The title initially drew me in although the NetGalley summary was more appropriate in that the book clearly includes growing some vegetables that are then stored for winter use - potatoes, carrots and so on. It is written in a very accessible way and gives soil preparation and growing hints for some of the main groups of fruit and vegetables. I like the 'home-made' suggestions for making pots, cloches etc as well as the possibility of buying ready made items. The idea of putting a few recipes after each veg section is good and might well encourage more people to cook from scratch more often. Whether people who are thinking about growing their own need this is, perhaps, debatable but there are some good suggestions over and above the usual boil or stir fry. Coming to the groups of fruit and veg discussed, these seem somewhat quirky - where are the squashes/marrows for example, rather a large and valuable winter food to ignore. These can equally be grown and stored as potatoes and carrots and far more effectively than, for example, strawberries which I would never consider as winter food per se (here in Scotland) unless I'd turned them into jam. The same with 'winter lettuce' outside - in a poly tunnel they survive, usually although minus 7 C inside the tunnel last April put paid to most. More generic Oriental Greens are much better although still need protection - maybe not in France or wherever the author now lives.

As this was an electronic advance copy, for which I thank NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishers, the tables were not formatted so it is impossible to comment on the "Seasonal sowing and harvesting" section. I also noted that the author recommended Bordeaux mix as a treatment of possibly potato blight and blackberry aphids (table not formatted again).- this compound seems to have been banned to amateur gardeners in the UK since at least 2015 - you certainly can't find it in Garden Centres any more. Copper mixtures, 'tonics', that are available are sold to combat trace element deficiencies not as fungicides.

Overall the book should be a useful addition to book shelves for the new gardener. It is easy to follow and has all of the main issues to think about before you even pick up the spade. One thing I would say, before you get this far really think about which vegetables you like and then which you might feasibly be able to grow where you live - then read this book.

Great source of information. I wasn’t aware you could grow in the winter. Fantastic I’d like to put this into action now too

The most difficult part of self-sustained gardening is of course winter. This book is very good on general tips for gardening, with extra info on how to cope with all seasons. It also helps with the right selection of produce, and recipes are included for efficient (and tasty) use of resources. The layout is really beautiful with great pictures.
I got the book via Netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Year's ago, i used to have an allotment and enjoyed growing lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. These days it's just my daughter who is the avid fruit and veg grower. There is a lot of useful information in this book, especially if you have just started a fruit/veg garden or are planning on doing so. This book would be a boon! Even if you are an experienced fruit/veg grower, i still think this book would be useful to have on one's bookshelf. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.