The HDRA Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Henry Doubleday Research Asc): Amazon.co.uk: Anna Kruger, Pauline Pears: 9780751333817: Books

Product Description

An illustrated reference for organic growing and gardening, this guide caters for every level or organic committment, from simple first steps to organic self-sufficiency, and includes an easy-to-use A-Z directory.

About the Author

Pauline Pears heads up a team of experts for the Henry Doubleday Research Association.

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155 of 157 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive and authoritive organic gardening reference, 12 Nov 2001

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"cols2" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The HDRA Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Henry Doubleday Research Asc) (Hardcover)

Organic gardening is more popular than ever. What most newcomers need is a comprehensive book that covers everything from getting started to more in depth coverage of problems areas like soil conditioning and pest management. This book does it all.

The style is easy and informative with enough of the technical side of organic growing to interest serious gardeners but not too much to put off the raw beginner. The layout is typical of DK with large photographs and well drawn diagrams. Some of the close ups of fruit and vegetables really make your mouth water!

The introduction explains why you should garden organically, what the benefits are for you and for the environment. There are some good design templates that could be used to fit a variety of different situations.

The book then gets into practical gardening with a section called "The basics". The range of topics covered include: soil and soil care, water and watering, weeds and weed control, plant health and raising plants.

The "Looking Good" section covers things like design, choosing plants for an attractive garden, wildlife gardening, container gardening and gardening under cover. This is a good way to proceed as there is a common myth around that says organic gardens are always about boring food production units that are not that nice to look at. It does not have to be like that as organic practices are equally applicable to ornamental gardens. Being organic is much more about not using artificial chemicals and this section of the book shows that organic gardens can be very attractive as well as environmentally friendly.

At the end of the book there is an excellent reference section with an A-Z of vegetable and salad crops which describes the cultivation techniques required, plant spacing, sowing times, plant care and harvesting. The latter point is particularly useful for the beginner as it is often difficult to know when to pick fruit and veg. There is also an A-Z of plant problems with appropriate organic remedies. I hope the piece about gardening and the law is there for reference only but sometimes gardeners get embroiled in legal wrangles and it is useful to know the law. Although aimed at UK law the points are sufficiently general to make then applicable to many other countries.

At the ends of the reference section are the HDRA guidelines for organic gardeners. This is the basic code by which organic gardeners grow their crops and manage their land. It is a useful thing to have but might appear daunting to some beginners. The trick is not to be put off by the rules and regulations, go back to the introduction, that will tell you why and how to be organic. The resources section gives useful web sites and further reading.

If you buy only one book this should be it!

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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative & user friendly, 5 May 2003

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Gideon Albertus Nel "Gideon" (Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The HDRA Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Henry Doubleday Research Asc) (Hardcover)

Enthusiastic amateur sworn of pesticides, I set out to grow a simple patch of rocket (rucula) tomatoes, potatoes, coriander and parsley. All the natural way of course... Black lice turned into juicy worms loved the rucula, the parsley survived but the potatoes got the dreaded black death and rotted away, tomatoes are being stifled by weeds. All the answers are in this book, and many many more. For anyone who hopes to improve their organic garden, no matter the size, I think this book is worth it?s weight in gold.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative & user friendly, 5 May 2003

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Gideon Albertus Nel "Gideon" (Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The HDRA Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Henry Doubleday Research Asc) (Hardcover)

Enthusiastic amateur sworn of pesticides, I set out to grow a simple patch of rocket (rucula) tomatoes, potatoes, coriander and parsley. All the natural way of course... Black lice turned into juicy worms loved the rucula, the parsley survived but the potatoes got the dreaded black death and rotted away, tomatoes are being stifled by weeds. All the answers are in this book, and many many more. For anyone who hopes to improve their organic garden, no matter the size, I think this book is worth it?s weight in gold.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars this is the book I turn to first
since downsizing and acquiring a garden big enough to be interesting, I have turned to this book more often that most of the rest in my collection. Read more

Published 1 month ago by chat_qui_lit