The Polytunnel Book

April 15, 2011

Joyce Russell (Kitchen Garden magazine), with her husband, garden photographer Ben Russell, has lived in southern Ireland for many years. Now she shares her experience with unheated hoop greenhouses, or polytunnels, for growing fruits and vegetables. After an introduction to the polytunnel gardening concept, she provides a month-by-month guide to sowing and growing vegetables and some fruits, along with related gardening tasks. Next she includes a guide to each mentioned vegetable or fruit, with detailed cultural instructions. She also covers pests and diseases and how to control them. Her text is illustrated by her husband's color photographs, both beautiful and useful. Unfortunately, other than including metric and Celsius equivalents, this British import is not adapted to U.S. gardeners regarding climate (everything is assumed to be in one temperate climate), plant names ("aubergine" for eggplant; "courgette" for zucchini), or suppliers. VERDICT While it's an informative, well-done book, it will suit only U.S. gardeners living in temperate climates who are OK with UK terminology and schedules.--Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

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