KG Bookshelf: May 2012

A must for city gardeners

These days kitchen gardening is not restricted to country gardens and allotments, it is becoming increasingly popular in our cities and towns too.

Vegetables, fruit and herbs are thriving in pots and containers on patios, rooftops, balconies and windowsills as well as on allotments.

One expert on the subject of urban gardening is food writer and gardener Tom Moggach, author of The Urban Kitchen Gardener, Growing and Cooking in the City.

He selects the top edible plants for city plots and gives the reader practical advice on growing, picking, preserving and cooking the produce.

There is also advice on how to make the most of the few extra degrees of warmth and protection in the city to extend the growing season and raise unusual and tender crops.

The Urban Kitchen Gardener by Tom Moggach is published by Kyle Cathie in softback, priced £16.99.

ISBN: 978-1-85626-986-5

WHO IS IT FOR?

A must for all gardening gourmets in the city.

★★★

A book for wildlife detectives

A new guide from The Wildlife Trusts will help young naturalists discover the fascinating world of butterflies and moths.

The Butterfly & Moth Detectives’ Handbook features more than 40 of the UK’s species and is published in partnership with educational publisher Miles Kelly.

Key information and photographs accompany beautifully detailed illustrations. As well as helping identify species seen, it provides space for note taking and sketches.

Many butterfly and moth species can be found in gardens and the handbook includes tips on what to plant to make a garden irresistible to these nectar-loving insects.

From the six-spot burnet moth, which feasts on cyanide-rich birds-foot trefoil – making it a deadly morsel for predators, to the small white butterfly which attracts a mate with a spiraling dance, the handbook is packed with fascinating information on the incredible lifecycles of these insects. More valuable still though are the tips offered to help spot and identify them.

The Butterfly & Moth Detectives’ Handbook is published by Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd in softback and priced £7.99.

ISBN: 978-1-84810-585-0

WHO IS IT FOR?

This book will be a perfect companion for a young naturalist.

★★★★

All you need to know about compost

Making compost can seem daunting to the new gardener but here is a truly practical book to teach you all you need to know.

The Garden Organic Book of Compost is ideal for beginners who want to learn the basics, as well as eco-conscious households that want to limit their carbon footprint.

It will show the reader how to make compost on a balcony, in a backyard, in an office or in a school as well as in a garden.

The book includes a comprehensive list of what can and cannot be composted and the various methods and advice on using the finished material.

It is written by a team of experts from Garden Organic, the UK charity for organic gardening.

The Garden Organic Book of Compost is published by New Holland in softback, priced £12.99.

ISBN: 978-1-84773-437-2

WHO IS IT FOR?

Gardeners who want to produce rich, fertile soil for growing healthy fruit and vegetables.

★★★★

Biodynamics in action

As the gardening season really gets under way, here are two essential planning guides for the biodynamic gardener.

The Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar is now in its 50th year and shows the optimum days for sowing, pruning and harvesting various plants and crops, as well as working with bees.

Presented in colour with clear symbols and explanations and unique insights, the calendar includes a pullout wallchart for quick reference.

In Tune with the Moon 2012 is a complete day-by-day moon planner for growing with supporting information on the influences of the moon and other astrological cycles.

It includes lots of good gardening advice and a notes section showing the phases of the moon and tips on what to do when, with a space to write your own reminders.

The Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar by Maria and Matthias Thun is published in softback by Floris Books, priced £6.99.
ISBN: 978-086315-822-3

In Tune with the Moon 2012 by Michel Gros is published by Findhorn Press, priced £8.99
ISBN: 978-1-84409-573-5

WHO IS IT FOR?

Both books are excellent references for all organic and biodynamic gardeners.

★★★

An unexpected treat

Any book that tells us gardeners how to grow things like Yacons and Egyptian Walking Onions will stand out from the crowd.

A Taste of the Unexpected comes from Mark Diacono of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage fame, and it guides us through growing our own remarkable fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices and flowers.

In fact, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall describes it as ‘a book that will change what you grow, cook and eat forever’.

Mark, who is River Cottage head gardener, grows the ‘unusual and utterly delicious’ and the exotic – now possible with our changing climate – on his farm in Devon and this inspirational book, filled with practical growing advice and mouthwatering recipes, is aimed at encouraging the reader to share his culinary adventure.

A Taste of the Unexpected is published by Quadrille in hardback, priced £20.

ISBN: 978-1-84400-846-9

WHO IS IT FOR?

Any gardener prepared to be adventurous...

★★★

Taking it easy with fruit

Fruit growing can be done successfully as a weekend project or slotted into a busy week – with the clear practical instructions and inspirational pictures in The Easy Fruit Garden to guide you.

It may seem daunting because of lack of knowledge or time but this book sets out to overcome these problems with simple shortcuts and unusual low maintenance strategies.

Author Clare Matthews runs a successful garden design business and her own garden has been filmed by BBC Gardener’s World and featured in many leading garden publications.

The photographs have been taken by well-respected garden photographer Clive Nichols in the author’s own weekend fruit garden over two years where the principles promoted in this book have been tried and tested.

The Easy Fruit Garden is published by New Holland in hardback, priced £16.99.

ISBN: 978-1-84773-858-5

WHO IS IT FOR?

The novice planning a first fruit garden or the more experienced gardener wanting to save time and increase productivity.

★★★★

For more reviews, see this months issue, available to buy online!