Good book for advice?

[Masco&Bongo]

Hi guys

Can anyone recommend a good/useful book for a total novice?

I need something which tells me when/how to plant fruit/veg/herbs etc and how to prepare the soil etc.

Does such a book exist?

Thanks!

[ina]

I'd say there are several books that would be suitable! Depends on much you want to spend, too...

My "bible" for everything from soil to compost and rotation etc is the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, published by the HDRA. I think I paid £25 for it, but if I remember correctly, I've seen that they now have a cheaper paperback edition. It's a large book with useful pictures.

[albert onglebod]

The Allotment Handbook by Caroline Foley is another nice one.

[Andy Hamilton]

The best bet is to go to a charity shop, they always have loads of old gardening books and not matter how much they get rewritten a bean still gets planted at the same time.

[2steps]

The vegtable expert by Dr D.G.Hessayon. I have a few books but that is the only one I use. I have the pocket edition so I can take it out with me too it has what I think are squished greenfly on the inside cover

[Martin]

John Seymour's Classic "Complete guide to self sufficiency" - had an original version in 1973, just got the new updated version- this guy wrote the book, and lived the life years before the Fearnley-Whittingstalls and Strawbridges of this world-rightly, a classic, about £18 off the net!

[danchamp]

Another vote for the Vegetable Expert by Dr Hessayon. I also really like Sarah Raven's book The Great Vegetable Plot - it's got the best tomato growing advice I've seen in a book.

[Hillbilly]

No suggestions as I do it all from the sagely words of others but you could also try www.readitswapit.com and swap a book you have for a gardening one you don;t. Saves money, and paper, and trees....

[hedgewizard]

Those Expert books are all very heavy on chemicals and fertilizers, although apparently the new editions are supposed to be better. Anyone seen these?

[danchamp]

Those Expert books are all very heavy on chemicals and fertilizers...

That's very true. We're chemical-free so I just ignore those bits and tend to use it to plan a sowing and planting schedule more than anything else, but it's solution to any problem seems to be "spray with X, Y and Z".

[Millie]

Its not a book, but Ive found this a good one to keep in my faves:

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg ... lanner.asp

[Andy Hamilton]

Probally be a bit late but I am putting together a competition to win the 21st century smallholder by Paul Waddington. It is a pretty good book too and you might just win it.

I agree with those expert books, I rarely use mine now. Too many chems.

[Millymollymandy]

I have an old RHS book I refer to. I just ignore the chemicals bit. I don't know what sulfate of this or that is anyway!