Books Reviews

The Edible Garden: How to Have Your Garden and Eat It – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Jul 15, 2010, 15:49 GMT

In this timely new book, Gardeners\' World\'s thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with life in the city. Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes grow in pots on the patio. And ...more

Most people do not have large gardens or have access to a vegetable plot. Despite this they want to keep their garden nice and grow their own food.  Combining the two is not easy - but Alys Fowler gives lots of useful ideas on how this can be achieved. 

Abandoning traditional gardening methods, she shows how tomatoes can be grown near roses, carrots with lavender, grow lettuce among the flowers or courgettes in borders.  It is a good, how to garden book written in a readable style. 

There are also lots of innovative ideas on how to use the produce grown such as how to make james and preserves, recipes for courgette cake, Jerusalem artichoke soufflé, and creating gifts like the housewarming herb bouquet.

Colourful illustrations add the finishing touch to this book making it a nice gift book for starter gardeners.