[Marmaduke]

If you could only have one book on growing in an allotment, which one would it be?

:mrgreen:

I think I need one to start planning what I want to do with the plot once it has been cleared.

[Oliver]

If you could only have one book on growing in an allotment, which one would it be?

You will get 400 different answers!!!

My money would be on 'The complete vegetable grower'. Its pretty ancient, but she refers to it all the time! She also uses a Companion planting book a lot.

But a jolly fine very useful book for beginners is Dr DG Hessayon's 'Vegatable Jotter' if you can still get copies. So this is probably the No. 1 book.

Hee Hee, see what I mean!

[Marmaduke]

I sort of thought that might be the case.  I have been looking on Amazon but there are so many.  Maybe I will just have to get a new bookcase to hold them all.

[John]

Take a look at the books pages on here - I've put a reasonable selection. The Joy Larkom is my favourite available but I wouldn't be without The Vegetable Expert or LD Hills 'Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables' - LD Hills is OOP I'm afraid.

[rugbymad40]

I'm up there with John on the Vegetable Expert - there are also others in the series which are with checking out. A favourite of mine is by John Seymour and is called "The complete guide to self-sufficiency".  Not 100% about allotments, but a great book to site and read during the cold winter months.

[Jake]

John Seymour and is called "The complete guide to self-sufficiency".  Not 100% about allotments, but a great book to site and read during the cold winter months.

Thats the one. It is the best book in the world. Just for the record, John Seymours politics I'm not 100% in league with but this guy did it, you name it, he did it. And his advice about parsnips has worked for me.

tis my desert island book it is.

[GrannieAnnie]

I agree, John Seymour's Complete Self Sufficiency is a wonderful book, but I refer to my 'The Vegetable Expert' a lot too!!!

[sumo]

All very good choices, but as a beginner I would have to pick Allotted Time by Robin Shelton. Perhaps not much use to expert veg. growers, but written for hopeless novices, by hopeless novices, in a witty style. Says a lot about day to day survival too. I keep re-reading it again and again.

[Gwiz]

all of the above and also Your kitchen garden by george seddon and helena radecka (old book oop)
or how about The allotment handbook by Caroline Foley (no pics, just full of great advice)isbn 1 84330 583 6, thats my favorite (i think!)

[mrsparsnip]

he gives advice about me?  how exciting!

i'd have to go with the veg expert too altough I found The allotment book by andi cleverly quite a good superficial read and it gave me an overview idea of what I needed to do first and what to think about.  not too much detail but an exciting first read when at the planning stage.

[wellingtons]

... The Expert.

Although I might just have to sneak in Bob Flowerdew's The Vegetable Gourmet, if only for the comment about growing peas without support ... that they were just as delicious by an absolute * to pick.

[milkman]

I'm a bit of a book worm when it comes to books on gardening so am unable to recommend just 1 - the books I dip into time and time again for advice and inspiration are:-
1. Vegetable Expert - Hessayon - brilliant for working out what has gone wrong with your crop if its looking less than hale & hearty and I just ignore the treatment/prevention advice which is generally to spray with a dodgy chemical.
2. HDRA Encyclopaedia of organic gardening - good all round book and the pics just make me want to get out there and sow and plant!
3. Bob Flowerdew's organic bible - if you want to garden organically bob will help you do it
4. Got given Joy Larkom Grow your own vegetables for Christmas which I think would be a good book had I not already got a whole shelf full of gardening books!
I've had my allotment for a number of years now, so haven't felt the need to acquire any of the crop of specialist allotment books that seem to be about these days so cannot comment either way on any of these.

[noshed]

Definately the Joy Larkom. Good value and debunks a certain amount of old blokes tales.

[Marmaduke]

Thanks for all the advice.  My husband ordered two books over the weekend.  One I know was the John Seymour self sufficiency book but I don't know what the other was.  I think maybe The Allotment Book.

I will look out for the vegetable expert as well.

I can't wait to curl up with them when they arrive.

[Dougmari]

Try 'The Wartime Week End Gardener' by John Hampshire, published around 1942 priced 2s 6d. Wouldn't be without it.