Happy Friday, readers. It’s been a few weeks since I reviewed a book and hosted a giveaway, so I’m happy to say, I’m fixing that today with a wonderful new garden book from Stephanie Hafferty, award-winning homesteader and no-dig garden expert, called The Productive Garden.
The Productive Garden: An Essential Guide Toward Self‑Sufficiency
My Thanks to Quarto Publishing for the complimentary copy of The Productive Garden and for hosting a giveaway. All opinions are my own.
About The Productive Garden by Stephanie Hafferty:
Publisher: Frances Lincoln/March 2026/ Hardcover/256 Pages/Genre: Gardening, House and Home
Are you ready to start your journey to self-sufficiency? Are you a novice gardener wishing to change up your lifestyle by growing, preserving, and cooking more food at home? This book is an essential resource. One you’ll come back to again and again through the seasons, and I dare say, through the years as you grow in your garden and self-sufficiency journey.
Stephanie Hafferty has over 30 years of hands-on experience and shows how anyone can create an abundant, resilient garden using simple, sustainable methods rooted in no‑dig and permaculture principles.
In The Productive Garden, Stephanie covers topics like:
- Planning a productive plot (garden)
- Improving soil health
- Growing reliable crops across the seasons
- Turning harvests into preserves, cleaners, and body‑care products
My Thoughts:
I’ve looked through this book, but tend to read a garden resource book of this size (256 pages) and scope using a current-season methodology. Since we’re just starting our growing season in zone 7b, that means I’m focusing on our garden location and improving soil health, key topics in Part One: In The Garden.
We’re transitioning our main garden area from big grow bags and pots to wooden raised beds, so I’m focusing on bed placement and improving soil. Thankfully, both are fairly straightforward: we think our current spot is ideal for continued garden success, and we’ll be able to reuse much of our soil from last year.
It’s already got worms, so I’ll take note of Stephanie's knowledge of amending soil. I’m also keeping an eye on my seed starts and small seedlings to ensure they’ll be ready to transfer into our garden. Stephanie covers sowing and propagation in part one, and I wish I’d had this book before starting our seeds. I’d have done a few steps differently.
Tomorrow, I’m going to decide which other plants we may want to grow this year with the assistance of the next section of the book, Part Two: Seasonal Produce. This is a guide to reliable crops. Everything from veggies to flowers is covered.
Part Three: Using Your Harvests is perhaps my favorite part of this book. It covers garden crafts with flowers, making body care products, and products for your home, such as soaps, cleaners, and fragrances.
There’s even a section on setting up your own pantry (larder) with preserves, oils, ferments, vinegars, cordials, and more.
It makes sense that this would be my favorite section since it’s home-centric and I’m a work at home Mom who enjoys home and garden projects.
Part Four: Useful Resources lists Stephanie’s recommended books and websites, as well as harvesting schedule, and a guide to foraging.
The Takeaway:
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| Coutesy: Quarto Publishing |
The Productive Garden is a fantastic resource for gardeners and homemakers of any skill level. Stephanie’s warmth and love for gardening and self-sufficiency are evident throughout the pages of this book. Her approach to these topics blends affordability, ecological care, and everyday practicality, making self‑sufficiency feel like something we all can achieve.
I invite you to learn more about author Stephanie Hafferty and her lastest garden book The Productive Garden by visiting Quarto Publshing.
Win It:
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| Courtesy:Quarto Publishing |
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Quarto Publishing, one lucky reader will receive a hardbound copy of The Productive Garden by Stephanie Hafferty. Open to USA residents only. Please read all the terms outlined below so that your entry is valid. I do check them.
Terms:
No purchase is necessary to enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment; the sponsor is. Winners will be notified by email used on the entry form and have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook or any other social channel.
Please share in comments: If you win, what part of the book will you read first?
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