The Gaia Book of Organic Gardening (ISBN 1856752186)

Good basic guide:
These days more and more gardeners are becoming aware of the dangers of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers in their gardens. This generously illustrated book is a good, well-rounded guide on getting started with the basics. First of all, soil, the basic foundation of any good garden is covered - how to identify your soil type, how to improve it, digging, using mulch, adding ammendments, using green manures and improving drainage. A chapter on compost covers everything you need to know - what can be composted (some of the things listed may surprise you!), how to compost, building a bin, differences between hot and cold composts and making worm bins. A chapter titled "Time and Space" covers the actual planting of the garden - saving seeds, planting seeds, crop rotation, perennial vegetables, growing in beds or containers, fertilizing, harvesting and storage. The final sections of the book deal with weeds and controlling pests. Charts, diagrams, checklists are included. Very easy to follow and good basic information on going organic!

A comprehensive and accessible guide to organize gardening:
The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening by Charlie Ryrie (with the assistance of Cindy Engel) focuses upon composts, pests, weeds, and soil as it offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to organize gardening. Complete with a profusion of checklists and planners, The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening covers everything from crop rotation to making "green manure", from enhancing biodiversity to using botanical pesticides. Do-it-yourself gardeners and commercially minded farming operations will learn how to build a healthy garden through identifying soil types and properly nurturing them, which weeds are useful and controlling unwanted varieties, encouraging "good" predators such as ladybirds and over flies, while repelling destructive pests in the garden. Offering the most up-to-date concepts and practices for time management, seasonal planting, harvesting, and more, The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening is ideal for the non-specialist general reader wanting to establish an organic garden, and has a great deal to offer even the more experienced and practicing organic gardener.

A comprehensive and accessible guide to organize gardening:
The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening by Charlie Ryrie (with the assistance of Cindy Engel) focuses upon composts, pests, weeds, and soil as it offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to organize gardening. Complete with a profusion of checklists and planners, The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening covers everything from crop rotation to making "green manure", from enhancing biodiversity to using botanical pesticides. Do-it-yourself gardeners and commercially minded farming operations will learn how to build a healthy garden through identifying soil types and properly nurturing them, which weeds are useful and controlling unwanted varieties, encouraging "good" predators such as ladybirds and over flies, while repelling destructive pests in the garden. Offering the most up-to-date concepts and practices for time management, seasonal planting, harvesting, and more, The Gaia Book Of Organic Gardening is ideal for the non-specialist general reader wanting to establish an organic garden, and has a great deal to offer even the more experienced and practicing organic gardener.