus on building my own large garden.

This book has been updated from the previous 1997 version. I really enjoyed this book, both from flicking through and as an encyclopedia. Essential for the book shelf for anyone who has an allotment or grows their own, and may want to dip into something outside the mainstream - something which is growing in popularity - to grow something a little bit different, or to save our delightful heritage varieties. An inspiration.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening is an updating and re-release of the classic reference book by William Woys Weaver. Originally published in 1997, this second edition has been updated with many new photographs, new content, and a new introduction. Republished by Quarto - Cool Springs and released 20 March, 2018, it's 480 pages of well written advice and information very well presented. The author, William Woys Weaver, is a genuine expert whose love of plant diversity and heirlooms shines through in the warm and well written prose.

This is a great reference book, but along with the clear instructions and culture information comes a wealth of side-stories, history, and trivia. The book is beautifully written and the author manages to convey his lifelong love and respect of plants without being strident or fanatical.

I have a copy of the first edition of this book and have worn it out. I treasure it because it still has margin notes and clippings from my paternal grandmother inside.

Genetic diversity in our plants and especially in our food cannot be overstated. It's absolutely critical that we reclaim and preserve the varieties which still exist. In the last 80 years, we've lost approximately 93% of our vegetable varieties. It's scary and sad, and we're lucky there are dedicated folks making an effort to protect our heritage.

Dr. Weaver continues the good fight. This book is informative, engaging and vital.

Five stars, honestly off the scale in terms of accessibility, correctness, information, and importance.

I have read a lot of gardening books but this one is a sure stand out. I enjoyed the formatting and structure as well as the variety of the content.

This is such a thoroughly enjoyable book for the avid vegetable gardener. The history of so many heirloom varieties is presented in a knowledgeable way, complete with photographs and/or drawings. Valuable for many reasons, and a necessity for your garden shelf.

Heirloom Vegetables is a weighty history book on a multitude of vegetables that can be grown now.

The author includes many many vegetables that can be grown (aimed at the American climate) and the numerous different varieties that are available, plus provides details of the suppliers for the seeds.

There is a lengthy introduction, in fact there is two, one that introduces this addition and another that introduces the first edition. The growing guide gives a general overview on how to grow each type of vegetable, and whilst there are pictures of some of the vegetables grown, there are none on the seedlings being started.

Whilst I liked the idea of the book and its inclusion of many different varieties, I know it would suit those that are looking to include lots of older varieties of vegetables in their gardens and who already know a lot about vegetable gardening. It certainly isn't for the novice gardener looking for tips on how to grow vegetables.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

An excellent, and extensive book of heirloom vegetables (almost 500 pages!). The author has been saving old vegetable varieties his entire life, with some of the seeds from his grandfather from the 1930's! He also includes a very comprehensive history of people saving seeds. The list of plants is very extensive, from artichokes to yams. Each vegetable gets a thorough discussion.
This is the kind of book that you want to read over and over again, especially when one is stuck inside on a cold winter day, and are dreaming of what to plant in the spring.

#HeirloomVegetableGardening #NetGalley

A great reference book that is well documented. The information is very useful for any level of expertise. The collection includes most of the common vegetables harvested in America.

This is a very good reference book for anyone who really wants to grow heirloom vegetables instead of the modern hybrids that are so common.

I love gardening! And homegrown produce is a passion of mine.

My parents and grandparents were great edible gardeners! As a child, I remember hours spent working in their large vegetable beds. My job was to follow instructions and help with any tasks. At harvest time, our whole family was involved in picking and what didn't go to the table would be frozen, canned or shared with neighbors.

So, I was pleased to receive a copy of this book from Quarto Publishing Group. Yes! Heirloom Vegetable Gardening A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History by William Woys Weaver is full of history and I love that it includes the different growing zones and popular Heirloom vegetables.

We recently stopped at an Amish market. In addition to a variety of tomatoes and peppers, we bought some Bush Green Bean JAKE seeds. But, until I read this book I had no idea of all the different varieties of these vegetables.

This book also included leafy vegetables we love like beets, chard, kale, collards, cabbage, and lettuces. We love growing loose leaf lettuce and have a raised bed devoted to it. I also plant lettuce seed in clay pots.

And for those that love unusual root vegetables, this book offers a great deal of information on the different varieties. I feel the details and new plant entries combined with the colorful photos will make readers want to expand their gardens and plant more.

William Woys Weaver's "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening" is an excellent source of information for all of your favourite heirloom vegetables and many more that I' m sure will be new to you. The history of each specific variety of vegetable and how it came to be is included with some dating back almost 10,000 years ago. Who knew that you could grow heirloom peas in your own backyard that originated in the Mediterranean in 7800BC, absolutely incredible! Filled with eye catching photography, tips, tricks, and antidotes. A wonderful reference book that must be included in the heirloom gardeners collection.

Anyone who is interested in the cultural history of growing vegetables will enjoy reading this book. It is targeted at an American audience, but as a European I still found it a most useful and interesting book to read.

This is a serious book written by an internationally recognized food historian, yet it is no dry treatise. The comment, in the introduction, “I have come to know the vegetables mentioned in this book by growing them” sets the tone for a book that showcases a passion for food and the living history that is heirloom gardening.

I found the first chapter on the cultural history of vegetables fascinating, from the ancient raised gardens of Roman times to the quadrants favoured in later European times to the role played by the Dutch Mennonites in 19th century. The information on early authors and seed merchants was excellent too. The section on genetic diversity will encourage gardeners to think about the role of hybrid vegetables – as a European I was appalled to read of the attempt here to patent genetic material!

The bulk of the book covers a grower’s guide to selected heirloom vegetables. It is a comprehensive and excellent collection, covering history of each vegetable, botanical information, how to collect and grow from seed, and some recipes. The spattering of personal comments re the author’s experiences growing the vegetables made for interesting reading.

The list of commercial seed and plant stock suppliers is only in the USA, though references in the book point to suppliers in Europe.

The colorful pictures and wonderful ideas make this a book fantastic for reading and using to help without gardens

Amazing vegetable garden reference book. I love the fact it gives a short history and description of each vegetable. What is nice and surprising is the fact that it has information about different varies of vegetable in the same family. Love reading and learning from this book. Great book for any garden enthusiast.

With over 400 pages, this is quite a book. Its starts with a history of American seed, which is quite interesting, but certainly a section to be taken in small doses.
The growing guide to heirloom vegetables chapter is far more readable and has much to explore both from the history to the eating tips - not many photographs, but enough to get an idea of some of the older vegetables.
This book is very detailed and if you are interested in the origin and saving of heirloom seed, this book will certainly meet those needs

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening is a great read if you are considering planting heirloom seeds. It contains beautiful pictures, the history of the plants and well explained planting hints, including planting zones.
This is a good reference book for gardeners.

A hefty book that includes the history of gardening, heirloom vegetables available today through seed saving and a growing guide for popular heirloom varietals. This book is definitely well researched, and I enjoyed the history lesson, but it is not a definitive resource for all heirloom varietals available. And while the photos are beautiful, I would have liked to see photos of every heirloom varietal listed.

Thank you Netgalley and Voyageur Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Encyclopedic essential reading for kitchen gardeners and the home chef who gardens, tailored to the United States.

William Woys Weaver has put together an impressive guide for heirloom vegetable gardening. Not only does it give advice on planting, seed saving and selection of crops, but it also tells of the cultural history of heirloom vegetables and the movement to save them.
This book is a second amended edition of the original. Yet, the main message is the same: "The point to raising heirloom vegetables is not so much an escape into the past, but rather a search for greater diversity is our present diet and a healthy rejection of industrial agriculture".
Woys Weaver discusses the kitchen garden in America, the situation of heirloom vegetables today and gives his selection of vegetables to grow.
The book is very thorough and informative, but what I missed was more photos of the plants. The selection part includes a photo of perhaps every fifth plant and that's really too little for a book like this, even more so as it is a question of heirloom plants, which might be very different from the usual standard.