Gardening with Grains

Brie Arthur's Gardening with Grains is a passion project that grew from a light-bulb, aha moment - that's when she realized we've been missing a dynamic piece of the burgeoning foodscape movement.

We've learned the joys of interplanting our blooming flowerbeds with veggies, herbs and berries - but what about the grains, those ancient and beautiful grasses that practically gave us civilization: wheat, barley and oats for winter; corn, rice and sorghum for the warm season.

Gardening with Grains is a pioneering book, a companion to Arthur's The Foodscape Revolution. Richly illustrated, it combines history, environmental benefits and personal stories with simple how-to's for planning, growing and harvesting 6 important grains. Includes 12 chef-tested recipes for inspiration.

This is a design book, too, with planting patterns and suggestions, no matter how much or how little garden space you have. These grains are ornamental grasses, and they show off beautifully in any setting. The grouped plantings reveal the grains' varied colors and textures, interplanted with flowers like poppies, larkspur, snapdragons, nigella, zinnias, sunflowers and marigolds. Not only flowers, but salad greens and other decorative veggies play well with grains.

Gardening with Grains is foodscaping for fun, beauty and bragging rights. . . and maybe even some homemade beer and bread.(Genus illustrations and garden plans by landscape architect and botanical artist Preston Montague.)