Weeds: An Organic, Earth-friendly Guide to Their Identification, Use and Control

I enjoyed this book, and no I'm not a 60 year old fart who enjoys books about buttons and how to clean fridges. I'm 26 year old aspiring botanist/gardener and this book is a great place to start. Lots about green living and much useful knowledge in easy to read formats

An interesting little book but quite expensive as it is only a short read. Would have liked info on more weeds/ wild flowers. I have quite a few weeds that it does not cover.

Excellent guide to common weeds detailing approaches to dealing with them in an earth-friendly way plus large section with photographic identification of all the common garden weeds and their relative risks / ease of removal etc. A must for any gardener!

This is a great book. We are just starting an organic vegetable plot this year and the book has been a revelation - it's wonderful to see what weeds are helpful in encouraging insects and wildlife and and can be safely encouraged and which should be watched carefully! It's clear, well written and with very helpful photographs. I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could. Highly recommended.

I got a couple of tips. Didn't think enough weeds were included and am still at a loss as to what some of the weeds are in my garden. Didn't think illustrations were particularly good enough to identify weeds. Probably good for someone starting out gardening but less so for an experienced gardener.

Clear and concise, all the information you need.

This is a comforting little book that speaks up for ‘weeds’. The author is keen to tell you about their finer points, before telling you how to manage them in an earth-friendly way – if you still want to. He describes a selection of 60 weeds common to the UK Midlands. The principles apply to many other weeds of similar habit or species, so this is not intended to be a definitive guide. It is more of a ‘spiritual’ guide; a guide to developing a mindset that recognises that some weeds have a useful place, and others do perhaps need gently dissuading if we are to achieve our gardening goals.The first section builds the case for ‘weeds’, their place in the ecosystem and their secrets to success. This includes their growing habits, lifecycles and propagation mechanisms. ‘Living with weeds’ then explains the benefits that weeds can provide for the gardener, including soil improvement, food for us and for wildlife, mulch, indicators of soil health and fertility, and homes for wildlife. The middle section, ‘know your weeds’ gives information for each of 60 weeds to aid identification, understand benefits and risks, and how to gently manage them as required. The final section provides information and techniques to prevent, clear and control weeds without chemicals. This includes essential information about what weeds require in order to grow, and therefore how to frustrate their efforts. For example, if you cover the soil to exclude light, seeds are unable to germinate. There are some really simple ideas which don’t involve backbreaking work with a spade.All in all, this is a gentle, friendly and interesting book which leaves you feeling that you know and appreciate a lot more about ‘weeds’. It will empower you to manage them in a way that is gentle to both your back, and the ecosystem of your back garden. It has definitely earned its place on my shelf.

Weeds: An Organic, Earth-friendly Guide to Their Identification, Use and Control I have been gardening organically since the mid 1980s as well as teaching wildlife and organic gardening. I am now rather particular as to which books I read on this subject. This book is a hidden gem! I must confess that I found this book interesting, enlightening, honest, practical and sensible! I liked it because it was written by a true organic enthusiast who has based the book on his own experiences and not a cut, copied, pasted book. I can see the time, effort and trouble the author has had over the years and has past on his experience and advice. I can almost feel the groans as he finds bindweed on his allotment plot! Down to earth good, honest, practical advice based upon experience. Thats my kind of book. The lay out is simple, easy to follow, informative and nicely set out. I have learnt from this book. It covers most of the weeds/wildflowers that may cause problems in your garden. I can't praise it enough. Packed full of useful, interesting information. One thing I would have added would have been photographs of young plants and not just at their flowering stage, as they can look very different at this stage of their life. But hey, that's another 60 photographs added to the 60 already photographed. I would absolutely recommend this interesting book and believe it would make a thoughtful Xmas present for the gardener in your life.