Putting Down Roots: Gardening Insights from Wisconsin's Early Settlers
"In a time when people are increasingly concerned about organic gardening practices and the need for more variety in our plants for the health of the planet, Carmichael shows readers the value in drawing from the past for the good of the present. For avid gardeners and simple admirers of other people’s gardens alike,Putting Down Rootsis an absorbing book of Wisconsin’s history and culture." (Jennifer Fandel,ForeWord Reviews)“How do you read a garden? Read it the way Marcia Carmichael does and you’ll learn about so much more than plants. Her rich, readable guide to the historical gardens at Old World Wisconsin explores the multi-layered meanings of food in nineteenth-century life. This is real-life, everyday history—not dates and titles, but seeds, tools, recipes, and meals that illustrate immigrant hopes, values, and traditions.Putting Down Rootsis an entrancing heirloom feast for today’s cooks, gardeners, and food history buffs.” (Terese Allen, coauthor ofThe Flavor of Wisconsinand Organic Valley Food Editor)“For anyone interested in gardening or cooking with heirlooms,Putting Down Rootsis a marvelous resource. If you can’t visit Old World Wisconsin in person, this book is the next best thing to being there. Recipes such as black salsify salad, potato candy, and more recapture the flavors of Wisconsin’s past. What a treat!” (Shelley Ryan, host ofThe Wisconsin Gardeneron Wisconsin Public Television)2011 Honorable Mentionfor the Ellis-Henderson Outdoor Writing Prize from the Council of Wisconsin Writers2011 Winnerin the Midwest Regional Interest: Text Category from Midwest Independent Publishers Association2012 Winnerof the Annual Book Award from the American Horticultural Society