Charles Dowding’s Vegetable Course
£14.00£17.10 (-18%)
Charles Dowding, the master of no-dig gardening, developed his highly successful methods of vegetable growing through 30 years experience of growing and selling vegetables and extensive experiments. Through his courses at Lower Farm in Somerset and his three previous books, he has won a keen following. Beginners and experienced veg growers alike find that his methods work and that he opens their minds to new possibilities. Now he has distilled the essence of his courses and ideas into one book. In it you will find out how to grow vegetables the Charles Dowding way. Charles Dowding’s Vegetable Course is both a straightforward guide to success and an inspiring source of ideas for achieving a more productive vegetable garden for less effort.
Lower Farm, run by Charles and Susie Dowding, has been part of Sawday’s Special Places to Stay collection for 12 years.
Click the link on the left to visit Sawday’s to find out about accommodation at Lower Farm and our other characterful, independently-run places to stay across the UK and Europe. All have been inspected and selected because we like them – what makes each ‘special’ varies hugely, but common to all are owners whose personality, friendliness and local knowledge ensure a memorable stay.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Flexibound edition (1 Mar. 2012), Frances Lincoln |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 208 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 9780711232679 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0711232679 |
| Dimensions | 18.73 x 1.59 x 24.77 cm |
by kiwibond
Having read other books by Charles Dowding I was very excited to see that he had produced the Vegetable Course. I received it just in time for holiday reading….and I wasn’t disappointed. As always with Charles’s writing, you get real detailed instruction…rather than vague notions.
If like me you practice no-dig growing it is wonderful to read of practical experiences with this. If you want precise instructions for growing veg sucessfully in the UK I don’t think you can find a better book. What is more, it is so readable. Some books offer lots of information, but are dry and dull. Then there are the photos of Charles’ garden….what more inspiration could you need?!
by Ms T
Book cover was badly screwed up and creased in different places. The package was however perfectly fine. So the book was like this before packaging. Tut tut!
by Ms T
This book is a distillation of charles’ course, and is full of convincing arguements to give no-dig gardening a go. There are compulsive arguements about the destruction caused by constant digging of the soil, and with charles methods and instructions there is hope beyond the back breaking rituals associated with traditional veg gardening.
Yes it does take lots of vigilance in the first few seasons to keep on top of the weeds, and yes it needs large amounts of compost to make it work. On my allotment i intend to use the ideas in this book as much as i can, disturbing the ground as little as possible, and try to keep areas clear of weeds and covered in compost. I started this approach last year and it did work.
This book isn’t going to be to everyones taste, some people actually like digging, but the proof is in the pudding, and bearing in mind that charles runs a business from his smallholding, the results must be good.
by David C.
Item arrived on time and Looks very interesting. So far easy to read and understand. I’ve only started to read it.
by ElleGee
An essential book for both the beginner and more experienced vegetable grower. In depth details on how to follow Charle’s ‘no dig’ method.
by olliebear
A superb cook for vegetable gardeners, beginners or experienced. A straightforward writing style with useful advice and suggestions. I was at first sceptical about the no-dig approach (soil scientists in my family clucked and protested!) but after a year of fantastic harvests and fewer weeds, I was hooked. But the book offers a great deal of other practical advice, so worth buying even if you are already no-dig convert!
by J. willans
The best vegetable book. Explains laying out no dig beds. It gives good advice on sowing and planting out of different veg. I’ve learnt more from this one book than the many I have read before
by Carolemc
A very practical book that gives you all you need to know about vegetable gardening.
I particularly liked the fact that the chapters are arranged by season, by vegetable and how to grow in succession so that you can cross reference at any stage.
I am an experienced gardener and was inspired by a recent talk by the author as the thought of letting the worms do the digging was very appealing to someone who is now starting to feel the effects of old age!
The book has also explained how I can keep much more of my garden in productive use rather than growing weeds.