ORGANIC VEGETABLE GARDENING
Xanthe White
Random House - $49.99
There is no question that vegetable gardening is big again. I guess largely for money-saving, eco and health reasons there has been a return to the back yard gardens our grandparents use to have. But today many people are uncertain as to how to get growing in the first place so, here’s a book that takes readers by the hand and shows them how to transform their backyard bombsites into organic Gardens of Eden in just one year. It seems impossible but it’s not because Xanthe White’ has just done exactly that herself.
Xanthe White’s totally scrummy and profusely illustrated new book, documents a year in a garden she built from scratch in a neglected inner-city backyard, and it will inspire readers to realise that they can do it too.
Xanthe believes that gardening is as much about the process of getting there as it is about the result. And, she reckons it’s actually the process that’s the real sizzle. Although this is what has made gardening so emotionally engaging and addictive for generations of green-fingered Kiwis, Xanthe is acutely aware that the past few generations have really missed out on the gardening skills that used to be passed from one generation to the next. This is where her book comes in.
“I’ve been really lucky that gardening has always been in my family’s blood. My dad has always grown veges. I spent a magical childhood pottering around with him outside, chatting with him as he worked away in the garden. As I got older, we’d talk more meaningfully about growing things and I’m now doing this with my own little ones. And so the cycle continues. But, I know at least for urban folk, the last couple of generations have missed out on basic gardening skills which were once passed down.
“Also, in these uncertain times, I think that people are craving to spend more quality time at home in the kitchen and in the garden away from the pressures of the hustle and bustle of modern life. I sense a real desire in people to reconnect with the simple things but they’re not quite sure how to go about it. There’s a perception that gardening skills are something that you either have or don’t have when really it’s something that anyone can learn.
“There is an increasing concern about the quality of food we are eating, where it is grown in relation to food miles what chemicals are used in commercial production and the best way to be certain that what you are feeding your family is made from the right stuff and treads gently on the environment is to grow it in your own back yard.
“And, the tide has already begun to turn. But I stilI see people ── unnecessarily ── spending big sums of money trying things that fail because they haven’t had the right advice and they then think they lack green thumbs, with a little bit more thought, they really could achieve a much more fulfilling, satisfying and sustainable result. It’s about the journey and process but a good guide to help you out along the way can make the difference between a gardener for life or a disappointment. And this is, I hope, where my book comes in.
“A garden is something that is continually changing, growing and evolving and there’s a whole emotional journey that goes with it. It’s this emotional attachment that we have to our gardens that makes gardening so pleasurable, sometimes frustrating but always rewarding.”
Structured as chapters for each month of the year , alongside the practical gardening advice the book contains monthly diary entries.. These are candid and passionate, and they take the reader from Xanthe’s first visit to the backyard and end with Xanthe bidding her lush vege plots farewell 12 months later.
Xanthe White
Random House - $49.99
There is no question that vegetable gardening is big again. I guess largely for money-saving, eco and health reasons there has been a return to the back yard gardens our grandparents use to have. But today many people are uncertain as to how to get growing in the first place so, here’s a book that takes readers by the hand and shows them how to transform their backyard bombsites into organic Gardens of Eden in just one year. It seems impossible but it’s not because Xanthe White’ has just done exactly that herself.
Xanthe White’s totally scrummy and profusely illustrated new book, documents a year in a garden she built from scratch in a neglected inner-city backyard, and it will inspire readers to realise that they can do it too.
Xanthe believes that gardening is as much about the process of getting there as it is about the result. And, she reckons it’s actually the process that’s the real sizzle. Although this is what has made gardening so emotionally engaging and addictive for generations of green-fingered Kiwis, Xanthe is acutely aware that the past few generations have really missed out on the gardening skills that used to be passed from one generation to the next. This is where her book comes in.
“I’ve been really lucky that gardening has always been in my family’s blood. My dad has always grown veges. I spent a magical childhood pottering around with him outside, chatting with him as he worked away in the garden. As I got older, we’d talk more meaningfully about growing things and I’m now doing this with my own little ones. And so the cycle continues. But, I know at least for urban folk, the last couple of generations have missed out on basic gardening skills which were once passed down.
“Also, in these uncertain times, I think that people are craving to spend more quality time at home in the kitchen and in the garden away from the pressures of the hustle and bustle of modern life. I sense a real desire in people to reconnect with the simple things but they’re not quite sure how to go about it. There’s a perception that gardening skills are something that you either have or don’t have when really it’s something that anyone can learn.
“There is an increasing concern about the quality of food we are eating, where it is grown in relation to food miles what chemicals are used in commercial production and the best way to be certain that what you are feeding your family is made from the right stuff and treads gently on the environment is to grow it in your own back yard.
“And, the tide has already begun to turn. But I stilI see people ── unnecessarily ── spending big sums of money trying things that fail because they haven’t had the right advice and they then think they lack green thumbs, with a little bit more thought, they really could achieve a much more fulfilling, satisfying and sustainable result. It’s about the journey and process but a good guide to help you out along the way can make the difference between a gardener for life or a disappointment. And this is, I hope, where my book comes in.
“A garden is something that is continually changing, growing and evolving and there’s a whole emotional journey that goes with it. It’s this emotional attachment that we have to our gardens that makes gardening so pleasurable, sometimes frustrating but always rewarding.”
Structured as chapters for each month of the year , alongside the practical gardening advice the book contains monthly diary entries.. These are candid and passionate, and they take the reader from Xanthe’s first visit to the backyard and end with Xanthe bidding her lush vege plots farewell 12 months later.
“Writing a diary over a year allows people to get an idea of what the journey is like. And it means that when they try and grow something and it dies (as happened to me during that year from time to time), they don’t feel like they’ve failed. It’s simply part of the process. And, they can return to their notes the next year to check back on things and do them differently. The diary gives new and old gardeners an opportunity to delve into the philosophy of running an organic garden as the key to good organics is an understanding of how and what makes a garden grow. Much of this understanding comes from experience and observation so a diary was the best way to communicate what growing food naturally is all about and how easy it is.
“Some things work, others don’t, for whatever reason and it’s this emotional engagement that gives people the bug. It’s sharing the experience that makes it so enjoyable. Gardeners are an incredibly generous lot and they love nothing more than sharing their own experiences, both good and bad. What makes gardening so compelling is that no matter how experienced you are or how much you think you know, you’re simply not going to get it right every time and there is always more to learn. It keeps us humble.
“The end result is, of course, also hugely satisfying for people. Nothing gives gardeners more pleasure than to pop over to the neighbours with a couple of lettuces straight from the garden just like our grandparents and their parents used to do. This sense of community, purpose and pastoral care are the values that we are starting to return to.”
Xanthe’s guides to sowing, planting, pests and diseases, making compost, mulching and more make it so easy for beginners to follow — and get — fabulous results and great crops.
There’s plenty for experienced gardeners here, too. Xanthe’s tips, techniques and infectious enthusiasm will get even the most seasoned gardeners wanting to try some new ideas. Most of all, she demystifies organics and makes it so easy to agree that this is the only way you should garden.
Studded with great informational photographs, this book carves out new and unique territory that sets it apart from other gardening books. It is an inspirational and practical guide and a quite lovely thing to read and hold. I note that it was designed by Matthew Moss and Kate Barraclough, they have done a fine job..
About the author
Xanthe White is a well-known Auckland landscape designer who had carried out many major commissions, has won awards including a Silver Gilt at the Chelsea Flower Show and several gold and silver medals at the Ellerslie Flower Show. She is a regular guest on radio and television and has been featured in various magazines. Her warm and engaging personality shine out from the pages of this most appealing book.
“Some things work, others don’t, for whatever reason and it’s this emotional engagement that gives people the bug. It’s sharing the experience that makes it so enjoyable. Gardeners are an incredibly generous lot and they love nothing more than sharing their own experiences, both good and bad. What makes gardening so compelling is that no matter how experienced you are or how much you think you know, you’re simply not going to get it right every time and there is always more to learn. It keeps us humble.
“The end result is, of course, also hugely satisfying for people. Nothing gives gardeners more pleasure than to pop over to the neighbours with a couple of lettuces straight from the garden just like our grandparents and their parents used to do. This sense of community, purpose and pastoral care are the values that we are starting to return to.”
Xanthe’s guides to sowing, planting, pests and diseases, making compost, mulching and more make it so easy for beginners to follow — and get — fabulous results and great crops.
There’s plenty for experienced gardeners here, too. Xanthe’s tips, techniques and infectious enthusiasm will get even the most seasoned gardeners wanting to try some new ideas. Most of all, she demystifies organics and makes it so easy to agree that this is the only way you should garden.
Studded with great informational photographs, this book carves out new and unique territory that sets it apart from other gardening books. It is an inspirational and practical guide and a quite lovely thing to read and hold. I note that it was designed by Matthew Moss and Kate Barraclough, they have done a fine job..
About the author
Xanthe White is a well-known Auckland landscape designer who had carried out many major commissions, has won awards including a Silver Gilt at the Chelsea Flower Show and several gold and silver medals at the Ellerslie Flower Show. She is a regular guest on radio and television and has been featured in various magazines. Her warm and engaging personality shine out from the pages of this most appealing book.
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