Here is a beautiful book on the garden, written by Luca Mercalli climatologist and great broadcaster that many already know, my garden between heaven and earth .
This is not a cultivation manual , the text does not have the ambition to be, but a reasoned account of the author’s experience in the garden. Luca Mercalli, talking about his family garden, dwells on the good practices put in place and the motivations, in particular ecological, which push him to cultivate. It could be considered a light book, also because it is fluid and written in a very pleasant way, but it is full of clues and thoughts which can enrich the reader.
Of this book I personally enjoyed very much quotations inserted in the text : if it were published on the internet it would be full of links, especially the first chapter which talks about agroecology . Luca Mercalli often questions other authors, in doing so he does not limit himself to a bibliographical note: the quotations are well contextualized and become a fundamental part of the text. Works cited are usually introduced and contextualized inviting the reader to dive into it . A curious person will find many stimuli and that alone is worth the price of the book. Conclusion: You thought you had started an eye-catching brochure and could get away with it overnight, instead you find a few thousand pages to read… Great!
ecological value from the orchard is the central theme, we find it from the funny subtitle » notes on meteorology and agricultural ecology to save the climate and the cabbage which also introduces us to the close relationship between climate and agriculture. The benefits of an orchard in terms of sustainability are many, from kilometer zero to the rejection of pesticides, but in addition to the concrete, there is also the connection with nature.
Concerning cultivation indications Luca Mercalli is a very skilful horticulturist, who intelligently and methodically analyzes the different stages of cultivation and inserts into the text lots of good advice . Particularly on tilling (not tilling) the soil and dealing with weeds, he writes things that are certainly not taken for granted in mainstream farming. I find it very useful to find these observations as simple indications of common sense, well explained and motivated, even outside the cage of the various now structured “methods” of natural agriculture (such as synergistic, biodynamic, …). The hope is that they can make it that way too to a wider audience readers who cultivate the garden without much conscience… You will find in Luca Mercalli’s book indications towards a more sustainable and natural agriculture.
A special mention deserves the chapter on the garden and the weather , taking into account the skills of the author. Luca Mercalli tells how he created a small weather station for his garden and invites you to pay particular attention to weather phenomena.
In conclusion, this book it is interesting for anyone who cultivates a garden forks affordable for all . It must be disseminated, because the writing is very clear even for those who have no agricultural experience and has the effect of making them want to cultivate.
Where to buy Luca Mercalli’s book
My garden between heaven and earth is a book published by Aboca Edizioni and it’s quite popular. If you want to read it, you can look for it in the library, although due to the various indications it can be useful to always have it at hand to consult it and then look for it in the library.
Online it can be found in various stores, I recommend you buy it in Macrolibrarsi , an Italian company very attentive to ecological issues and sustainability. Alternatively, if you’re not curious about trying something else, you can also find it on Amazon.
I remind you that if you follow the two links I put here to buy the Orto da Coltivare support (as better explained on the transparency page), just in case, please do so.
book highlights
- Clear and pleasant writing style : It’s not as difficult to read as a manual and the 100 pages of the book flow very well.
- Great attention to both practical aspects I, literally “earth earth”, as to the motives and the impact of our small choices on the planet.
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the Rendez Vous Inside the book are a veritable mine of reading tips.
To whom I recommend “my garden between heaven and earth”
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For someone who has a vacant lot and is looking for motivation to start a garden.
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For those who don’t feel like reading a manual, but want to know more about the culture.
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To anyone, because even those who do not cultivate eat the fruits of the earth every day: it would be nice to have a little more “agroecological” awareness.