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'My team at River Cottage really know how to find and cook good, fresh food. Together we are creating a series of handbooks crammed with expert information. They will be passionate, but practical so that you can have a really useful book to hand whenever you feel the urge to forage, preserve, bake, grow or cook' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
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Drawing directly from his experience as an acclaimed climate-change gardener, and of setting up a kitchen garden from scratch for River Cottage, Mark explains the practical aspects of organic growing, introduces us to a whole world of vegetables we may not have previously considered, and does away with alienating gardening jargon once and for all. Mark begins with a catalogue of vegetables that will grow in this country, explaining for each their benefits, what varieties to go for, dos and don'ts, and popular culinary uses. He then invites us to create a wish list of foods, and shows us his own list from his early gardening days. Next, he explains how to turn this wish list into a coherent kitchen garden plan appropriate for our space, whether it be a patch of acidic soil, a roof-top garden or an allotment, whether we put on our wellies in every free moment or are 'time-poor' gardeners. Then he puts all the theory into practice, showing us how to look after nutrients in the soil, how to resist pests and diseases, and how to make our garden sustainable and organic. In clear, concise sections we learn about seed trays, supporting plants with climbing structures, mulching, composting, companion planting, irrigation and promoting pollination, and there are additional tables showing sowing and harvesting times, plant sizes, and alternative varieties of plants for different sites. About thirty recipes and a directory of useful addresses finish the book, and the handbook is complemented by bright colour photography throughout. Practical and inspiring, with a textured hard cover and an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Veg Patch is destined to join Handbooks No. 1, 2 and 3 as an indispensible household reference.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last - a gardening book that is fun to read.,
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This review is from: Veg Patch: River Cottage Handbook No.4 (Hardcover)
As a newcomer to growing veg, my favourite thing about this book is that for once I don't feel overwhelmed by dense text, and am not left feeling inept because I don't understand the jargon! The author Mark Diacono has done a great job of writing a book that is truly accessible for first timers, and at the same time is an informative and thought provoking resource for old hands.As the other reviewers have mentioned, Diacono's sense of humour is a rare gem in a book like this, and his passion and enthusiasm made me want to get out in my garden immediately and start a veg patch. I particularly like the 'How to eat' section on each vegetable - the ideas are simple but really original and definitely gave me lots of new ideas for cooking veg that I already know well, and great tips for the ones that I don't. As someone who lives in a city and has a small patio garden rather than a true 'veg patch' I particularly like the section on growing in limited space in pots and tyre stacks etc. This is a really handy section that gives all the key information at a glance and it reassured me that growing veg isn't just for those with plenty of outdoor space. I would definitely recommened this book - as well as being fun to read and a great resource, it looks beautiful and the photography is lovely too.
54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy that man a drink!,
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This review is from: Veg Patch: River Cottage Handbook No.4 (Hardcover)
If you already have any of the River Cottage handbooks you'll know they are of a high standard, but this one I really loved because it has a bit of a sense of humour too.Diacono has such an engaging way of writing. On growing cucumbers: "a revelation of cool crunch" and asparagus: "I suffer from what food writer Simon Hopkinson calls asparagus fever". And he makes having a veg patch sound so enjoyable: "If you've got better things to do at 8 o'clock on a mid-June evening than pop freshly shelled peas into your mouth as you amble round your vibrant plot with a glass of what you fancy, then life must be pretty special." About half the book is an A-Z of possible crops, with tons of good growing advice, variety recommendations, and cooking tips. The rest is about planning your patch, then how to dig and maintain it; then about fifty pages of recipes including delights such as Baby Pea Salad and Pumpkin Meringue Pie. (NB that the book just covers vegetables, so you will have to wait for next time for apples, berries etc. Though he does slightly break the rules and include tomatoes etc. As you'd hope.) Diacono somehow manages to balance the need for concise advice, never over-doing it, with some lovely, inspiring, funny help. (He advises leaving a couple of leeks to flower just because of their beauty. I'm converted to the idea of trying to grow salsify, just on the basis of his evangelising. And he explains how Bugs Bunny always comes to be nibbling a carrot...) An enjoyable, motivating book. And really cheap for what it is, especially considering it's so encyclopedic,and that it does have lovely pictures and a really good hardback binding that opens really nice and flat. A good little size that would be okay to take to the allotment too. Though judging by the text, the author would be best-pleased if you were to enjoy reading it with a nice glass of wine...
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great inspiration to grow your own....,
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This review is from: Veg Patch: River Cottage Handbook No.4 (Hardcover)
Being a great fan of the River Cottage Handbook series and a regular reader of the authors' excellent blogs at [], I knew this latest read from the Fearnley-Whittingstall stable would be a gem.With an allotment sized back garden sporting a vast collection of weeds and having nonexistent horticultural skills I was grateful when this missing link arrived on my doormat. As mentioned by the previous reviewer, Diaconos writing style makes you want to get out and start planting, written with humour and great knowledge this excellent book takes you from planning to planting to plate. I've bought a variety of books that try and achieve what Diacono has, many are twice the size and twice the price, but this one will take pride of place in my armoury as go forth into battle against my impenetrable weed patch. Wish me luck, now where are my wellies!!
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