A West Coast Kitchen Garden: Growing Culinary Herbs and Vegetables

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

While this book is billed as a “how to grow herbs and vegetables”
volume, it really is a tour guide to Ravenhill Farm, a private farm
located on Vancouver Island in the optimal climate of the Saanich
Peninsula. (In gardening terms, this a Zone 8 climate.)

The book is divided into two parts: first, an alphabetical listing of
the various herbs and vegetables; and second, a review of specific
gardening techniques practised at the farm. In Part 1, the entry for
each plant contains basic horticultural information such as preferred
growing conditions, diseases, pests, and life cycle. But a close reading
reveals that much of the information is specific to the experience of
the author at Ravenhill Farm. For example, many of the entries that
appear under the subheading “diseases/pests” read simply “None at
Ravenhill,” with no mention of pests that commonly attack the plant.
The techniques and practices outlined in Part 2 are not remarkable and
can be found in most basic gardening books. Again, the information
offered is specific to the Ravenhill Farm experience. Of more practical
use to most gardeners is the list of seed catalogues and suppliers that
appears at the end of the book.

Recommended for gardeners in Zone 8 regions, individuals interested in
herb gardening as a business, and research libraries with a specialty in
horticulture.