Book Description
Whether he is nurturing a single rare seedling into a blossoming tree or planning acres of exquisitely conceived royal gardens, John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England. But it is Tradescant's clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant, and in his role as informal confidant during garden strolls with Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court.
Tradescant's talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life -- his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country -- is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love.
From the details of garden design and innovation to the politics of a growing revolution which was to kill a king and turn a world upside down, Philippa Gregory once again makes history come alive through the people whose passions shaped that world.
Download Description
"Whether he is nurturing a single rare seedling into a blossoming tree or planning acres of exquisitely conceived royal gardens, John Tradescant's fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England. But it is Tradescant's clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant, and in his role as informal confidant during garden strolls with Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court. Tradescant's talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever known: flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life -- his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country -- is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love. From the details of garden design and innovation to the politics of a growing revolution which was to kill a king and turn a world upside down, Philippa Gregory once again makes history come alive through the people whose passions shaped that world. "
Customer Reviews:
Sexual Impropriety?.......2007-08-30
I have read several of Philippa Gregory's books; at least one from each series (the Tudor stories, Wide Acre and now Earthly Joys). And while I find her writing engaging and her characters intellectually attractive, I strongly feel that there must be something amiss in her psyche. That she can write so vividly about sexual-taboos makes me wonder what went on in her own life.
I glossed over the overtly sexual goings-on of the Other Boleyn Sister, The Constant Princess and The Queen's Fool, attributing it to the eccentricity of royal life. However, I threw Wide Acre away and refused to read the remaining stories of the series.
From the beginning of Earthly Joys I was waiting for the sexual deviancy at every page turned. I feel that the physical relationship between the gardener and the duke was unnecessary. The plot and John's character development would in no way have been compromised had she left out their tryst. Furthermore, I don't believe that the shipboard encounter advance either character; on the contrary I feel that her inclusion of sex in their relationship only weakened my trust of John's steadfast and honest character (and quiet frankly of Ms. Gregory's mental capacity).
I would have enjoyed this story so much more had she left out the physical relationship between John and the Duke. I will not be recommending this novel to anyone.
Boring, disappointing rubbish........2006-12-15
As an avid fan of all other novels by Philippa Gregory, I was terribly let down by this one. Unless you are a gardener or botanist interested in the origins of English gardening, there is nothing remotely interesting about this story. And even the historical facts, which are usually so masterfully intertwined with the plot in Gregory's other books, are given very little attention. The main focus is on the characters, but the characters never change or grow or learn from past experience. One theme is established at the outset of the book, and it just continues in the same dull vein until the end. Stuck with it because of how much I loved her other work, but I'm sorry that I wasted weeks of reading on this dud.
weird.......2006-11-30
Have enjoyed her other books. this book proves that "company men" live in all ages. Career is just more fun than familys.the book wanders like a vine, not a good first choice read.
earthly Joys.......2006-08-11
Philippa Gregory seems to have kept quite close to historical facts in accuracy, when comparing her fiction to a factual book on Tradescant's life.
It is a pacy read with emotional and erotic scenes;good descriptions of the finding of rarities and plants, modes of travel, social,religious,political feelings of the time.
The story brings history to life.
earthly joys.......2006-03-20
I have read all of Phillipa Gregory's books, and always eagerly await her next, but this was a miss. I was very disappointed in this stilted, boring book...I can only imagine that it is enjoyable to garden enthusiasts. Unlike Gregory's other novels, which have unexpected twists and enough action to keep one interested, 'Joys' drags on, with pages and pages devouted solely to plant descriptions. Gregory's attempt at some sort of 'love connection' between the gardener and his master is completely unromantic. I encourage anyone who likes this genre to read Phillip Gregory's work-just don't bother with this one.
Book Description
The best of Dick Raymond's vegetable gardening wisdom is illustrated with full-color photos and at-a-glance charts that make his methods accessible to any gardener.
Customer Reviews:
The Must Have Book for Vegtable Gardening.......2007-06-16
Dick Raymond is my guru! I do not do anything in my garden without consulting his book first. He has been there done that, the book speaks volumes to you as if Dick were right there next to you. Every time I pick up this book I find a new golden nugget that he has left for you. I showed the book to my father in-law Ed (who thought he was a garden expert) and I noticed how his style of gardening changed to Dicks. Ed could not put down the book, so I bought him a copy for Christmas.
Never do a garden without this book.
One of the best.......2007-03-19
I highly suggest this book. It is one of my favority gardening books and I have given it to others as a gift.
The Jedi Master of Gardeners!.......2007-03-16
Dick Raymond's book is the one book that everyone who wants to try to grow their own vegetables should have in their library. I refer to Dick as my "master" to anyone that asks my about my garden. The man was used of God several years ago as I almost memorized the book and produced a garden that even the old timers in our town had to admire--and that I needed to help feed my family. The old-timers in town didn't think the wide-row gardening technique would work, but when they saw the plants growing gangbusters, they were amazed.
Though I had always tried gardening, I had never had real success until I found this book, read it cover to cover, and began using Dick's techniques. It is straightforward, written in a down-to-earth manner that anyone can understand and enjoy.
My copy is almost 20 years old, and I can't imagine gardening without it!
This is THE absolute BEST gardening reference and bible!.......2006-07-26
This is the absolute best vegetable gardening book you can buy. Period! I have looked through hundreds of books and this is the easiest to follow, best illustrated and most down to earth book I've ever found. The information is definitely not out of date even though it's a bit of an older book. There is information on every page that I have found useful and it is an "easy read". He explains how he came about discovering his raised bed, wide row method - not in a pretentious way but because he has a bad back and wants to be efficient about growing the most amount of veggies in the smallest amount of space. He walks through how to prepare garden soils (all types), how to plan a vegetable garden (and why) and then gives detailed descriptions of each vegetable that you would want to grow. Dick had a gardening TV show at one point so there are many, many colour pictures and there are also detailed drawings illustrating his points. He tells you the best and cheapest way to garden and reading his book reminds me of talking with a true "down home" farmer. He also talks of how to improve the soil throughout the winter season by planting ground covers. The other added bonus is that he tells you how to store the veggies you've worked so hard to grow. So much good information.....
I think I rhyme off a "Dick Raymond quote" every day to my husband who is also just learning how to garden - it's as if I know him after his book! Trust me - Dick Raymond is worth quoting. :)
If you want to grow vegetable gardens this book is a must!!!
A Must for Clay Type Soils!.......2006-05-01
Dick made me think of garden in a whole different way. I was just about ready to give up. But now I'm giving up my Mother's way of gardening and wow, Dick's way is working. I love the sense of humor and easy reading style he has. I find myself rereading chapters late into the night and running from the garden into the house to check "The Book" first. This book is a blessing, thank you Dick!
Book Description
Interweaving scripture, paraphrase and garden imagery, Karla Dornacher writes and illustrates a beautiful botanical book of devotional thoughts that explore God's handiwork as the Master Gardener in the heart-gardens of His people. An ideal gift book for women who enjoy gardening or for any woman seeking to "grow, blossom and bear much fruit" in her walk with God.
Customer Reviews:
Down a Garden Path.......2000-09-01
I received this book for my Birthday and plan on buying several for gifts also. It leads you through a little garden, all the time giving you religious inspiration. It lifts you up and lets you know that God is always there especially in the garden.
Dornacher's Down a Garden Path.......2000-05-31
Over and over again, I have enjoyed the soul-inspiring scripture wrapped up in a unique way with wonderful illustrations in Down a Garden Path. I enjoyed the "seed packets" and little envelopes scattered within the book, that contain little verses in an original way. I bought this book for a gift....and then had to get one to keep for myself!
Down a Garden Path", bur Karla Dornacher.......2000-05-03
What a wonderful book, beautiful pictures, with the Master Gardner in mind...after receiving this book, as a birthday gift from my daughter, I had to search out more of Karla Dornacher books.
Encouragement to the soul.......2000-05-01
This beautiful book was given to me as a gift, and will be one of the most treasured keepsakes I've received. The wonderful illustrations give life to the simple, yet deeply meaningful, encouragements needed as we walk the paths of life.
SPECIAL THANKS TO kARLA DORNACHER.......2000-02-20
The minute the book "Love in Every Room " by Karla Dornacher was in my hands,I knew God had given me a very special gift. When I proceeded to order a copy for a dear friend, I was delighted to learn of another of her books "Down a Garden Path". I fell in love with this one, too.
I am so pleased that Karla recognized, accepted and used God's gift to her. She has made this a more charming, colorful world. I find I am using these books for birthday and get-well gifts plus always keeping one of eachto soothe me when I'm tired or stressed and to guide me when I need God's wisdom and peace.
Amazon.com
Georgeanne Brennan became enamored of the concept of the potager, or kitchen garden, while living in the south of France, and has created potagers everywhere she's lived in the nearly three decades since then. The potager, explains Brennan, is more than a garden: it's a chance to observe the seasons, a provider of ingredients for signature local dishes, and a great social democratizer that keeps neighbors in touch as they share their bounty with each other.
One of the main features of a potager is that it is intended as a year-round garden, rather than just a summer, or harvest, garden. To that end, Brennan explains which plants do well in different seasons and how to stagger the plantings during seasonal transition periods so as to use the space efficiently throughout the year. The garden itself can be quite small--9 feet by 12 feet can keep a family of four in fresh produce. Like a potager, this guide is small and sweet. It's attractively illustrated with Melissa Sweet's watercolors, and includes 25 easy recipes that make stars of simple, fresh ingredients. --Barrie Trinkle
Book Description
The tradition of the kitchen garden, or potager, has for centuries been a cornerstone of the French country way of life-a year-round communion between the kitchen and the garden culminating in simple, gratifying meals prepared fresh with the flavors of the season. Taking up where the very popular Potager left off, In the French Kitchen Garden is a lovingly written, beautifully illustrated guide to cultivating a potager. Georgeanne Brennan imparts her passion for the potager while offering advice on adapting a kitchen garden to any climate or space. Punctuated with impromptu recipes for delicious dishes incorporating the fresh produce of each season, this book encourages everyone to adopt ?the creative, relaxed style of the French country cook.
Customer Reviews:
Great value for the price...........2003-03-23
At first glance you might think IN THE FRENCH KITCHEN GARDEN is nothing more than a good door prize. This pretty little book is not very expensive and whereas cheap and beautiful often suggests a void, FKG is packed with all sorts of good ideas for creating your own little kitchen garden. From Ms. Brennan's perspective, the French kitchen garden is a soup garden or potager where one grows vegetables, herbs, strawberries, melons and "cutting flowers, such as zinnias and nasturtiums." She also suggests that although the proper garden would not include trees which shade vegetable plants and flowers and reduce production, occasionally, one includes a fig tree or some other small fruit tree. Generally, the produce grown in the potager is consumed as the season progresses (soup to soup so to speak) with nothing leftover for canning or preserving although some items such as winter squash and potatoes might be stored in a cool dry place for a short while.
The concept of a year-round garden is European, and therefore a foreign idea for most Americans whose only spring crop consists of daffodils. So among other contributions, Brennan encourages the reader/gardener and/or novice potager to think differently about the use of space heretofore only used to grow a few tomato plants and pole beans. I have been a 3 season flower gardener most of my life (spring-summer-fall) but in recent years have attempted to have a good-looking winter garden. My winter "crop" has been more structural than not, consisting of dried grasses, dried sedum and other "interesting" plant forms that are decaying and bird friendly. Ms Brennan has inspired me to rethink my approach and seek out more information about four-season vegetable gardening. Winter for example is a great time to plant onion sets and grow leafy items in a cold frame. If you're thinking about growing the old-style Victory Garden, or want to know more about the soup garden, Brennan's book is a good place to begin.
Great Illustrtations & Explanations.......2002-01-13
My wonderful husband just bought this for me for my birthday and my thumbs are glowing green. (Oh, to be an Alaskan and have a gardening book bestowed up on me in the dead of winter!) The author explains many ideas for gardening in great detail, often explaining what could happen if you do things different ways (for instance, what happens when radishes are grown in hot soil in warm climates vs. in cooler ones.) The illustrations are also efficient in that they are in water colour and show detail where needed and show adequate lay-out.
A delightful read, and some sound advice.......1999-04-24
If you are lucky enough to ever meet Gerogeanne Brennan, you know that she is the real thing: down to earth, a gourmand who gardens. You can trust that Brennan speaks from her experience, not from the experience of her "experts."
In this book Brennan does something unusal that you do not usually find in gardening books, especially ones that are geared for begining gardeners. There are no lists of 10 fool proof plants, nor strict instructions to plant something a specific way on an absolute date or face certain failure. (Honestly, why Martha thinks you have to plant peas on St. Patrick's Day is beyond me.) Brennan instead wants you to understand the philosophy of the potager, and then make your own rules.
Brennan suggests what you might want to plant in each of the four seasons (wherever you happen to live) and tells you what typically would be planted in a true French potager at the same season; Brennan gives you sources to find these plants; Brennan even gives you an idea of what size pot you would need if you are restricted to balconey gardening. Very thoughtful. Though I have not tried any of the recipes in this book, they are similar to others you can find in her well-received cook books.
The book itself is small and well made; the paper is heavy. It feels good in your hand. The illustrations are charming without being too cute, and often they illustrate a garden layout that actually makes sense. And of course Brennan's writing is rich and clear.
This is a good book for a beginning gardener. You will not be dissappointed.
Average customer rating:
- Good, but there is better
- Rich and Inspiring Introduction to all types of propogation.
- Rambling with a Radio Gardener
- Best Gardening Book for the amateur Gardner, Ever.
- Everyone can learn something from this book
|
Making More Plants: The Science, Art, and Joy of Propagation
Ken Druse
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Garden Design
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
History of Science
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques
-
Secrets of Plant Propagation: Starting Your Own Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits, Berries, Shrubs, Trees, and Houseplants
-
The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture : A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of over 1100 Species, Va
-
Ken Druse: The Passion for Gardening
-
Creative Propagation
ASIN: 051770787X
Release Date: 2000-11-14 |
Amazon.com
Generally, a gardening book that teaches practical skills is designed to look more like a plain textbook than an artful coffee-table decoration, but Ken Druse (The Natural Garden, The Collector's Garden) has changed that with his gorgeous book Making More Plants. An invitation to examine the miracle of birth in the botanical world is at the center of this book, and you'll be amazed and delighted as Druse's photos and text bring this astonishing world to life.
Filling these pages are close-up photos of plants at every stage of life and in every variety--pinecones, dried seed pods, root and stem cuttings, ripe fruits, and lush flowers show off their unique shapes and colors everywhere you look. Specific techniques are outlined with both photos and text; from the spore prints of ferns to the nicking of hard-shelled seeds, you'll learn exactly how to tackle every aspect of creating new plants. Careful attention is paid in the text to the timing of taking different types of cuttings from different plants, and these practical details will hopefully help curb any urgent desire to play Johnny Appleseed with your favorite wildflowers until the season is exactly right. Special projects like hardwood cutting and involving children in plant propagation have small sections devoted to them; the African violet project for youngsters is a fascinating introduction, and only slightly more involved than that old carrot-top-in-a-dish-of-water project. For serious gardeners who enjoy plants for more than their pretty flowers and attractive shapes, this combination of science and beauty will supply both inspiration and information. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
For people who love gardens, propagation is gardening itself, the practice of growing whatever you want, whenever you want. Whether you crave healthy, vigorous plants, wish to grow new ones to share with friends, or hope to produce scores of them to fill your own beds and borders -- for free --
Making More Plants will help fulfill your most vivid garden dreams. Ken Druse, one of America's foremost gardening authorities, an award-winning photographer, and the author of the best-selling Natural Garden series, presents innovative, practical techniques for expanding any plant collection, with more than 500 full-color photographs.
Based on years of personal research,
Making More Plants is a practical manual as well as a beautiful garden book, presenting procedures Ken Druse has tested and adapted, as well as photographed step by step. In clear, nspirational language Ken takes the mystery out of seemingly complex practices such as seed conditioning, bulb division, leaf and stem cutting, grafting, and more. Whether focusing on techniques as easy as creating multiple plants from a single perennial using a common kitchen knife or on more complicated practices such as air layering, Ken's advice will inspire both novice and experienced gardeners to turn their homes and gardens into personal nurseries.
Supplementing the text and photographs is a comprehensive appendix charting methods for propagating more than 700 different plants, listed by both common and Latin names, an invaluable resource unmatched by even the most thorough of propagation manuals.
Straightforward advice, gorgeous photographs, and Ken's own engaging voice all combine to make
Making More Plants an indispensable guide for every passionate gardener and plant lover.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but there is better.......2007-06-30
First things first, this is a beautiful and inspiring book. It is definately worthwhile to have in your gardening library. If you need some motivation to get out and garden, here's your book.
After my initial pouring over this book, it's remained on my shelf in the library and not on the greenhouse bench.
If you are looking for a reference book with detailed instructions and illustrated examples on how to propagate, Alan Toogood's "AHS Propagating Plants" is the better buy.
Rich and Inspiring Introduction to all types of propogation........2007-02-07
`Making More Plants' by leading horticultural journalist Ken Druse is a glossy and inviting introduction to virtually all different kinds of plant propagation available to the home gardener. It is both more extensive and less intensive than the excellent `The New Seed Starters Handbook' by Nancy Bubel, which is a humble trade paperback which; however, covers starting plants from seed in much more detail than Maestro Druse's oversized volume.
While Bubel has more information on seeds for less money, this should not turn you away from Druse' book for the very simple reason that starting new plants from seed is only one of several different ways of increasing your store of a great variety of plants. And, for many plants, `asexual' propagation is far more successful than planting seeds.
One aspect of Druse' book one should not underestimate is reflected in his subtitle, `The Science, Art, and Joy of Propagation'. This means this book is at least as much a pep talk and sermon about the pleasures of propagation as it is about understanding and technique. One thing I especially appreciate about the book is the fact that Druse does all of his own photography. I may be imagining this, but I sense a better than average effectiveness in the way the photographs capture the author's points. This alone is not sufficient to buy the book, but it all adds up to making this `pretty' book well worth the money.
What really surprises me is the number of different propagation techniques the author covers. The list is:
Hunting and Gathering. Wait, this isn't a `propagation' technique per se, but it is a method by which one can increase the variety of plants in your garden. So, like cooking with wild game and wild mushrooms, this is all part of the big picture of plant collecting.
Conditioning. A preparation for and understanding of the various aspects of seed planting. This is one of those `science' chapters.
Sowing. The main event for growing plants from seed.
Vegetative Reproduction. The general term for `asexual' (not from seeds) propagation.
Cuttings. The most common method for starting a new plant from a piece of an established plant. The paradigm of this method is the parable of the old man sticking a green branch into the ground at random and having it `miraculously' develop into a tree.
Leaves. Similar to cuttings, but only available for a smaller number of plants, primarily evergreens, succulents, and tropical plants.
Layering. This is the way nature does asexual reproduction with a lot of plants. The most easily visualized example, at least for us older folks, is the spider plant, which develops complete little plants at the ends of its spider-leg like vines.
Grafting. This is not so much propagation as a method for improving a plant or combining two to get the better of two worlds. The most famous grafting use was the grafting of European wine grape varieties onto hearty American rootstock, when a disease wiped out the European grape plants.
Division. Another example of man imitating nature. Probably the most common method used by occasional amateur gardeners.
Geophytes. I find it amazing that the author includes this chapter, as I would have thought it difficult to the point of impossibility to artificially propagate ferns from the tiny spores that preceded seeds in the evolutionary development of sexual propagation techniques.
Roots. Very similar to layering and division, and most commonly used method for certain types of grasses.
For a `pretty' book, this volume has remarkably good appendices. By far the best is the long list of `Resources' with addresses, telephone numbers, and sketches for dozens of plant sources in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Unfortunately, there are few web sites, but any web jockey worth their salt should be able to track down these companies with their favorite search engine.
This is an excellent first book for the amateur, and an excellent source of daydreams while reading in January and February as you sit among your piles of seed catalogues which are probably flooding your mailbox right about now.
Rambling with a Radio Gardener.......2007-01-09
I bought this book for some very specific instructions and advice about propagating plants- techniques, supplies, time of year to do it, what techniques for what plants, etc. Instead I got a gorgeous coffee table book with beautiful pictures but a lot of text that makes no sense, and very few instructions. Not clearly written, rambles instead of proceeding logically... what were the editors thinking?
Best Gardening Book for the amateur Gardner, Ever........2002-05-28
This book explains everything I want to know about preparing, sowing, and grafting plants. Mr. Druse has answered every question I've had. very well written. Easy to understand. Great detail.
Everyone can learn something from this book.......2002-05-10
The title of this book says it all and the book, as unbelievable as it may be, delivers it all. Whether you want to learn about propagation by seed, cutting, layering, grafting, division, leaves, roots or how to propagate geophytes, the clear, detailed instructions and step-by-step photos will get you working in no time. Ken Druse, gardener and photographer extraordinaire, has packed this book with photos and has not started in on the details without providing plenty of preparation tips including information on seed collecting and storing and a quick botany lesson. And Druse doesn't leave you guessing about how to propagate the plants you want - an extensive appendix fills you in on the best methods for specific plants by listing them alphabetically. Making More Plants is incredibly useful as both a quick reference and as a gardening textbook for learning more complex techniques.
Book Description
Creative Vegetable Gardening contains hundreds of ideas for creating stunning decorative effects in the vegetable garden, where food plants can be combined with flowers and foliage to produce a fascinating “tapestry effect.” Joy Larkcom explains how to mix color, texture, and form, and a plant directory provides a list to suit the tastes of every imaginative garden planner.
Customer Reviews:
Creative Vegetable Gardening.......2005-09-17
Nice book lots of information with some nice pictures
Joy Larkcom has written severl other books on gardening
I got the book for my wife and she like it
Book Description
Prominent hortoculturalists present an excellent practical guide for reproducing period gardens in their many forms.
Customer Reviews:
Nice gardens, strange grammar.......2006-03-14
I couldn't get past the poor editing of this book. Every time I saw the phrase "such as" enclosed in commas, I wanted to scream!
However, these folks are experts and provide, in a short piece, a wealth of historical information. If you want your house to be surrounded by period plantings, this is the place to start. Regretfully without photos, which is a shame given that I googled the authors and they've created some very beautiful period gardens that they should be proud of.
Book Description
Here in paperback is the indispensable guide for Western gardeners to the Far East's cornucopia 0f amazing vegetables-all full of flavor versatile, and easy to grow.
Whatever your climate or soil type, Joy Larkcom shows how you can grow a whole new world of vegetables. Here are hardy leafy mustards, raab, and komatsuna for temperate climates; Chinese yams and water spinach for the subtropical garden; even ideas for the city container gardener who can succeed the
exotic herbs like sesame and ginger.
Based on ten years of research, Oriental Vegetables features over a hundred varieties of crops for ever garden, along the their history and characteristics. Using organic methods and both traditional and modern techniques, Larkcom takes you through each stage of cultivation, helping you avoid pests
and diseases, and offering not only tips on harvesting and storage, but also over of her own delicious and innovative recipes.
Includes list of seed outlets and suppliers.
Customer Reviews:
Helps you sort out the seed catalog offerings.......2007-03-25
This book has really helped me understand the wonderful variety of Asian plant seeds offered by Johnny's and Fedco Seeds. It has an emphasis on the brassicas, probably because the author lives in Britain, and those crops can grow there all year. Keep her climate in mind when you read this book (average of 60 degrees in the summer, minimum low of 20 degrees in the winter, and plenty of rain).
Oriental vegetables, especially the brassicas, seem to be easier to grow and hardier than the traditional cabbages, broccoli, etc., that I've grown side-by-side with them. It is great to have a book that helps sort out the confusing names. For example, I learned that Senposai (a seed I bought from Fedco - called "one thousand treasure vegetable" in Japan) is a cross between ordinary cabbage and komatsuna, and tastes much like ordinary cabbage. Then there is a lot of information on komatsuna, chinese cabbage, pak choi, mibuna mizuna, choy sum, etc., with a chart to help you sort them all out.
In the back, there is all the obligatory information on gardening techniques that is covered better in other books, but with helpful some references to Asian techniques and tools. She speaks with authority on plant protection, telling you specifics on what works for her. There is a nice, but small section of recipes. The growing information and plant name charts are VERY helpful. And finally, the index is thorough.
If you are planning to grow Asian vegetables, especially brassicas, this book is worth consulting.
If it were updated, I would give it five stars.
Helpful tips for difficult crops. Focus: China and Japan.......2006-09-29
The author focusses on China and Japan, paying far less attention to Korea, Southeast Asia and the South Asian region. This probably accounts for the omission of galangal (as noted by one reviewer above) and for the omission of important herbs such as rau ram (Polygonum odoratum), alluded to only vaguely by a Polygonum entry which says (roughly) "there are many oriental polygonums; you can find them sold in stores".
However, she goes into *exhaustive*, blinding detail on a whole range of arcane Japanese and Chinese vegetables. I learned critical things about okahijiki and yomogi from reading this book, as well as the procedure for blanching mitsuba, and read about a veg I had not heard of before - Chinese artichoke - when I've reached a point where few things surprise me. On the better known vegetables - edible chrysanthemum, gobo, ong choy, Chinese celery, celtuce - she gives helpful information and detailed growing instructions, and an overview of actual Asian growing practices, which I have not found elsewhere. Sadly it is not possible for Kitazawa Seed to cram all this information onto the back of seed packets and into its catalogue headings; if it had, several prior sowings of mine would have grown better.
Finally, the author includes information on the CORRECT method for sprouting mung beans, which people (like me) who have been cursed with ratty bean sprouts will welcome!
Great Source of Ingelligence on Growing and Using Veggies.......2005-02-23
`Oriental Vegetables' by English gardening writer Joy Larkcom is the real deal. For foodies like myself, the most important thing to know about the book is exactly what deal it is real. I bought it with a bunch of other books on Asian ingredients without paying attention to much about the book except for the title, being lead to it by Amazon's cleverly surfacing books related to the books you have already chose to buy. Especially do not be deceived by the very nice blurb on the cover from Alice Waters and play extra attention to the subtitle, `The Complete Guide for the Gardening Cook'.
This book is much more about gardening than it is about cooking, and it tackles the subject of gardening very, very well. It does an exceptionally good job on detailing for us the ins and outs of growing the primary subject of the book, oriental vegetables.
The very best news about this book is that it was published 14 years ago, just as commerce between the West and China and Indochina was warming up. This trade has had these 14 years to mature into something that makes the access to unusual seeds even easier. A corollary to this is the fact that the book also predates the blooming of the Internet, so most of the sources Ms. Larkcom gives from the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan will probably be joined by others and be themselves more accessible.
Ms. Larkcom began her inquiry into her subject already an expert on growing vegetables. She enhanced her credentials by making long trips to China and Japan and by enlisting the assistance of a large stable of translators. All of this linguistic help was probably even more necessary for Oriental plants, as the systematic naming of plants in China and Japan is probably far behind that in the west, plus the fact that there are simply so many different species to deal with. I have seen in other horticultural books that China is the source of far more plant species than any comparable region on the earth. Even a cursory look at Ms. Larkcom's table of contents gives weight to this observation. This lists 77 species or groups of species by `common name'. This is substantially less than Elizabeth Schneider's approximately135 species covered in `Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini', but this book is limited to less than a quarter of the world's land mass while Schneider covers the entire world (as seen from western Europe).
If you already own Bruce Cost's classic `Oriental Ingredients', you have not touched the surface of what Larkcom's book can offer. Cost gives us the culinary and economic scoop. Ms. Larkcom focuses on the horticultural.
Ms. Larkcom's favorite subject may very well be the cabbages, as they are her first subject and she lovingly describes them as being very easy to grow in western soils and climates. In her general introduction to these brassicas, she covers climatic factors, stages of use, fitting the oriental brassicas into Western gardens, cultivation, pests and diseases, grouping the oriental brassicas, and specific hybrid brassicas. The introductory section finishes up with an excellent diagram of how oriental brassicas are related. This may do nothing to improve your salads or stir-frys, but it's great in helping to choose substitutes when one species is out of season and a related species is in full bloom.
For each individual species, Ms. Larkcom follows Bruce Cost's practice by giving the most common English name, the biological family, the two part Latin name, other common English names, plus names in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese. Even among the Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, some plants may have several different names. After this linguistic heading, there are paragraphs on background, use, characteristics, types, climate, soil, cultivation, intercropping, pests and disease, harvesting, storage, and varieties. Whew! All this information includes a culinary aspect I have simply not seen elsewhere. This is the fact that several plants go through different stages and while some stages may be commercially less desirable in western eyes, they are really quite highly prized by Oriental users.
After Brassicas, the other major groups of plants are beans, cucurbits (gourds and melons), onions, radishes, water vegetables, tubers, and herbs and wild plants. If I were to take away one plant from this book and give it a shot at growing in my back yard, it would probably be the radishes. The rich assortment of oriental radishes is in strong contrast to the variety available in even a better than average American megamart.
The biggest surprise I found was that ginger received a light coverage as an herb and its relative, galangal is not mentioned at all. I am certain this is because neither of these two plants is easy to grow in home gardens, and growing is what this book is all about. This reinforces the fact that for the foodie with a black thumb, this book needs a companion with a culinary focus to fill out one's picture of Oriental veggies.
The main body of the book dealing with individual plants is supplemented with an excellent chapter on growing techniques. I am not as familiar with the soil as I am with the stove, but from what I can see, this chapter is first rate, covering techniques which you may not find in your average Better Homes and Gardens title. This is followed by a chapter on cooking which is even better than what I saw in other books on vegetables where the emphasis was more on cooking than in this horticulturally slanted book.
The appendices to this book alone are worth the price of admission with its excellent tables of gardening terms, growing calendars, plant names, and bibliographies. While there is some danger that the references to suppliers may be out of date, I do recognize several current major players such as W. Atlee Burpee and Johnny's Selected Seeds.
If any of this interests you, this book is for you!
first rate guide to growing Chinese vegetables.......1997-06-02
Joy Larkcom's excellent introduction to growing Asian vegetables is informative, well-designed, and ably
illustrated by Elizabeth Douglass. The section on vegetable cultivation and technique in China is particularly
interesting. The recipes are helpful to Western gardeners exploring the savoury variety of Chinese greens, peas,
and beans for the first time.
Havi Hoffman
Average customer rating:
- Joy of Gardening
- Great Book for Gardeners
- Great Book for Gardeners
- Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook
|
Joy of Gardening Cookbook
Janet Ballantyne
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Vegetables
| Vegetables & Vegetarian
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
English (British)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Joy of Gardening (Garden Way Book)
-
Ball Blue Book of Preserving
ASIN: 0882663550 |
Book Description
This classic includes more than 350 how-to-do-it and how-to-serve-it color photographs. 128,000 copies in print.
Customer Reviews:
Joy of Gardening.......2007-04-02
Although out of print for many years, this book still contains many great recipes from Janet Ballantyne. It was first printed in 1984 and an anniversary edition was printed in 1994. Several of my favorite recipes, including vegetarian, are in this cookbook and I just bought a used one for my daughter.
Great Book for Gardeners.......2000-09-14
Excellent book with great recipes & instructions on vegetables. Try the Mustard Lemon Potatoes it's a family favorite. Also a great gift idea for families w/ gardens. Hey! Janet do another Cookbook about vegetables !
Great Book for Gardeners.......2000-09-14
Excellent book with great recipes & instructions on vegetables. Try the Mustard Lemon Potatoes it's a family favorite. Also a great gift idea for families w/ gardens
Garden Way's Joy of Gardening Cookbook.......1999-12-05
This cook book has been a great help in turning my piles of produce from my new garden into new foods and meals for my family. I can strongly recommend both its ease of use and the quality of the recipes it contains. A favorite is the beets "Shocking Pink Soup" which turned a supsicious looking vegetable into a now favorite family dish. I am ordering copies for my grown childrens families.
Average customer rating:
|
The Orange: Golden Joy
John Train
Manufacturer: Maria Teresa Train (MTT SCALA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Fruit
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Household Hints
| How-to & Home Improvements
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1851495258 |
Book Description
This beautiful and fascinating illustrated book tells the story of the orange from earliest times. Brought back from India by Alexander the Great, citrus proved to be a lifesaver on long sea voyage s, since it was the antidote for scurvy, which could incapacitate an entire crew.
Books:
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Home Reference Guide to 550 Key Herbs with all their Uses as Remedies for Common Ailments
- Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel
- Financial Peace Jr.: Teaching Kids About Money! : "Cool Tools" for Training Tomorrow's Millionaires!
- Flowering Quilts: 16 Charming Folk Art Projects to Decorate Your Home
- Gardening All-in-One for Dummies
- Gardening with Children
- Gardens in the Spirit of Place
- Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise
- Halloween Propmaker's Handbook
- Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Tax Havens Today: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Banking and Investing Offshore
- History: Fiction or Science
- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
- Augustine of Hippo: A Biography, Revised Edition with a New Epilogue
- Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition
- History: Fiction or Science
- Divorce and Money: How to Make the Best Financial Decisions During Divorce
- Writing High-Impact Reports: Proven Practices for Auditors and Accountants
- Contemporary Investments: Security and Portfolio Analysis
- Slo Mo!: My Untrue Story
