GROW FRUIT & VEGETABLES IN POTS: PLANTING ADVICE & RECIPES FROM GREAT DIXTER by Aaron Bertelsen

Phaidon Press, £24.95 ISBN 978-0714878614

A charming, thorough and truly inspirational book, showing how everybody can grow some of their own food in almost any situation. Reviewer Tom Coward is head gardener at Gravetye Manor.

Aaron Bertelsen has spent his life cultivating and loving plants and as a passionate cook has always had a special interest in growing fruit and vegetables. Over the past ten years he has developed the kitchen garden at Great Dixter to the highest standard, and the dishes he produces from it have become legendary.

But in a little courtyard, outside his kitchen door, Aaron has developed the most beautiful, vibrant and delicious garden, full of produce grown entirely in pots. This space has become his secret pride and joy and has been designed to create the maximum amount of pleasure from the smallest of spaces. Many people aren’t lucky enough to have a space in which to garden, but by using Aaron’s methods it is possible for anyone to enjoy the pleasures of growing food almost anywhere.

In the first part of this beautifully illustrated book, Aaron discusses how the container kitchen garden can work and describes planning, growing and caring for the crops, including information on which types of container and compost to use, growing from seed or plugs, watering and mulching, feeding and weeding, staking and pruning.

Next, he presents the crops available, divided into sections on salads, root vegetables, other vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers, and gives experienced advice on growing them, including key dates and common problems, alongside his own favourite varieties. Last, he shares a selection of his recipes, which is a collection of the best home cooking from friends and gardeners around the world.

If you have limited space and time but have always wanted to grow fresh produce, this book will inspire and guide you in enjoying one of the most basic pleasures in life. It also encourages the experienced grower to think outside of the box and consider what can be achieved with plants in any situation.