A totally integrated system of gardening – a labour-saving way to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs that taste great and help to keep the environment healthy…. More >>
Tags: fruit vegetables, Garden, herbs, Home, labour, Permaculture, permaculture home garden
This is the first permaculture book I have found that really concentrates on the annual vegetable garden, almost to the exclusion of perennials. Perennial herbs are mentioned, and fruit trees are grown in the garden, but it’s really all about the annual vegetables. Her “chook dome” (chicken tractor) system is brilliant–at least for her mild climate; chickens may need more warmth and shelter in much of North America. And yes, she’s Australian, so the references to north/south and the months/seasons are “backwards” for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. (Or you could say that we are the backwards ones. Fair enough.)
She starts almost all of her vegetables (except carrots, turnips, radishes, and a few others) as seedlings and plants them out into the garden when they are about 6″ tall. That certainly has its advantages, but I really wish she’d included a chart to tell me how long it takes each vegetable to get to that stage–especially the ones that we usually direct-seed. The lack of such a chart is my number one frustration with this book, and its inclusion in later editions would be the number one thing that the publishers could do to make it more useful! Also, she lives in a year-round gardening climate, and although they apparently do get some frosts, there is no reference to planting in regard to frost-free dates, which would have been useful in much of North America.
Nevertheless, this book is a good read, and worth the time. There are some good tips for growing specific vegetables, dealing with pests, etc. And it’s the only book I’ve found so far that really addresses the annual vegetable garden in a permaculture context. In most permaculture books, the annual vegetable garden rates just a passing reference as to where it should be located.
Rating: 4 / 5
This is a good book – thorough, instructive, easy-to-read, and well thought-out. Every aspect of the permaculture ‘mandala’ system is covered, and the section on moveable ‘chook domes’ is worth the cover price in itself.
HOWEVER – the author fails to deal with some issues that may cause problems in this system, may make it less efficient, and may cause problems for some home permaculture enthusiasts.
The first of these is that the system discussed in the book works very well if starting from a flat, square, bare piece of land with nothing already planted and established.
However, this is not usually the case. Most gardeners come to their property with established planting that they do not wish to remove even though the plants may be in awkward positions.
The book does not discuss how to deal with strong slopes or cliff gardens, and does not discuss water restrictions which may be problematical. In short, it all works very well on paper but may not work brilliantly in reality.
Then there is the issue of the ‘chook domes’ themselves. Gardeners in cold and very windy climates may find that these structures are simply not suitable and workable, yet they are central to the premise of the book.
Overall, the book is worthwhile, but I would argue that better permaculture books exist for a similar price. Jackie French’s ‘Backyard Self-Sufficiency’ is excellent, and most of Bill Mollison’s books, though pricier, are a good grounding in permaculture.
It is also important to note that many copies of this book exist second-hand. If you are a keen permaculturalist and food gardener, I’d recommend a secondhand copy, or a copy from your library.
Rating: 3 / 5
Linda Woodrow’s book has fast become my bible as I establish my own home permaculture garden. The concepts she presents are simple and easy to apply, and she writes with a delightful style which invites me back again and again. Whenever I introduce this book to friends, it only takes them a day or two before they are Linda Woodrow converts too! A ‘must read’ for any beginning permaculturalist.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is the best book Ive read to date on food production in the suburban (or rural) backyard. The author makes very clever use of many permaculture principles and comes up with an incredibley efficient, yet enivironmentally friendly and sustainable system of vegetable and herb production.
I also like this book as it balances the practical with the theory in a balanced and entertaining format.
Rating: 5 / 5
This was the first permaculture book I have ever read and it was so wonderful to read, I have been inspired to create a Canadian version of Linda Woodrow’s mandala garden. The book hits home to me because it is realistic. She tells us exactly how much time and work energy we will need to put in to this system to recieve bountiful gains, and she is a mother of two kids, not a research scientist telling us how to garden.
The book is enjoyably light to read and sometimes funny, not a boring technical gardening book. I recommend this book to everyone, it has become my bible.
Rating: 5 / 5