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CSIRO Publishing Gardening Guides Series

Fabulous Food from Every Small Garden

Paperback
January 2010
9780643095977
More details
  • Publisher
    CSIRO Publishing
  • Published
    21st January 2010
  • ISBN 9780643095977
  • Language English
  • Pages 232 pp.
  • Size 6" x 9.5"
  • Images color illus throughout
$41.95

Fabulous Food from Every Small Garden shows how to grow food at home in even the smallest of spaces. It explores the reasons for growing your own food, including the many potential benefits such as improved taste, freshness and nutrition. Many types of food are covered, such as vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers.

This practical book discusses the importance of growing open-pollinated varieties, and provides detailed instructions for successfully growing plants from seeds. Plant care is explained, including organic pest and weed control and efficient watering methods. In addition, readers are shown how to improve soil fertility by making their own fertilizer.

Fabulous Food from Every Small Garden also offers solutions on incorporating food plants with other plants to create beautiful gardens in spaces such as balconies, flowerbeds and shrubbery. This is complemented with information on innovative techniques such as aquaponics, hydroponics, wicking beds and grid gardening to achieve high productivity in small spaces. The final chapter concerns harvesting and storing produce, and contains some simple recipes.

Features:
Gives innovative and economical methods for growing food in restricted spaces, even indoors
Shows how to incorporate a wide variety of food plants into a garden
Suggests spaces not normally thought of for growing food
Follows a chemical-free approach to gardening
Shows how to create free garden nutrients from kitchen waste
Based on the author's first-hand experience and 20 years as editor of Grass Roots magazine

"This continues the high standard of garden books from CSIRO and is serious value for money. There are clear instructions on growing and the book is profusely illustrated."

Cedric Bryant, Sunday Canberra Times

"Encouraging readers to grow their own food, Australian author Mary Horsfall tells of her experience in starting a garden from scratch at a site that had limited space and few free resources. She found that a significant difference in climate and new pests with which to contend was less of a challenge than gardening on a small site. She provides tips on the most suitable crops for these conditions; gives advice on techniques for achieving high production; tells how to create more fertile soil; and goes through the regime for caring for plants."

Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer - , Chicago Botanic Garden.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part One All About the Garden
1) Why Grow Your Own?
2) Where and What?
3) High Productivity From Small Spaces
4) Creating Super Soil
5) Making the Most of Your Space
6) Getting Started with Vegetables
7) Plant Care
Part Two All About Plants
8) Vegetables
9) Fruits
10) Bush Foods
11) Herbs and Flowers
12) A Taste for All Seasons
Final Words
Appendix 1: Suppliers and Information
Appendix 2: Bibliography
Index

Mary Horsfall

Mary Horsfall has over 30 years experience in organic gardening, including 23 years growing self-sufficiency food crops organically in a dry-summer environment with only dam and tank water. Mary is an editor and writer for Grass Roots magazine, where she has worked for 18 years. Mary also wrote Creating Your Eco-friendly Garden and Fabulous Food from Every Small Garden.