What's the best way to protect vegetables from frost? How do you dry herbs and banish slugs? There's much to learn about making the most of your backyard vegetable garden, and this handy little guide is brimming with advice for novice gardeners. Written by a popular magazine columnist of the nineteenth century, these timeless suggestions offer straightforward guidance for every step of the way, from planting, watering, and fertilizing to cooking and preserving your homegrown produce. Author Harriet Anne de Salis was an expert at counseling Victorian housewives on the domestic arts, writing commonsense manuals for everything from cooking on a budget to raising poultry and training dogs. This companion volume to Gardening à la Mode: Fruits features alphabetized entries and an index for easy reference. Even seasoned gardeners and cooks are likely to find it a source of useful hints and enduring charm.