Product Description

Illustrated with over 150 photographs from Bob Flowerdew's own garden, the book covers every aspects of organic cultivation. It incorporates the latest scientific information with the author's 15 years of experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #222302 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Going organic tends to be regarded as something one does largely for the good of one's soul. Doesn't organic gardening entail a great deal more intensive labour than the chemical kind? And aren't the yields, of vegetables for example, much lower? Not so, says Bob Flowerdew in his comprehensive Organic Bible:

If we plan well and grow the right plants in the optimum combinations in the best places, and if we encourage various forms of life to accompany them in our gardens, we can let nature have almost complete control over pests and diseases, over maintaining and increasing fertility, and over producing bigger returns than we could ever wrest from her by coercion.

What then, in practice, does the organic gardener use instead of chemicals? Wit and cunning, says Bob Flowerdew, both of which qualities abound in his Bible. Starting with an eloquent account of the principles and benefits of the organic approach, Bob Flowerdew shows how in almost all aspects of gardening it is both more efficient and more productive to use plants that complement each other, enrich the soil, attract predators and deter pests, than to use chemical boost and blast. The simple, fundamental rule is that you feed the soil, not the plants. From this everything else flows: the ecological planting; the use of green manures and composts (often enlivened with "personal liquid waste"); the mulching; the use of worms rather than a spade to do soil work. Less is more. This is an immensely practical, highly readable Bible--inspirational, too, as it should be. It deserves to make many converts. --Robin Davidson

Pippa Greenwood, the Mirror (Nov 03)
this is a must-have and guaranteed to entertain as well as provide plenty of practical comment and help

Customer Reviews

reader from wales
Bob Flowerdew is an innovative and forward-thinking gardener. His ideas for organic gardening are inspiring. I was slightly disappointed that there were not many ideas for recycling in this book. Having heard him on Gardeners' Question Time, over the years, I imagined that this book would offer more in the way of how to use an old fridge as a cold frame, or what to do with old tyres and the general junk one may find lying about in the garden; it doesn't! Also, it is slightly irritating to find that some of the text is printed over hazy backgrounds of trees and other plants, making it difficult to read...However, on balance, and to be fair, this book IS about organic gardening and, as such, is as inspiring as one would expect from the author.

Interesting thoughts, would like a bit more organized help
An excellent "bed-time" gardening book.
Presents the case for organic gardening beautifully, but then I was already convinced..
Lots of interesting tips and helpful hints, but sometimes I find these tips and hints half-hidden in the "stories". This makes for interesting reading, for sure, but not always for quickly finding help or for checking something you remember reading.
The index is far too short, it should be much more extensive, about three times as long as it is. If I'm looking up something specific I find myself resorting to some of my other (organic) gardening books.
These are, however, not fundamental complaints as I thoroughly enjoy the book and dip into it often.

An excellent book
Having read this book, I realised it really isn't that difficult to grow organic food.The book is well laid out and a joy to read. I would definitely recommend this book.