The ancient method of growing vegetables in hot beds, used by the Victorians and by the Romans, harnesses the natural process of decay to cultivate out-of-season crops. Jack First has revived and modernised this remarkable technique, and produces healthy vegetables at least two months earlier than conventionally grown crops.

With advice for the new gardener, covering everything from how to plant seeds, when to pull up the carrot and how to harvest potatoes, this book will sort you out - whether you have a balcony, bare concrete, a patio or a larger patch of ground.

This fresh, fascinating and entertaining look at an early, but absolutely crucial subject - who to recycle our greatest natural resource - is a gem, and destined to become a classic of agricultural literature.

How to Make & Use Compost features an A-Z guide, which includes a comprehensive list of what you can and canåt compost, concepts and techniques, compost systems, and common problems and solutions.

The modern guide to storing and preserving your garden produce, enabling you to eat home-grown goodness all year round.