After years of helping clients grow fruit and vegetables, the Little Veggie Patch Co. crew believe anyone can grow their own food, in most any area in Australia. And in this bestselling easy-to-use guide they show you how simple it is!

Fundamentals such as Soil, Climate, Watering, Composting, Worm Farms, Saving and Sowing Seeds, and Raised Garden Beds and Crates are all covered comprehensively – each with fully illustrated step-by-step plans that show how to create your own little veggie patch in any space.

A complete A-Z of Edible Plants gives you vital information on more than 40 vegetables (and fruit trees), including detailed planting information, ongoing maintenance advice, tips on best companions and when to harvest. And the Weekend Activities scattered throughout the book will get the kids involved too, whether they’re Making a Scarecrow, Building a Spud Tower or Growing Beans in a Bean Can.

Lots of fun, and packed full of all the knowledge you’ll need – plus recipes and some hilarious stories – this colourful guide is for anyone interested in growing their own food.

Back in April, when COVID-19 was spreading at a rapid rate and I started working from home, we built two veggie boxes in the backyard and started growing vegetables — snow peas, Brussels sprouts, carrots and onions. The Brussels sprouts got eaten by birds, twice, the snow peas are currently flourishing and providing an abundance of greens to my weekly stir fry, and the carrots and onions are still growing. With the end of Winter and the start of Spring, I’ve just planted lettuce, parsnips, eggplant, capsicum and radishes, and I’ve also built a herb box on the concrete wall next to the veggie boxes.

When I was embarking on this new hobby of mine, I watched every Youtube video by The Little Veggie Patch Co. I read every blog post. I also tried really hard to buy their earlier books, but struggled to find them in stock anywhere.

Enter their latest release, An A-Z Guide to Growing Food in Small Spaces. It’s hard to explain how excited I was to read about the upcoming publication of this book. This is a re-release of their first book, a compact guide to cooking vegetables all year round in Australia. This is the perfect book for anyone else who has been interested in growing vegetables during COVID-19, or any time in their lives really. This is for anyone who would like a companion guide on their shelf to refer to whenever embarking on a new vegetable plant.

“Capsicums are typically a late summer vegetable but in some areas can be harvested into winter. If you have trouble deadline with the glut, slow roast them, then preserve them in good olive oil — a delight to eat on a crusty loaf with a rub of garlic.”

I’ve lost track of the sections in this book that I’ve followed religiously since it arrived on my doorstep — I’ve read every chapter at least twice, studied every vegetable so I could decide what to plant next. I’ve already decided I’m going to build a spud tower in the backyard when I have a spare weekend, and I’m also working out the best spot to plant a lemon tree.

This book includes information on every major vegetable, from tomatoes and carrots to beans and corn. You’ll find out when to plant, how to plant, when to harvest, and how often to water. Scattered throughout the book are also some fun activities to involve the kids, as well as DIY tasks around the backyard to help you on your gardening journey.

Information is clear and concise, very easy to follow. You’ll read this book and then want to plant absolutely everything. The zone map is particularly helpful, as well as the section at the back on pests and insects, and how to fight them off when they’re trying to eat your food!

“If you intend on growing bulbing onions, be prepared for a lengthy growing period, as it will take 4-6 months before they’re ready for harvest. For the home vegetable garden, where space is at premium, multiple bulbing and bunching varieties are a better investment of your veggie-growing real estate.”

The only thing I feel is missing from this book is an indication of how long each vegetable takes to grow. I just planted parsnips in the backyard veggie box and then googled it, only to find out they take six months to grow! I would’ve liked to know the average time from seed to harvest without having to resort to the internet, but other than that, this book has everything.

Recommended for keen gardeners — from novice to experienced, this book will be a welcome addition to any household library.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Little Veggie Patch Co: An A-Z guide to growing food in small spaces
Mat Pember and Fabian Capomolla
September 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers