An authoritative, comprehensive guide to vegetable, herb and spice plants that explores old favourites and many little-known yet exciting food-producing plants. As well as the A to Z guide to over 200 species, and lists of the most popular cultivars, a general introduction gives a basic background to various aspects of horticulture and plant nutrition. A table of plants for different garden situations at the back of the book is a useful ready-reference. This thorough and extensively researched book is a vital reference, with everything a gardener needs to know, and much that a commercial producer would find valuable, in terms of choice of varieties and marketing of the harvest. This is the companion volume to Discovering Fruit & Nuts, making these two books the complete reference work on gardening with edible plants. Provides inspiration for people to grow and try new foods; Comprehensive and detailed at over 400,000 words with more than 200 colour illustrations as well as full-colour diagrams drawn especially for this book; Includes the history, description, propagation, harvesting times and methods, cultivation and location needs, pruning, popular varieties, uses of the crop, with particular emphasis on nutritional benefits, for each species.

Author Biography

Dr. Susanna Lyle has been involved in both the practical and academic study of plants and soils for over 25 years. She has a PhD in plant and soil science from Exeter University as well as a National Certificate in Horticulture from Pershore College. She has also taught horticulture, plant science and garden design, and planned and planted many private and community woodlands and gardens. She has edited a range of scientific and educational books and journals and is the author of the companion volume to this book, Discovering Fruit & Nuts, published in 2006. After observing food plants in many climates and locations, she settled in Northland, New Zealand, where she continues to read and study, grow, photograph and paint as many of them as she can.