It is obvious from his writing that Patrick loved nature and held a deep concern for the Earth and its people. In The Minimalist Gardener Patrick’s belief that gardening would connect us to nature and also tackle the environmental costs of today's food production systems is evident in every chapter. He offers advice, hints and tips, as well as a chapter applying permaculture principles beyond the garden.

Despite being made up of separate articles written over a number of years, it has a sense of flow and ease to it, taking the reader step by step through the concept of minimalist gardening. The writing is clear and eloquent and yet it is dense with decades of knowledge and experience.

From dry beds and garden paths to seeds, plants and perennials, each chapter has incredibly valuable information for both novice and experienced gardeners. Patrick has also taken the time to think out each plant recommendation, based on its energy, food offerings and time demands. For example, he favours self seeders and ‘cut and come again’ plants over single harvests, and takes care to explain the importance for planning for continuity so the garden is producing food all year round. The true minimalist garden would have fast growing crops to increase the overall yield of produce. Purple sprouting broccoli then would be out as it needs to stay in the ground for a long period of time. However, if you wanted to grow it you could interplant it with fast growing crops like lettuce to maximise space usage.

Throughout the book, Patrick provides a guide to getting an incredible amount of food from a small space. The combinations mean ‘minimalist’ gardeners have more plants per square metre than in a monoculture. The ground is covered more completely and quicker, so weeds get less of a look-in, again meaning less work.

Accidentally, or perhaps this was Patrick's grand vision, the articles and subsequent book, The Minimalist Gardener, have created a blueprint for any gardener to follow for an incredibly nutrient dense, high yield garden. It is clear from each chapter that Patrick Whitefield embodied the essence of permaculture in everything he did.

Going beyond the garden, the last chapter links the ethics of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Shares to our lives. He offers ideas on how we can learn from ecology and reduce our impact while getting our needs met and living a joyful life.

Regardless of the reader's knowledge of permaculture, The Minimalist Gardener has the ability to change any sized British garden into a food forest and for this alone, is recommended to anyone looking to start a kitchen garden, minimalist backyard or allotment. It seems that to Patrick Whitefield, being a minimalist gardener doesn’t mean a garden of less, but rather a garden of plenty, especially when compared to the time put into the initial space.

Also from Patrick Whitefield

How to Make a Forest Garden

How to Read the Landscape

Permaculture in a Nutshell

The Earth Care Manual