The Seasoned Gardener is one of those books that’s hard to categorise. Not really a ‘how to’ guide, it nonetheless has lots of gardening tips. Yet, for that reason it’s not just a simple reflection on growing.
Author Liz Zorab practises self-sufficiency at a homestead in Wales where she produces not only for fresh fruit and veg but also for stored food – bottling, freezing, pickling, canning, and making wine.
(I was given a book in return for a fair review.)
Byther Farm is the second homestead Liz and her husband, referred to as ‘Mr J’, have created and The Seasoned Gardener is as much about how they are turning the pretty barren ground into a productive space as it is about how to grow.
We hear about making raised beds, planting raspberries, creating a ‘compost compound’, and designing and planting a new rose arch – Byther Farm isn’t just about crops you can eat.
Starting in September, the busiest time when it comes to storing her produce, Liz takes us through the gardening year, musing on the sights and sounds, talking about what inspires her, and passing on knowledge gleaned from years of growing: the best time to divide perennials depending on when they flower; why she plants garlic deeper than gardening guides suggest; her pick of lettuces to grow.
We’re told how to make a rooting liquid from willow stems, learn about her ‘bad compost’ heap, a method of dealing with difficult weeds, and get instruction on a simple way to plant a bare root tree.
What makes The Seasoned Gardener more than just a gardeners’ guide are Liz’s observations on why she grows and the highlights of the changing seasons from watching birds in winter to discovering squash under a mass of leaves.
“. . . finding a squash that you hadn’t spotted growing is a bonus, an unexpected gift from nature.”
Her aim, she says, is to show us how gardening is not difficult and growing food is more about possibilities than problems. The secret is to “let go of the need to control everything in the garden”.
The Seasoned Gardener by Liz Zorab is published by Permanent Publications with an RRP of £20. You can buy it here for £16.99. (If you buy via this link, I receive a small commission. The price you pay is not affected.) Alternatively, you may wish to buy from an independent bookseller here. All prices correct at time of publication of this post.
Enjoyed this? You can read more of my gardening and garden-related book reviews here.
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