Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Glen on January 27, 2008, 18:36

Title: Best Book?
Post by: Glen on January 27, 2008, 18:36: Sorry if this is in the wrong place!

Can anyone suggest a good book for the novice Allotment owner?
Title: Best Book?
Post by: wildeone on January 27, 2008, 18:49: Funnily enough hold fire for a few weeks and John (this website owner) will be releasing his book!!!

Click this link to order a signed copy!!!

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=11840
Title: Best Book?
Post by: babe on January 27, 2008, 19:44: Quote from: "wildeone"
Funnily enough hold fire for a few weeks and John (this website owner) will be releasing his book!!!

Click this link to order a signed copy!!!

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=11840

can you imagine some of the quotes that johns gonna be putting in these books for some of you? :wink:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: wildeone on January 27, 2008, 20:28: What do you think mine will be?
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Glen on January 27, 2008, 20:56: is it aimed at the novice allotment owner?
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Ruth Cross on January 27, 2008, 21:07: Hi Glen,

I would recommend 'John Seymour - Guide to self sufficiency'
It is not particularly aimed at novice allotmenters, but you will find tons of useful stuff in there as I have. Covers loads of stuff from veg, herbs, fruit, poultry, livestock, pests, preserving, seasonal changes, greenhouse and DIY/moneysaving/frugal living

I find it is straight forward, down to earth stuff. I only got my allotment in Sept 07 and find myself reffering to it constantly. Hope this helps :wink:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Ruth Cross on January 27, 2008, 21:08: That is if you can't wait for Johns......sorry :oops:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: love-my-plot on January 27, 2008, 22:14: Quote from: "Glen"
is it aimed at the novice allotment owner?

Hi Glen,
as a "novice allotment owner", I've found Joy Larkoms
book, Grow your own vegetables really helpful ... but! the info from members on this site has been the MOST helpful. Everything you could possibly need to know about "growing your own" is posted somewhere on THIS forum :)

As for having a read, away from the PC ... thay Joy larkom book is useful.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: gobs on January 27, 2008, 22:17: Her books are a great joy of mine to read and it doesn't matter who you are, I think. They are just brilliant. :D
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Scribbler on January 28, 2008, 09:56: Dr D G Hessayon's 'The Vegetable Expert' is a good start, and most people begin with this one. It's great for basic planting information, but ignore the bits about using chemicals if you want to be organic.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: paintedlady on January 28, 2008, 10:13: If you ever followed the tv series "Grow Your Own" presented by Carol Klein, you might find the accompanying book useful too.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Glen on January 28, 2008, 22:20: thanks for the tips guys, can you buy books through the site or do i google amazon?
Title: Best Book?
Post by: WG. on January 28, 2008, 22:27: Quote from: "wildeone"
Click this link to order a signed copy!!!

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=11840
:wink:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: noshed on January 28, 2008, 22:37: Try the library as well
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Sally A on January 28, 2008, 22:38: charity shops seem to have a selection, a lot of books for your bucks there.
Title: Re: Best Book?
Post by: Grif on January 28, 2008, 22:48: Quote from: "Glen"
Sorry if this is in the wrong place!

Can anyone suggest a good book for the novice Allotment owner?

Another good book is ' Diggers Diary - Tales from the Allotment' by Victor someone.
Not really a book of advice but fun to read and great ideas. At a time when my enthusiam was failing a bit it got right back into it, hence joining this site etc. this site is actually mentioned in it.

Grif :D
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Ann on January 28, 2008, 23:32: Try your local library, this gives you the chance to look at various books and decide on which one is best for you before spending money.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: GreenOwl on January 29, 2008, 15:17: There was a thread on this not so very long ago:

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=11328

I use both the Dr. Hessayon's Expert Guide and the Reader's Digest A-Z book and would recommend them. I think Dr. Hessayon's is really good for beginners but trying the local library is a really good idea and then you can decide where to spend your money!
Title: Best Book?
Post by: paintedlady on January 29, 2008, 15:28: ... it won't be long before you'll be turning over a new gardening book on the market with an excited grin, which will drop rapidly and you say "oh, this is a BEGINNERS book, I was really looking for something much more substantial" :lol:

If you can get to one of the big bookstores like Waterstones, have a browse on what they have on the shelves. You usually get a feel for something that looks right for you. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy - on your next visit to the library, see if your choice(s) is on the shelf, and if not, put a request in for them to get it for you (might be a copy in another library that they can send for) :wink:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: woodsmoke on January 30, 2008, 10:09: 'Allotment gardening' by Susan Berger straightforward paperback not expensive includes recipe ideas
Inspiring - Andi Cleveley 'The Allotment Book' (due in paperback next month)
Also very good 'Organic Gardening for the 21st Century'by John Fedor
These are my favourites - recommend you read more than one as they vary alot.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: flowerlady on January 30, 2008, 16:37: This book set me straight ... Brilliant - it's got all you need to know!! :D

"Grow your own Vegetables" Joy Larkcom
Title: Best Book?
Post by: WG. on February 01, 2008, 22:44: Bloke walks in to a Glasgow library.
"Hiv ye got ony books aboot suicide?"

"Well, we used tae bit nae b*gger taks them back"
Title: Best Book?
Post by: SnooziSuzi on February 01, 2008, 22:52: Apart from Johns book, which I will be buying, I was given a couple of books for Christmas which have so far proven to be very informative and entertaining:

The Allotment Book: Andi Clevely published by collins
The Allotment Gardener: Ann Nichol published by Silverdale books.

Having said that, most (90%) of my gardening knowledge I've picked up from this site alone!
Title: Best Book?
Post by: wildeone on February 01, 2008, 22:57: Quote from: "SnooziSuzi"
Having said that, most (90%) of my gardening knowledge I've picked up from this site alone!
Thats interesting Suzi ....... have you managed to grow anything yet? :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: sweet nasturtium on February 01, 2008, 23:01: The Allotment Book, by Andi Clevely - as mentioned above, is my favourite. Better than Carol Klein.

But no book will teach you how to dig and weed, not even this forum! When I got my plot I actually got my Dad to come and show me how to do it - daft but true. :oops: :oops: :oops:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: WG. on February 01, 2008, 23:04: Quote from: "sweet nasturtium"
But no book will teach you how to dig and weed, not even this forum!
We'll show you what weeds to pull out ! http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=11271 :D
Title: Best Book?
Post by: sweet nasturtium on February 01, 2008, 23:08: OK OK - I'll have a look at that later. :oops:

Looked at it and it's only got one picture of one weed on it!
Title: Best Book?
Post by: cawdor2001 on February 01, 2008, 23:25: Diggers Diary by Victor Osborne is great, good anecdotal stuff and hard to put down, not a practical detail book like Andi Clevely's which i have too, but a very nice read.

Cawdor
Title: Best Book?
Post by: gobs on February 02, 2008, 20:33: Quote from: "WG."
Bloke walks in to a Glasgow library.
"Hiv ye got ony books aboot suicide?"

"Well, we used tae bit nae b*gger taks them back"

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I've been known to hold onto gardening books from the library for years. :lol: :lol:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: scentedstock on February 02, 2008, 23:05: I know a couple who followed the Alan Titchmarsh The Allotment Gardener's Handbook and had great results in the first year.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: scentedstock on February 02, 2008, 23:10: Just checked with them and it was 'The Allotment Gardener's Handbook' by Titchmarsh.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850516065/virtuallibrar-21
Title: Best Book?
Post by: gobs on February 02, 2008, 23:14: Quote from: "scentedstock"
Just checked with them and it was 'The Allotment Gardener's Handbook' by Titchmarsh.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1850516065/virtuallibrar-21

Is that the silly book he wrote 30 years ago? If the case, that's a bit of use for kindling. :roll: :wink:

If we are thinking the same book, I don't know. :shock: :wink:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: scentedstock on February 02, 2008, 23:16: very useful but these days what with the seasons all over the place then yes it is probably out of date.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: sweet nasturtium on February 02, 2008, 23:18: Can't be that bad, there's one on sale for £47 on that Amazon link!
Title: Best Book?
Post by: scentedstock on February 02, 2008, 23:19: He wrote it in the 1980's and it's very sourt after these days.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: sweet nasturtium on February 02, 2008, 23:27: But £47, I should hope it's signed, or got his muddy fingerprints on it. But if it was written in the 80s he would have been quite young when he wrote it. Not the seasoned experienced gardener he is today. Not sure I would trust a gardening book written by a 'youngster' (love that word).
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Rob the rake on February 03, 2008, 07:47: Month by Month Organic Gardening, by the late Lawrence Hills, is a fabulous read and can be had for just a few quid off Ebay or Amazon.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: The Thin Blue Line on February 03, 2008, 10:01: 21st century smallholder - paul waddington

http://www.amazon.co.uk/21st-Century-Smallholder-Allotments-Without-Leaving/dp/190391969X

i got it down at the eden project a few years back . i love it,. !
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Glen on February 03, 2008, 19:22: Funny you should mention the Eden Project as it was following our first visit to Eden last year that gave us inspiration to get an allotment!
Title: Best Book?
Post by: The Thin Blue Line on February 06, 2008, 17:56: Same here ! :tongue2:
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Trillium on February 06, 2008, 18:08: Seadart should be back from visiting the Eden Project and should have some nice pix for the rest of us :D
Title: Best Book?
Post by: Heifer73 on February 06, 2008, 19:31: Hi

Sorry it is not a book, but I would recommend 'The allotment' DVD by wildfire.

My fav book is the vegetable expert by Dr Hesseyan. The pocket size one you can take with you to the lotty.
Title: Best Book?
Post by: love-my-plot on February 06, 2008, 21:03: I have "The Allotmen" DVD series too ... it's not bad, but not as informative as I expected but still glad I got it. I enjoy watching it this weather when it's too wet to get down the plot :D