Grow Now

“Grow Now is an earth manual that applies to everyone, everywhere. Regenerating life begins with our hands, the soil, and our heart. Take this book and go outside, stay outside, and transform.” —Paul Hawken, author of Drawdown and Regeneration

Did you know you can have a garden that’s equal parts food source and wildlife haven? In Grow Now, Emily Murphy shares easy-to-follow principles for regenerative gardening that foster biodiversity and improve soil health. She also shows how every single yard mirrors and connects to the greater ecosystem around us.

No-dig growing, composting and mulching smartly, and planting a variety of edible perennials that attract bees and butterflies are all commonsense techniques everyone can use to grow positive change. You’ll also find detailed advice on increasing your nature quotient, choosing plants that cycle more carbon back into the soil, selecting a broader variety of vegetables and fruits to improve overall soil fertility, rethinking space devoted to lawns, and adding companion plants for pollinators to rewild any plot of land.

Exquisitely photographed and filled with helpful lists and sidebars, Grow Now is an actionable, hopeful, and joyful roadmap for growing our way to individual climate contributions. Gardening is climate activism!

• “Murphy’s reframing of gardening as a critical factor in mitigating global warming makes this book so potentially impactful in the hands of a beginning gardener. With a list of related sources and a bibliography, Murphy offers a positive and doable approach to addressing our climate crisis.” —Booklist

  “An encouraging primer on gardening as a way to combat climate change….New gardeners will find this a fine starting point, and those with dirt already under their nails will enjoy the nudge to try something new.” —Publishers Weekly

  “No-dig gardening can fix even the worst soil…when you let nature do the work, you’ll end up with a healthier garden.” —​Better Homes Gardens Online

  “Murphy’s love for nature and her passion for growing, as well as her connection with others, are joyfully expressed on every page as she encourages and empowers readers to ‘Grow the change we want to see.’” —The Seattle Times

  “Grow Now is an earth manual that applies to everyone, everywhere. Regenerating life begins with our hands, the soil, and our heart. Take this book and go outside, stay outside, and transform.” —Paul Hawken, author of Drawdown and Regeneration“People always ask me, ‘What can I do?’ Now I can answer, ‘Start by reading Grow Now.’ This beautiful, helpful, humane book is like one of those strangers you meet and instantly bond with. It’s your new best friend.” —Carl Safina, ecologist and author of Becoming Wild“This is a book I’ve been waiting for. Emily Murphy shows us how restoring nature can begin in our own garden—how to rewild our own patch of land, sink carbon to build soil, and grow good, healthy food for our families. And when we restore nature to the home garden, we learn some of what we need to know to save the home planet.”—Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia

  “This amazing resource goes beyond basic gardening skills, which you still get here.” —Deanna Cat

  “Murphy shows how home gardens can be one of the biggest forces to improve our health, rebuild nature, reduce pollution, and reverse climate change. The time has never been more urgent for people to join forces for the benefit of themselves and the planet. Start with transforming lawn care.” —Will Raap, founder and chairman of Gardener’s Supply Company, the Intervale Center, and Nordic Farm

  “A thorough guide for gardeners who want to channel any despair they have over climate change into nurturing their own small piece of land.”—Rewilding“Emily Murphy wants to change the world by convincing you to grow plants with impact and high ecological value. With her energy, knowledge, and passion, she just might do it!" —Doug Tallamy, author of Nature's Best Hope and The Nature of Oaks

  “Murphy leaves the reader fully equipped to step outside and take action…All told, Grow Now is an exceedingly hopeful book that empowers us to garden helpfully and be happy.” —Horticulture