Edible Perennial Gardening

This interesting book is packed full of Anni's favourite tasty edible perennials. With explanations of how to source and propagate different vegetables, which plants work well together and plants suited to different environments. It includes basic principles and getting started, growing in polycultures, site selection and much more."This is a valuable addition to the literature on growing perennial vegetables. The author’s experiences of creating and maintaining polycultures are a great guide and inspiration to this challenging aspect of edible perennial gardening." Martin Crawford, director of the Agroforestry Research Trust and author of Creating a Forest Garden and How To Grow Perennial Vegetables."I love Anni’s book. She’s taken traditionally ‘big space’ ideas and approaches and brought them alive on a domestic scale, where most gardeners operate. The bigger picture of redesigning our food system with perennials at its heart underlies, yet it never gets in the way of inspiring and enabling the reader with case studies, examples, advice and experience. A must-have for forward thinking gardeners." Mark Diacono, experimental gardener, journalist and author of A Year at Otter Farm.In these times of soaring food prices, growing food in cities is becoming the big urban trend. As demand far outstrips supply for allotments, Permaculture in Pots shows you how to get started with whatever space you have available appealing to those who feel powerless to meet their own subsistence needs through lack of growing space. Month by month we learn what to grow on a balcony or in a container garden, using low impact permaculture principles. It doesn’t matter when you pick up the book and start your journey of container gardening wherever you are in the year, open the book to that chapter, and it’ll tell you what you should be doing. Each month’s section details jobs to be done; how to plan ahead for the next season; and which fruit and veg to sow, grow and eat. There are recipes, photos and anecdotes from Kemp’s experience growing food on her small balcony in Southwark; Kemp is warm and self-effacing, and makes an excellent guide. Each month has its own herb, with growing tips and culinary and medicinal uses for each. As uncertainty rises about whether those outside the property ladder will ever get to own their own home, Permaculture in Pots gives power and opportunity back to generations who are becoming more aware of the need of self-sufficiency, and yet find themselves in rented homes with concrete where gardens once were. There’s no excuse not to get started!