"To Vanessa," runs the dedication to Anna Pavord's yardstick manual of creative kitchen gardening, "who planted a weed garden." None of your boring rows of antediluvian cabbages here, then: Pavord's vision of a "new kitchen garden" is a flexible contemporary version of that long-vanished institution, the potager, a garden where special vegetables were grown with flowering plants in arrangements that were both productive and pleasing to the eye. Pavord's contemporary spins on the theme include an alcoholic hedge and a city larder, but traditional designs get a look-in, too; even the oh-so-precious formal herb garden receives a much-needed fillip of imagination and color.

Pavord traces the historical accidents that set vegetables off from flowering plants, to the detriment of both, in an introduction full of the "buttery bonus" of artichokes and the "elegiac performance of a mature pear." Past the verbiage lie row upon row of well-tended plant lists; instructions on planting, growing, harvesting, and storing; recommended cultivars; and homely recipes to feed that Laura Ashley moment. DK Living's surgical house layout has set many a set of teeth on edge in the past, but there's no denying its clarity and usefulness in a book so rich in information and advice.

For Pavord, growing food is our last and best connection to the earth. Evoking the paradisal gardens of a time when growing food meant survival, Pavord assures the reader that "there is no reason why you too should not be in that same state of delicious fluctuation." And you can't say anything fairer than that. --Simon Ings, Amazon.co.uk


Booklist
Pavord's inspirational sourcebook is also a handsome bet for dreamy imaginings by gardeners with limited resources and little space.


From Booklist
Pavord writes on gardening from England's milder shores, but from the expert counsel she provides here on the popular topic of kitchen gardens to a final suppliers' list, this work is clearly aimed at U.S. gardeners. Overall, the focus is on how to plan and care for a garden that will delight the eyes and perhaps eventually fortify the larder with rations of delectable produce. Pavord offers plenty of ideas for combining herbs, flowers, fruiting trees and bushes, and appealing varieties of annual and perennial flowers. The colorfully illustrated designs include traditional, formal styles along with more accessible, basic mixed plantings. Pavord's inspirational sourcebook is also a handsome bet for dreamy imaginings by gardeners with limited resources and little space. Alice Joyce

FROM OUR EDITORS

Packed with more than 450 color photos and illustrations, this guide describes how to grow over 100 vegetable, fruits, and herbs with instructions and plans for creating beautiful garden designs that show off your bountiful crop. Includes practical advice on cultivation, plus delicious recipes. A true delight for the gardener/cook! 9" x 10". Color illustrations.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Through a series of specially created planting designs, discover exciting possibilities for incorporating vegetables, fruits, and herbs into every conceivable space. There are designs for traditional kitchen gardens, ideas for informal fruit gardens, and innovative plans for small yards and balconies. Each design is fully illustrated with inspiring color photographs, and the stylish plans can be used as a template or adapted to suit your needs. Learn how to assess site and soil, decide what to grow, draw up a layout, and construct paths and beds. Step-by-step photographs demystify all aspects of routine care and cultivation, while troubleshooting advice on pests and diseases helps protect the fruits of your labor. The at-a-glance guide to growing more than 100 vegetables, fruits, and herbs includes easy-reference charts indicating sowing and harvesting times. A selection of the author's favorite recipes will help you make the most of your harvest.

SYNOPSIS

The New Kitchen Garden - a fully illustrated guide to creating fruit and vegetable gardens that are both decorative and productive.

FROM THE CRITICS

BookList - Alice Joyce

Pavord writes on gardening from England's milder shores, but from the expert counsel she provides here on the popular topic of kitchen gardens to a final suppliers' list, this work is clearly aimed at U.S. gardeners. Overall, the focus is on how to plan and care for a garden that will delight the eyes and perhaps eventually fortify the larder with rations of delectable produce. Pavord offers plenty of ideas for combining herbs, flowers, fruiting trees and bushes, and appealing varieties of annual and perennial flowers. The colorfully illustrated designs include traditional, formal styles along with more accessible, basic mixed plantings. Pavord's inspirational sourcebook is also a handsome bet for dreamy imaginings by gardeners with limited resources and little space.

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