The Edible Garden Book

rhiwfield

Now I watched Alys Fowler on tv and thought the whole show was a bit of nonsense. All fur coat and no k******s, as they used to say in Manchester.

Bits of interplanted herbs and veg, infuriating graphics and drippy friends. And recipes that required her to go to the deli for ingredients!

But then I saw the book at my local library and thought, she's meant to be a fairly good gardener, maybe it was the director's fault.

I managed about 2 pages before the book hit the floor. Happy, happy earth will grow lots of pretty things, pass the sick bag please. If there was anything worthwhile in the book, which I suspect there may be, it never made it past the little girl language. Give me Bob Flowerdew please, now there's a hippy who doesnt need frills on his parsnip (so I've heard )

And yes I am feeling grouchy this morning, wall to wall telly of people moaning about not going to Bali to recharge their batteries. Try reading the edible garden if you want to feel depressed :mad:

Bah humbug!

Davesnave

The problem is, all the variations on 'how to do it' gardening books have been done. Gardening's hardly rocket science, is it?

Of course, as anyone who's ever read 'The Plantsman' (sorry all you ladies out there:p) will know, the subject can be taken to another level, but then it almost becomes something else. Hard work on a mental level is not what I signed-up for, anyway.

As we'd say around here, "If thickky maid bain't entertainin, us'll send 'er third class to Bampton!" Thanks for the heads up.

Lotus-eater

Watch Geoff Hamilton's, The Ornamental Kitchen Garden, for how to do the subject. There is also a book on the same subject.
I have The Thrifty Gardener book, which I think is the one you are talking about, I think someone bought it for me for last Christmas, never read it properly, so can't agree or disagree with you.
But, come on man, this is the time of year when everyone is happy and stops complaining. You'll be getting like a certain black and white animal which is always moaning on here.

And as my gran used to say, your face will get stuck like that.

Anyway, what's wrong with all fur coat and no knickers, I've not been known for turning it down

rhiwfield

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Watch Geoff Hamilton's, The Ornamental Kitchen Garden, for how to do the subject

Now that one inspired me to interplant my kale among in a bed of hardy fuchsia. Never known the kale to get so infested with caterpillars and mealy aphid

Lotus-eater wrote: »

And as my gran used to say, your face will get stuck like that.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D There you go

Anyhow, must dash, got to google up "cabin fever"

Steel_2

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Watch Geoff Hamilton's, The Ornamental Kitchen Garden, for how to do the subject. There is also a book on the same subject.

Absolutely great series. Can watch it again and again,and I get something new from it every time.

Rummer

I have really enjoyed her book and the approach she has taken to gardening. Each to their own I say x

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Thought I'd have a look myself...this is the blurb from the BBC website:

'...A tie-in to a 6 x 30 minute BBC2 series, Alys's Back garden Fruit and Veg. Gardeners’ World presenter Alys Fowler takes up the challenge to prepare at least one meal a day using only home-grown produce.

However, rather than taking up an allotment, Alys will be serving up feasts with ingredients grown in her small suburban backgarden. And there'll be no sign of traditional, regimented rows in raised beds, compromising the beauty of her cherished outside space. Alys has a wonderful new approach to growing fruit and veg: she’ll transform her garden into an area where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes share space with the hedge. The hearty dishes she serves up will show that nobody will be going hungry on her avant-garde grow-your-own regime, and she’ll meet experts who will teach her how to preserve, pickle and store her wares, too.

Young, chic and urban, Alys is at the forefront of this revolutionary new style of gardening. She is marrying the delights of growing your own, and the sheer joy a beautiful flower garden, all in a small space, and is on a mission to demonstrate how anybody can do it. Good for the pocket, good for the environment and hugely rewarding, Alys’s modish edible landscaping will inspire a new generation of urbanites to get digging.... '


OK, so it's not a new idea, despite being told it is several times (as we're obviously too stupid to remember what was said three lines ago.

Young, well if you're 50, I suppose being in your 30s is young.

Chic. That's not what I would call the raggedy hair and funny glasses, but that's probably relative. Maybe they'd think I was chic for looking like something that's been rolling around the compost heap

Urban? She grew up in the a*** end of nowhere with upper middle class parents, doing all the hunting, shooting and fishing business, judging by her Wikipedia entry.

Tiny Victorian terrace garden? Is 60 foot by 20 foot tiny? That's 1200 square foot.

It's STILL NOT REVOLUTIONARY AND NEW!

(Also going by the Wiki, I would suggest that there was more self sufficiency afforded through Dad being a doctor than there ever was from having a veggie patch out the back)


Why is someone ridiculously well educated, in fact pretty much overqualified, just providing little twee pieces to middle class suburbia about how they are doing something no one has ever thought of before, when she could be actually doing something useful, like explaining the concept of forest gardening or helping to show people whose gardens consist of 6 square foot of balcony can do something?

Meh.

LJM

i think different people have different ways i think alys fowlers view and love of gardening may be inspiring a younger generation to get invovled and do it if she can help at least 1 person don't you think it is worth it, i know i do

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Did they have to pretend that nobody has ever thought of it before, though?

cootambear

Tiny Victorian terrace garden? Is 60 foot by 20 foot tiny? That's 1200 square foot.


If your parents house has surrey for a back garden, that is small.

cootambear

I have read some of JOjO`s other post and he is quite the rennaisance man, active on many forums. Take this handy advice regarding charity shops;


If the shop smells of coriander leaves/overripe raspberries or a bit minty (the description varies, but you get the idea, it's a bit herbal & sweet) - walk out.

That means they've got bedbugs.


LOLZ