Customer Reviews
A great book! - By: R. L. King, 05 Oct 2008 
I was given this book as a gift & thoroughly enjoyed it. I concur with other reviewers so won't waffle on about how good it is. Why only 4 stars? There's nothing on the importance of companion planting when using organic methods & without this, my veg patch wouldn't survive. This info can be researched elsewhere, so other than that, I would recommend this book, especially for a beginner. I'm just about to buy another copy for my best friend who is just that!
Good but slighly flawed - By: P. R. Scott, 05 Aug 2008 No one (apart from the late, great Geoff Hamilton) does gardening books for beginners like Alan Titchmarsh. Plenty of practical, common sense advice deliveredin an encouraging but non-patronizing tone to reassure the total novice. Clear text together with a good 'directory' of fruit & veg make this ideal for the newcomer to the veg patch. This book could have been improved by fewer photos of Titchmarsh & more clearly captioned pictures of gardening tasks/pests & diseases/plant cultivars etc. I was also irritated by his statement that organic matter such as manure or compost is insufficient to maintain healthy soil without the addition of a general purpose fertilizer. This is total nonsense & an irresponsible statement from a celebrity gardener who claims to be organic. I was also disappointed by his advice to store rainwater for use 'during hosepipe bans'. Again, I would expect an 'organic' gardener to be encouraging the maximum use of rain & 'grey' water at all times. But apart from these minor quibbles, this book would be an ideal companion for the first time veg grower. (Those with more experience will probably prefer Joy Larkcom's Grow Your Own Veg book instead.)
A Fruit and Veg 'Bible' - By: D. Caston, 01 Aug 2008 
An absolute pleasure to browse through & a thorough 'how to' guide. Clearly laid out. Doubt it could be bettered!
Fantastic Book! - By: The Slim Reaper, 11 Apr 2008 I'm not a gardener, I'm someone who has a bash at growing a few tomatoes, & would like to keep her blueberry bush alive. That's about it.
This book as absolutely wonderful! The information is practical,concise & very easy to follow. There's just the right about of information - not enough to overwhelm you, & not too little that just leaves you with unanswered questions (as with Carol Klein's book). There's also the obvious bonus that this book covers fruit as well as vegetables, whereas most 'grow your own' books are vegetables only.
Alan's book has inspired me to add to my little vegetable patch this year. My tomatoes will be joined by some new ideas, & I now know how to perk up that blueberry bush!
An absolute bargain of a book. A joy to read & a pleasure to work from.
A 'must have' reference - By: A. Kennedy, 30 Mar 2008 Being relatively new to gardening I am thrilled to have found this book. It is the perfect guide to modern gardening. I found this book refreshing & so practical. Some fantastic tips that really made gardening feel easy & enjoyable. I have got the bug now, & my 'cabbage patch' is close to being fully stocked with beautiful produce. I am very proud, but could not have succeded without Alan's help.
