Matthew Benson’s Growing Beautiful Food: A Gardener’s Guide To Cultivating Extraordinary Vegetables and Fruit (32.99, 248 pp) is designed to help home gardeners begin growing their own fruits and vegetables. The author believes that the act of growing organic and beautiful food is its own motivator for the grower to lead a healthier lifestyle. Topics covered include finding the right soil to use, coming up with a design plan for your home garden, as well as keeping away animals and pests. This book also included a field guide for backyard growers with detailed advice for 40 crops, including berries, salad greens, and fruiting vegetables, as well as chicken and honey bee care.

Rodale Books, 400 S .10th St., Emmaus, PA 18098, www.rodaleinc.com

Published by WholeFoods Magazine Online, 2/18/2015