126 In Books/ Giveaways/ Reviews

A Book Review: Veggie Garden Remix

A Book Review: Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.com

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]'ve been such a huge fan of Niki Jabbour ever since I first laid eyes on her gorgeous raised garden beds. I remember coming across Niki's Instagram account and thinking to myself, this gardener isn't afraid to try something new. The admiration was instant. From social media I was brought to her website - NikiJabbour.com. That's when I found out she wasn't just an amazing photographer and top notch gardener. She is also an award-winning author!

GIVEAWAY ALERT! 
Before we continue, make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post to enter a great giveaway!


A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.comAs soon as I was able to get my hands on Niki's previous book, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener, it gave me the confidence I needed to try new things. I'm a Northern gardener who lives in New England, zone 6a Massachusetts to be exact. Our growing season is so short. I've been asked why I even bother gardening when we only have a few months out of the year to grow. It's too bad some think like that, but there are so many different ways to grow a garden.

Niki taught me that you can grow in cold frames and hoop tunnels using simple techniques and succession planting. After reading her book, I decided to embark on my first raised bed garden hoop tunnel that year. It was a great success, very inexpensive and a really educational experience. 

Elephant Garlic | Winter Garden | Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.com

Elephant Garlic growing in my hoop house March 22, 2016


About The Book

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.comWhen I found out she was coming out with a new book, I couldn't wait to dive right into it. Veggie Garden Remix: 224 New Plants to Shake Up Your Garden and Add Variety, Flavor, and Fun is out now. I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Niki to give one of you lucky readers a copy of her book! 

If you are looking to find exciting and unique vegetables for your garden, this book is definitely for you! I've always had a deep love for cucamelons a.k.a. Mexican sour gherkins. I think it has something to do with the fact that my ducks go absolutely nuts for these super small veggies! After reading this book, I now have so many different varieties I'm looking forward to trying.

Inside the book, you are introduced to more than 200 curious varieties of veggies! She will help you transition smoothly from heirloom classics to the more unique choices. In the picture below, she explains visually how if you like to grow broccoli, you should try growing 'Piracicaba', 'Spigariello Liscia' or Romanesco. I was pumped when I saw this. A week before I received the book, I ordered some Romanesco seeds! Now, I'm really ready to try planting them.

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix

A look inside the pages of Veggie Garden Remix


Mix It Up!

After reading through this book, I'm now looking forward to trying so many different edibles. Here are my top three unconventional veggies I will be adding to my garden this year. 

  • Ground Cherries (Husk cherry) - Niki says that the flavor of a ripe ground cherry is comparable to pineapple with hints of cherry tomato and vanilla. They take 70 days from transplant to mature. This fun variety is from North America. She recommends giving 'Aunt Molly's' or 'Cossack Pineapple' a try. When I was attended the veggie trials last summer, I was able to taste the 'Aunt Molly's' variety at Seeds By Design by Terra Organics in Maxwell, California. They are absolutely delicious!
  • Snake Gourds (Serpent gourd) - I learned that this veggie has exotic-looking, creamy white flowers that don't unfurl until the sun sets. That instantly pulled me in. I LOVE moon flowers. Anything that only blooms in the morning/night is so mysterious and exciting to me! Like the moon flowers I know and love, they are pollinated by moths. They take around 70-80 days to mature and originate from Asia. Niki recommends trying the 'Buag Ngu' or the "Snaky' varieties. You can cook them like zucchini or pickle them!
  • Egyptian Walking Onions (Tree onion) - Niki explains that this veggie is a cross between bulbing onions and bunching onions. They are popular among permaculturists who use them in forest gardens because of their tendencies to roam. This exotic variety hails from Asia. They are low-maintenance hardy perennial plants (zones 5-9) that yield tender green onions for much of the year. 

Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries | A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.com

Tasting an Aunt Molly's ground cherry in California

Those are only three of the 200 varieties Niki introduces you to in the book! You will gain a wealth of knowledge from this veggie guide. It will fill you with imagination and reinvigorate you if you find yourself in a gardening rut. 

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix

Another look inside this book full of gorgeous photography


About The Author

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | Niki Jabbour | angiethefreckledrose.comAlong with being an accomplished author who has three books under her belt, Niki also writes for magazines across North America. These include Fine Gardening, Birds & Blooms, Horticulture and Garden Making. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she is the host and Executive Producer of The Weekend Gardener with Niki Jabbour. She is a founding member of the award-winning website  SavvyGardening.com. I love her latest articles: How To Grow Ground Cherries in a Garden and Growing a Salad Garden. Niki is currently growing dozens of different vegetable varieties in her 2,000-square-foot garden. She speaks widely on food gardening at events and shows across North America. You can find her appearing at Canada Blooms in Toronto, the Boston Flower Show and more. Make sure you follow her on social media. Her passion is contagious and watching her growing journey will keep you motivated!

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | angiethefreckledrose.comHow To Enter: Leave a comment on this post & you will automatically be entered to win. It's as easy as that!

Question: What unique varieties are you excited to grow this year?

Bonus Entries: If you want to increase your chances, fill out the form below and share, share, share!

About The Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive the new book, Veggie Garden Remix by Niki Jabbour. This giveaway will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 26, 2018. A winner will be picked at random and notified by email. Wishing you good luck!

Veggie Garden Remix Winner

CLICK TO PIN

A Book Review & Giveaway: Veggie Garden Remix | I've been such a huge fan of Niki Jabbour ever since I first laid eyes on her gorgeous raised garden beds. I remember coming across Niki's Instagram account and thinking to myself, this gardener isn't afraid to try something new. The admiration was instant.| angiethefreckledrose.com
Share

You Might Also Like

126 Comments

  • Reply
    Kelsey | Raising Little Wild Ones
    February 17, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    I love this! I’m not the best gardener, but I would like to start teaching my daughter how to garden and grow her own food! This would be so helpful!

    Kelsey | Raising Little Wild Ones

  • Reply
    Gwen
    February 17, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    My son and I love container gardening and this year we thought we might give hay bale gardening a try. We love to learn anything new we can about making our gardens work!

  • Reply
    Sondra Barker
    February 17, 2018 at 4:58 pm

    What a cute book! I’m needing to up my veggie game as well

  • Reply
    Sarah Metzger
    February 17, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    Adding Heirloom corn and popcorn this year.

  • Reply
    Penny Mentch
    February 17, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    This looks so interesting would love to try the ideas here. Thank

  • Reply
    Maureen
    February 17, 2018 at 2:56 pm

    Looks like a great book. I love to try new vegetables and herbs in my garden.

  • Reply
    Janet Meisner
    February 17, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    I would like to grow Mandarin Cross and some new varieties of red and green peppers.

  • Reply
    Garf
    February 17, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I can’t wait to start my garden. Unfortunately, I need to wait for a few months before the ground is ready.

  • Reply
    Mikhovma
    February 16, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    I would love to check out that book…. I am excited this year to grow fish hot peppers, ground cherries, tomatillo, and new varieties of tomatoes

  • Reply
    Luligumis
    February 16, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    I would love to being able to grow many of the vegetables we eat. I don´t have a garden at home, I only have a terrace, maybe I can cualtiver something in some pots. The book looks great.

  • Reply
    Jess
    February 16, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    I just heard about this book! I am so intrigued.

  • Reply
    Mira
    February 16, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    Sounds like a great book. I love that it provides you with alternatives to growing some of the most common things.

  • Reply
    Carla C
    February 16, 2018 at 11:50 am

    I want to try egyptian walking onions, purple broccoli, purple potatoes, and rainbow carrots.

  • Reply
    jenna barton
    February 16, 2018 at 10:40 am

    love the idea of this book and it looks beautifully photographed too.

  • Reply
    Vanessa Palma
    February 16, 2018 at 10:39 am

    I love growing my own veggies. I need to try those Egyptian walking onions! They sound so fun.

  • 1 2 3 4 5 9

    Leave a Reply

    %d bloggers like this: