Washington and Oregon are ideal places to grow a huge variety of vegetables, and there are plenty of healthful and economic benefits to having your own garden. Whether you have a traditional backyard space or several containers on a high-rise balcony, you can grow a season-long supply of tasty produce. Best-selling garden writers Marianne Binetti and Laura Peters provide all you need to know to dig in: Basics such as light, soil, exposure and frost tolerance; Almost infinite garden styles, including raised beds and containers; Preparing the garden and selecting which vegetables to grow where; Recommended varieties, including new, traditional, heirloom and unusual selections; Seasonal care, including mulching, weeding and watering; Tips throughout, including how to extend the growing season and what to do with your harvest; Organic approaches to management of pests and diseases; An appendix featuring companion plants and relationships; Helpful hardiness maps, and delicious colour photos throughout. From A to Z -- yummy artichokes, arugula and asparagus, through to healthy kale and peculiar kohlrabi, leeks and okra, all the way to colourful peppers, potatoes and zucchini -- it is all here in this informative gardening guide.

MARIANNE BINETTI is a northwest horticultural expert with a degree in horticulture from Washington State University, and she writes a syndicated gardening column that runs in over a dozen newspapers each week. She lives with her family in Enumclaw, near Seattle.