In quick summary, it’s the grow-your-own-food book I really hoped that somebody would write because it’s exactly what I wanted to buy. It has the advantage of being written by a foodie and professional cook, so it starts with delicious fruit and veg you’d want to eat rather than just basic stuff you can grow.

It’s a very impressive book, and is so beautifully laid out and illustrated that I’d have to describe it as ‘allotment porn’. First and foremost, you don’t actually need to have an allotment to get the most out of New Urban Farmer – it’s fine if you have a small garden, a raised bed, or containers such as pots or window boxes. Best of all, if you’re new to food gardening or coming back to it after a break, it gives you a comprehensive overview of what’s possible in a smallish space and tell you the basics of what you need to do to get started and keep going. The most important points of pest and disease control are covered, as are green issues.

The chapters run month by month, and there’s a handy table in each chapter to tell you what to plant indoors, what to plant outdoors, what you can plant in containers, and what to pick for eating. Next to each what-to-pick there’s also a page reference for growing tips or recipes. The recipes really make the book, and are all innovative and either vegetarian or vegan. Every chapter gives you a list of the most important jobs to do around the garden that month too.

The writing style is conversational and largely practical, and the author communicates her enthusiasm very effectively. At the end of the book there’s a helpful list of recommended suppliers (I’ve used many of them in the past and have to agree), and another list of further reading. If I was being picky, I’d say that one minor fault in the book is a lack of mention of specific plant varieties, so you get generic ‘beetroot’ without mention of, say, the ‘Boltardy’ variety that new gardeners might find easy to grow. However, that is a minor gripe and there’s a limit to how much information you can put into a book of this nature without making it overlong.

To conclude, New Urban Farmer is an extremely attractive book aimed at new or returning food gardeners. It’s inspiring and engaging, and would make a lovely gift or you could just buy a copy as a treat for yourself.

New Urban Farmer by Celia Brooks Brown, published by Quadrille on 5th March 2010, with an RRP of £14.99

However, there are several areas where they fit together perfectly. It’s impossible to get everything into one article for reasons of space so here’s a quick overview for starters, and then I’ll write properly about each point in turn at a later date.

Buy less, buy quality
Buy fewer, more versatile clothes that you know you’re going to get a lot of wear out of. Having a few plainer items makes it easier to mix and match to create variety, and they are less likely to go out of fashion after just one season – you can put together an interesting capsule wardrobe without too much outlay. For inspiration there are now several green style websites that showcase good looking garments from more environmentally friendly manufacturers, if you’d like to buy new.

Take care and repair
Hanging clothes up properly, cleaning them gently according to the instructions, pressing them carefully and storing them away from moths can keep them looking good for years. Quick running repairs also keep garments going for longer, and sometimes it’s worth paying the professionals for invisible mending and so on.

Alter to suit
A little extra tailoring will give you the perfect fit on something you’ll want to keep for a long time, or you can customise clothes to keep up with seasonal trends or your personal taste. Give an old outfit a new lease of life. If you don’t feel like doing the handiwork yourself then you can buy ‘upcyled’ and customised clothing from a growing number of retailers, and look for garments made from recycled materials.

Borrow or rent
Get outfits or accessories on loan from friends or relatives (with a few ground rules agreed beforehand), or hire/rent anything from men’s suits to this season’s it-dress or designer handbags. Much better value than buying something expensive and then hardly using it.

Swap or swish
Swapping used to just be straightforward swaps with someone you knew, but now you can try organising or attending a one-off swapping event or party, or using one of the many new commercial or charity swapping services that have sprung up.

Buy second hand
Give a vintage piece a new lease of life, keep clothes in use and out of landfill sites, and stand out from the crowd in something unique. Home made, high street or designer, there’s something in every price bracket. What’s not to love?

If anything’s been left out here, feel free to add your 2p worth and more in the comments below. Updates on their way later…