A book to have with you throughout the year; it provides a month by month, season by season guide to our world including important dates, all things moon-wise (phases, rise and set, key dates and gardening), sky-wise (night and day, sunrise and set) and sea-wise (average temperature, spring and neap tides, tide tables which can be converted to your local area). Also included are nature (hedgerows), the flower and kitchen garden focusing on jobs and crops and finally the kitchen! The book provides a reminder of vegetables, herbs fruit, meat and fish which are in season and gives recipes linked with that month/season. The month concludes with ‘charm of the month’ and a song for the full moon.

The black and white illustrations by Julia McKenzie are beautiful and I plan to colour my book as I use it throughout the year. The Almanac 2020 provides a quick guide to what we can forage and when and a new feature this year is ‘sauce of the month’.

All in all, the book provides a timely reminder of the seasons but also a way to craft our own seasonal celebrations!

Reviewed by Annie Leonard (Herb Society Trustee)

 

The Almanac

A seasonal guide to 2020

Lia Leendertz

Publisher Mitchell Beazley

ISBN: 978-1-78472-521-1