I am fully absorbed in Spring Anticipation; my reading recently has been almost exclusively the gardening sections of Homesteader's Handbook, Back to Basics, and Polish Herbs and Folk Medicine. The Homesteader's Handbook is particuarly fun. It was written by a couple of hippies, and includes advice on "growing your own 'stuff,' " as well as more applicable planting tips on organic vegetable gardening, getting fruit trees to thrive, and the many ways to enrich soil.

Back to Basics is a very basic book to cover the basic aspects of homesteading. I've had it since college and love going back to remember a recipe, or redesign the garden-to-come. It's the sort of book that, if you were to go "back to the land" with just this book and a prayer, you'd be in a bit of trouble, but supplementally, it's very good.

My husband gave me Polish Herbs and Folk Medicine a couple years ago and I'm still discovering new ideas in it. The book is mostly historical, but the garden designs and herb uses are fantastic! Though, a note of warning: in many herb books, including all three of the ones I mentioned, the herbal recommendations don't always include a warning for when the herbs should not be taken. Some herbs are wonderful in general, but should not be give to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or to people with certain health conditions. So study up, and don't take the word of any one book, no matter how good it may be overall.

Blessings!