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Gardening Secrets: From National Trust Experts (National Trust)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: National Trust Experts

April 01, 2008

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Vegetable and Herb Expert

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: D.G. Hessayon

April 07, 1997
Too many gardening authors take time out to wax lyrical about seasons and the joys of blackbirds and dew on your runner canes. Their books end up as a decent afternoon's read, but difficult to use when you're trying to work out what's going wrong with your kohlrabi.

This book is different. Veg are listed alphabetically with clear sections on selecting varieties, planting, looking after, harvesting and cooking, with a troubleshooting guide covering disease, pests, storage and the like.

No nonsense, everything you need and easy to find.

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The Greenhouse Gardener

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Anne Swithinbank

March 01, 2006
I bought this book as I'm a novice to greenhouse gardening. This book is a must for others like me. It is written in an easy to understand manner and is structured so that you can pick out the sections you want or need without having to wade through endless pages of the stuff you don't want - not that there are any pages in the book that are surplus to requirements! The illustrations and photographs are very helpful too. The author doesn't use jargon or techno speak beyond the understanding of beginners and manages to instill the belief that greenhouse gardening is quite achievable for anyone who wants to have a go. Full of tips on what you need and don't need to buy also. An excellent book overall.

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Principles of Horticulture

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Adams

August 11, 2008
This new edition of a core text for students of horticulture is welcomed. The addition of colour plates is helpful and the layout has generally improved. I think the book does a difficult job well as the subject is huge and it must be very difficult to decide what to leave out and how much depth to go to. I'm hoping it will help me with the RHS Advanced Cerificate exam.

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Wine and War: The French, the Nazis and France's Greatest Treasure

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Donald & Petie Kladstrup

April 04, 2002
Fascinating read about the desperate position the French vineyard owners found themselves in during the Second World War. With Nazis determined to pillage the vineyards, the owners resorted to every trick possible to protect their assets. With experience of defeating phylloxera in the 19th century and the preceding world war, the vineyard owners had developed a knack of finding ways to survive. The book describes an eclectic collection of motives and actions that helped the wine industry survive occupation.

A slight downside is the purely factual account of events. This creates a book that is somewhat disjointed in places, with little attempt to create a story that holds the piece together. Fascinating historical journalism, but ... Read More:

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Home-grown Vegetables - Inspiration and Practical Advice for Would-be Smallholders (Country Living)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Diana Galligan

May 14, 2007
This book reminds me of the kind of gardening book my Grannie would have used.

It's laid out in an easy-to-follow style and Diana Galligan's writing is chatty and inviting. She gives plenty of straightforward advice on everything from how to look after a vegetable plot to what to plant when and how to store it (very useful).

There are no photographs, but the centre fold-out pages have plenty of colour sketches of vegetables common vegetables, which are olde worlde and quite endearing.

I'd have loved a little more detailed information - for example what exactly is meant by "early autumn" vs "late autumn", but I'm sure I'd work it out.

Being quite a small book makes it easy to dip into to learn a bit ... Read More:

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The New Book of Apples: The Definitive Guide to over 2000 Varieties: The Definitive Guide to Over 2000 Varieties

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Joan Morgan, Alison Richards

October 03, 2002
I have not found a better book for those interested in apples in the UK. There is an excellent potted history, plus details of many apples varieties local and foreign. A brief guide to growing apples at the back tells you most of what you know to start a small orchard.

The descriptions of the apple varieties are what makes this book outstanding. They include details of history, appearance, flavour, shape and so on - enough not only to help identify and apple, but also to help you choose one to grow. For instance, the entry on Ashmead's Kernel gives a brief decription of its development by a Gloucester physician, describes its taste as "strong, sweet-sharp intese flavour reminiscent of fruit or acid drops", talks a bit about what it's grown ... Read More:

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A Handbook for Horticultural Students

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Peter Dawson

2006-08
I used this book for my RHS General Certificate Level 2, and found it to be invaluable. It is accurate, follows the syllabus, well written and all 24 members of my class had a copy. Just like any in depth course it is as well to have other books on specialised topics but I would not have been without this one. I bought mine off Amazon. It is the recommended book for this and the diploma course at almost all colleges, what more can I say.

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Gardening Under Plastic: How to Use Fleece, Films, Cloches and Polytunnels (Cloche Gardening): How to Use Fleece, Films, Cloches and Polytunnels

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Bernard Salt

September 15, 2001
I purchased this book for my husband who has had his nose buried in it ever since! He is an experienced gardener but his recently acquired polytunnel has brought new challenges and this book has helped him out tremendously. Now I will get the chance to sit back and enjoy the abundant crops that I am sure this book will help him achieve!

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Creative Vegetable Gardening

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Horticulture
by: Joy Larkcom

February 15, 2008
For a couple of years I've toyed with the idea of making a vegetable garden. Problem is I don't really like that much "proper" vegetable gardens because if they are not perfect they are not pleasant to the eye. Last year I gave it a try, planting some tomatoes and caulifowers here and there in my flowerbeds and decided to give it a try BUT do it my way. This book showed me that there is a way to planting whatever you want to and don't have to hide it at the bottom of your garden (incidentally, my garden has no bottom, neither is big enough). Now I am full of ideas and, most important, it is not going to be a case of trial and error like last year.
It doesn't explain everything though. There is no such thing as "the final book" about anything. It is ... Read More: