Product Description

Allotments with ten-year waiting lists; fruit and veg seeds outselling those of flowers - Britain is growing a passion for home produce and the time is right for the nation's favourite gardener to provide the definitive book on the subject. Alan's comprehensive guide will tell you everything you could possibly want or need to know about fruit and veg and how to grow it, including herbs, baby veg, salads, every-day fruits plus gourmet or unusual varieties, and how to fit them into today's stylish small gardens. As well as providing the key facts needed to yield good results and what to do when things go wrong, the text is sprinkled with Alan's personal observations, anecdotes, culinary tips and quirky historical uses.The book takes a very practical approach, starting from scratch for the benefit of anyone who's never grown their own before, but is also ideal for those with some experience who might be growing edibles in a new way - perhaps in a small space that needs to look attractive, or on a new allotment. Lavishly illustrated throughout with over 250 photographs and artworks, this inspirational and authoritative fruit and veg bible from the UK's best-selling and most influential gardener will become a classic in the genre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1573 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

About the Author
Originally trained at Hertfordshire College of Horticulture and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Alan Titchmarsh has enjoyed a long career as a gardener, broadcaster and writer. He is the author of over 40 books about gardening, including How to be a Gardener Book 1: Back to Basics, the fastest- selling of all time in the genre. He has twice been named 'Gardening Writer of the Year' and for four successive years was voted 'Television Personality of the Year' by the Garden Writers' Guild. In 2004 he received their Lifetime Achievement Award. He writes regularly in BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, as well as being gardening correspondent for the Daily Express and Sunday Express and is also a best-selling novelist. Alan has appeared on radio and television both as a gardening expert and as an interviewer and presenter, including Gardeners' World, Points of View, Pebble Mill, Songs of Praise, Titchmarsh's Travels, The BBC Proms and Ask the Family. He has presented the annual coverage of The Chelsea Flower Show since 1983, and this autumn he will be presenting the BBC's landmark series Nature of Britain, while over on ITV he will be starting his own new daily chatshow.

Customer Reviews

A good read
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.

A 'must have' reference
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.

Fantastic Book!
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.