A hip, eco-friendly guide with fun and easy projects for all levels. Eating locally has so many benefits—for the planet, for your health, and for your tastebuds—and you can’t get much more local than your very own backyard. But is planting a garden too big a commitment? Then this book is for you. A Little Piece of Earth is all about starting small, with more than fifty self-contained, doable projects. Whether you have a yard, a terrace, a rooftop, or just a windowsill, there are plenty of ideas and inspirations to choose from. Harvest your own precious vanilla pods from a pot indoors. Grow savory shiitakes on a small log in your kitchen. Build a miniature vineyard trellis on your deck or build a raised bed on your patio. Recipes for using your homegrown bounty are sprinkled throughout. Charming illustrations guide you through step-by-step, and there’s a complete resources section. This is about making dirt work for you, taking some control over your food supply, and, most important, enriching your life with the quiet, simple pleasures of produce raised organically with your own hands.

""Maria Finn proves that green-thumbed urbanites needn't feel limited to a few houseplants. Charming illustrations accompany instructions for growing lemons, shitake mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, figs, and more on windowsills, balconies, patios, and rooftops. Chapters on foraging and community gardening round out the book."" ~Sierra Club's The Green Life blog

""A small, lovely book about gardening in tight spots: patios, fire escapes, windowsills."" ~Entertainment Weekly

""Finn gets you thinking literally outside the box about endless possibilities for growing exotic produce within apartment limits"" ~San Francisco Bay Guardian