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153 of 155 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A comprehensive and authoritive organic gardening reference, 12 Nov 2001
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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by Charles Dowding
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