Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam.
Don't Throw It, Grow It: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps.
North Adams, Mass.: Storey, 2008.
paper, 153 pp., ISBN 978–1–60342–064–8, $10.95.

In this updated edition of a handy book on growing plants from seeds, the text contains a review of the plants that are suitable for cultivation indoors on windowsills. These include common vegetables, fruits, nuts, and herbs, as well as the more exotic spices and plants from Latin America and Asia. The authors provide practical advice on selection of suitable materials, propagation, and care, suggesting techniques that will encourage success in even the most limited space, taking the reader step-by-step through the nurturing process. Great fun and intriguing for all ages, this is the ideal book for those who love a gardening challenge and educators who want to stimulate an interest in horticulture among the young.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.