Product Description

Jekka McVicar has had years of experience growing seeds and knows exactly how to plant, water and care for seeds successfully. When will they damp off? When should they be transplanted? Do they need heat to germinate? What pests or diseases will attack them? Follow her expert advice in this comprehensive guide. Crowned 'queen of the herbs' by Jamie Oliver and one of Rick Stein's food heroes, Jekka McVicar has been awarded over 60 RHS Gold Medals for her herb exhibits at the the RHS flower shows, which are held throughout the UK. She is well known for her regular appearances on TV and radio gardening and cookery programmes. She has also written 'Good Enough to Eat' (re-published as 'Cooking with Flowers') and 'Jekka's Complete Herb Book'. Jekka runs a world-famous specialist organic herb farm.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70498 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
An extremely comprehensive book from an author more renowned for her Gold Medal winning herb displays and organic gardening. Every group of plant is covered from the more usual annuals, perennials, shrubs and vegetables through to cacti, ferns, palms and aquatic plants. Drawing on her own experience and that of fellow nurserymen, Jekka McVicar gives a concise picture of this fascinating method of plant propagation. Attractively illustrated with the photographs of Marianne Majerus, it is a clear, straightforward guide to seed propagation. The most helpful information included is germination times, something many previous books on the subject have omitted. Many a would-be propagator has thrown away an apparently 'dead' pot of seeds only to discover them suddenly germinating wherever the compost has been turned out! Following on from the A-Z listings of the various groups of plants is the practical information on the generalities of sowing from composts, equipment to seed collection and breaking of dormancy. Unfortunately the terminology in many instances appears to be aimed at the experienced grower rather than the novice and the repetition of the unnecessary 'substrate' as well as compost is particularly irritating. However, as Jekka McVicar says in her introduction, seed growing is a return to nature, the wonders of an emergent shoot never failing to astonish and amaze the sower. What better way to introduce a child to gardening than with a packet of calendula or nasturtium, easily grown and guaranteed to succeed, making an impression which may last a lifetime? This is one of the most in-depth guides to seed propagation recently published and will be an invaluable reference tool for gardeners for many years to come.

Rachel de Thame, BBC 2 Gardener's World presenter
'The book fills what I've always felt was a big gap in the market, ..above all it de-mystifies the whole process.'

John Cushnie, Irish Gardens, November 2001
'The ink was hardly dry on this book before I was using plant labels to mark the pages..'

Customer Reviews

The book I always wanted
If you're an inveterate seed/cutting pincher - whether at home or abroad you'll need this book. When I bought it I instantly sowed some gingko seeds someone had sent me from the States. This book is fun. Gardening is meant to be fun - it's an adventure. This book is an adventure. It's also informative, recommending the perfect compost mix for your particular seed and giving germination times - very important if you give up too easily on a unproductive pot! Some seeds can take up to two years. Now where's that lemon!?

well written, lovely to look at, comprehensive and huge fun
I had absolutely no idea when I bought this lovely looking book how invaluable and what fun I would find it. Although it says on the cover it is "the ultimate guide to growing successfully from seed", I thought this might be hype but no, it really is the only book you will ever need to guide you. One especial joy is the fun you can have experimenting with your own seeds from the sort of shrubs and trees only specialists would normally try. Jekka McVicar covers all aspects and I am sure I will save lots of money in the years to come by trying out unusual plants from seed.

Its just not big enough!
The book leaves out all the cultural details coverd by every other book and gets straight down to seed germination details.
The only negative is that it doesn't cover enough plants. It does however cover most genus that are garden varieties today.