Fruit and Vegetables for Scotland A Practical Guide and History

Kenneth Cox & Caroline Beaton

The first contemporary guide to growing fruit and vegetables in Scotland

• History of what the Scots ate, how and why through the ages.
• The politics and policies of growing and eating fruit and vegetables.
• Climate, soils, shelter, growing indoors, pests and diseases.
• Growers surveyed the length and breadth of Scotland.
• Comprehensive growing guide to fruit, vegetables and herbs describing the best performing varieties.
• Polemical, pithy and engaged.
• Full colour photography throughout

Winner of Garden Media Guild  Practical Gardening Book of the Year 2012

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A practical contemporary guide to growing fruit, vegetables and herbs in Scotland covering the best techniques for growing produce, whether in a garden, allotment, patio or window box. Scotland's farmers, growers, plant breeders, show growers, head gardeners and keen amateurs have shared their wisdom, knowledge and experience with the authors, revealing how from Shetland to Galloway local conditions affect what to grow and how to best to achieve great results.

In addition to the practical information, the book covers the history of fruit and vegetable growing in Scotland including many world-beating Scottish-bred fruit and vegetable varieties such as potatoes, blackcurrants and raspberries. Growing fruit and vegetables and improving the Scottish diet is high on the political agenda at the Holyrood Parliament. How is Scotland doing and how could it do better?

Though many top selling gardening books in the UK are on growing fruit and vegetables, this is the first time a book has been written specifically for Scottish gardeners. Other currently available books are written by and for southerners with no experience of growing fruit and vegetables in Scotland.

Reviews: 'The real joy of this book are the chapters covering how to grow an enormous rage of fruit and vegetables. Reliable, informative and above all a pleasure to read, this book is sure to become a well thumbed favourite.'  Jo Whittingham, author and gardener, The Garden  December 2012

THE AUTHORS

Kenneth Cox, the son and grandson of renowned plantsmen, is himself a nurseryman, gardener and garden centre owner at Glendoick, near Perth, Scotland, world famous for rhododendrons. As a plant-hunter, he has led expeditions to unexplored parts of Tibet and India and discovered new rhododendron species. He has also created many successful rhododendron and azalea hybrids and has written 11 books on plants, gardens and plant-hunting. His popular books Garden Plants for Scotland (2008) and award winning Scotland for Gardeners (2009) has made him Scotland's best selling garden writer. He likes experimenting with new fruit and vegetable varieties.

Caroline Beaton comes from a family of enthusiastic amateur gardeners. In the days of horse-drawn carts, her Great Aunt Ray used to scoop horse manure from the street straight into the boot of her old Jaguar to take home for her beloved roses. That sort of direct action typifies Caroline's approach to life! After 25 years spent as a librarian, Caroline now works at the Walled Garden in Perth. She is a fish-eating ‘vegetarian', interested in the food she eats and pretty keen to know where it has come from. She grows lots of fruit and veg. This is her first book.

Imprint: Birlinn Category: Gardening Price: £20 pbk Publication: May 2012 Illustrations: colour photography throughout

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