The New Kitchen Garden

The New Kitchen Garden. Anna Pavord. Recommended.

Another book review for your perusal...

This book is a fairly good reference to start or expand your garden. Its main focus is a small garden for the average household, surprisingly enough known as a "kitchen garden".

The first chapter highlights various garden styles and features. Being from the DK Press, the book has a definite British feel to it. (I have enjoyed all the books from this publisher, and will select books from them on name alone.) For those unfamiliar with the term "kitchen garden" (like me), it is a rather formal style, normally walled in, with a large variety of food plants for consumption by the household.

After the description and layout of the traditional kitchen garden, many other styles and features are shown; formal fruit garden, hedges, salad & herb garden, cottage garden, patio & balcony gardens, and a formal herb garden. These styles are each given rather extensive treatment.

The second section gives a biography of nearly every type of vegetable and fruit that one would care to plant. Each specimen is given at least two full pages, listing vital stats; large photographs, a basic history, how to optimally cultivate, and specific recommended cultivars. Many entries also have recipes as a suggestion on how to use your harvest.

The final section is all about improving your gardening skills - planning & cultivating techniques. Plot design, soil preparation, crop rotation, starting seeds, and a plethora of growing methods are covered, just to name a few. There are many good tips to be found here.

I recommend this book for any gardener's library. I have already used some of the tips for strawberries in my own patch. As my garden expands, this will be a good reference.