Charles Dowding's Vegetable Garden Diary: No Dig, Healthy Soil, Fewer Weeds Spiral-bound – Illustrated, 3 Dec. 2016

This is a really well put together diary though it's really a reference book for me. It's obviously done month by month and CD points out what needs sowing, weeding, feeding, harvesting for each month and also gives helpful suggestions for what you could be sowing for next month or next season etc so you always have some seedlings to keep you going vegetable wise.so easy to forget about sowing in July for Autumn - winter harvests.The book has advice and tips on many areas of gardening although I guess if you're a total novice you may need a more in depth book like 'How to create a new veg garden' or even ' Vegetable course' or How to grow winter veg' all by Charles. He has good common sense tips which dispel old myths and save time and energy such as " After using pots and trays, simply refill and start over". Thus axing the idea promoted in many books and websites that you MUST wash and brush all your pots and trays every time you use them! This is often suggested by well meaning folk who've rarely held a trowel in their clean hands! And he points out that raised beds don't NEED raised sides and put all you weeds and prunings into your compost. Charles Dowding who made No dig gardening famous and popular, especially for women who suffer with bad backs, also gives advice on compost making and why it's vital to a vegetable garden - vand so much more. He gives lots of ideas on different ways of feeding and protecting the soil and a page of FAQs. He also has a delightfully laid back way of describing things and clearly a sense of humour as in "Love your garden: start on St Valentines Day!"There are plenty of tips for indoor and outdoor sowing and growing, some of which again dispel myths like - you must harden of green house plants before planting them outside- and there's nothing more annoying than preparing a bed for planting seedlings only to remember you haven't lugged them in and out of the green house for 3 days+ to acclimatise or harden them off!There really is a wealth of clearly explained information from building raised beds, what soil mix to use and how to control pests plus what size the veg should be for harvesting, how to water and protect seedlings, aftercare if your harvest as in how to dry off potatoes, garlic etc and how and when to prune fruit trees. And it's not just the traditional staples he gives advice on, but more difficult and exotic plants like aubergine, squash, chillies and sweet corn .There are some very helpful planning ideas towards the back of the book on what, when and where to plant in different sized beds including first, second and even third sowings, and says from a plot 5ft X 16 ft ( 1.5 X 5 metres) he harvested 94 kegs of vegetables!! Amazing. He even tells you how to rotate your crops but again is far more relaxed about the whole theory than most gardening books, and since he's been a hands on vegetable gardener for nearly 40 years, I guess that makes him quite an authority. So this is a really helpful and quick reference for when you're out in the garden, or those dark winter months helping you to plan and potter in the December sunshine. I doubt if I'll be organised enough to make notes about my crops successes or failures, but the book certainly has quite a few fingerprints now from my thumbing through to refresh my memory on whatever I'm sowing etc. CD also has some very useful videos on his website about how and why you remove side shoots etc from tomatoes and cucumbers and other interesting things to a committed or aspiring gardener. I was concerned that it wouldn't be so relevant to my garden half way up a mountain in the North West but when I emailed him, he gave me some time-lines to adjust my sowing season thus resolving my concerns etc. This would make a very welcome present for any seasoned or beginner gardener. And the spiral bound form makes it easy to use in the green house or potting shed, it stays open without needing a heavy pot on one page! Like all his books, it's useful, easy reading, helpful advice and tips and so thank you Charles! I would really recommend it.

I really like Charles Dowding, but clearly he is a shrewd businessman. If you've ever watched his video's you'll have noticed that he only ever gives enough free info before having to buy one of his books for the rest of the information. That's fine when it's free and I did buy his book, so it works, but when you buy the book, you shouldn't then have to buy another book to find out the other part of info he isn't giving, which is why I'm giving it four stars, instead of the five it should have got. It is very well written, I love his observations, though some may find him to be smug in his own methods, the diary layout is very useful in that it is not too formulaic and leaves room for decision making and common sense to be used. I wish I could give it five, because he is very good at what he does, and I do admire his business acumen, even if I don then have to buy more of his books!!

I'm absolutely obsessed with watching his videos. He makes it all look so easy. I've switched to the Eden/Dowding method of gardening (no dig/homemade compost/no nasty additives/mulching, etc) and I've seen some dramatic differences in my garden. The diary is OK, but I think it can be improved. TBH, if it was A3 sized with plenty of wallets, hardback and with all the bells and whistles that I would love, it would be ridiculously expensive. Looking forward to following a lot of Charles' hints and tips. As far as I am concerned, he's now the Main Man in the gardening world. Just need to get out there in our horrible weather and get some work done.

Timelines, sowing times, plenty of information for a first book on gardening. Stephanie hafferty is his partner and also produces brilliant work.

I have a few of Charles' books, easy to read, and full of useful information. Inspires you to try it out. I dipped my toe in the water with just one raised bed following his methods, had really good results so far. I'm going to build further raised beds for next season

I was actually a bit disappointed with this book, though I was greatly looking forward to reading it. Having watched all of Charles' YouTube videos, I found this to be largely a summary of the information in those. The diary layout did not work for me. I prefer to look at a section on carrots, or what to do in April, but this has bits of information next to each week which I've found irritating to relocate after the time. I've dipped into it often as I'm sure I'm missing something, but I just can't organise my growing or develop my knowledge with this book. It clearly works for many other people, but for me it was a little empty.I have since, a little reluctantly, purchased another of his books, this time about salad leaves for all seasons. I've found it much more detailed and informative and I'm much happier with this book.So, I think you should definitely have some Charles Dowding on your shelf, but I'm not certain this diary should be your first choice. Sorry Charles :(

This diary is excellent as an accompaniment to Charles Dowding's other books. Very useful when used alongside 'Organic Gardening', which I'd recommend for more detailed information. Some great tips, lovely photos, and as you would expect of a diary, space to write your own notes.

This book allows you to understand the principles of 'no dig' gardening with lovely photos to demonstrate it in practice. A book to refer to again and again as well as being a useful tool in recording progress in your own garden.