The UK's leading gardening publisher brings you a horticultural handbook to fulfil your every need and seed! Get your gardening gloves on and join the green-fingered journey to growing fruit successfully at home. A must-have volume for first-time gardeners, Grow Fruit has tons of tips and tricks to sow, grow, plant and propagate a diverse range of fruit, from plums to persimmons, blackcurrants to blueberries, this grower's guide truly has it all! Try your hand at more than 40 different varieties of fruit trees, bushes, canes and vines, including allotment plot staples such as damsons and blackcurrants, as well as lesser-grown options like kiwis and pineapple guavas. With passion in every page, you can enjoy: - A jargon-free practical guide to harvesting home-grown fruits. - Easy to follow step-by-step instructions of fundamental gardening techniques. - Exploration of popular fruits as well as lesser-known options. In today's society, the ever-growing pressure of balancing family life with a career suggests a lot of today's green-fingered gardeners simply lack time for growing fruit and vegetables at home. We believe it's time to change that! Whatever your horticultural hopes may be, author and gardener Holly Farrell brings you a fantastic fruit-growing guide that is sure to shape first-time gardeners like never before, full of top tips to help your garden thrive! An ideal gift for first-time gardeners, budding botanists or the green-fingered lover in your life, make sure to get those gardening gloves on, and join the journey today! At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. If you like Grow Fruit why not try the other titles in our Grow series? Learn how to brighten your garden all year round with Grow Bulbs, enjoy a no-fuss guide to container gardening with Grow Containers or minimise garden waste with Grow Eco-Gardening. Ready, set, let's grow!

The latest strains of tomato may look perfect, but they often have thick skins and tasteless flesh. Dwarf peas may be the easiest to grow commercially, but many gardeners still grow attractive six-foot types that taste "like peas used to taste." Whatever the benefits of modern hybrids, old varieties still have much to offer, and they are becoming hard to find.Seed saving is a surprisingly simple and hugely satisfying way to propogate your favorite varieties. In this book you will find easy-to-follow, crop by crop guidelines to help you save your own seed.Relevant to the beginner as well as the expert, "Back Garden Seed Saving" tells how and why we should join in the battle to save our irreplaceable vegetable heritage, and the reward--a kitchen full of tasty vegetables.The benefits of saving your own seedSelect plants best suited to your own growing conditionsHelp preserve our shrinking vegetable heritageBreak our dependence on multinational seed companiesSave moneyShare seed with friends, neighbors, and fellow gardener

No matter how small your space, green-fingered Sam Corfield (aka The Hairy Horticulturist) shows you how simple it is to grow your own edible garden. Covering over 50 roots, shoots, flowers, leaves and fruits, he'll guide you through his foolproof three-step method of sow-grow-gather, while providing useful tips and tricks along the way. Showcasing delicious vegetables, fruits and herbs that anyone can easily grow at home, Sam will also introduce you to some more unusual and colourful veggies (like purple carrots, rainbow radishes and cucamelons!) to show just how exciting growing-your-own can be. Whether you have a small garden, balcony or windowsill, Sow Grow Gather will demystify the growing process, explain useful gardening equipment and reveal how to fit different containers and pots into every corner of your space. With beautiful photography and advice on which plants will suit your plot, as well as how to care for them, you'll go from veg-patch beginner to edible-garden-expert in no time, and have fun during the process.

Japanese Style Companion Planting brings the techniques of a master farmer in Japan to home gardeners all over the world, with over 175 easy-to-follow color illustrations and detailed texts. Japanese gardeners typically work with small plots and are experts at making the most efficient use of available garden space. They have long understood that when compatible vegetables and fruits are grown together, the result is increased yields, healthier plants, fewer pest problems and better taste. Vegetables from small gardens are the mainstay of Japan's famously healthy cuisine and movement towards farm-to-table dining tradition. Author Toshio Kijima is head of the Biotechnology Department at Tochigi Agricultural Station in Japan and principal of the Nogyo Daigakko School of Natural Farming. In this book, he provides 88 different plant pairings, including common favorites such as: Tomato with basil Eggplant with green beans Carrots with edamame Iceberg lettuce with broccoli Strawberries with garlic Green beans with arugula Blueberry bushes with mint ...and dozens of other pairings that yield tasty, nutritious vegetables and fruits, all grown without the need for pesticides or chemical fertilizers. This book also covers excellent combinations for relay planting, such as watermelon followed by spinach, spinach followed by broccoli, broccoli followed by potato, and many more. Clear and precise instructions are given for each combination--from planning and preparing your plot to planting depths and spacing--all accompanied by detailed color drawings and photographs. Information on the theory and basics of companion planting will ensure a smooth transition to sustainable gardening techniques that millions of home gardeners are using!

Charles Dowding draws on his years of experience, to show how easy it is to start a new vegetable garden. Any plot - whether a building site, overgrown with weeds or unwanted lawn - can be turned into a beautiful and productive vegetable area. Charles's no-nonsense and straightforward advice is the perfect starting point for the beginner or experienced gardener. The book takes you step-by-step through: * Planning and early stages * Clearing the ground * Mulch - what, why, how? * Minimizing digging * Sowing and planting across the seasons * Growing in polytunnels and greenhouses It is filled with labour-saving ideas and the techniques that Charles uses to garden so successfully and is illustrated throughout with photos and tales from Charles's first year in his new vegetable garden.

Perennial vegetables are a joy to grow. Whereas traditional vegetable plots are largely made up of short-lived, annual vegetable plants, perennials are edible plants that live longer than three years. Grown as permaculture plants, they take up less of your time and effort than annual vegetables do. Martin Crawford's book outlines the benefits of growing perennial vegetables: Perennials provide crops throughout the year, so there's always something that can be used in the kitchen. You avoid the hungry gap between the end of the winter harvest and the start of the summer harvest of annual vegetables. Perennial vegetables are less work. Once planted, they stay in the ground for many years. They are the classic plants for no-dig gardeners. Unlike annual vegetables, perennial vegetables cover and protect the soil all year round. This maintains the structure of the soil and helps everything growing in it. Humous levels build up and nutrients don't wash out of soil. (Cultivating the soil for annuals exposes this humous to air on the surface, causing the carbon to be released as carbon dioxide.) Mycorrhizal fungi, critical for storing carbon within the soil, are preserved. (They are killed when soil is constantly dug for annual vegetables.) Perennial plants contain higher levels of mineral nutrients than annuals because perennial vegetables have larger, permanent root systems, capable of using space more efficiently, and they take up more nutrients. How to grow perennial vegetables gives comprehensive advice on all types of perennial vegetable, from ground-cover plants and coppiced trees to plants for bog gardens and edible woodland plants: In Part One Martin Crawford outlines why we should grow perennials. He then explains where and how to grow them in perennial polycultures, in forest garden or aquatic garden settings. He outlines how to propagate them, how to look after them for maximum health and how to harvest them. Part Two is a plant-by-plant reference of over 100 perennial edibles in detail, from familiar ones like rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), horseradish and asparagus to less common ones such as skirret, nodding onions, red chicory, Babbington's leek, scorzonera, sea kale and wild rocket. With beautiful colour photographs and illustrations and plenty of cooking tips throughout, this book offers inspiration and information for all gardeners, whether experienced or beginner.

Mushroom guru Gary Lincoff escorts you through the cultural and culinary history of the mushroom, hunting and identifying wild mushrooms, mushroom safety, and on to preparing and serving the fungi. Stunning photographs and Lincoff's fascinating anecdotes from the field will make you an instant mycophile. Gathering edible wild food is a wonderful way to forge a connection to the Earth. Mushrooms are the ultimate local food source; they grow literally everywhere, from mountains and woodlands to urban and suburban parks to your own backyard. The Complete Mushroom Hunter, Revised will enrich your understanding of the natural world and build an appreciation for an ancient, critically relevant, and useful body of knowledge. With great expertise, Lincoff provides a complete overview of edible mushrooms: from the mushroom's earliest culinary awakening, through getting equipped for mushroom forays, to preparing and serving the fruits of the foray, wherever you live. Inside you'll find: A brief, colorful history of mushroom hunting worldwide How to get equipped for a mushroom foray A completely illustrated guide to the common wild edible mushrooms and their poisonous look-alikes, with information of psychedelic and psychotherapeutic mushrooms An illustrated guide to medicinal mushrooms Where to find your fare, and how to identify them How to prepare and serve your fungi Thirty delicious recipes Five appendices offer even more mushroom knowledge, with information on how to make mushroom artwork, mushroom cultivation, less common edible varieties, and winter hunting; plus find an essential guide to major poisonous mushrooms, symptoms of poisoning, and treatment. Whether you're just starting out with the hobby or an experienced mycophile looking to add to your collection, The Complete Mushroom Hunter, Revised is your ideal guide.

An infallible guide to vegetable growing for gardeners with little space but big ambitions. It's time to get your hands dirty! This gardening book will help you learn how to grow, nurture, and harvest more than 50 types of fruits and vegetables. The bright photos, step-by-step illustrations, and foolproof advice will get you growing in no time. Perfect for beginners as well as keen gardeners. This planting book will teach you how to plan your space, be it a small raised bed, some pots, or a large vegetable patch. Maximise your harvest and explore different planting themes that suit your needs! You'll also discover useful tips for selecting plants to match your theme. Want to know how to keep pests away and your plants healthy? RHS Step-by-Step Veg Patchcontains brilliant expert advice on how to grow more than 50 different crops. Simply look up the specific crop you want to grow, and follow the photos and clear instructions on planting, nurturing, and harvesting. You'll also discover the latest popular new cultivars, crops, and heirloom varieties in this updated edition. Dig Into Vegetable Gardening Enjoy a successful harvest with this organised and stress-free approach to gardening. Whether you're new to gardening or interested in saving costs, this book offers easy-to-follow steps for starting and sustaining your very own vegetable garden. It also makes for a perfect gift for the gardening enthusiast in your life. Whatever the size of the garden, this vegetable garden planner offers you: - Beautiful photos - Step-by-step illustrations - Foolproof gardening advice RHS Step-by-Step Veg Patch is part of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardening series from DK Books. DK's series of gardening books present handy advice and tips to expand your gardening knowledge. With DK's gardening books you can discover all you need to know about plants, shrubs, trees, fruit, and vegetables, for all gardening novices or green-fingered experts.

How to cultivate, harvest, and utilize North America's largest native fruit It is hard to eat more than one pawpaw at a go. The creamy rich pulp with tropical flavors ranging from mango and pineapple to banana combine like a satisfying dessert. The pawpaw, a close relative of the tropical custard apple, grows throughout much of North America yet culturally and horticulturally we know very little about it. This mini manual by edible landscape author Michael Judd jumps right into growing, caring for, harvesting, and using pawpaws - from seed to table. Judd demystifies fruit growing in direct, easy to follow steps that quickly brings confidence to the newbie grower while expanding the horizons of curious gardeners. Historically most people have only experienced foraged pawpaw fruit, which can be a hit or miss game for a good experience. That is quickly changing as selected and bred cultivars are being grown and shared. Judd's pawpaw manual gets you started right away with the best selections and approaches. Filled with straightforward how-to, colorful pictures and illustrations For the Love of Pawpaws brings to life easy and successful ways to enjoy the best pawpaws have to offer. Chapters include: Where Can I Grow Pawpaws? Buying a Good Pawpaw Tree Growing Pawpaws from Seed & Grafting Landscaping Ideas Ecological Tree Care Harvest: Fruit Handling & Processing What to Do with All this Fruit! Recipes Pawpaws & Permaculture Discover the many reasons pawpaws are edible landscape and culinary all-stars! For the Love of Pawpaws will take you on an adventure that culminates in one of life's most rewarding experiences. A delicious opportunity to enjoy organic gardening and gourmet food at its best.

Best-selling gardening author Barbara Pleasant makes organic vegetable gardening easy, fun, and rewarding with detailed planting and care designs for 24 beginner-friendly gardens to fit any site, whether it's a tiny side yard, a border, a trellis alongside the house, or a front yard. From exactly what plants (and how many) to buy, where and when to plant them, and how to care for each vegetable throughout the season, Pleasant encourages readers to start small, grow the food they love, and expand their plant selection as their skills develop. Specially tailored plans offer choices to fit a wide range of sites and food preferences, from the Front-Yard Food Supply to the Marinara Medley, Sweet Corn & Company, and High-Value Verticals.There's a plan and plant selection to fit every gardener's passion. Detailed plot plans show progressive stages for how each garden can be expanded gradually over the course of three years, ensuring that beginning gardeners will experience success and satisfaction without being overwhelmed by an over-ambitious plan at the start.

Grow your own fruit and vegetables, herbs, salads and sprouts, and then turn your produce into delicious, no-fuss vegan meals that are healthy for you and the planet. Father and daughter team, Piers Warren and Ella Bee Glendining, share successful growing techniques and seasonal recipes, plus years of experience of animal-free, healthy living. They show you how to: * Grow your own food * Garden without animal products * Grow more challenging but delicious crops * Produce food all year with practical growing techniques * Store any excess to keep you going through the leaner months * Cook your produce with a selection of satisfying and delicious recipes Discover the fun and huge sense of satisfaction that comes from cooking something you have produced yourself. Grow and eat for a more ethical, healthy and sustainable world!

This book is about growing 40 of the most popular vegetables and includes 200 recipes giving ideas for cooking them.

Beautiful and comprehensive, Vegetables is a must-have for all gardeners, by acclaimed authors Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix. 'Remarkable . . . I have learnt so much' - Financial Times Whether you are a complete novice or an experienced gardener, Vegetables contains a stunning array of produce, in full colour photography, that can be grown in gardens of all sizes, allotments and even in windowsill pots. The book features over 500 vegetables that can be cultivated in a temperate climate, from the familiar carrot and spinach to the exotic jicama and sacred lotus. Revised and updated, this is an indispensable guide for growers, the authoritative text contains fascinating details of the history and development of each species and information on characteristics, cultivation, when to harvest, and pests and diseases - as well as tips for cooking the more unusual varieties.

As the earth's neighbour, the moon affects not only ocean tides but also the growth and development of plants. In this finely illustrated, full-colour book - packed with practical tips for the novice as well as the advanced gardener - Peter Berg offers a clear summary of the basics of lunar and biodynamic gardening, together with in-depth sections on: activating and enlivening the soil; biodynamic preparations; making good compost; crop rotation and green manuring; cultivation work and care of the garden; practical plant protection; rich harvesting; saving your own seed. Building on the the intensive research of his mentor Maria Thun and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, Berg explains how the subtle influences from the cosmos work on the plant world, distinguishing between 'root', 'leaf', 'blossom' and 'fruit' days in the working calendar. An understanding of such natural processes, in conjunction with the practical knowledge described in this book, can lead to productive, chemical-free gardening, with healthy plants and abundant harvests.

It's wonderful to grow your own fruit and vegetables but what do you do when it all ripens at once? How do you cope with the glut which threatens to overwhelm you? Will help all those who grow their own fruit and vegetables to store their produce properly so that it will last for months and feed the family when the garden's bare. Easy and practical advice on how to bottle, dry, freeze and even salt home grown fruit and vegetables. Discover the taste of your delicious homemade jams, chutneys and ketchups. John and Val Harrison reveal just what you can do with that bountiful harvest and share their 30 years' experience of growing fruit and vegetables and you'll never waste another tomato or courgette again. Praise for John Harrison: 'Britain's greatest allotment authority'. Indpendent on Sunday.

From 'Bing' cherries, names after one of the Chinese workers in the 1870s Oregon cherry farm owned by Henderson Lewelling, to maraschino cherries which originated in Yugoslavia when a liqueur was added to the local cherry 'Marasca', cherries are a herald of summer. They originated in the Caucasus Mountains, and were mentioned in 74 BC by Pliny the Elder, and then spread from Rome to Britain. We have much to learn about cherries and mulberries, and we need to discover how versatile they are. Now, the country that produces the most cherries is Turkey, but they are easy to grow in your own garden, attract the local wildlife and birds, and are beautiful.

The book contains aspects of production, genetics and breeding of Capsicum species with emphasis on fruit quality, yield and its nutritional characteristics among with some specific chapters focusing on breeding and physiological features of potted ornamental Chili and responses to abiotic stress and postharvest of fruits.

This comprehensive introduction contains everything you need to know about the history, botany and cultivation of apples, from planting, pruning and propagation to harvesting, storing and cooking. A stunning identification guide features 800 original photographs and provides detailed information. It is packed with over 60 inspirational and scrumptious recipes for a fabulous selection of breakfasts, appetizers, main courses, salads, side dishes, sauces, preserves, drinks and desserts.

Biochar, charcoal made from wood or another type of biomass, has become the new darling of organic gardeners, embraced for its outstanding abilities to enrich the soil and improve plant growth. Gardening with Biochar is the first comprehensive guide to understanding, making, and using it effectively in the home garden. In this highly accessible handbook, long-time garden writer Jeff Cox explains what biochar is and provides detailed instructions for how it can be made at home, along with specific guidelines for using it to enrich soil, prevent erosion, and enhance plant growth. Now widely available at garden centers, biochar is also being lauded for its ability to sequester carbon in the soil, making it good for the health of the planet, as well as the plants.

Make your garden flourish with these 300 easy and inexpensive gardening hacks to help your plants blossom-perfect for any green thumbs, first-time horticulturalists, or reluctant gardeners! Think you don't have a green thumb? Think again! No matter your gardening woes, Gardening Hacks has the solution. Perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you're starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection, you'll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow. Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like: -Saving your eggshells, which can serve as everything from an organic seed starter to a natural snail and slug repellent. -Adding a pinch of cinnamon to help prevent fungal diseases that might prevent your plants from maturing. -Using the newspaper to help deter weeds from sprouting. -Creating your own DIY seed packet catalog to help keep your seeds organized as your garden grows. -And many more! No matter the size of your garden-from a small herb collection to an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables to any indoor plant that needs some perking up-Gardening Hacks will make your plants flourish!