Listen: Vegetables have Stories to Tell

The backyard landscape is a place where family and friends gather to make lasting memories as they walk down the garden path of life. There is no greater joy than watching a child pull a carrot from the soil and eat it with the excitement of Bugs Bunny.

Each vegetable in this book tells the story of its journey from its native land to the author’s backyard garden. The author shares insights from decades of gardening experience, including selecting varieties, planting, caring for, and harvesting.

Raised-bed gardening shows how to achieve significant yields in small spaces. Soil and compost are the heart of the garden. The compost area in the Hoffman landscape is affectionately known as Gomer Pile.

Jon and his wife, Bev, live in the village of Vicksburg in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. They have been boyfriend and girlfriend for over 64 years (60 years of marriage). Their backyard is an oasis of garden paths lined with herbs and vegetables. Together, they have explored garden paths on four continents. Jon is a Master Gardener and a former member of the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and the Herb Society of America. He served for over a decade as an officer of Michigan Herb Associates, which provided early funding for the Michigan State 4-H Children’s Garden. He has lectured at horticultural conferences nationwide on plant history and backyard gardening.