Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-202) and index.

Why don't Americans garden? -- Money : better than Berkshire Hathaway stock bought in '65 -- Flavor : if you haven't grown it, you haven't tasted it -- Health : eternal youth's not in a fountain, but in a garden -- The soil : why dirt isn't dirty -- Beauty : prettier than sod and shrubs any day -- The kids : what they'll take out of the garden -- The never-ending education : why you'll soon be as much of an expert as any expert -- Survival : how to stay adaptable in uncertain times -- Happiness : the best reason to garden. A lively, passionate argument for the backyard vegetable garden, drawing on science, history, and stories from the author's garden. Owens shows you how to fit a garden into your life-- and why it's worth the trouble.