Stuart Robertson's Tips on Organic Gardening.

Janet Collins is a freelance writer in Sechelt, British Columbia.

For nearly 30 years, Stuart Robinson has been answering gardening questions on CBC Radio and TV. This book includes some answers to the most commonly asked questions about organic gardening.

The book is written in a question/answer format. Simple questions (e.g., what makes a good soil?) garner a response that is informative without being overly complicated.

The text is nothing if not thorough. The chapter on composting, for example, covers almost 20 pages and includes everything from selecting a composting site to various types of composting systems (including vermicomposting kits). In other chapters, fertilizers are demystified (flowers, lawns, veggies, and trees all take different formulae for different reasons), and proper planting techniques are explained.

Cautionary notes (e.g., don’t use a sprinkler or spray nozzle for the garden as you are liable to get water on the foliage, which will encourage disease) are helpful additions.

A calendar of monthly chores, a glossary of gardening terms, a reference bibliography, and an index complete the text.

It is Robertson’s simple illustrations that give added value to this book. Something as seemingly straightforward as setting a lawnmower’s blade height suddenly makes more sense, as does the proper method for planting asparagus roots.

The great thing about this book is that it applies to any part of the country, and any growing zone.