Hands in the dirt : grow your own kai with Mrs Evans / Leah Evans; photography by Lottie Hedley & Leah Evans.

Includes recipes.

Cover -- Title page -- Contents -- Living more simply -- PART ONE: WHY & HOW -- 1. Why bother? -- Gardening as a health model in action -- We are part of the environment -- 2. Where to start -- Types of edible garden -- Building great soil -- Growing from seed -- Transplanting -- Crop rotation & companion planting -- Liquid plant food -- Chop 'n' drop -- A learning curve -- PART TWO: MRS EVANS' KITCHEN GARDEN STAPLES -- From garden to kitchen -- 3. Beetroot/Rengakura -- 4. Beans/Pini -- 5. Broccoli/Puanani/Pupihi/Poroki -- 6. Carrots/Karoti -- 7. Cucumber/Kukama -- 8. Herbs/Otaota -- 9. Kamokamo & Pumpkin/Paukena -- 10. Leafy Greens -- 11. Zucchini/Roroa iti -- 12. Potatoes/Riwai -- 13. Tomatoes/Tomato -- Thank you! -- Index

With the cost of living rising, growing our own vegetables makes complete sense. Leah Evans shows us how in this straightforward book. She begins with heaps of easy-to-understand advice on how to start gardening: growing in small spaces and containers, building great soil and compost, growing from seed, transplanting, companion planting and much much more. There is detailed information on eleven easy-to-grow, nutritious kitchen-garden staples: beetroot, beans, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, herbs, pumpkin, leafy greens, potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes. Includes tips for pest and disease control, growing healthy crops and harvesting. Plus garden-to-kitchen home cooking, basic preserving, inspiration for leftovers, and tasty, easy-to-make, hearty recipes. Food security has become one of the most pressing issues today, and Hands in the Dirt teaches the basics that have been lost. It's the must-have book for every beginner gardener, everyone after some garden inspiration and every home cook.