David Hirsch (1)

This is a fantastic book for the 'practical' gardener - those of us that want an end product that is more than something pretty to look at - the end result is something you can eat!

The entries are packed with facts - what to plant, what varieties, where to plant, and how to use the produce that will hopefully be the end result. There are also sections on planning gardens, gardening in containers, and important issues such as pest control.

Whether you plan to just have a pot or two of herbs or are going to dig up acres for a fully-fledged vegetable garden, this book is a good starting point, and inspiration.

Note: as would be expected, this book is very North American-centric, especially when it talks about what varieties to plant and seed suppliers. This is not really a problem if you live elsewhere, it just means you will have to find out suppliers and suitable varieties for yourself.… (més)

Here’s yet another book from the Moosewood collective. This one takes a very different slant, though. It covers propagation, growing requirements and harvesting for many vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. From there it continues with culinary tips and garden planning. Finally it rounds it all off with recipes for using the garden grown food.

That's all a very tall order to cover in one book that's less than 300 pages, yet it manages to feel unhurried and covers the basis with no blatant holes. You're not going to find every little vegetable, herb or edible flower, but he covers more common ones. He includes the names of some of the varieties that are more suited for different cooking/eating purposes.

This may not be the most essential book you'll ever own, but its enthusiasm is infectious and overall it's a nice flower in the garden of your cooking and gardening books.… (més)