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Gardening books.


Pun

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Just thought I,d pass on a bit of info that may help any budding new gardeners starting up,

 

1/ when next in the U,K. try looking in the likes of OXFAM shops for all your gardening books, they are cheaper than buying new and many times you,ll get some of the older easier to read and understand editions,

 

2/ one of the best garden tools any keen gardener can own but you dont see for sale in this part of france (dept23) is the good old trusty Hoe, a few minutes per days use will save many back breaking hours work trying to remove weeds.

hope these few ideas help.

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I definately agree about the Dutch hoe - I can't get on with the French style things at all (more like a pick axe!). I would also add a garden fork to the list - if you are only 5ft 2" the French forks are too big for comfort!
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 I agree, I often look for gardening books in charity shops, they are often cheap.

I was at Hampton Court Garden Show yesterday and had a look at the RHS selection of books. They had two books I think I have mentioned here before, both by Beth Chatto. The Gravel Garden and The Dry Garden (paperback, now).

BTW The porter told us that Hampton Court is the biggest Garden Show in the World, but I'm not sure how they measure it, numbers attending or acreage. ?

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/russethouse/Hampton2006SG7.jpg[/IMG]

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You would have no chance with a dutch hoe in my garden. It's fairly heavy and clay. and has to be caught between sticky and concrete to be workable at all. The draw hoe is not a french tool. it is pretty universal. What I can't get to grips with (literally) are the spades with no 'D' handle. I have one gardening book which is an absolute treasure. How to Grow & Produce Your own Food by  Charles Boff. I don't know when it was originally published but my copy was reprinted in 1946! It covers all fruit and vegetable production and even goes into rabbit,goat and bee keeping.
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[quote user="Russethouse"]

 What time of year is it ?

I made a bee line for WS Warmenhoven who are Allium specialists, I love bulbs, my idea of an easy plant !

http://www.wswarmenhoven.com/

 

[/quote]

Floriade is every 10 years and runs April to October (I think).  There is already a website for the 2012 edition!

http://www.floriade.com/floriade_engels/index.php

When we went we stayed at Haarlem and went to visit a load of nurseries as well.  Here's a bit on the 2002 edition.

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/floriade.htm

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Hi  rob,

Ive tried the "T"  shaped handles on both the french spade and fork and even tried putting the pipe cover used for protecting pipes from frost as a comfort grip but to no avail,

Im going to use the tools to make a veg garden gate,

they will be mounted in the gate and this will (I hope) add that old garden look to the entrance of my veg garden. and ease the wasted cost of buying them in the first place.

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Hi saddie,

I had the same clay problem in our old house back in the U.K. and the best way I found was to use manure and leaf mold, just keep using this method and in time the clay will be workable,

Do you have a compost bin? for house hold waste etc.

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Charity shops - particularly Oxfam - seem to be good for wildlife books too. I've found some superb bargains over the years. Another good choice for current gardening books at low prices is www.thebookpeople.co.uk. They don't (or didn't) ship to France, but if you live in France and get visits from friends or family to whom you can have the books delivered, that solves that one.

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category1_10001_10051_10021_100_10019_10019

is the link straight to the home and garden section. [:)] Occasionally the books may be the company's own imprint - ie, it won't say Collins on the spine, it will say Ted Smart - but in all other respects - especially quality of paper and binding - it will be the book that costs 50% / 60% more in the shops.

It's often worth browsing www.psbooks.co.uk as well. They do remaindered books at good prices and while, therefore, they don't have recent publications (and some of their list is incredibly, scarily specialist) if you search on GARDEN (or France Garden) they do normally have things of interest. PSbooks do ship to France.

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