An Amish Garden A Year in the Life of an Amish Garden[Hardcover] Laura Anne Lapp, Jeremy Hess [Photography]

 

"This lovely and unusual blend of personal reflections, gardening insights, and cooking suggestions will delight readers interested in nature, gardening, food, and Amish life."

— Booklist

An Amish Garden: A Year in the Life of an Amish Garden takes you to six working Amish gardens, from January through December.

Matchless photos show the garden asleep, the Amish women putting together their orders for seeds, the preparation of the soil, parents and children planting, the emerging plants, the lush harvest, the food being preserved.

This close-up of a world seldom seen shows how the seasons and Amish life work rhythmically together.

Laura Anne Lapp lives with her husband and three young sons in a tucked-away valley. Gardening is simply the highpoint of her year.

Step apart and enter this pastoral world of hard work, sturdy families, the freshest of flowers and produce, all in harmony with the seasons.

Fresh Tea

One of our favorite early spring treats from the garden is the first batch of mint tea. We think the earliest tea tastes the best. I'm not sure if it's because we haven't had it for so long, or because those first tender leaves are extra tasty. Regardless of the reason, we are always excited to have the first taste.

It is really quite simple to make and doesn't take long. It's a matter of going to the garden and clipping the tea. I like using the very tip of the stem with just the newest leaves, but some people throw the whole stem of leaves into the boiling water.

Barbie Mom started mixing a few different kinds of mints in one kettle of tea, and the results are wonderful. I was over at her house the other evening, and she was brewing a pot of mint tea that had a handful of lemon balm leaves tossed in. It was absolutely delicious!

Mint Tea

• 1 quart water
• 1 large handful
  mint leaves
• Sugar to taste

1. Rinse mint leaves.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add mint leaves and cover. Let steep for 5 minutes.
4. Remove mint leaves and add sugar to taste,
   stirring until completely dissolved.
5. Cool before servin