Harvest: Unexpected Projects Using 47 Extraordinary Garden Plants - Hardcover

Bittner, Stefani; Harampolis, Alethea

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399578331 ISBN 13: 9780399578335

Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2017

Synopsis

A beautifully photographed, gift-worthy guide to growing, harvesting, and utilizing 47 unexpected garden plants to make organic pantry staples, fragrances, floral arrangements, beverages, cocktails, beauty products, bridal gifts, and more.

Every garden--not just vegetable plots--can produce a bountiful harvest! This practical, inspirational, and seasonal guide will help make any garden more productive and enjoyable with a variety of projects using unexpected and often common garden plants, some of which may already be growing in your backyard.

Discover the surprising usefulness of petals and leaves, roots, seeds, and fruit: turn tumeric root into a natural dye and calamintha into lip balm. Make anise hyssop into a refreshing iced tea and turn apricots into a facial mask. Crabapple branches can be used to create stunning floral arrangements, oregano flowers to infuse vinegar, and edible chrysanthemum to liven up a salad. With the remarkable, multi-purpose plants in Harvest, there is always something for gardeners to harvest from one growing season to the next.

About this title

About the Author

STEFANI BITTNER and ALETHEA HARAMPOLIS are the owners of Homestead Design Collective, a San Francisco Bay Area landscape design firm. Bittner is co-author of The Beautiful Edible Garden and Harampolis is co-author of the bestselling The Flower Recipe Book and The Wreath Recipe Book, and a co-founder/owner of the floral design company Studio Choo.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

from the INTRODUCTION

Harvest is a practical, inspirational, and seasonal guide to living with an edible landscape. In this book, you’ll find ways to make your garden more productive and enjoyable with a variety of projects using unexpected and often well-known garden plants, some of which may already be growing in your garden.

Discover the surprising usefulness of petals and leaves, roots, seeds, and fruit. Turn turmeric root into a natural dye and calendula into medicinal oil. Use lilacs to create sweet-smelling cream and apricots to create a facial mask. Use crabapple branches to create stunning floral arrangements, oregano flowers to infuse vinegar, and edible chrysanthemum to enliven a salad. The plants in this book are not only remarkably useful, but they make for stunning additions anywhere in your garden. You’ll find something exciting to harvest and create from one growing season to the next.

***

POMEGRANATE MARGARITA

Classic cocktail meets holiday tradition, compliments of Stefani’s mom, Garna, who took the margarita and dressed it with a splash of festive red. Whether you are making a single glass or a pitcher, the ratio of the ingredients stays the same. Use more lime juice if you prefer a tart margarita or more pomegranate juice if you prefer it sweeter. 

MAKES 4 DRINKS 

1 cup of your favorite tequila 
1 cup triple sec 
½ cup fresh pomegranate juice (from about 2 pomegranates) 
½ cup fresh lime juice 
Large-grained salt such as kosher or flake salt 
Lime slice 
Ice cubes 
Handful of pomegranate seeds, for garnish 
 
Combine the tequila, triple sec, and both juices in a pitcher and stir thoroughly. Pour the salt onto a small plate. Rub the lime slice around the rim of each glass, and then dip the rims in the salt. Pour the margarita over ice in the salt-rimmed glasses. For a seasonal festive touch, garnish with the pomegranate seeds. 
 
***
 
HERB & HIVE LIP BALM 
 
It’s fun to make your own lip balm from the garden. And if you keep bees, this is also a great way to use your beeswax. 

MAKES 3 TO 5 TINS 

3 tablespoons calamintha-infused olive oil 
1 tablespoon beeswax
 
Place the calamintha olive oil and beeswax into a heatproof glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Fill a saucepan with a couple inches of water. Set the measuring cup into the saucepan and gently warm over medium-low heat until the oil and beeswax melt together. Stir occasionally to ensure that the beeswax melts completely. 

Carefully remove the measuring cup from the pan. Wipe off the water from the outside of the measuring cup so that no water gets into your lip balm while pouring it into its final containers. Pour the lip balm into containers (such as small tins), and secure the lids. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0399578331
• ISBN 13: 9780399578335
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224