Allotments are enjoying renewed popularity as more and more people are becoming interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables. However setting-up and maintaining a plot can seem daunting, particularly for the inexperienced vegetable grower. Here Caroline Foley provides a complete reference for everything to do with managing an allotment, from soil and plot organisation to propagation and pruning. Caroline includes a wealth of information on vegetable, fruit and herb varieties as well as invaluable advice on harvesting and storage. Top tips for dealing with pests and diseases are also covered, along with the essential tasks to tackle on a weekly basis in order to keep on top of the plot. This book is perfect for all types of plotholder, from the non-working person who can spend time every day caring for the plot to the busy parent and worker who only has an hour or two at the weekend. All practices and methods covered are organic, and throughout the book there will be advice from seasoned plotholders and various examples of 3-year cycles. This really is the definitive guide to running a successful and productive allotment. This title is suitable for those new to maintaining an allotment seeking an all-encompassing, definitive guide and experienced allotment growers looking for new ideas and inspiration. Grow your own enthusiasts everywhere.
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Review
The perfect accompanying guide for anyone starting their own garden --Country Smallholding Magazine, September 2010
"With collected wisdom from seasoned plot
holders, the book is a useful resource for Londoners
who are either starting an allotment or a veg plot in
their own garden" -- Evening Standard, November 2010
"..this really is a practical book, and if you don't already manage a plot, the beautiful photographs will inspire and will make you wish you had one". -- Country Gardener magazine, November 2010
"A complete reference source for techniques, fruit and vegetable varieties".
-- Country Kitchen magazine, November 2010
"..Plenty of advice here on setting up and maintaining any grow your own plot" --English Garden, February 2011
"...with a strong aesthetic sensibility, it will be well received by new allotment holders seeking information relevent to their needs" --The Garden, February 2011
"packed with useful allotment advice"
--Grow Your Own, February 2011
"...The perfect accompanying guide for anyone starting out" --Kitchen Garden, February 2011
"A complete reference for everything to do with managing an allotment, from soil and plant organisation to propagation and pruning. The definitive guide to a successful and productive allotment"
--Living North, April 2011
Setting up and maintaining a plot can soon be daunting, but help is at hand with the Allotment Source Book...This book takes an organic approach and is perfect for any plotholder. --Grow It!, April 2011
"With collected wisdom from seasoned plot
holders, the book is a useful resource for Londoners
who are either starting an allotment or a veg plot in
their own garden" -- Evening Standard, November 2010
"..this really is a practical book, and if you don't already manage a plot, the beautiful photographs will inspire and will make you wish you had one". -- Country Gardener magazine, November 2010
"A complete reference source for techniques, fruit and vegetable varieties".
-- Country Kitchen magazine, November 2010
"..Plenty of advice here on setting up and maintaining any grow your own plot" --English Garden, February 2011
"...with a strong aesthetic sensibility, it will be well received by new allotment holders seeking information relevent to their needs" --The Garden, February 2011
"packed with useful allotment advice"
--Grow Your Own, February 2011
"...The perfect accompanying guide for anyone starting out" --Kitchen Garden, February 2011
"A complete reference for everything to do with managing an allotment, from soil and plant organisation to propagation and pruning. The definitive guide to a successful and productive allotment"
--Living North, April 2011
Setting up and maintaining a plot can soon be daunting, but help is at hand with the Allotment Source Book...This book takes an organic approach and is perfect for any plotholder. --Grow It!, April 2011
About the Author
Caroline Foley is an established garden writer. She edits Topiarius, the journal of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society, and is a regular columnist for The Observer blog. She is also author of Practical Allotment Gardening, The Allotment Handbook, The A-Z of Allotment Vegetables and How to Plant Your Allotment also published by New Holland.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Nick Huckle
VINE™ VOICE
Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I already own a few books on allotments and growing your own fruit and veg. So I was a lttle worried that this book would have nothing new to offer me. However I have quickly found it to be invaluble. It is the most comprehensive book on running an allotment I have yet come across. It covers everything from the history of allotments and the laws that effect them, to how best to lay an allotment out and how what grow. In between is an encyclopedic wealth of information on individual vegetables, fruits, diseases, soils and insects. As well as a plethora of tips on getting the best, and the most, from your plot. All this and more in an easy to read and accessable format. Of particular use is the month by month calendar of what to plant harvest and when. Not at all uncommon in these types of books I know, but Caroline Foley's version is the best I've yet come across. OH and if all that wasn't enough..... the fantastic colour photographs and illustrations are worth the price of the book alone.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Bookie
TOP 500 REVIEWER
This book really is a whopper in more ways than one. It's a large hardback and it's absolutely packed with information.
I've been gardening for many years and have a number of books to help me plan my vegetable plot. I was given this book last year and it has absolutely everything I could ever need to know to maximise the space I have with productive crops. And more than that, it's a delight to pick up from time to time and just browse. The colour photos are stunning. In the cold dark winter weeks, it was a cheering reminder of the warmer and better days to come.
It's well set out with jobs and crops month by month. There are sections about pest and disease, guidance on how to make raised beds, herbs and flowers. It's just got the lot and all in one volume. It's already looking well thumbed and will be my gardening bible for some time to come. I highly reccommend it.
I've been gardening for many years and have a number of books to help me plan my vegetable plot. I was given this book last year and it has absolutely everything I could ever need to know to maximise the space I have with productive crops. And more than that, it's a delight to pick up from time to time and just browse. The colour photos are stunning. In the cold dark winter weeks, it was a cheering reminder of the warmer and better days to come.
It's well set out with jobs and crops month by month. There are sections about pest and disease, guidance on how to make raised beds, herbs and flowers. It's just got the lot and all in one volume. It's already looking well thumbed and will be my gardening bible for some time to come. I highly reccommend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
My wife and I are just coming into our second year as allotment gardeners, and we definitely need some expert help! It's a bit early to say very much about Foley's book (which we've only just got), in regards to how helpful it will be for us in the long term. But, so far, it's been very pleasurable to read, and has helped us start formulating some better thought out plans for our second year of growing. The year planner is certainly a helpful inclusion in that respect, although I've seen some that are more clearly/succinctly laid out (our local garden centre furnished us with a free one that's an easier fast-reference resource).
One of it's most appealing qualities is that it's a very beautiful book, well printed on nice matt paper of a good weight, making for an attractive coffee table volume. The photography is very good, and rather like that you'd find in your more expensive coffee-table cookbooks, being, I guess quite appropriately, quite mouth-watering. But, and I find myself feeling mildly conflicted saying this, as I love aesthetically pleasing objects, the abundant and beautiful imagery might actually make using the book as a practical or speedy reference a little less easy, perhaps even slightly cumbersome?
One minor criticism: a glossary would've been a good idea. Foley occasionally uses some undefined terms, e.g. the term "about a spit down". I had to search the Internet to find out what/how much a 'spit' is! (The depth of a spade blade, or about a foot, were the answers I found.)
Comprehensive and attractively put together, The Allotment Source Book has already proven pleasurable and inspirational for browsing through. As the title suggests, it's a kind of reference work, and we're enjoying it most sat on the sofa with a cup of tea and a notepad, making plans. Having approached running our plot in a rather piecemeal manner, Foley's book is certainly helping bring us some focus, and a greater understanding of what we're doing, which has got to be good!
One of it's most appealing qualities is that it's a very beautiful book, well printed on nice matt paper of a good weight, making for an attractive coffee table volume. The photography is very good, and rather like that you'd find in your more expensive coffee-table cookbooks, being, I guess quite appropriately, quite mouth-watering. But, and I find myself feeling mildly conflicted saying this, as I love aesthetically pleasing objects, the abundant and beautiful imagery might actually make using the book as a practical or speedy reference a little less easy, perhaps even slightly cumbersome?
One minor criticism: a glossary would've been a good idea. Foley occasionally uses some undefined terms, e.g. the term "about a spit down". I had to search the Internet to find out what/how much a 'spit' is! (The depth of a spade blade, or about a foot, were the answers I found.)
Comprehensive and attractively put together, The Allotment Source Book has already proven pleasurable and inspirational for browsing through. As the title suggests, it's a kind of reference work, and we're enjoying it most sat on the sofa with a cup of tea and a notepad, making plans. Having approached running our plot in a rather piecemeal manner, Foley's book is certainly helping bring us some focus, and a greater understanding of what we're doing, which has got to be good!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Style and substance in this useful book
The Allotment Source book mixes style with substance. It covers topics from soil types to dealing with pests, growing veg to when to harvest fruit. Read more
Published 5 months ago by B. Roche
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great informative book
This is a good book for any one with a veg plot or garden, details of each type of crop mean you can easily look up how to grow most fruit and veg. Read more
Published 6 months ago by D. Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars
It could do with a glossary and a better index but otherwise this is...
As a beginner this book looked rather intimidating. At three hundred and eighty four pages it is hefty, something that I can forgive due to its great breadth of subject knowledge... Read more
Published 8 months ago by G. Wake
3.0 out of 5 stars
A charming and esoteric introduction
I rather like this book, but I'm not sure how useful it really is, day to day, compared to some of the duller, but more systematic titles on the subject. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Peasant
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Allotment Source Book
A very useful book, weighing in with 384 pages containing literally everything you would need in one place to help you manage an allotment / kitchen garden. Read more
Published 23 months ago by sb
4.0 out of 5 stars
For planners and doers alike
The book is informative, with great pictures - starts with the great Lawrence D Hill's work so good reference points and basics of allotments and history of The Good Life ... Read more
Published 24 months ago by aapjebaapje
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very rounded and easy to understand
I am a beginner at gardening and get confused over latin names and perennials / annuals etc. What I wanted was a book that could explain the practicalities of gardening and what... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Ross Boardman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful photos, inspiring
I don't have an allotment, but a small patch in my garden which I have designated as my vegetable plot. Read more
Published on 19 May 2011 by Dr. K. E. Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very comprehensive - and fabulous photographs!
I have other gardening and allotment books so I wondered how this one would compare. At first appearance it looks like a coffee table book - perhaps all style and no substance? Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2011 by Wynne Kelly
4.0 out of 5 stars
I wish I'd had a book like this when I started my allotment...
I think this is an excellent introduction to allotment gardening that would work equally well as an introduction to growing vegetables and fruit in a garden. Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2011 by G. E. Harrison
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