The Homegrown Almanac · 2026 EditionFor the American backyard · Zones 3–10
Spring in Georgia comes two months before spring in Minnesota. Your planting calendar should know that.
The Homegrown Almanac begins with your growing zone — 3 through 10 — and turns it into a week-by-week plan: when to start seeds indoors, when to plant outside, and when to pick. Plain language, a drawing on nearly every page, and no big yard required.
- A Backyard Plan for your zone: the calendar, week by week
- 20 illustrated chapters, from the first bed to a full pantry
- Every fact checked against USDA and university Extension sources
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Sound familiar?
You’d love to grow more of your own food. But…
- Every trip to the grocery store seems to cost a little more than the last.
- You’ve tried a tomato plant or two — and got more leaves than tomatoes.
- The advice online contradicts itself, and none of it seems to fit where you live.
- You don’t have acres, a tractor, or a back that wants to dig all weekend.
That’s exactly who this almanac was written for. It starts from the two dates that really run a garden — your last spring frost and your first fall frost — and builds everything else from there, one small, clear step at a time.
Real backyards, real food
What a home garden can grow
Not a farm. Not acres. Just a few beds, some pots, maybe a couple of hens — and the kind of food you can’t buy at any store.
Photos show typical home gardens. They are illustrations, not results from specific readers. Your harvest depends on your climate, space, and care.
What makes it different
An old-fashioned almanac, made for today’s backyard
Matched to your climate
Pick your USDA zone and get a Backyard Plan with a planting calendar, a month-by-month checklist, and a bed plan for three seasons.
Shown, not just told
Diagrams, cut lists, planting grids, and crop cards on nearly every page. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this.
Made for real yards
A single raised bed, a patio of containers, or a straw-bale garden on poor soil. No tiller, no acreage, no special skills.
Try it now
What’s your growing zone?
Tap your zone to see a taste of your Backyard Plan.
- Start tomato seeds indoorsaround
- Sow peas outdoorsaround
- Set out tomato plantsaround
- Plant garlic for next summeraround
Typical dates for Zone . Frost dates can vary by a few weeks inside one zone, so your plan shows you how to slide the whole calendar to match your own local dates. Don’t know your zone? Look it up free on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Look inside
20 chapters in five parts
Plan
How much food fits in your space, reading your climate and sun, knowing your soil, and three garden layouts.
Grow
Build a 4×8 raised bed step by step, containers and vertical growing, straw bales, compost, seeds, and 25 crop cards.
Tend
Good neighbors and crop rotation, easy watering, and pests handled without poison.
Extend
More months of harvest, perennial crops you plant once, and catching rainwater.
Keep
Storing the harvest, freezing, drying and canning safely, your garden year, and your record pages.
Your Backyard Plan
A 4-page plan for your zone (3 to 10): planting calendar, monthly checklist, 3-season bed plan, and shopping list.
Included · Your Backyard Plan
Know exactly what to plant — and when
Most garden books give one calendar for the whole country. Spring in Georgia comes two months before spring in Minnesota, so that calendar is wrong for most people.
Your Backyard Plan is built for your zone. It shows, week by week, when to start seeds indoors, when to sow and plant outside, and when each crop is usually ready — plus a month-by-month checklist and a shopping list.
- Plans for Zones 3 through 10
- Warm-winter zones get an “upside-down” calendar that works with summer heat
Free bonus
Garden Adventures with the Grandkids
Twelve colorful, screen-free missions to do together: sprout a bean in a cup, paint rock plant markers, race sunflowers, build a worm hotel, grow your name in cress, and more.
Each mission has a picture list of what you need, simple steps, a grown-up safety note, and a badge to collect. It’s the part of the garden they’ll remember.
Also included, free
Three more printable bonuses
The First 4 Weeks
One small job a day. Seeds in the ground by week three.
The Backyard Planner
14 pages: garden map, bed plans, seed and harvest logs, monthly planner.
The Good Neighbor Chart
Which crops grow well together — and honest notes on which pairings are science and which are tradition.
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you…
- Want fresh vegetables from a small yard, patio, or a single bed
- Are starting out, or starting over after a few disappointing seasons
- Like clear steps and pictures more than jargon
- Would enjoy a project to share with family, grandkids included
Probably not, if you…
- Already run a market garden or a large homestead
- Want a video course (this is a printable book)
- Live outside Zones 3–10, or outside the U.S. climate zones
- Expect a garden to replace all your grocery shopping
Everything you get today
The Homegrown Almanac
| The Homegrown Almanac — 20 illustrated chapters (PDF) | Included |
| Your Backyard Plan — the week-by-week calendar for your zone (3–10) | Included |
| The First 4 Weeks — the first month, decided for you | Free |
| The Backyard Planner — printables to plan it, write it down, repeat it | Free |
| The Good Neighbor Chart — what to plant together, what to keep apart | Free |
| Garden Adventures — 12 garden missions for the weekend a child visits | Free |
One-time payment · No subscription
Yes — Send Me The AlmanacInstant download to your emailRead it on any phone, tablet, or computer, or print it at home.
A plain, simple guarantee
Read it, try it, plant something. If you don’t feel it was worth it, ask for a refund within 30 days and you’ll get every cent back. No forms, no hard feelings.
Questions, answered
Is this a physical book?
No — it’s a digital book (PDF) you download right after purchase. Many readers print it at home or at a local print shop and keep it in a binder.
I’ve never gardened. Is it too advanced?
It was written for beginners. The bonus “The First 4 Weeks” gives you one small job a day, and every chapter points you to the next step.
I only have a patio or a small yard.
That’s fine. There are full chapters on containers, vertical growing, and a single 4×8 bed — plus a chapter that shows how much food fits in the space you have.
How do I know my zone?
Look up your ZIP code on the free USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Your plan also shows you how to use your own local frost dates.
Can I read it on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The PDF opens on any phone, tablet, or computer. The text is set large and clear, and you can zoom in on any diagram.
What if I’m not happy with it?
You’re covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee. Just ask for a refund within 30 days of purchase.
This season, grow something you’re proud of.
One good bed. One clear plan. And food you grew yourself.
Get The Almanac — $3730-day money-back guarantee
© 2026 The Homegrown Almanac, published by Tallowbrook · Privacy · Terms · Contact
This book is for general home-gardening education. Results depend on your climate, soil, weather, and care; no specific harvest or savings is promised. Always follow local rules, product labels, and tested food-safety guidance.
Garden photos are illustrative. This site is not a part of Facebook or Meta Platforms, Inc., and is not endorsed by Meta in any way.