When asked to write a book on gardening, I couldn’t help but get excited. Being given the chance to tell others about growing up in the country and describing the huge garden that my parents started when I was just a kid was a unique opportunity. You see, I always thought that there was something special about that garden. Not just because my mother was able to get the biggest, brightest vegetables you’ve ever seen out of that plot of land at the base of our yard, but because the produce from that garden was a part of the meals my family shared every evening.That garden grew and developed over the years by hard work from both my Mother and Father, and later on even some help from my sister and me. Every spring we planted and by mid-summer, we would see fresh growing corn, carrots, green beans, and even pumpkins and watermelon. After a few years, my parents expanded the garden, and added a Strawberry patch next to it, and a line of Apple and Pear trees. By the time I was thirteen or fourteen we had fresh fruits and vegetables every year. My mother would pickle, can and freeze her produce at harvest time in September so we could continue to have the benefits of her work year round. There were even wild black raspberries growing in the surrounding woods that we picked so that my Mother could make jam and bake pies that could be frozen and eaten year round.If you are interested in starting your own fresh vegetable garden, this book will show you how to do it. It includes everything you need to get started, from choosing your vegetable garden plot and garden design to enjoying your own fresh, homegrown vegetables at the dinner table. It’s true that gardening does take some physical work (which can be as good for you as the vegetables), and if you have the right information to make your garden productive (this book), the rewards far outweigh any effort you put into it.When it comes down to it, gardening is simple. It’s just plants, soil, water and sun. But when you get those four ingredients working in harmony together, the results can change your life.