‘Hands in the Dirt’ by Leah Evans
Hands in the Dirt - Grow Your Own Kai with Mrs Evans by Leah Evans
With strange new world ‘wobbles’ and unpredictable devastating weather events, our food security is foremost in our mind more than ever. When my nose is not in my books, I can be found tending to my own vegetable patches committed to growing my own food supply. I am not alone in this pursuit, and it is timely to find Leah Evans’ new practical book that is fodder for the brain and gets my hands working smarter in the soil.
We can glean from her twenty-five years’ experience of trial and error to get the optimum results for our own vegetable gardens regardless of how big or small. Leah starts with the planning basics of soil and structure, after all, she started with some hanging pots and cherry tomatoes. We all want to know where to start, to understand why we would bother and what it is we are creating. I appreciate Leah’s practical and earthy approach. She gets us started but gives us the tools to keep going and create a lifelong commitment to grow our own kai.
This handbook will be a reference guide to help you develop your resourcefulness and have an endless supply of food essentials. Most New Zealand gardens host a basic range of garden to kitchen plants that we grow easily including: beetroot, beans, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, herbs, pumpkin, leafy greens, potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes. Leah focusses on these basics that gives us the kitchen staples – they’re chosen for their reliable performance in our New Zealand climate and provision of yield to use, store or share.
Whether it is a simple container, a square metre patch or a raised garden bed, Leah can give you the building blocks to establish an edible garden space. How satisfying to walk from door to garden and create from what you have grown – to have the supply, ability to create healthy meals and saving on the household costs.
This one’s a gem and you can meet Leah Evans on her Instagram page @mrs.evans.garden too.
Purchase the book in store or online.
