I've found this wonderful book for urban gardening in Austrailia - "Backyard Self-sufficiency". Written by decorated Austrailian author Jackie French, who is probably best known for her children's books, this book is full of practical and relevant advice for growing food to eat in your own garden year-round.

There are many benefits of growing your own food - it cuts down the carbon emissions associated with the production and transport of commercially produced food, you can control the chemicals your food is exposed to before you eat it, it's fun to do and the food tastes infinitely better!

I loved this book because it was really thin, but crammed with really useful information. Jackie also points out that a lot of the conventional gardening wisdom has come from English gardeners and doesn't necessarily apply Down Under. Jackie's advice is based on her own experience of gardening in New South Wales and it's tailored for Australian and New Zealand gardeners.

Get a taste of the book here

For those Earth Mums out there reading this thinking - "Nice idea, but I don't have time to scratch myself! How am I going to find time tend a garden?" Jackie assures us that caring for a self sufficient garden doesn't need to take long. She claims to only spend half an hour in the garden each week (not including harvesting the produce). And her garden is enormous!

Jackie's website is well worth a look. You'll find information on all her books, recipes, gardening advice and even tips on getting kids to read.

I bought my copy of Backyard Self Sufficiency from Booktopia, an Australian on-line bookstore (save those transport emissions!). You can get it here.