Topic: book reviews

[campanula]

well, it's that time of year again and i am writing down my pressie requests for my offspring. As usual, i go for books but what?? There are so many and some absolute piffle about - and most books are not cheap either. What books have any of you found really useful? To start off, I would have to endorse 'Vegetables' by Rix and Phillips and anything by christopher lloyd or Bob Flowerdew. I did have a treasured Organic Gardening by the great Lol Hills which seems tohave vanished/been borrowed (Pah!) but what would YOU suggest....and why.
c'mon,there are some great writing talents out there -lets have some good book suggestions.
cheers, suzy

[ina]

When I first got the lottie 5 years ago, we went to this giant second hand- and out of print book store downtown Amsterdam. Three floors jampacked with books and very well organized. (For Beer Belly and anyone visiting, it's 'de Slegte', near the train station, anyone can show you the way). It has a large garden section too and any other subject you can think of in many languages.

I picked up this book "Down to earth vegetable gardening 'know-how' by D-i-c-k Raymond. (1976!) from Garden Way Publishing in Vermont, USA.

I think it's the best book on veggie growing I have seen and well worth the effort to visit one of the book searching sites.

ps; I had to modify the author's name, it got changed to 'thingy', hahaha.

[ina]

After writing posting the above, I took a look on the web and found the book I mentioned and more. I'll have to e-mail Santa. Check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/5216/002-9267159-4160001

[Mrs Ava]

well, my book of choice has nothing really to do with allotments, or gardening as such..... my most fave book in the world is the Readers Digest Encyclopedia of Garden Plants & Flowers.  My mum and lovely dad bought me my first copy some 15 years ago, and I loved it, but of course, plant names and classifications change, so my beloved Ava suprised me this birthday with the brand new copy!  It is a wonderful book (in my opinion), it is like a chocolate box full of wonderful pictures and straight forward descriptions.  I look at it so often that to call it dog eared would be polite!  For me, that is my bible!  I have shelves full of gardening books, veggie books, bonsai books (don't know why - don't have any bonsais, but they make good reading!), and many other horticultural books, but this is the one I have by my side, this is MY book!   ;D

[carrot-cruncher]

i recomend "the pocket vegetable expert" by d g hessayon.   it's great for a newbie for me. it has lots of pics, diagrams and a section explaining the jargon used (i.e. mulching, hardening off).   it also lists various strains of each veg and their ease of growing.