New Book

If you're just starting out in the world of kitchen garden growing, then this is the place to ask for help. Our experienced forum members may have the answer you need!

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud

Colin2016
KG Regular
Posts: 944
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 3:33 pm
Location: North Norfolk Coast
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 57 times

Just got "Veg in One bed" found very helpful and straight forward with simple monthly plans for growing your own veg.

Thinking it could be a great help for those starting out or those that want a want to follow a ready made plan.
User avatar
oldherbaceous
KG Regular
Posts: 13822
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:52 pm
Location: Beautiful Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 254 times
Been thanked: 295 times

I think book reccommendations is a real help, especially to gardeners that are just starting.....
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
Stephen
KG Regular
Posts: 1869
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:03 pm
Location: Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted
Been thanked: 2 times

True, as one leafs through various books in a bookshop, it is far too easy to be seduced by the pictures and print rather than the content of the text.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

I'm over half way through " The new self sufficient gardener " it's a great read a little bit dated but some great articles
Stephen
KG Regular
Posts: 1869
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:03 pm
Location: Butts Meadow, Berkhamsted
Been thanked: 2 times

Does that make it "The old self sufficient gardener"?
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

No it's more the " old knackered sufficient Gardner "
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

I like old gardening books & buy any I see at table top sales & the like. My favourite to date is 'The Gardeners Enquire Within' from A J Macself the editor of Amateur Gardening. It has had the front page torn out so can't check the date. Always mean to google it but always forget. It is over 500 pages so you would have to be not only be amateur but just be nurturing one geranium in a pot to find time to read it. If you did manage to read through it though you would end up a professional gardener. You may indeed conclude that I haven't read it though, totally overwhelming & giant projects to build so would need loads of dosh to boot! :)
Westi
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

My favorite book is one my daughter bought me around two years before she died , it's the compleat angler by izaak Walton and Charles cotton (the spellings are right ) unfortunately it's the third edition from around 1903 if it had been the first edition it would be worth a small fortune
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

Welcome to the forum Wassee!

If you can find a good book with the right information for the UK when starting out it is a godsend. I could have done with an idiots guide, but bought one that was simple & stuck with it. I bought other books, but found it is better to limit the choice when starting out & stick to the basics, so stuck to the first book for growing but did read the others. Then you have a chance of success & after a couple of years you will just know your plot, varieties of crops that suit it enough to then get a bit more adventurous & try other things but with a good knowledge behind you.

Please feel free to highjack this feed & ask any questions that pop into your mind (& invite your friends), not that you're excluded from other feeds, but the fact this is 'Growing advice for beginners' we will be more mindful of the way we respond. As you get more experience your language & terminology changes & it is easy for us to forget our first steps into growing & the 'why's' & 'when's' that we wanted to know about as simply as possible without all the jargon.
Westi
tigerburnie
KG Regular
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:12 am
Location: Angus by the sea
Has thanked: 322 times
Been thanked: 194 times

I also have a fair collection of gardening books(and fishing, rugby make your own wine etc., etc.), but I often only use a couple regularly, any of the late Geoff Hamilton's books and The Vegetable Expert by Dr D G Hessayon, get me out of most predicaments when I'm not sure.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
Catherine
KG Regular
Posts: 1457
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:46 pm
Location: Pendle Lancashire

I have just ordered it as I saw it in a book shop and thought it had some very good ideas. I am trying to make our allotment work harder for us. We've been growing stuff for 18 years but still like finding new information or ideas.
User avatar
oldherbaceous
KG Regular
Posts: 13822
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:52 pm
Location: Beautiful Bedfordshire
Has thanked: 254 times
Been thanked: 295 times

Morning Westi, I have, 'The Gardener's Enquire Within', too.....Mine has no date, either..... I think this may be the case with some early books.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
Catherine
KG Regular
Posts: 1457
Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:46 pm
Location: Pendle Lancashire

The book's arrived and it looks very interesting. So I am sitting in the garden with a nice glass of white wine and soda and perusing it. Also bought Jamie's Veg cookery book so going through that also. I have a very bad habit of buying cookery books I just love reading them. I probably need to go and have therapy! Some people buy shoes I buy cookery books. :)
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

I'm with you there Catherine! Love reading (& trying) recipes! Been on Pinterest but disappointed with the results of amateurs so I only save from proper sites on there, but always go back to the paper books for proper recipes & methinks I have a few too many of them! Is it weird to buy a bigger book case & place it closer to the kitchen? Weird or not that is what I have done. Obvs a few random garden publishing's in the mix!
IMG_4971.JPG
IMG_4971.JPG (2.15 MiB) Viewed 8359 times
Westi
Westi
KG Regular
Posts: 5908
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset
Has thanked: 671 times
Been thanked: 238 times

I truly hate this random flip on it's side pic thing KG can't cope with!
Westi
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic