...for every man will please his own fancie.  John Parkinson 1567-1650

{HISTORY}

Whether your kitchen garden is as big as an acre, long and wide, or as slim as a tiny window box hanging from a city balcony, there is info for everyone in this vintage book all about kitchen gardening with vegetables and herbs. Combining the beloved authority that is Betty Crocker with illustrations by treasured American artist Tasha Tudor (1915-2008) who has captured the hearts of art lovers for generations, this engaging book takes readers through the process of starting, growing and maintaining a kitchen garden for cooking and preserving endeavors.

Debuting during the holiday season in 1971, just as the landscape was wrapping itself up for winter, readers were introduced to Betty Crocker's practical, hands-on gardening advice and Tasha's endearing illustrations of garden pots and plots, corgis and cats, and a team of helpers that range from little ones all the way up to the master gardener. It was just the kind of lovely how-to book that helped readers dream away the cold and snowy winter days while sketching out practical ideas for a springtime garden.

We've written quite a bit about the Betty Crocker brand and its lengthy history. Catch up on the surprising story of how it all started in this blog post here. 

Tasha Tudor held a fascinating life across the entire 20th century that enamoured book, art, and ephemera, collectors who fell in love with her nostalgic portrayal of simple country life. Born to an affluent family in Boston, MA in 1915, Tasha trained at the Boston School of Fine Arts where she developed her illustrative style combining images of family, garden , cottage and country life that appealed to people around the world.

Tasha illustrated and/or authored over a hundred books throughout her lifetime and created annual greeting card imagery for decades that were especially popular during the holiday season. All this while embracing and a 19th-century lifestyle in her home and gardens modeled after an 1850s New England farmhouse.  Although she passed away in 2008, friends and family still maintain her website. Learn more about her here. 

In Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens, readers will find information on how to grow and harvest vegetables and herbs both inground and in containers, recipes for vinegars, jellies, butters and relishes, and garden layouts to inspire unique designs that meet individual needs and tastes along with quotes and poetry about gardening tasks and thoughts.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1971 Edition
• 170 pages
• Recipes include New England Garden Piccalilli, Italian Dressing, Shellfish Salad, Chicken with Tarragon, Herb Vinegar, Herb Butter, a fresh Bouquet Garni, and Herb Jelly
• Illustrated throughout with both color and black and white drawings by Tasha Tudor

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this book is clean and bright throughout. There is some foxing and light tanning on the inside coverboards and a small, very light mark of white paint on the front coverboard. The spine is tight, and all pages are intact. Please see photos. 

{SIZE}

Measures 9.5" inches (length) x 6.25" inches (width) x .75" inches (thickness) and weighs 1 lb.