Planning a Kitchen Garden: A Practical Design Manual for Growing Fruits, Herbs and Vegetables - Softcover

There are few things as satisfying as growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruit, and Planning a Kitchen Garden will give you all the guidance you need to grow your own crops, whether you want a large vegetable garden or simply a few herbs in containers.The Design Stage Offers advice on creating a kitchen garden with plans to suit everyone, from small vegetable plots to fruit gardens. It also looks at the best way to plant your crops, whether it be in rows or deep beds, and explains the benefits of crop rotation and intercropping.Equipment Gives advice on selecting the right tools for the job as well as information on choosing and using greenhouses, sheds, cold frames and cloches.Soil Understanding your soil is the key to good crops. This section contains useful information on adding soil conditioners and fertilizers, improving drainage and making compost.Techniques Covers sowing, both outdoors and under glass; thinning and transplanting seedlings; harvesting and storage. A section on common problems explains how to deal with bad weather, pests and diseases.With its beautiful photographs and clear practical advice, this is the perfect reference guide for every kitchen gardener.How to create the kitchen garden that's right for you, with original plans to suit gardens of all shapes and sizesHelpful information on using greenhouses, cloches and cold frames, and other useful tools and equipmentClear guidance on how to plan your crops, including planting in rows, deep beds, crop rotation and phasing crops for maximum produce

Richard Bird has been gardening since childhood and currently maintains a large garden where his abiding passion for plants is very evident. He has contributed to numerous publications and has been magazine editor for Focus on Plants, The Hardy Plant, Alpine Gardening and the Alpine Garden Society's magazine Bulletin. He is also a full-time author on gardens and plants and has written nearly 30 books on subjects as diverse as alpines and rock gardens, lilies, perennials, organic gardening and window boxes. He is the author of Essential Plants for the Garden, The Illustrated Practical Encyclopedia of Pruning, Training & Topiary (both Lorenz Books), and Beautiful Shrubs and Great Climbers (Southwater).