[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen you close your eyes and imagine a garden, what do you see? We all have a slightly different picture of what we strive for in our minds. However, we do have a few things in common with this vision. You are picturing a garden full of what you love. No matter what size or style, we all strive to grow vegetables, flowers and herbs that fill us with joy. 

Grow What You Love - 12 Food Plant Families to Change Your Life by Emily Murphy is filled to the brim with ideas and solutions for every gardener. This new book will help you optimize your space while influencing you to fill your life with flavor, variety, positivity and inspiration! 

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What I love to grow

Emily is a mover and a shaker. She is full of warmth, adventure and a love for all things green. You can definitely feel that when thumbing through the pages of this book. Emily believes it is important to find joy in the simple things. As a grower, if you use this as your mantra, you will become a great gardener. The key to doing anything in life successfully is confidence, faith and a willingness to step out of your own boundaries.

A few of the topics covered in this book are soil building, composting, edible flowers, companion plants, seed-sowing tips, propagating plants from cuttings, smart watering, preserving herbs, a plant directory and more. I love how there is a list of seasonal recipes included to help you take your crops from the garden to the table. You will be invigorated by all of the great ideas this book holds while being enchanted by all of the breathtaking photography!

"Discover the things you love and grow them!" - Emily Murphy 

Cucamelons, one of my favorite veggies to grow

Inside The Pages

I really love how this book features gardening basics and step-by-step guides while incorporating seasonal tips throughout. I'm definitely a visual learner, so I enjoyed the photography accompanying the gardening advice given. Emily will walk you through tasks like transplanting seeds and making your own compost. Each guide is very thorough taking you through every part of the process. 

I especially love how she teaches you how to convert a trough into a raised bed. I've always wanted to do this, and she has definitely given me that push I needed! Along with these guides, she shares instructions on how to keep your garden looking it's best. She shares her secrets when it comes to pruning, deadheading and tidying up. As soon as another question would pop into my head, I'd turn the page and find my answer. 

You can really tell that Emily put her heart and soul into this book. Her passion for growing can be seen throughout each page. She adds in tips in the form of personal notes here and there, really giving you that insider's look into her expertise that comes from years of growing.

Grow What You Love

I definitely made notes and gained some great ideas while reading this book. I now have a giant list of things I want to plant this season along with new tasks tacked onto my to-do list. Reading through the pages will fill you with excitement and make you long for the summer season ahead. If you love turning your fresh ingredients into delicious treats, you will adore her rosemary honey ice cream and summer fresh mojito recipes!

"Plants you love will lead you to new and exciting recipes!" - Emily Murphy

What I love to grow

Her chapter all about edible flowers really filled me with that need and want to grow more. Here are a few flowers she recommends, and I will definitely be growing in my vegetable garden this season.

• Calendula - Emily had her first experience with calendula when she was studying herbal medicine. She dried and infused it into oil that she later used in salves and lotions. She mentions that it attracts pollinators and beneficial insects to your garden. It also repels insects like aphids, whiteflies and pests like the tomato hornworm. Emily shares that calendula tastes wonderful in salads, soups, stews and breads. You can also use the dried petals as a saffron substitute! 
• Nasturtium - Like Emily, nasturtium has been at the top of my gardening list every year. That being said, I've never taken the time to add it to dishes. I've only used the flower as a companion plant. Now that I've read about it in her book, she is spurring me to try something new. Emily shares that the seeds make wonderful capers when pickled (I had no idea!). She also shares that you can use nasturtiums in summer sandwiches and quesadillas. Seriously, sign me up! Other benefits of this flower are that it provides a habitat for important predatory insects like spiders and ground beetles. She also shares that the plant will lure black aphids away from your vegetables. 
• Scented Geranium - In this book, I learned that scented geraniums can be infused in simple syrups, teas, flavored sugars, baked goods and roasted veggies. Emily says that it's generally not advised to eat the leaves themselves, but to instead use them to enhance flavors. You can also crush the leaves before adding to lemonades and cocktails. The flowers themselves can be crystallized and added to sorbets, ice creams and desserts. Scented geraniums also benefit your plants by drawing Japanese beetles away from roses, fruit trees and even green beans!

Nasturtiums grown in my garden

About The Author

Photo by West Cliff Creative

I first became familiar with Emily through social media and her foodie-centric gardening blog Pass The Pistil. Her friendly demeanor instantly drew me in and I was hooked on her growing tips! I also follow along with her positive and inspirational hashtag #growwhatyoulove! Pass The Pistil was named one of Garden Design Magazine's most-loved blogs of 2015. Emily is a web series host, an organic gardening consultant and a contributor to Better Homes and Gardens. She holds a degree in Ethnobotanical Resources from Humboldt State University where she also studied botany and environmental science. Along with being an author and a talented gardener, Emily is a photographer and a cook! She currently resides in Northern California with her family and finds daily inspiration from the simple act of growing.

Emily Murphy speaking and doing a demonstration at The Boston Flower & Garden Show

She has two new articles on her blog - Grow Your Own Herb Tea Garden and 4 Cosmos For Your Cutting Garden. Definitely make sure to head on over and check those out. Don't forget to follow her on social media for daily tips and ideas! 

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