A Selection of Allotment Books

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The Allotment Keeper's Handbook (Hardcover)
by Jane Perrone

"The Allotment Keeper's Handbook" is a no-nonsense guide to managing your own organic vegetable patch. Packed with invaluable advice, from how to choose an allotment and test its soil to knowing your chickweed from your chicory, it offers an enjoyable and inspiring shortcut through the trials, errors and frustrations of starting a kitchen garden. Dispensing with the strict calendar-based advice usually found in gardening manuals, Jane Perrone steers a carefree course through the gardener's year. Featuring a full chapter devoted to harvesting, a history of allotments, an exhaustive section on crop rotation, 'spotlights' on unusual vegetables, fun monthly projects and a glossary to cut through garden jargon, this book is all you will need to get growing. About the Author: Jane Perrone is a keen organic allotmenteer and gardener who writes regularly for Guardian Unlimited and keeps a blog perrone.blogs.com about growing vegetables, fruit and flowers. She lives in Bedfordshire. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

The Allotment Book (Paperback)
by Andy Clevely

'It is full of colourful and relevant illustrations...The content is packed with excellent down-to-earth advice. Andy Clevely captures the essence of the allotment, showing how it is a relaxing a socialble way to garden. The Allotment Book is a must for the bookshelf.' - The Garden magazine 'This is an excellent book.' - The Telegraph 'It's the ultimate guide to a bumper harvest.' - Sunday Magazine 'Clear and concise, it will take pride of place in your garden shed.' - Daily Mail 'This book testifies the new vibrancy of allotment culture, and provides all the knowledge needed to turn a patch of soil into a lifelong adventure.' - The Northern Echo 'This is a book you'll want to return to again and again.' - Garden Answers 'This book is excellent, rising above the usual dutiful trek through chores and cultivars and capturing the life-expanding possibilities of a new plot.' - Optima Magazine 'Clear and concise, it will take pride of place in your garden shed' - The Daily Mail. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

The Half-hour Allotment (Hardcover)
by Lia Leendertz

Easy to follow book from the Royal Horticultural Society that is full of ideas for how to cut down the time you need to spend on your plot while still aiming for top-class results. It's full of practical advice, principally for allotment holders, but the ideas can be applied to your garden. Some of it so obvious you think 'why didn't I do this before?' The crux of the book is that you dedicate 30 mins, 5 days a week to your allotment/garden, with weekends off. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

Allotment Gardening: An Organic Guide for Beginners (Paperback)
by Susan Berger

"Allotment Gardening" is a practical guide to growing your own fruit and vegetables organically. Aimed at those who have not had an allotment before, or are new to growing their own, it is packed with advice - from choosing and planning your allotment through to harvesting and storing your produce. In Part One, Susan Berger discusses the basics, from tools, planning and clearing the site, to soil, crop rotation, planting and protecting plants. She also looks at design, growing techniques - from feeding and mulching to saving seed and supporting plants - and how to prevent and cope with common problems. A gardener's calendar, with detailed activities for each month, completes the section. Part Two gives detailed instructions on the cultivation of individual fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs, along with recommendations for particular varieties, chosen for their flavour. Ideas for companion planting, and tips on storage and use of herbs are also included. Each fruit and vegetable entry features an easy recipe to help you make the most of your fresh produce: simple soups from pea to pumpkin, unusual ways of serving vegetables, from Frizzled Brussel Sprouts to Roasted Beetroot with Thyme; more exotic dishes, from Sauteed Kohl Rabi to an earthy Ribollita; and easy recipes for puddings and jams. Illustrated with line drawings and over 30 full colour photographs, "Allotment Gardening" also includes a directory of organic seed suppliers and useful organizations. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

Your Allotment: The Down-to-Earth Guide to Plot Paradise (Paperback)
by Clare Foster

Allotments are fashionable again. With a different food scare popping up in the press almost every week, people are taking control of what they eat and deciding to grow their own organic fruit and vegetables - and what better place to do this than the allotment? Allotments now attract people of all ages and backgrounds - all of whom want to grow their own delicious and nutritious produce at virtually no cost at all. And despite many people's preconceptions, it isn't difficult to do. With a bit of pre-planning and preparation, you can be harvesting your own crops within a few months of starting out, and eating the fruits of your labour from late spring to autumn. This book contains all the practical information you'll need - from preparing the plot and dealing with weeds, to planting out and rotating your crops. There is detailed advice on the fantastic range of vegetables, fruit and herbs you might like to grow, as well as how to protect your plants, pruning and harvesting. A handy seasonal checklist provides instant advice on key tasks for each month and tips for year-round productivity. Accessible text, inspiring photography and helpful planting plans make "The Allotment Book" a must for anyone wanting to get the most out of their plot. "With easy reference and common sense instructions this book will leave you in no doubt about how to plan and manage your allotment. It covers absolutely everything, from the history of allotments and how to get hold of one, to allotment etiquette and fun ways to encourage children to grow their own. This book is like having a very friendly and extremely knowledgeable grower standing beside you as you work." Gregg Wallace. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

Royal Horticultural Society Ready, Steady, Grow!

The RHS, Ready, Steady Grow! is a fun new book that’s guaranteed to inspire kids, and grown-ups alike, to get creative in the garden. With an emphasis on quick results, many of the book’s 30 projects show results within just 1 week. The book’s quickest project, growing sprouting seeds, gives a harvest in just 2 days! From creating a fairy ring and making a wildlife window box to growing nasturtium flowers to put in your salad, Ready, Steady Grow! is packed full of step-by-step projects to get kids involved in the garden. Ready Steady Grow! Is published by Dorling Kindersley. Available online from Amazon and other good book shops.

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