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Bibliography
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis ,Ellen
Phillips. Rodale Institute 1992
The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal , David Hoffman. Element Books, 1996.
Back to Basics : How to Learn and Enjoy Traditonal American Skills. The Readers Di-
gest Associaton, 1981.

Basic Gardening Zine Series #2
2
The basic garden zine series is an effort to condense the boggling amount of information
relating to gardening into a simple and easily replicable booklet. Karen Seed wrote it and
drew the illustrations, unless otherwise noted. May your garden grow abundant!

This is the Colorado (USDA zone 5) version

Other titles:
Soil & Compost
Bugs
Food Crops
Starting Seeds
Irrigation
Harvesting & Food Preservation
Seed Saving
15
Cover Crops: This is a crop we can plant during the season when certain
parts of the garden are not in use (say, after you have harvested the pota-
toes for the year, and there is not enough time to grow a second crop).
We can also let parts of the garden "rest" for a whole year, and plant cov-
er crops there instead, in order to build fertility in the soil. Cover crops
add organic matter to the soil, they prevent erosion, and keep weeds out.
Cover crops can include: -wheat -oats -peas -alfalfa -clover -vetch. Clo-
ver is our personal favorite because it is a legume and it does not turn
into a weed itself!


Legumes: Legumes are a type of plant which put nitrogen into the soil.
They have the ability to take nitrogen from the air (as N2) and put it in
the soil (as NO2, NO3, or NH4), which they do via a symbiosis with a
soil microbe. No other plant can do this, therefore legumes are some of
the best plants for building fertility in the garden. Examples of legumes
are : Clover, Vetch, Peas, Beans, and Alfalfa.

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Non-Food Beneficial Plants.
many crops we can grow are not directly food for us, but they are good
for the ecosystem of the garden. Here are a few examples:

Nectar Crops
Flowers are good for the bees and butterflies because they give nectar.
Bees and butterflies pollinate our food crops. Planting many different
types of flowers which bloom at different times of year ensures that our
insect friends are happy and healthy.
This is especially important for bees, who are currently dying-off for
many reasons, and who pollinate nearly all the food crops we eat.
Here is just a few valuable nectar plants:
Herbs: Lavender, Cat-Mint, Sage, Cilantro, Thyme, Fennell, Borage
Annual Flowers: Calendula, Sweet Asylum, Poppy, Sunflower, Zinnia,
Cleome, Heliotrope
Perennial Flowers: Crocus, Buttercup, Aster, Hollyhocks, Anemone,
Snowdrops, Geranium











3

CONTENTS

Plant Botany..4

Types of Plants5

Annual Crops
Cool Season/Warm Season..6
Veggie Families....8

Perennial Crops.10

Medicinal and Culinary Herbs..12

Non-Food Beneficial Plants.14




4 13
MEDICINAL HERBS
There are many, many medicinal herbs. Listed below are just a few, very common and
safe (non-toxic) herbs for everyday health that would be great in a home medicine gar-
den. With the small amount of space here, it will be impossible to go fully into all the
properties and possible uses of each herb. Instead, the herb is listed with its most well-
known effect, and the most common way it is used.
Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia). Perennial. Leaves, Flowers, and roots. It is one of
the best for immune support and overcoming the common cold. Use in a tea or tincture.
Its also loved by bees and butterflies.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Perennial. Leaves. Soothes upset tummies and intesti-
nal discomfort. Use in a tea. Great for bees.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria). Perennial. Leaves and flowers. Not only is it a favorite of your
cat, it also helps humans relax and go to sleep.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Perennial. All parts of
the plant are completely edible. The leaves are high in vita-
mins and can be eaten in salads and soups, while their
roots can be chopped and used in a tea to stimulate urina-
tion and detoxify the body.
Raspberry (Rubus). Perennial. The leaves are one of the
best plants for soothing menstrual cramps and strengthen-
ing the uterus. Completely safe and good for pregnancy.
Make into a tea.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Perennial. Flowers and
leaves. Highly beneficial for fevers. Astringent-- will tone
and tighten skin, so it can be used on wounds.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). Perennial. Flowers. A very good respiratory tonic. Used
as a tea.
Comfrey (Symphytum), Perennial. Leaves. It is one of the best for healing broken skin.
Use the juice of the fresh leaves on cuts, rashes, and bruises, and it can be made into a
salve or poultice. CautionDont use on very deep wounds, because it can heal the
surface skin without healing deeper tissue, and that can cause problems like infection.
Tea will heal sore throats, but do not drink often as it has mild toxins which can build
up over time.
Chamomile: German chamomile is annual. Roman chamomile is perennial. The flowers
are great for relaxing the nervous system and helping sleep. Use in a tea. Can trigger
uterine contractions, DO NOT drink if pregnant.
IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS CONDITION, SEVERE ALLERGIES, OR ARE PREG-
NANT PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE ATTEMPTING HOME
REMEDIES.
DANDELION
12
~HERBS~
The last category of food crops is Herbs. There are two types: culinary
and medicinal. The difference is that one is usually used in cooking while
the other for making tea, tinctures, salves, or other medicine. However,
many culinary herbs also have important medicinal qualities and health
benefits. Some of the herbs are perennials, and some are annuals.
CULINARY HERBS
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Annual. Basil is delicious and can be
used fresh or dried in salads, stir fry, pesto,
Cilantro/Coriander (Coriandrum sativum). Annual. When used as a
fresh leaf, its called cilantro. When the dried berries are used, its
called coriander.
Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides). Annual. A yummy herb used
in Mexican and central American cuisine. It helps the digestive
system and reduces flatulence in most people.
Sage (Salvia officinalis). Perennial. Used in European cooking
especially with poultry and meat.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum). Annual. A delicious herb for salads
and cooking. It has properties of helping the body detoxify and
cleanse. It will also help bring on delayed menstruation. For preg-
nant women, it is safe in normal food quantities, but can be danger-
ous if eaten in large quantities.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) In warm climates its a perenni-
al, but in cold climates it can be grown like an annual. Traditionally
used in Italian food. It is a natural preservative and often used to
infuse oils to keep them fresh.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Perennial. This herb is tasty but also acts
as an anti-biotic, eliminating sickness from the body.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare). Perennial. It is a great culinary herb both dried and fresh.
Medicinally it is an antimicrobial, and will aid the body in killing germs and viruses.



BASIL
THYME
5
Types of Plants and Useful Terms

Perennial: a plant that lives for more than two years. Although its leaves may appear
to die in the winter, it comes back in the spring from its roots. Many medicinal herbs
and fowers are perennials, and food crops such as strawberries, rhubarb, and aspara-
gus. Trees and bushes are also periennials, although the term "perennial" generally
refers to non-woody plants.
Biennial: A fowering plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle.. In the frst
year, it will grow its stems, leaves and roots. It goes dormant in the winter, and in the
second year, it will send out fowers and make seed. Afer this is complete, the plant
will die. Examples of biennial food crops are onions, carrots, beets, parseley, and pars-
nip. However, most of those crops are grown as annuals--they are harvested in their
frst year. Farmers who want to save seed from these crops will let them grow into
their second year. Flowers that are biennials are
Annual: An annual is a plant that takes one growing season to complete its life cycle.
Afer it makes seed, it will die. Almost all garden vegetables are annuals (or they are
grown as annuals--for example, tomatoes are actually perennials in tropical climates).
Woody: A plant that has a hard and tree-like wood stem. They usually grow taller than
herbaceous plants.
Herbaceous: A plant that has green stems without wood.
Tender: A plant sensitve to cold.
Hardy: A plant that can endure cold. A perennial is ofen considered "hardy" when it
can survive through the winter.
Runners: A way for perennial plants to propogate themselves. Underground roots trav-
el to another part of the soil and put up new leaves. Strawberries, blackberries, and
raspberries do this, as do weeds like bindweed, grass, and rapeweed.
6
ANNUAL VEGGIES
Most all vegetables that we commonly grow for food are annuals. They
grow for one season, then they get harvested and die. In North America,
where we have cold winters and hot summers, the veggies can be de-
scribed as either "Cool Season" or "Warm Season"


Cool Season

Cool Season Plants can take light freezing temperatures, and can be
grown in the spring and fall before or after the warm summer season.
Some cool season veggies don't like heat, and others can take it a bit.
-peas
-brassica family (Kale, Brocolli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Brussel
Sprouts, Collards)
-Lettuce
-Arugula
-Cilantro
-Oriental greens (tatsoi, bakchoi, chinese cabbage)
-Mustard greens
-carrots (can take heat)
-beets (can take heat)
-swiss chard (can take heat)
-potatoes (can take heat)
11










Asparagus











Rhubarb
10
Perennial Food Crops
There are many food crops we can grow which are perennials. They will
live for many years, but need to be taken care of (pruning, fertilization)
according to their own growing pattern. They need a permanent bed or a
site where they can live in peace. They need fertile soil, pruning, and
weeding like any other crop does. Here are examples of things that do
well in Colorado:
Berries
Raspberries, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Cur-
rants,
Grapes!!!



Fruit Trees
Apples, Plums,
Pears, Apricots, Peaches!


Blackberries Strawberries Currants
Picture from Back to Basics
7


Warm Season


Warm Season Plants thrive in hot summer months. They don't grow well
in cool and cloudy weather, their leaves will die in a light frost, and a
hard freeze will completely kill the plant. They need to be planted after
the danger of frost in the spring, and harvested before the first frosts
come in the Autumn.
-tomatoes
-peppers
-eggplants
-tomatillos
-Cucurbit family (squash, pumpkin, zuchinni, melons, watermelon)
-Corn
-Beans
-Basil
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Lettuce Family
Asteraceae (Compositae)

Lettuce Chicory/Endive Jerusalem Artichoke
Globe Artichoke Dandelion Sunflower


Onion family
Alliaceae
Onion Shallot Garlic Chives Leek



Crucifer/Cabbage/Mustard family
Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cauliflower Cabbage
Collard Greens Horseradish Mustard Kale
Kohlrabi Radish Cress Rutabaga Bok choy
Chinese Cabbage Watercress Turnip Wasabi


Squash family
Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber Honeydew melon Cantaloupe/Muskmelon
Watermelon Pumpkin Squash Zucchini



VEGETABLE FAMILES!
It can help to know which crops are related to each other. Plants in the
same families often struggle with the same diseases and bugs, and they
need similar soil nutrients.
9
Potato/Nightshade family
Solanaceae
Eggplant Pepper Potato Tomato Tomatillo
Paprika Chile pepper


Pea and Bean family
Fabaceae (Leguminosae) (restore nitrogen to soil)
Alfalfa Lentil Peanut Bean Soybean Clover
Lupin Pea


Carrot family
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Carrot Celery Fennel Dill Parsley
Parsnip Cumin Coriander/Cilantro


Beetroot family
Amaranthaceae (Chenopodiaceae)
Beetroot Quinoa Spinach Swiss Chard
Amaranth


Grasses family
Poaceae or Gramineae
Corn/Maize Oats Rice Rye Sorghum Barley
Wheat Millet Sugarcane


Mallow Family
Malvaceae
Okra Mallow