When it’s cold outside and the garden is dormant, it’s a great time to stay indoors and find some inspiration from some of the latest books on offer. A book makes a great Christmas gift for someone who loves gardening, or why not treat yourself? Our gardening expert Elly West shares her top picks…. ellyswellies.co.uk
Collage the Botanical World, RHS/Frances Lincoln, £16.99
Anyone interested in having a go at collage will love this book, which contains more than 1,000 images from the Royal Horticultural Society’s archives. Choose from the vast variety of flowers, leaves, fruits, vegetables and fungi, plus some insects, birds and animals (and even a few garden gnomes for good measure) all with a nostalgic, vintage feel. Getting creative is made easy, with an introduction by Katy McNulty (@collage.garden) to guide you through the basics of how to collage, including an equipment list and helpful tips on scale, composition, colour and perspective. There’s a selection of beautiful full-page scenes to choose from as your background to begin creating.
Drawn to the Garden by Caroline Quentin, published by Frances Lincoln, £20
This warm and engaging gardening memoir by comedian and actor Caroline Quentin is full of personal anecdotes about her life and experiences in the garden. The overall message is that gardening should be fun, and that simple pleasures are to be had from planning and planting, harvesting and cooking. Included are recipes, practical tips, childhood stories and quotes, giving it the overall feel of a diary or journal, despite being organised by topic rather than timeline. Its informal tone is enhanced by the sketches and simple watercolour paintings throughout, all done by Caroline herself. Her approach to gardening is trial and error, rather than prescriptive rules, a method that she strongly advocates for gaining the most pleasure from the pastime.
A Short History of Flowers, by Advolly Richmond, Frances Lincoln £16.99
Gardeners’ World presenter and plant historian Advolly Richmond explores the history of common garden plants, looking at the stories behind their introduction into cultivation. Advolly, who studied Garden History at the University of Bristol, makes us think further about the plants that we take for granted in our gardens, many of which were brought from far flung countries and continents, with journeys full of adventure, intrigue, piracy and even obsession and duplicity. She reveals the history and folklore of these plants, many of which were originally cultivated for their medicinal, rather than ornamental, properties, and delves into the origins of their common names. The book is beautifully illustrated by botanical artist Sarah Jane Humphrey.
A Garden A Day by Ruth Chivers, Batsford, £20
This chunky book is a visual feast and a real celebration of gardens, with each day of the year celebrating a different garden, along with an illustration or photograph. The reader is transported through history and around the globe, from the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon, to a vegetable plot on the International Space Station, to Queen Mary’s miniature dolls’ house garden, designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens. Through these gardens we discover poetry, literature, art, folklore, history, design and, of course, horticulture. It’s a beautiful book to dip in and out of, full of ideas for gardens to visit, as well as inspiration for our own gardens.
Happy Indoor Garden by Miranda Janatka, Batsford, £20
Indoor gardening is very much on the increase, as we become more aware of both the physical and mental health benefits of surrounding ourselves with greenery. Happy Indoor Garden is aimed at anyone who loves growing houseplants, with essential information on what plants best suit different locations around the home. The first section deals with the fundamental variables of light, temperature and humidity, and how they affect our plants, while the following chapters focus on five room types: hallways and stairs, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, with plant suggestions for each. The second half of the book is a useful directory of houseplants with care tips, as well as interior design ideas and colour schemes that will enhance the botanical display.
The Good Slug Guide by Jo Kirby, Gemini, £12.99
An ideal stocking filler for any gardener losing the battle with slugs and snails, particularly after the rain-filled year behind us, Jo Kirby gives simple and practical advice on how to transform your garden into a leafy, slug-resilient haven, without reaching for the chemicals. Through simple explanations of the science and ecology of the garden, traditional slug-beating advice is turned on its head and some surprising facts are revealed. Who knew that it is only the common garden snail that is a ‘pest’, while many other snails (and slugs) will actually eat the mollucs that are damaging our plants. She discusses other natural predators and how to encourage them, and debunks the myth that a tidy garden deters mollusc pests, as it also removes the food and shelter of the natural predators, leaving slugs and snails with no option but to eat healthy leaf matter over the decomposing material that they would prefer to munch on. A final appendix lists 75 natural enemies of slugs and snails that can be found in UK gardens.
