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| Grow Your Own Cut Flowers | 
 enlarge | Author: Sarah Raven
Creator: Jonathan Buckley
Publisher: Winding Stair Press
Category: Book
Buy Used: £16.00
New (4) from £28.20
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 1106361
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 144
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8 x 0.7
ISBN: 1553662652
Dewey Decimal Number: 635
UPC: 804712002730
EAN: 9781553662655
ASIN: 1553662652
Publication Date: June 2002
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Publisher: xDate of Publication: xBinding: xDescription: 1 55366 265 2 Hardback. Fine Copy in Fine Dust Jacket. 4to. pp 144. ISBN 1 55366 265 2
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not the right book to buy! July 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have been an organic gardener and garden designer for years. I bought this book out of curiosity to see what Ms Raven's insights might be. I was disappointed not to learn any 'tricks of the trade' from it and, in fact, was scandalised by some of its irresponsible, old-fashioned content. For example, Ms Raven suggests, when growing sweet peas, that it is essential to place mousetraps around them otherwise the seeds will be eaten by mice. I've been growing sweet peas since I was a child and nothing has ever eaten my seeds. Ms Raven also states it is essential to use slug pellets around the plants. This is also nonsense. I never use any pesticides or chemicals on mine and they are always fabulous and superior to neighbours who do use pellets (which can poison beneficial wildlife). My current crop - my best ever - has no slug damage at all. Her advice here is draconian and cruel; mousetraps are an appalling way to deal with mice and also kill other creatures like shrews, who are useful in the garden. Additionally, she says the long stemmed varieties don't smell as good as the short stemmed ones. Tell that to mine! Her comments about mildew are also incorrect in my experience. Ms Raven is very self-opinionated and has obviously not spoken enough to other gardeners about their own experiences with growing flowers for the house - especially 'green', progressive gardeners. Rather strangely, she then later gives 'organic' advice on how to deal with earwigs. This has very obviously been thrown in to please those who garden organically, which is rather condescending but easily seen through.
Sadly, Ms Raven speaks with great authority, which is rather disturbing given the sometimes poor and misguided advice being offered in this book.
Lovely pictures, yes. But for those I could have bought a book on flower arranging. One thing this book did do was inspire me! Yes, it has inspired me to develop my own website about organic gardening where no chemicals or cruel traps are used and the wildlife does all the pest control. Many people have been doing it that way for years with as good, if not better results than Ms Raven, and we have the photos to prove it!
 Not what I thought December 18, 2003
100 out of 103 found this review helpful
I just thought I would write a review for this book incase anyone makes the same mistake as me. I bought this book thinking that it would be a comprehensive guide to growing cut flowers with detailed information on lots of plants, cultivation, disease, storage, etc. For someone who wants specialst advice, has gardening knowledge and who wants more detail and information on producing cut flowers this is not the book for you. However although a lovely book,this is more a book for someone who likes to look at nice pictures, wants a brief idea of how to lay out their back garden to grow a few detailed flowers for their kitchen table. The idea is great but if you are passionate and wnat more than a browsing book I think this one may let you down - if you have average gardening knowledge, an idea of flowers you like and know how to continually cut flowers so they keep producing over a long season, then this book won't give you any more useful information. It would be good for someone who has never contemplated cutting a flower before and needs to be tempted to do so.
 Fantastic book - highly recommended December 6, 2003
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
This is a great book for anyone interested in growing their own cut flowers or for anyone wishing to learn the basics of flower arranging. The book takes you, step by step, through the basics of both so you do not need any prior knowledge. The photographs are fantastic and the ideas can be adapted to any size of garden. This is a very inspirational book - well worth buying.
Refreshing, modern and inspirational March 7, 2002
41 out of 43 found this review helpful
I picked up this book because of the vivid colours on the front and was not disappointed with the insides. This is a brilliant and stylish guide to growing flowers, in your garden and even in windowboxes, and to cutting and arranging them for the house and for friends. The plant lists are particularly good, with tips and recommendations from Sarah Raven, who has such a warm, personal writing style, and pictures of every one mentioned. The book focuses on the simple aesthetics of flowers - colour, smell and texture - with stunning pictures, many of them taken from Sarah's own garden. All in all this is a highly original book, full of ideas and practical information, but a joy to look at as well.
"practical as well as inspirational" February 25, 2002
45 out of 46 found this review helpful
This is a follow on to 'The Cutting Garden', not an alternative version. It reflects Sarah Raven's concentration on growing bulbs, annuals and biennials to give cut and come again flowers for the house. As well as beautiful and inspirational photographs there are masses of practical tips, clear instructions and an honesty about what Sarah Raven has learned from experience. Her views on planting distances, feeding plants and siting bulbs have changed during since writing 'The Cutting Garden' and the results of her experiments appear here.
An enjoyable and encouraging book to read while dreaming of harvesting armfuls of flowers.
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