Amish Gardens of Lancaster County

This rare, intimate tour of more than 18 Amish vegetable gardens celebrates their eclectic mix of the utilitarian and ornamental and includes 32 mouth-watering recipes. 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 colourful flowers, and what this artistic outlet means to them. Colour 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. AUTHOR: Beth Oberholtzer is an author and book designer who grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Her previous books are Working Horses of Lancaster County and Plain Meetinghouses of Lancaster County, both coauthored with John Herr. Award-winning photographer Don Shenk spent decades photographing Lancaster County's bucolic agrarian landscapes . He also authored Seasons of Lancaster County and Lancaster County: A Keepsake. SELLING POINTS: . This rare, intimate tour of more than 18 Amish vegetable gardens celebrates their eclectic mix of the utilitarian and decorative . The book will appeal to people interested in homesteading, folk art, and Lancaster County's Plain people . Includes 32 irresistible family recipes made from garden ingredients 281 colour images