In 18th-century gardens, the broccoli was purple and "turkey" cucumbers grew to 3 feet long. Oiled paper was used instead of plastic for sheltering transplants, and manure heated the hotbed for January seedlings. Lime water controlled aphids, and a simple tile trapped slugs in the lettuce beds. And melon seeds were improved by walking about with them in your pockets.

Step into the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg, the nation's foremost historic preservation site, and you'll find that gardeners have rediscovered the art of the well-ordered kitchen garden. In Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way, historic gardener Wesley Greene shares history and folklore associated with growing vegetables, along with practical advice on 50 beloved garden vegetables and herbs, garden tools, and cultivation techniques.

For those who love connecting with the earth through gardening, there is no better way than to dig into the wisdom of 18th-century gardeners and botanists. Informative and entertaining, Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way inspires today's organic gardeners to preserve time-tested methods and the tradition of kitchen gardening.—Jacket