Conventional wisdom is difficult to question, even when it is misguided and contains many contradictions. Gardening has its share of such 'myths' - some with discernible origins in history, others that have become established for no obvious reason - and they often obscure simpler and easier methods
of working. This delightfully illustrated book reveals how common sense triumphs and crops are more successful when these 'rules' are overturned.
A fascinating but practical book that will save the seasoned gardener time and give new gardeners heart.
Charles Dowding is an internationally recognized organic gardening expert and winner of the 2014 Garden Media Guild Practical Journalist of the Year award. He talks on radio and television and contributes articles to many magazines, including Gardeners' World, Gardens llustrated and Grow It! He gives regular talks, runs courses and advises many gardeners on best practice, including the National Trust in the UK. He is a veteran organic grower, having practised no-dig gardening for many years. In his gardens over the years he has run experiments to compare differences in growth between vegetables on dug and undug soil. He has discovered different patterns of growth in most seasons, with slightly lower yields, more weeds and slugs found on the dug beds. He is currently establishing a new garden to illustrate no-dig practice and form the basis for a new experiment. He says: I have always been interested in lookiing 'behind the scenes' and asking why things are as they are, questioning practices that are taken for granted. This led me to grow organically, at a time when the chemical approach was rarely challenged. His books for Green Books are: Organic Gardening: the natural, no-dig way Salad Leaves for All Seasons How to Grow Winter Vegetables Gardening Myths and Misconceptions Find out more at www.charlesdowding.co.uk. Photo: Stephanie Hafferty
Title: Gardening Myths and Misconceptions
Author: Dowding, Charles
ISBN: 9780857842046
Binding:
Publisher: Green Books
Publication Date: 2014-03-27
Number of Pages: 96
Weight: 0.1815 kg
These days, garden writing based on a solid career's worth of practical experience is rare indeed. Therein lies the value of this thought-provoking little book.
-- Rory Dusoir * Gardens Illustrated *
Beginners and experienced gardeners alike can only benefit from Charles' enthusiastic and deep understanding of what plants really need.
* The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm Blog *
It has been proven untrue that watering in sunlight damages leaves. It is also untrue that rhubarb leaves and citrus peel cannot be composted, the latter may just take a while to decay. All this and much more makes for an entertaining and instructive read.
-- Mary Davies * The Irish Garden *
For anyone who grows edibles or for that matter gardens intensively I would recommend this book.
-- Helen Jonstone * The Patient Gardener *
There's enough detail here to make a real difference to your garden, but it's cleverly broken down into bite-sized chunks with illustrations, so it never feels hard-going.
* The English Garden *
