RHS Great British Village Show - review

So, thanks to the lovely Viv at DK Books, I got a beautiful hamper through the post today :)

Bunting! Jam! Chutney! Seeds! And a lovely book written by Thane Prince and Matthew Biggs :)

The jam and chutney were hand made by Thane Prince (you may remember her from the Big Allotment Challenge?) and are delicious :)

The book is beautiful, lovely illustrations, and a good solid volume with a sturdy hardback cover.

And although I have not read every single word (yet) what I have read is great and very informative.

The book is well laid out and very clearly written ( as one would expect from DK!) 

From DK's website ;-

Enter a world of tents, tea, and terrifically good jam with RHS Great British Village Show. Written by Thane Prince and Matthew Biggs, and with a foreword by Alan Titchmarsh, this is the only guide to a unique British tradition.
Every year, hundreds of country shows and fairs take place across the UK. Celebrate this tradition and step behind the scenes of the British country show with insider facts and beautiful photographs that show you every aspect of preparing, presenting, and prize-winning on the big day.
Discover how judges reach their nail-biting decisions by using official RHS guidelines for over 100 fruit, vegetable, and flower categories, and learn how to prepare show-quality preserves and bakes with tips from the experts. RHS Great British Village Show tells you exactly what the judges are looking for - and what to avoid.
Packed with staging tips, expert guides, photo diaries, and prize-winning recipes, RHS Great British Village Show is a unique insider's look behind the scenes of a wonderful British tradition.

So, if you were wanting to have a go at entering a village show this summer  ( with fruit, veg, flowers baking, preserves or other goodies)  or even just wanted a useful guide to growing and making stuff from what you grow - this is a great book to add to your bookshelves.


RHS Great British Village Show, published 3rd April 2017 by DK books price £20

ISBN:

9780241255612

Thanks, Viv!

Disclaimer. I was sent a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own and I was not paid to write this post.

Book review THE MAGIC & MYSTERY OF BIRDS:

Following on from my review of Once upon a Flock, which was a fabulous book about Chickens, I was recently asked if I would like to review another book about birds. I am always keen to read a new book and birds are a particular passion of mine so I was pleased to receive THE MAGIC & MYSTERY OF BIRDS: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human, by Noah Strycker.

From the press release which came with the book

Do humans have more in common with birds than previously thought? US ornithologist Strycker thinks they do. Here he reveals intriguing parallels between the behaviour of birds and our world, and shows how, by studying memory skills, co-operative nesting, pecking orders and more,  they can help us to understand humanity

 
I say "another book about birds" but as soon as I read the first few pages I realised that this book is so much more than that. Each chapter is a fascinating and interesting self contained essay on a different aspect of bird behaviour, with a wealth of scientific evidence and interesting facts on every page. Author Noah Strycker is a photographer, writer, and associate editor of Birding magazine. Named ‘Young Birder of the Year’ in 2004 by the American Birding Association,  he travels the world birdwatching and it is obvious he really knows his subject.

For example I knew that vultures could scent decaying flesh and that was how they homed in on carrion but I had no idea that they could safely digest rotting meat which is so laden with bacteria (botulism, anyone?) it would kill anything else, something which may well hold clues to combating serious infections in humans.

I knew European wrens liked to huddle in a bundle for warmth but Australian fairy wrens actively help their neighbouring family by feeding and caring for young, not their own.

I knew hummingbirds spent the night in suspended animation every night but I had no idea they were so violent towards each other at the feeders!

This is a book I found I dipped into; a book to be picked up, savoured,  a chapter read and then thought about and digested for a while before moving on to the next one.  In fact I have been carrying this book around on trains and reading a chapter then putting the book down to really think about the contents.

If you are interested in why birds do, what they do, if you have ever watched your chickens sort themselves into a pecking order and wondered how,  if you have ever wondered just how so many starlings manage to fly in a huge group without banging into each other or how homing pigeons get back home, then this book is a must read.



THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF BIRDS
Published by Souvenir Press, 18 September, £18, Hb

 Disclaimer - I was sent a copy of this book in order to review it. I was not paid any money for this review, and it is my honest opinion of the book,

Book review "Crochet - the complete step by step guide"

#crochet @dkbooks

I love crochet, but then you all knew that, didn't you? So it was hardly surprising that I spotted an advert for this book in Mollie Makes magazine # 37. I had bought the Mollie Makes magazine because writer, needlefelter and artist Gretel Parker featured on the cover and I was off to her workshop at Cinderhill Farm the next day.

The front cover image of this book is very memorable and eye catching and is what I remembered spotting in MM so kudos to the art editor, photographer and whoever made the throw most of all! I thought at the time that this looked a good book to add to my collection and that I might save up and get Crochet (or drop lots of hints before my upcoming birthday).

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I was sent a copy of Crochet to review along with the Small Spaces Big Ideas book I wrote about here



The DK website says of this book

Crochet is the go-to crochet compendium, with more than 80 crochet projects, from simple flower blankets to crocheted baby bonnets and chunky scarves. Crochet uses step-by-step techniques and photography to cover basic stitches, such as chain stitches and treble crochet, and includes helpful practice projects to build your confidence, before embarking on more adventurous and impressive crochet patterns. Beginner crocheters are clearly led through every stitch or if you are already familiar with knitting and other crafts you can pick up a great new skill quickly to create beautiful crochet projects, such as cute gifts, things to wear and items for the home. Crochet is the perfect guide for crocheters of all levels of ability.

Having had a good look through this book over the last couple of weeks and tried out a few of the stitches and ideas I can only conclude one thing - this book is excellent and DK are absolutely correct in what they say

I am a moderately experienced crocheter (some stitches at least) and there were loads of interesting ideas for me to try in this book. The how to pages are detailed and clear and I was able to learn some advanced stitches to try out, but if you needed to learn the basics it is all there with very clear illustrations. Patterns and charts are all explained as are the tools you need and different yarns to try.

I loved the pages about alternative yarns - as I am in the middle (still!) of a crochet rag rug it was great to see this included and the metal wire crochet had me dashing to sort through the Cupboard of Doom to find my stash of wire and seed beads.

There are lots of ideas for real, proper, useful things to make ( I loved this wrap!) 

and also different types of "granny squares" to try, not just the usual square but hexagons and suchlike.


 
as well as bags and rugs and sweaters and cushions and hats and ...oh so many lovely things!

In conclusion - if I were made to chose just only one book on Crochet to keep from all the ones I have, this would be it. I think it is really good, with wonderful illustrations and photographs and a very good contents list and index. 

I love it. 

Crochet

DK Publishing - Author
Publisher: DK
Hardback : 03 Feb 2014
£25.00

With thanks to Vivienne  at DK for sending me the books :) I did not get paid to write this post apart from having the book to keep.

Book review - "Small Space Big Ideas"

As you know I often get asked to review items, sometimes gardening or chicken keeping equipment and sometimes books. Recently I was sent a press release for a new book by Phillipa Pearson, published by Dorling Kindersley called Small Space, Big Ideas.

The press release said the book would  provide inspiration and practical projects to get balconies, window-sills, porches, patios, roof gardens and even stairs and walls blooming. It also mentioned that the book had a crafty homemade approach to gardening 

I thought it sounded interesting so I agreed to have a copy to review.

When the book arrived I was really rather impressed with it - a substantial hard backed book with beautiful illustrations and a very comprehensive set of instructions accompanying each of the 40 gardening projects in the book.

This book does indeed have a very "crafty" feel to it - lots of the ideas would not look out of place in a craft magazine like Mollie Makes- but the the book is still very much oriented to growing and gardening. Both ornamental and edible plants are grown in the projects and there is an emphasis on being able to produce both food and beauty in even small gardens.

Although I have a large garden, you can see I have marked a lot of projects in this book which I want to try! I particularly liked the Colourful Salad Colander ( p32) - I first saw a similar idea at the Yeo Valley Organic Gardens cafe and I can vouch for how spectacular it can look.

The Saddlebag Balcony Planters (p 74) made from oilcloth and filled with plants to hang either side of a balcony are really great - I would be quite tempted to have some on my actual bicycle :)


 


The Portable Hanging Insect House (p 198) looks wonderful and would appeal to many a diy enthusiast as well as a gardener - and the finished product looks both effective and very stylish.





I really liked the Wildlife Hamper (p210)- insect attracting flowers growing in a basket  - I think this could make a wonderful gift if the basket were given as a kit with the seed packets in it. I did a similar thing last year to grow Celery, and it is still going strong in the polytunnel so I know this technique does work.


In fact I liked the whole book, I really enjoyed looking through it; there are some good ideas which I want to try and as an inspiration and source of ideas this book is really brilliant. 

Although not explicitly organic, I could see no use of chemicals (apart from paint and varnish) and lots of organic growing methods were mentioned, such as companion planting and attracting beneficial insects to the garden. Composting and maintaining a healthy ecological balance in the garden was also discussed and various methods outlined. The book has a useful section on how to grow and maintain plants, with general care and harvesting advice. It also has a very good contents list at the front and index at the back, along with a list of suppliers.

I do wonder if some of the containers could be obtained as easily as the book assumes (old zinc tubs are quite expensive and I don't often see them!) and I was a bit disappointed not to see more prominent mention of using peat free growing medium rather than just saying to buy multi purpose compost.

These are minor quibbles and this book would make an interesting and attractive addition to the bookshelves of a gardener and/or craft person or indeed to a beginner in either.

Small Space, Big Ideas

Author: Philippa Pearson

Publisher: DK 

Publication date: 1st March 2014

£16.99

With thanks to Vivienne  at DK for sending me the books. More about the other book in another post :)

Book review "Christmas Stories" by Michael Morpurgo

I have to hold my hand up and say with pride that I am a complete bookworm and the "rules" about children's books being for children don't really apply, in my opinion. I believe that if a book is well written, it will appeal regardless of the age range it is aimed at.

So there are many authors with books on the bookcase in Compostgirl's bedroom which I enjoy reading : Philip Pullman, Alan Garner, Michael Rosen, Elizabeth Gouge; to name but a few. Many of the books in Compostgirl's collection are books I owned and read as a child and teenager and have passed on to her and I still enjoy re- reading them, today.

I have long been a huge fan of the author Michael Morpurgo; Compostgirl has read pretty well all the books he has written and owns nearly all of them and I often pick one up and read it with great pleasure. I find his writing to be moving and realistic and very engaging. So I was delighted to be sent a review copy of  "Christmas Stories" by Michael Morpurgo

This is a collection of three of his existing Christmas stories, along with a fourth NEW story "The Goose is getting fat".

This is how the publisher's website describes the collection:

The Best Christmas Present in the World: A mysterious letter in a secret drawer brings one night in the Great War vividly to life. Writing home from the front, a soldier has an incredible story to tell.
On Angel Wings: A singing of wings, a glorious light, and a sudden beacon of brightness? It can only mean – can it really? – a visit from the Angel Gabriel himself...
The Best of Times: When the Prince and Princess marry, joy rings out across the land. But all too soon it fades away and a shadow hangs over the royal palace. As Christmas approaches, Prince Frederico must find a way to warm his new bride’s aching heart.
The Goose is Getting Fat: – A NEW STORY! Gertrude the goose is getting bigger by the day, and Charlie is proud to look after her. But as Christmas approaches, the thought of the grizzly fate awaiting her fills him with sadness. Can he save Gertrude from the Christmas dinner table?

 
Four very well know illustrators (Emma Chichester Clark, Sophie Allsopp, Quentin Blake and Michael Foreman) have provided beautiful illustrations  - indeed I delighted in the pictures as much as I did the words.

All four stories are wonderful - I won't say any more as I do not want to spoil the stories but they are really lovely.

Although titled "Christmas Stories" this book could be read and enjoyed at anytime. If Compostgirl were still a toddler this is exactly the book I would buy her for Christmas. As it is *I* loved reading it and I hope some of you will, as well. 

 

This book is a ( sturdy) paperback, beautifully illustrated and priced at £14.99 It is aimed at children aged 5+ years old 

(but this 50+ year old loved it, too!)

With thanks to Egmont publishers for sending me a copy to review.

"Grow Harvest Cook" book review

I was sent Grow Harvest Cook to review some time ago and have only recently got around to using it, but am glad I did!

The press release which came with the book says

Grow Harvest Cook is a collaboration between experienced gardener Meredith Kirton and food writer Mandy Sinclair. This comprehensive guide, offers advice on growing your own produce, indispensible tips on harvesting, storing and freezing, and finally over 280 recipes for what to whip up from your home-grown yield. Grow Harvest Cook shows you how to grow everything from peppers to passionfruit and has recipes ranging from delicious Apricot Tiramisu and Caramelised Parsnip & Chorizo Salad to Pork Cutlets with Sage and Prosciutto.  

This book has instructions for growing ingredients, harvesting them and then some recipe ideas for cooking them.  If I am perfectly honest, I was a little dubious about the availability of some of the ingredients as the authors are Australian so I expected a lot of the recipes to contain things not easily grown here.

But I was wrong ! Some of the ingredients are probably more common "down under" - I certainly can't grow lemons easily in my back garden, but I know from reading blogs based in Australia that this is very common, there. The few items which we don't grow here ( lemons, papayas, watermelons and persimmons were the main ones I spotted)  are available in the shops if you want to use them.


The book is well laid out and easy to use, with a good list of contents at the front and a very useful index at the rear. The growing tips seemed easy to follow and the harvesting/preserving ideas I  looked it seemed to follow what I know to do.

I found lots of suggestions for combining some ingredients which were fresh and new to me and I think that is this book's best feature - it gets you thinking about different ways to use familiar ingredients. I particularly liked the idea of combining prawns, peas and avocado as a salad ( I added pea shoots as well) and the spinach and ricotta pie was very good.  I was intrigued by the idea of Jerusalem artichoke bread but have not tried making any!

This  is a solid, hardback book - which looks like it will withstand being handled in the kitchen without falling to bits, a huge bonus if you have ever had old favourite paperback books disintegrate due to handling! This book also has some lovely illustrations and beautiful photographs by Sue Stubbs.

So, I was impressed and "Grow, Harvest, Cook" has been added to the bookshelves :)

With thanks to Hardie Grant books for sending me a review copy.

Grow Harvest Cook retails at £20 hardback

Book review - Once Upon A Flock - chick(en) lit

I am, as you know, mad about my chickens - I love my feathery girls very much indeed and am always keen to hear about other chicken keeper's experiences. For some time I have been reading illustrator and chicken keeper Lauren Scheuer's blog  Scratch and Peck . I find it very entertaining  and love her illustrations.

So when I was asked by Kew Books if I would like a review copy of Lauren's new book Once Upon a Flock, I jumped at the chance. I love the way Lauren writes on her blog, and the press release and the blurb on the book cover made me pretty sure I would like the book as well.

When writer and illustrator Lauren Scheuer was looking for a new project she decided that chickens were just what she needed to bring her back yard to life. She built a coop, read books on hen rearing, and placed her order for four chickens of different breeds, chosen to provide colour and decoration to her lawn. She expected a daily supply of fresh eggs. What she didn’t expect was that her fluffy round chicks would grow-up to be hens with big personalities, and that she would fall completely in love with her quirky flock.

 
Well, I didn't just like the book, I LOVED it. It is a really terrific book and I really enjoyed reading it. Lauren is obviously also chicken obsessed, which is reassuring for me as I know I am as well!

I also loved that Lauren really really wants to understand what her feathery girls are up to and what they are thinking - I know I spend endless hours watching and wondering eggactly (sic) what my lot are doing (in the case of Pearl, plotting world domination I suspect)

I also empathised with Lauren's experiences of chicken motherhood - so carefully observed and gently retold; it made me smile and wipe away a tear ( in a good way) as the words on the page made me recall all the broody hens and chicks I have experienced and how much they touched my heart.

The illustrations throughout the book are wonderful, as are the photographs. The number and scale of the chicken "coops" Lauren has built is awe inspiring; I have several new ideas in my head as a result and I promise this book will make you want to pick up a hammer and nails and some lumber to go build something!

Lauren clearly loves her chickens with a passion and it shines out from every page of this lovely book, one which, although aimed at adults, could also be read aloud with children. There is no bad language, no distressing scenes, it is just a really good story, well told.

One which, in my opinion, should be read by everyone to learn how to see love, everywhere.


Once Upon a Flock was published by Souvenir Press, 3 October, £18.99, Hb and is available from all good book shops and Amazon, online. It is also available as an e-book.



With many many thanks to Jane Beaton of Kew Publicity for sending me a copy to review :) Jane, you made my day :)