Product Description

Inspired by the local-food movement, many Americans are turning their yards into miniature orchards, growing apples, kiwis, peaches, and strawberries. Discerning gardeners—tired of the common blackberry—want something new. Jujube, juneberry, maypop, pawpaw, and shipova are just a few of the uncommon—and absolutely tasty—fruits that can be easily grown in the home garden. Lee Reich has chosen 23 fruits that offer mouthwatering rewards to anyone willing to veer off the beaten path. As useful as it is inspiring, this new paperback edition emphasizes the practicalities of plant selection, cultivation, propagation, and maintenance. All plants were carefully chosen for their ease of care, ability to withstand cold, and flavor. Tips for using the fruits in the kitchen are also included. After reading this delightful book, all gardeners will want to grow and enjoy these uncommonly delicious fruits.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #124227 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 308 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780881929447
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Although this book is a useful how-to, it also provides great armchair reading, for both the clarity of the prose and the intriguing background provided for the selections. [Reich] provides us with a fascinating opportunity to bridge the gap between the ordinary and the exotic, with the garden at the conjunction. If you've ever had a hankering for pawpaw, jujubes, jostaberries, or persimmons, this is your chance to learn how to grow your own ... [A] great addition to the gardening bookshelf."
—Allison Tsu, Bloomsbury Review, May 2005 (Bloomsbury Review )

"For those gardeners who, like me, are always searching for something a bit out of the ordinary for both their gardens and their tummies, this book is a gem."
—Rita Pelczar, American Gardener, July/August 2004 (American Gardener )

"Some gardening books inspire, others entertain, and some educate. Lee Reich's Uncommom Fruits does all three and then some."
—Greenscapes, January 2005 (Greenscapes )

Although this book is a useful how-to, it also provides great armchair reading, for both the clarity of the prose and the intriguing background provided for the selections. [Reich] provides us with a fascinating opportunity to bridge the gap between the ordinary and the exotic, with the garden at the conjunction. If you've ever had a hankering for pawpaw, jujubes, jostaberries, or persimmons, this is your chance to learn how to grow your own ... [A] great addition to the gardening bookshelf. Allison Tsu, Bloomsbury Review, May 2005 (Bloomsbury Review )

For those gardeners who, like me, are always searching for something a bit out of the ordinary for both their gardens and their tummies, this book is a gem. Rita Pelczar, American Gardener, July/August 2004 (American Gardener )

Some gardening books inspire, others entertain, and some educate. Lee Reich's Uncommom Fruits does all three and then some. Greenscapes, January 2005 (Greenscapes )

Review

“This book is ideal for teaching and discussion.  I can find no weaknesses in it.”

About the Author
Lee Reich is an author, lecturer, and consultant whose books include The Pruning Book and Weedless Gardening. Reich grows a broad assortment of fruit plants in his own garden, which has been featured in the New York Times, Organic Gardening, and Martha Stewart Living.

Customer Reviews

A word of caution
This is a very well written book. There are 23 chapters, each devoted to a single fruit or berry -- all of which are considered "lesser known" to at least the American gardening culture. The chapters all contain a lot of information on lore, characteristics, planting, culture, propogation, and harvest.

What is missing are: listings of particular cultivars that do well in certain regions of the country, certain microclimates, etc. Further, little attention is paid to climate in general with the exception of a few references to USDA zones.

Still, I recommend this book to you with the caution: find out (from a grower or a high-quality nursery in your area) which cultivars are known to work in your area. Consider a line drawn from Monterey CA to Jacksonville FL. For those living above this line, the only real concern is which varieties taste better. For those living below this line, you have the additional question of which varieties will bear fruit and actually survive.

Excellent book! Open your garden to a wonderful range of unique edibles.
Lee Reich has complied a wonderful, detailed listing of "the fruits less planted". His style is very readable and the photos and illustrations compliment the written material very well. Detailed information on plant descriptions, cultivation, propagation and recommended cultivars. His vivid plant descriptions are enough to make your mouth water, and he has purposely focused on fruits that are relatively low maintenance and disease free. Plants also vary in size, so there are options for those who use containers to those who have room for full grown trees. I enjoyed the book very much, and look forward to adding many of these plants to our homestead.

I've gleaned much useful information from this easily read item.
I've gleaned much useful information from this easily read item.

The how-to illustrations are clear and should be easily understood both by old-timers like myself and novices in the greatest hobby known to mankind, HOME GARDENING.