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Book Reviews


1 RSPB Gardening for Wildlife by Adrian Thomas The sub-title of this beautifully illustrated book is ‘A Complete Guide to Nature-Friendly Gardening’ and that sums it up. Whether your garden is large or small, here is all you need to know to attract wildlife while maintaining a well managed plot, from an orchard to a balcony. Providing a home for wildlife is tremendously rewarding for the gardener, but you can still have the garden you want, says author Adrian Thomas, a journalist and broadcaster who works for the RSPB. There is a colourful catalogue of 400 of the best garden flowers, and ways to create different habitats to attract birds, bees, insects and mammals. Don’t forget to use your camera to see how your garden changes.


Published by A&C Black, £19.99 www.acblack.com


2 Grow Herbs by Jekka McVicar A modern update of Dorling Kindersley’s classic reference guide, Jekka McVicar – ‘Queen of Herbs’ according to Jamie Oliver – guides you through every stage of herb growing, with a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive catalogue covering more than 100 of her favourite herbs. There are chapters on the kitchen and the home, showing how you can make the most of your herbs, from herbal remedies, culinary recipes, beauty products, to natural insecticides and even petcare. Want to make your own furniture polish? Need natural first aid? This book, with its DK hallmark of good clear design, will tell you all you need to know, easily and quickly.


CG fact to remember: a few drops of chamomile tea will calm nervous pets. Published by Dorling Kindersley, £14.99 www.dk.com


3 Matthew Biggs’s Complete Book of Vegetables by Matthew Biggs With a foreword by top chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, this revised edition of Matthew Biggs’s book on vegetable growing shows how we can produce good crops and turn them into delicious recipes. Biggs, well known on radio as a panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, gives practical advice on growing top quality plants, their history and their problems are all covered, with a list of suppliers so that you can source the varieties mentioned. The directory of vegetables has been given the RHS Award of Merit after undergoing extensive trials, so you can depend on them.


Published by Kyle Cathie, £16.99 www.kylecathie.com


4 The Allotment Source Book by Caroline Foley As articles in Country Gardener have shown, allotments are becoming increasingly popular as more of us want to grow our own vegetables and fruit, and need to find the extra room to do so. Caroline Foley is an established garden writer who has written extensively on allotment growing, and here she goes through all the daunting challenges of setting up and maintaining a plot. The methods covered are organic and supported by the collected wisdom of seasoned allotment holders – something all new allotment gardeners will find invaluable. From useful information on the law regarding allotments to collecting seed for next season, this is a really practical book, and if you don’t already manage a plot, the beautiful photographs will inspire and make you wish you had one.


Published by New Holland, £20 www.newhollandpublishers.com 5 The Complete Guide to Vegetable Growing by Peter Blackbourne-Maze


The Complete Guide to Fruit Growing by Peter Blackbourne-Maze These two books are companion volumes by a horticulturist and writer who takes a fresh look at the established favourites and new varieties, offering practical guidance to get top quality results. Peter Blackbourne-Maze will take you through the whole growing cycle, from selection, preparation and planting, to pollination, pest control and harvesting. Organic principles are covered, and there are ideas for using the greenhouse, cloches, tunnels and grow-bags. These slim volumes, packed with information and easy to use with black and white drawings and diagrams, can be at your side at all times for reference in the garden, potting shed or greenhouse.


Published by The Crowood Press, both books are priced at £9.99 www.crowood.com 42


Country Gardener


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