The New Self-Sufficient Gardener [Paperback]

John Seymour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2008

This revised edition of an old favorite, first published in 1978, explains how to cultivate and preserve all types of fruit, herbs, and vegetables, in addition to instructions on keeping bees and raising chickens. AUTHOR BIO: John Seymour authored over 40 books, including the DK's best-selling Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency and The Forgotten Arts & Crafts. He died in the fall of 2004 at the age of 90.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have a small, jealously guarded library of best-ever food gardening books, most of them now out of print, and all authored by gardeners who spent at least as much time growing food as writing. So when one of these classics comes back into print, I m excited. The New Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour is the latest case in point... A fan of deep-bed gardening, his book shows how to get the most out of small amounts of land. All these principles work as well on a hundred-square-foot city garden as on a farm... The result is a book that's loaded with large, engaging color illustrations of fruits, vegetables, composting, whole gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, trellising, beekeeping, pruning, grafting, and just about every other food-growing activity you can think of. --Sunset Magazine

About the Author

John Seymour, the acknowledged founding father of the self-sufficiency movement, was an active campaigner for the countryside and the environment. Students come from around the world to learn about his lifestyle & philosophies at the centre he established in southern Ireland. He died in 2004. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: DK Publishing (April 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756628989
• ISBN-13: 978-0756628987
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Sustainable Living

More About the Author

John Seymour is the acknowledged founding father of the self-sufficiency movement. Author of more than 40 books, he draws students from around the world to learn self-sufficiency first hand at his farm in County Wexford.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only gardening book I'll ever need, August 16, 2008

By 

C. Ellzey "chrissews" (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Self-Sufficient Gardener (Paperback)

I am an avid reader, and avid gardener. I have bought thousands of dollars of books and this is the first book I have ever felt I NEEDED to write a review for.

This is a wonderful book for the experienced gardener and new alike. The suggestions are practical, inexpensive, and can be applied in any garden. He covers soil, pests, different crops, spacing, garden layout, composting, and more. I checked this book out of the library, but am here today to buy it. It may be the only gardening book you will need (although if you are like me you will add others!).

I love his down to earth way of writing, and practical, useful information.

77 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should consider..., July 10, 2008

By 

Lucie Peek "LJP" (SBI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Self-Sufficient Gardener (Paperback)

the fact that oil prices and food prices have been soaring exorbitantly should by itself be enough to make the everyday person want to consider self-sufficiency. I've been contemplating it recently because I've always loved to play in the dirt. Previously, I have been a 'tomato plants and maybe some herbs' kind of gardener. This year my garden crops have doubled and I have become more and more interested in different types of crops and self-sufficiency ideas. This books is chock-full of ideas and suggestions for just that outlook. Some self-sufficiency guides are nothing more than expensive wishful thinking. Not everyone can afford to put up a $12,500 wind turbine in their backyard. We can't all install geo-thermal heating systems in our houses. Some of us live in the CITY and cannot get away from city zoning laws. John Seymour's book is extremely practical in explanation and suggestion about simply learning how to garden for your own food needs. I learned some brand new techniques for growing potatoes and other root vegetables, and also learned how to get my own fertilizer without having to build compost bins which will probably offend the neighbors. I'm so pleased with this book and so glad that I spent the cash to get it.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by John Seymour, July 8, 2008

By 

G. Wilson (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Self-Sufficient Gardener (Paperback)

I bought this new edition because, like the other reviewer, I simply wore out my old copy reading it over and over again. I think all of his books are wonderful, but this one is my favorite.

The information is presented in a clear simple manner, that will benefit anyone from the first time gardener to a seasoned expert. The illustrations are superb. It is so much more than a run of the mill gardening book.

If you are looking for a single book to help you grow more and better food for your table, you can't go wrong with this one.