The Curious Gardener's Almanac: Centuries of Practical Garden Wisdom

by Niall Edworthy

Celebrating the garden in all its splendid diversity and rich a collection of facts, curiousities, ancient wisdom and customs, tips and recipes.

Over 1,000 entries of remarkable information about flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees, herbs, insects, birds, water, soil, tools, composts, climate, recipes, gardens and gardeners, myths, superstitions, biodynamics . . . In short, a collection as profuse and variegated as gardening itself.

Woven into this wealth of knowledge are famous quotations, anecdotes, traditional sayings, lines of verse, and words of rural wisdom.

The spirit and focus of the Almanac is British but the wider picture is international. Nothing dry or dull here, the presentation is as appealing as the content.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Reference

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2006

Reviews

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful book to read. I read it very slowly, because I had it in my bathroom 😳But as a result I ended up reading about the current season. It’s full of quotes about gardening, plants and animals/insects (those found in a garden) and suggestions what to do in your garden and when. Lots of fun stuff and very useful information too. There’s an index, so I think (I Hope) I’ll be able
to reference it in the future.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and eclectic selection of garden facts, trivia, and even some recipes.

[Deirdre E Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who enjoys gardens from the sidelines or amongst the inhabitants will find this book full of ah’s, chortle’s, guffaw’s, laugh’s, oh’s and titters. This treasure is full of wisdom and wit from years, decades, centuries of handed down gardening know how. Brilliant, thank you Niall Edworthy :-)

[Karen Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but entertaining and informative book about gardening, full of quotes and tidbits of knowledge from gardeners ancient and modern. The book is divided into seasons, with a fifth section at the end on gardening with children. Charmingly old-fashioned illustrations.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

very nice little book on gardening poetry and other interesting ideas. I enjoyed it

[Aubrey Nekvinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book and truly helpful for my garden. A+ formatting and mix of content.

[Rory L'Estrange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight; it's humourous and light hearted, with plenty of interesting facts and pictures presented beautifully. I have laughed aloud many times reading this book.

[IE · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF page 38, it had some gems but seemed a lot of filler, too.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. The design was lovely. I found the page layouts with the green text a refreshing change of pace from most book formats. I was charmed within ten pages and never found myself disliking any part of the book. It offers a wide range of information, from useful tips to obscure trivia. Despite the seemingly random topics and information it's well organized. It left me eager for spring again so I can revitalize my vegetable garden. I dare say it also left me better equipped to achieve my garden goals.

[Kay]

I am an avid gardener and would recommend this if you are too! I always like another gardener's perspective and any information I can get to make my garden better is always welcome. Read it and enjoy.

[Fernleaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book, full of tidbits about the garden. Divvied up by season and type of plant (vegetable, herb, flower, fruit) it has useful tips, handy lists, and other tidbits like quotes or facts. A great book to crack open and read a few pages without worrying about getting bogged down.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A curious mix of trivia, useful information, old sayings, etc.

It even includes a quote from Mae West.

Worth buying.

[Julia]

Birthday present.

[Reece Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, interesting and informative