In a way, it’s kind of a little miracle. You place tiny little seeds in dirt – DIRT! – and you keep it damp. Wait a week or so, and something grows. Wait a bit longer and that something becomes food or flowers to make you smile. It’s pretty miraculous, when you think about it, so think about reading these books about gardening and plants… Nobody ever said you had to have serious acreage in order to garden; in fact, you can grow your own food on a balcony or in a basic back yard.
You’ll want to know how to do it right, though, and in “Black Girls Gardening: Empowering Stories and Garden Wisdom for Healing and Flourishing in Nature” by Amber Grossman (Chronicle Books), you’ll get a good overview of what starts underground. Want inspiration? That’s here, in personal essays about gardening and growing food to nourish one’s self, the family, and your community, written by women who have learned and are willing to share their expertise.
You’ll also find chapters on keeping your plants happy and flourishing, how to compost, what tools you’ll want for your garden, how to map out what you’re going to grow, and how to take advantage of “companion planting.” Once you’ve got the hang of things, there are chapters on teaching your kids to grow their own food, and how to spread the love in a community or neighborhood garden.
Full of photos that will make you hungry and that’ll make you want to get outside now and put your hands in the dirt, “Black Girls Gardening” is the perfect springtime read. You’ll dream – and you’ll love how those dreams will taste next fall.