The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book

199 Pages·1.243 MB·English

This book made available by the Internet Archive.

Foreword
When Organic Gardening and Farming decided to publish, in book
form, the articles that Richard Clem-ence and I had written for them
through the years, they sent us the material to look over. To change, to
improve, to correct? Well, in the second paragraph of the first article I
wrote, I found something to change: that I freeze turnips, which I
haven't done for years; I just leave them in the garden, cover them
with bales of hay, and dig them, when wanted, all winter.
Realizing that these articles were full of reports of things about which I
had later changed my mind, I decided that the sensible thing to do was
not to alter anything. And why did I decide that? Perhaps because it
would be too much work, but I rationalized my conclusion in this way:
maybe it is more helpful to other gardeners to tell of the things that
seemed all right, but weren't, than to simply say "I do this, I do that".
So here is the story of the things I have learned, and "un-learned",
about gardening. The first article was published in 1953, the last one in
1971. The later ones
vn
FOREWORD
contain information which is contrary to some opinions and
performances in my books on gardening.
Does it embarrass me to have to admit mistakes? No, it doesn't.
"Nobody's perfect".
R.S.
Vlll
A Note from the Editors of
Organic Gaxcleriixicj
and. Farming
Magazine
To the editors and readers of OGF, Ruth Stout is special. Ever since
she sent in her first article back in 1953, (which we promptly and
unceremoniously lost), she has been a source of delight to everyone
who has had a chance to ponder her nuggets of down-to-earth-
common sense gardening wisdom. But more important than her "just
plain folks" charm is the logical method of her year-round mulch
system, a system, that she has developed, perfected and reported in
the pages of Organic Gardening and Farming magazine.
Ruth has maintained that most of the work associated with gardening
—especially organic gardening— is unnecessary except for one thing:
mulch. Permanent year-round mulch, in Ruth's eyes, is the permanent
year-round answer to all the garden chores—and anything else you
expend energy on is surplus effort or just "playing."
FROM THE EDITORS OF ORGANIC GARDENING
Needless to say, reaction to Ruth's deliberately controversial
contentions is always expected—and always loud and emphatic.
Thousands upon thousands of readers agree with her, generally with a
word of thanks for her suggestions.
We've gotten more mail and more comments on her articles than on
any others. Now our readers' service office braces for the wave when
they learn that an article of hers is scheduled.
Here are some typical letters:
Dear Sir:
Orchids to Ruth Stout—mulched orchids! She is the greatest! I have
tried to follow every word she has said since I first discovered her
about 5 years ago. I'm for the "green thumb without the aching back"
and her brand of hammock gardening. The best part of all is that it