Ruth Stout Books

Over 70 years ago, Ruth Stout, an irrepressible gardener, began penning articles detailing a system of less work, more vegetables. Little did she know that 70 years later, this “Mulch Queen” would be a pioneer, demystifying gardening for young and old alike.

In this classic book, Ruth covers the ground, literally, from prepping soil to recipes for your homegrown vegetables. Everything she shares she has observed from personal experience. Along the way, you will see her wry humor and learn how she developed her system, both philosophically and scientifically. In addition, there are rare photos of Ruth at work and play, as well as over 200 gardening trivia notes. And you truly will learn that there is Gardening Without Work! 

"Gardening Without Work" is the detailed and helpful guide by Ruth Stout, the American author famous for her lazy gardener approach to gardening. Stout started gardening in 1930, when she was 46, and over the next decade came to understand just how demanding of an activity it can be. 

In 1944, she decided on a different approach and developed many techniques, including a year-round mulch, that significantly decreased the amount of work needed to garden successfully. Stout published her first work detailing her new methods in 1955, titled "How to Have a Green Thumb without an Aching Back", 

and began a successful writing career. First published in 1961, "Gardening Without Work" 

expands upon her mulching methods for easy gardening and details in an easy-to-understand format exactly how to begin and maintain an effortless garden. Written with her trademark humor and wit, Stout shows readers how to get the most out of gardening with less effort and time so that you are free to enjoy both a productive garden and all the fun that life has to offer. 

Adopt the Revolutionary no dig of Gardening

Without a tractor and with an impatience to get her seeds planted for the season, Ruth Stout stumbled upon an unorthodox way to sow her garden: rather than plowing the earth, she would simply make her seedling rows in between mounds of compost she had lain over the previous fall and winter.

In her endearing and folksy voice, Stout tells the tale of her move in 1930 from New York City to a 55-acre farm in the rural Connecticut hamlet of Poverty Hollow. With little experience and a cast of helpers and advisors, she tells the story of a woman's toiling, making mistakes, and learning the pastime of gardening. In the spring of 1944, she experienced an epiphany that would chart a new method of planting: "Throw away your spade and hoe."

How to Have a Green Thumb is an infectious narrative of lessons learned and practical advice for anyone not afraid to get their hands dirty in pursuit of a bountiful and healthy garden. It provides practical advice on dealing with pests, a catalogue of the common vegetable varieties and flowering plants, and, of course, mulching. It is a book that any gardener will treasure and refer to again and again.