I’ve always loved nature and the idea of being more self-reliant, so growing some of my own food seemed like an obvious place to start. This led me to permaculture and the treasure box of goodies it provides for each of us to make a positive difference in the world. Almost by accident, I found myself teaching and I loved it so much it became my main vocation. I write to make sense of things for myself and this is how my Design Guide came about. Books are a gift so few of our ancestors had access to. I hope you enjoy my recommendations as much as I have.
Huw has a mission - to help us all to grow some of our own food. In his three books to date he’s addressed our most common excuses: I don’t have the space, I can’t afford it, I don’t know how to do it. In this, his first, he shows us how to grow 19 different vegetables in a year in just a 3m x 1.2m raised bed. Each month has its own chapter detailing what to sow, transplant, or harvest, making it perfect for absolute beginners. It’s full of great photos and diagrams and belongs on every bookshelf. I think Huw is such a great inspiration. He has a very popular YouTube channel and is stillonly in his early twenties. Start with this book, then read his others too!
"Huw Richards is the future of gardening" (The Guardian)
"This beautifully illustrated book teaches you what to do month-by month in order to have success in the garden"(The Sun)
"Ideal for new allotmenteers and gardeners starting to dabble in growing their own crops" (The English Garden)
In just one raised bed, greenfingered wunderkind Huw Richards shows you how to grow vegetables, organically, abundantly and inexpensively so you have something to harvest every month of the year.
Grow your own vegetable garden with this practical, straightforward gardening guide.
Charles has been growing food for 40 years and is a pioneer of the no-dig method. Quite frankly, I could’ve included any of his books here, but this one combines his growing expertise with Stephanie’s own and includes chapters on recipes and storage. It’s a large-format book full of lovely photographs and in it, you’ll learn not just how to create no-dig beds, but also why they give greater yields. I can attest to this having used his methods myself. This book combines plenty of detailed information with ‘you can do this too’ inspiration. You’ll find step-by-step instructions for growing many different vegetables along with recommended varieties. It’s a book I refer to on a regular basis and five years after publication still hasn’t yet been shelved.
No dig organic gardening saves time and work. It requires an annual dressing of compost to help accelerate the improvement in soil structure and leads to higher fertility and less weeds. No dig experts, Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty, explain how to set up a no dig garden. They describe how to: Make compost, enrich soil, harvest and prepare food and make natural beauty and clean ing products and garden preparations. These approaches work as well in small spaces as in large gardens. The Authors' combined experience gives you ways of growing, preparing and storing the plants you grow for…
Homes by Byrd examines the story of this father-son team, demonstrating their impact on the design of homes in Southern California and describing the hallmarks of their enduring style.
Byrd homes are archetypes of California living. Many elements of a Byrd Home, such as exposed wood beams, turned posts, rock…
I first came across an original Dutch copy of Vera’s book in a charity shop and I bought it despite not understanding the words because it looked so beautiful. In 2019 I finally got the chance to buy an English version and I was not disappointed. Vera is another no-dig, organic grower and this book demonstrates how attractive and abundant such gardens can be. I especially like her sections on her favourite edible flowers and how she groups plants together based on their shape and size but also how they can benefit each other. It’s an all-round beautiful and inspiring book that lives on my easy-access bookshelf!
Learn how to create your own no dig, organic garden with permaculture design and techniques. Vera's 15 years of experience as a no dig gardener provides a vast amount of knowledge on growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. The book is divided into two sections, container gardening and permaculture kitchen gardening. Part One shares knowledge especially useful to urban gardeners and those with little space. Part Two advises on starting and maintaining a garden. Vera's speciality is creating beautiful and delicious polycultures and she offers a range of examples to get you started and the knowledge to experiment. She also…
Unlike my other recommendations, Joy’s book lacks photos and includes only line drawings. Regardless, her book is a classic reference that was my go-to guide when I started growing vegetables back in the mid-1980s – before the pages eventually started falling out. This revised edition is full of detailed information on how to grow an extensive list of vegetables, along with everything else you need to know about the process of growing. While many other books may look prettier, there’s little that you might want to know about organic gardening that you won’t find within these pages. Buy a copy for your home library and another for your greenhouse or potting shed.
This revised, updated and expanded edition of the classic guide to growing your own vegetables contains everything you need to know to create a highly-productive vegetable plot. Covering every aspect of vegetable gardening from preparing soil to manures, composts and fertilizers, from growing techniques to protection, pests, from diseases and weeds to making good use of space, this is a comprehensive guide to ensuring the best results from your garden or allotment. With cultivation information for over 100 vegetables, including site and soil requirements, cultivation, pests and diseases, and cultivars, this illustrated handbook is a must for vegetable gardeners of…
In Love It or Lose It, I share the wisdom and techniques I’ve gained over decades of helping people declutter their lives. Alongside my colleague, Maggie Bedrosian, we offer a roadmap for those feeling overwhelmed by the physical and emotional weight of clutter. This book isn’t just about tidying…
Its faded spine and tatty pages show just how well-used my copy of Robert’s book has been. While the most fascinating drawings to leap from its pages are of the different root systems of vegetables, there’s plenty more to be found inside. Robert’s ‘Golden Rules of Edible landscaping’ look remarkably similar to many of our modern permaculture principles. He compares different methods of cultivation, reviews companion planting, and provides many lists and tables of useful information such as green manures, soil indicators, and mineral accumulator plants—unusual information when it was published in 1986. It’s the most substantial book on my list for good reason, but waiting for you when you want to learn more.
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally is a classic US bestseller. It is the authoritative text on edible landscaping, featuring a step-by-step guide to designing your own aesthetic yet productive environment using vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs for a combination of ornamental and culinary purposes. It includes descriptions of plants for all temperate habitats; methods for improving soil; tree pruning styles that suit you and your trees; and even gourmet recipes using low-maintenance plants. There are sections on attracting beneficial insects with companion plants, and using planting to shelter your home from erosion, heat, wind and cold. Presenting such…
Permaculture provides us with a collection of principles and tools to make our world a better, more sustainable and equitable place. However, making sense of that collection hasn’t always been obvious. Intended as a companion volume to other permaculture texts, my book ends that confusion, using photos, flowcharts, and diagrams to guide you through a step-by-step process on your own site. It places the permaculture ethics, principles, philosophies, tools, and techniques directly into the context of the process itself, explaining when to use each one. If you’d like to create an abundant landscape in harmony with nature, this guide is for you. It’s suitable for anyone with a basic grasp of permaculture, but has plenty to offer the more experienced designer too.
Homes by Byrd examines the story of this father-son team, demonstrating their impact on the design of homes in Southern California and describing the hallmarks of their enduring style.
Byrd homes are archetypes of California living. Many elements of a Byrd Home, such as exposed wood beams, turned posts, rock…
In Love It or Lose It, I share the wisdom and techniques I’ve gained over decades of helping people declutter their lives. Alongside my colleague, Maggie Bedrosian, we offer a roadmap for those feeling overwhelmed by the physical and emotional weight of clutter. This book isn’t just about tidying…
