The Kitchen Gardener

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Fantastic Book! - Rated
I'm not a gardener, I'm someone who has a bash at growing a few tomatoes, and would like to keep her blueberry bush alive. That's about it.

This book as absolutely wonderful! The information is practical,concise and very easy to follow. There's just the right about of information - not enough to overwhelm you, and not too little that just leaves you with unanswered questions (as with Carol Klein's book). There's also the obvious bonus that this book covers fruit as well as vegetables, whereas most 'grow your own' books are vegetables only.

Alan's book has inspired me to add to my little vegetable patch this year. My tomatoes will be joined by some new ideas, and I now know how to perk up that blueberry bush!

An absolute bargain of a book. A joy to read and a pleasure to work from.

A 'must have' reference - Rated
Being relatively new to gardening I am thrilled to have found this book. It is the perfect guide to modern gardening. I found this book refreshing and so practical. Some fantastic tips that really made gardening feel easy and enjoyable. I have got the bug now, and my 'cabbage patch' is close to being fully stocked with beautiful produce. I am very proud, but could not have succeded without Alan's help.

A good read - Rated
This is an excellent book for any one relatively new to veg and fruit gardening. It is written in Alan T's usual pragmatic style, but also with a good level of passion and humour. The overview at the beginning is the good length, and explains techniques, rather than the 'do as I say' style of some veg authors. For example what may happen if you add manure to your potato patch, and how to rotate crops which are not brassicas, and roots. Why you may want to grow some plants in pots on your patio if you have an allotment which is two miles down the road. There is an section on jobs to do per month, and a lenghty section listed alphabetically by plant. The photo's are very good, and at last a photo of potato blight! Not every brown patch on a leaf is blight. Calendars are helpful to indicate planting sowing and harvesting. However a little confusing at first if one is used to reading seed packets where the information is contained in one or two lines and not three. Alan is organic but does not present this as the only way as other popular garden celebrities do.
Even Mr T though fails to get the science quite correct. Water and vitamins are both chemicals essential to life. Some of the most toxic materials known to man are derived from plants so it should not be assumed that natural is safe. There are a few culinary hints and tips however Sarah Ravens Garden cookbook is not to be missed when wanting lots of seasonal recipes for using the produce you've grown.