Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Paperback – February 14, 2013

I absolutely love this book. My husband and I just started a huge organic garden and this book has helped us a lot even though it is not an organic gardening book. Outside of tomatoes we are new at gardening. This book gives you a history of each plant. It tells you the Medicinal Purposes, Warnings if dangerous, Species, Container Growing, Culinary, Pests and Diseases, Garden Cultivation and even includes some recipes. I especially like the companion planting which is really helpful when planning your garden. It has color pictures of each and every plant.The herb section is wondeful. For example, on Hyssop it has a recipe for Basque-Style Chicken then on medicinal it explains how it is used mainly for coughs, whopping coughs, asthama and bronchitis and upper respiratory catarh. On the warnings it explains how it should not be used in cases of nervous irritability. Strong doses, can cause muscular spasms. How the oil should not be used in aromatherapy for high-strung patients, as it can cause eplieptic symptoms. Do not use continuously for extended periods. No form of hyssop should be taken during pregnancy. I had never even heard of Hyssop before this book!!!The fruit section it is divided into 5 sections: Orchard Fruits, Soft, Bush, and Cane Fruits, Tender Fruits, Shrub and Flower Garden Fruits and Nuts. It also includes recipes like Crab Apple Jelly. I must admit I have not really studied this section because I am so involved in the vegetable section but am planning to use it next year.The last two sections in this book are Practical Gardening and Yearly Calendar and it includes Crop Rotation, Herb Gardens, Medicinal Herb Garden, Pollination and Companion Planting, Weed Control, and Pest and Disease Control amongst many others.The only critique I can give this book is that I wish it had been spiral bound and I'd have liked to have known how deep and far apart to plant things. It has so much information and it is a big book--it has 640 pages.My friend Michelle who is an avid organic gardener kept checking this book out from the library. What is so ironic is that we were not aware that the other was looking at the same book. So, I introduced her to Amazon and now she is going to buy this book too. I saw this book at the library and fell in love immediately and went home and ordered it.

Great book! It's large like a textbook and has so much valuable information about many common plants in the garden as well as some I haven't heard of before. It has times to plant, harvest, things to plant near it for sister planting, pests to be weary of, plus a little bit of history and fun facts about the plants. It's awesome and a great reference to keep on hand

I have gained so much from this book. It's a must have if you're a gardener.

If a gardener is looking for just one book to own, this is the one. It has a great variety of over 70 vegetables and 100 fruits and a great addition of 100 herbs. I love that every item in the book has a very detailed variety of information pertaining to it. It starts of course with the name and short description/history of the variety. It goes into the different varieties, cultivation, companion planting, pest/disease, medical uses, and culinary tips which includes a recipe for many. It will also give container gardening tips if applicable. The practical gardening section is great as well. It has over 60 pages of information ranging from garden layouts, preparation, and maintenance and harvesting. A great section I haven’t seen in my other books was a crop rotation section; this is something many may have missed starting out. So whether you are a beginner or experience gardener, it is a great reference for all.

Honestly growing up i had a brown thumb but I really wanted to grow a garden and so I checked this book out from the library and just kept renewing it for a year before buying my own copy. It taught me a ton of tips and tricks that seed packets and other gardeners wouldn't tell me. Probably because what I needed were bare bone basics about specific plants that a gardener with experience wouldn't think about it [it'd be second nature]. The sections are clear and understandable, well organized, there are recipes for after you harvest, and even a plant killer like me has successfully grown a small vegetable garden. I recommend this to everyone who wants to learn more about plants; and even successful gardeners would benefit from this encyclopedia. I recommend this in combination with square foot gardening as it becomes fun and easy to grow your own food or flowers.

Beautiful illustrations.Tons of great information.However, I’m still trying to understand how the book is setup. It says it’s in alphabetical, but it isn’t that simple. We’ve had to use the index to find every vegetable we’ve looked up.Also, there are only two kinds of peppers in the book—bell & chili. That’s it.

This book is awesome ! The first night I had it I already tagged dozens of pages to go back to read more in depth and for future reference. The information is great and the pictures are amazing. The only thing I think it is missing is pruning chart diagrams. That would have made it THE all inclusive book and I would not now be searching for a book with said diagrams. Bottom line is I will be using this book A LOT and am pleased with my purchase.

For the price its worth looking into as it jam-packed with information about all types of Fruits and Vegetables , included common herbs.Well written and easy to understand for those interested in this subject and are into growing their own Fruits and Vegetables.You wont find a better book on the subject and the price is marvellous for the information you receive. Im turning into a Raw Food eater, as I know the benefits Raw Fruits and vegetables have contained within them, especially the Vitamins, Minerals and Phytochemicals that help you fight off diseases. A subject worth memtioning and another book worth buying would be David Wolfs book on SUPERFOODS.Well recommended.John from Malta

This is a fantastic resource for anyone who is interested in growing their own produce. It covers a wide variety of different species and includes a general breakdown of every type of crop. It is a great beginners who are looking to see what they can grow in the climate they live in. There are even recipes and medicinal information! There is no information in this book that isn't useful. Definitely recommended for any aspiring gardeners!

Wonderful book onVegetables and fruits around the world...World-class photos and information...worth buying..

Great colorful book, fun reading! Great book to entice a beginner into growing food.

This book is fantastic! I am new to gardening and I found it easy to read and extremely helpful. It covered all questions that arose for me with my garden.

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES, YA DIG!?