Nothing tastes better than homegrown produce and there's nowhere better to grow it than your own back garden. Whether you're interested in a small patch of gourmet asparagus and strawberries, a few eggs to make your own omelettes or full-scale self-sufficiency, this guide contains the traditional, tried-and-tested skills that turn dreams into reality. Vegetable growing is made easy with clear, sensible advice on the basics and plenty of inventive tips. Find out the best ways to store and preserve the harvest, learn how to make apple juice, cheese, butter and even how to plant your own herbal remedy border. Practical advice on keeping chickens, bees, goats and pigs provides essential reading for anyone just starting out with livestock. Growing and making your own food is healthy, sustainable and rewarding, and can bring that satisfying buzz that you get from knowing that you're cutting your supermarket bill, reducing your carbon footprint and learning the practical skills of self-reliance.
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Review
If in these tough economic times you want to put your garden back to work, this practical guide offers clear and concise advice on a variety of practical skills from how to milk a goat to making fresh mozzarella. --The Countryman
About the Author
Carleen Madigan is a keen gardener and has also been the managing editor at Horticulture magazine. She learned many of the skills described in the book while living on an organic farm. Carleen was inspired to write the book by reading a classic series of booklets on self-sufficiency and, recognizing the real and current value of these traditional skills, tested them and adapted them for a new generation of productive gardeners.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By Tor
Format:Paperback
This is a great book for anyone who is considering broadening their horizons and making their garden more productive. It takes the prospective homesteader through all aspects of self-sufficiency, including the obvious fruit and veg, poultry and herbs, whilst also including the less common aspects of nuts, meat and dairy, grain production, and food from the wild. Not only does this book tell you how to establish a garden, and how to grow your produce, it also gives detailed advice on preserving, processing, cooking and distillation. While this may seem like too much for one volume to cover well, the writing style is easy to read, simple to understand, and inspires the reader to get out and get gardening! Calculations are given for expected yields, crop rotation, planting dates and seed collection. In fact, it's a book that has everything you need to feed yourself and your family. It is so accessible and interesting that even if you're not going to get off the sofa and into the garden, it's a good read. I hope it inspires us all to grow a bit more, and make our own spaces work for us.
54 of 55 people found the following review helpful
By C. Markus
Format:Paperback
Our household suffers from an overload of books about fruit and veg gardening, each of which tells you a little bit about what you want to know...and alot about what you don't want to know. Now we can throw them all out (and also the ones about hens and preserving) because it is all in this really great book.
It is packed with pratical advice that guides you through planning to planting, growing, harvesting and storing. It doesn't assume vast tracts of land, so even those with modest gardens (or a balcony) can achieve alot. The charming ink illustrations and the lovely, non-glossy, paper, typify the down-to-earth enthusiasm of the author which is impossible to resist.
It is a book to read with a notebook at hand, in the winter months when planning, as much as to keep near you in the garden when the weather warms up and the hard work starts.
It is packed with pratical advice that guides you through planning to planting, growing, harvesting and storing. It doesn't assume vast tracts of land, so even those with modest gardens (or a balcony) can achieve alot. The charming ink illustrations and the lovely, non-glossy, paper, typify the down-to-earth enthusiasm of the author which is impossible to resist.
It is a book to read with a notebook at hand, in the winter months when planning, as much as to keep near you in the garden when the weather warms up and the hard work starts.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By york lady
Format:Paperback
This book is wll worth the price, I saw it reviewed in "kitchen gardn" magazine and it has lived up to all my expectations. The chapters are sort to the point with all the basics. Everything to get you started and for the more experienced. I have bottled fruit taught by my mother but, I now have the science which should explain a few failures over the years.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent back to basics info!
A very useful book covering a wide variety of subjects. Informative and easy to use. A good basic introduction to self sufficiency
Published 1 month ago by carolgarner
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great book
book this as a gift for a friend who has bought a small holding, which is much bigger than the average back garden, but who was thrilled with this book
Published 3 months ago by brian woodruff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book; HOWEVER! This is the same book as "The Backyard Homestead"...
I purchased this book just a few days ago hoping it would be a great companion for my copy of "The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Read more
Published 14 months ago by Phillip Lamb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very informative
I found this book to be very informative on many aspects of being self sufficient. Most people who buy this book aren't going to be hardened hippies in the back of beyond, and this... Read more
Published 17 months ago by JamJam
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for getting started and to get inspiration.
I recieved this book last week, planning ahead for when I have a piece of land.
It's a great book, it looks good, the chapters are well laid out and loads of tips and... Read more
It's a great book, it looks good, the chapters are well laid out and loads of tips and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Emma
4.0 out of 5 stars
Its OK if you American
This is an American book that has been Anglicised surprisingly badly considering it is edited by a Brit. Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2011 by EngExciile
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely book
This is such a lovely inspiring book for anyone that dreams of having a smallholding, or of self sufficiency, but can only manage a bit of productive land in the back garden. Read more
Published on 30 July 2010 by Lucy McC
5.0 out of 5 stars
love the garden
I loved this book. The author's experiential, " been there and got the T shirt" approach, is fascinating but not prescriptive. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by Busy Lizzy
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