This is the complete practical guide to kitchen gardening, from planning and planting to harvesting and storing. It shows you how to design the kitchen garden that's right for you, with original plans for a range of gardens of all shapes and sizes, including a large-scale vegetable plot, a potager, and a courtyard kitchen garden. It covers all the main vegetables, fruit and herbs, with detailed advice on the best varieties to choose. it features 800 photographs and illustrations, including step-by-step how-to sequences showing practical tasks, and inspirational images for design. It offers clear guidance on how to plan your crops, including planting in rows, deep beds, crop rotation and phasing crops for year-round produce. It contains advice on preparing the soil, sowing, transplanting, harvesting and storage, as well as on cultivating herbs and planting, pruning and propagating fruit trees. This book provides all the skills and techniques you need to grow your own crops. There is advice on designing your garden, selecting the right tools, understanding your soil, crop rotation, propagating, pruning, harvesting and storage. A section on common problems explains how to deal with bad weather, pests and diseases. A plant directory covers a wide range of vegetables, herbs and fruit, with information on cultivation, harvesting, sowing, planting and harvesting times, crop varieties,and photographs of growing and mature plants. With its beautiful photographs and clear practical advice, this is the perfect reference guide for every kitchen gardener.