Books Our round-up of the best books of 2017, plus the chance to win all 14 in our competition
Our favourite gardening reads from 2017
THE THOUGHTFUL GARDENER: AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO GARDEN DESIGN
by Jinny Blom Jacqui Small, £35 ISBN 978-1910254592 This sumptuous book by designer Jinny Blom aims to chart her progression from ‘apprentice to journeyman to master craftsman’. The scale of many of the featured gardens could be off-putting for the rookie designer or garden owner, but intimacy is central to Jinny’s designs and many of the images reveal serene spaces that could also work in small gardens. Reviewed by Annie Gatti in the April 2017 issue.
NATURAL SELECTION
by Dan Pearson Illustrated by Clare Melinsky Guardian Faber, £20 ISBN 978-1783351176 Dan Pearson’s book is a selection of ten years of his Observer columns. He writes about his former London garden and his new home in Somerset, where he is transforming a smallholding into a garden that is a distillation of all that he has learned over the years. Interspersed are entries about his city allotment, the garden of his design studio, and glimpses into the private domains of his international clients. Reviewed by Stephanie Donaldson in the May 2017 issue.
MY GARDEN IS A CAR PARK
by Kendra Wilson Laurence King Publishing, £12.99 ISBN 978-1780679259 This is publishing for the Pinterest generation – a dizzying array of beautifully presented options. Not all of this book will be relevant to everyone (if you’re worried about your garden being too small, you’re unlikely to concern yourself with the woes of an apple glut), but its compact form makes it handy to pass on to a friend. Wilson has produced a book that will allow those who feel daunted by their garden to discover the fun of gardening. Reviewed by Johnny Bruce in the February 2017 issue.
PLOT 29: A MEMOIR
by Allan Jenkins 4th Estate, £14.99 ISBN 978-0008121969 Plot 29 starts out as a journal about life on the north London allotment that Jenkins shares with his friend (and renowned garden photographer) Howard Sooley. He charts the ebb and flow of the seasons, the comings and goings of fellow plotholders and the joy of pushing seed into soft earth, anticipating the crops that will emerge. This book is an acknowledgement of the truth that however poor your plot, you have the power to improve your lot and reap as you sow. Reviewed by Jodie Jones in the June 2017 issue.
HEAD GARDENERS
by Ambra Edwards Photographs by Charlie Hopkinson Pimpernel Press, £35 ISBN 978-1910258743 Ambra Edwards profiles 14 head gardeners, managing places as distinct as cloistered Oxford colleges to the heavily trampled lawns of hallowed public gardens. The photographs capture the essence of their subjects in a detail such as a flapping jacket or muddy boot. The book is a covert plea for investment in gardeners, because if we’re to maintain the gardens we value, we need to value those who maintain them. Reviewed by Caroline Beck in the October 2017 issue.
SNOWDROP
by Gail Harland Reaktion Books, £16 ISBN 978-1780234922 Woven throughout this book are the delightful, and sometimes humorous, stories of galanthophiles – the men and women who have collected, bred, described and enthused about snowdrops; some larger-than-life eccentrics, others modest and retiring. The portraits Harland pens of these individuals, from the provost of Trinity College to the sister of the Queen Mother, provides a fascinating and inviting view of the world of galanthophilia. Reviewed by John Hoyland in the January 2017 issue.
SOWING BEAUTY
by James Hitchmough Timber Press, £25 ISBN 978-1604696325 Sowing Beauty aims to enable the reader to establish from seed beautiful perennial plant communities that will stand the test of time. The case studies are candid insights into the various projects Hitchmough has been involved with over the years. Each concludes with ‘what worked and what didn’t’, showing how volatile and difficult the process of sowing and establishing perennials can be, but also how wonderful they can look when successful. Reviewed by Mat Reese in the May 2017 issue.
HERBS
by Judith Hann Nourish, £20 ISBN 978-1848992825 Twenty years ago, former TV presenter Judith Hann moved to a small farm and began to grow herbs on a large scale. Over time, she has become a serious plantswoman and cook. Herbs are either ‘hard’ (bay, thyme, rosemary) and useful for long cooking, or ‘soft’ (basil, coriander, parsley) and added at the end or scattered over salads. The book is full of practical asides: lemon verbena is a good substitute for lemongrass; winter savory is good for edging formal beds. Reviewed by Jojo Tulloh in the September 2017 issue
MY LIFE WITH PLANTS
by Roy Lancaster Filbert Press, £25 ISBN 978-0993389252 From his boyhood discovery of a South American tobacco plant in a Bolton allotment to more recent tales of plant hunting in distant lands, this is vintage Lancaster. It is full of anecdotes, such as a tale from his National Service in Malaya, when having been assigned a hefty Bren machine gun, he stowed the bullets in his pockets and used the ammunition pouches to store plants, bugs and snakes collected during jungle manoeuvres. Not an autobiography in the usual sense. Reviewed by Jodie Jones in the May 2017 issue.
MOON GARDENING
by John Harris with Jim Rickards John Blake Publishing, £12.99 ISBN 978-1784184155 John Harris has been gardening by the moon at Tresillian in Cornwall since the early 1980s, and has created a beautiful garden filled with award-winning produce. This book is a history of how he came to Tresillian and how he began to practise moon gardening. It is also a guide to gardening by the moon on your own patch. When you read this book, you feel that you are in the hands of an experienced grower with a deep understanding of seasons and plants. Reviewed by Lia Leendertz in the February 2017 issue.
GARDENISTA
by Michelle Slatalla Photographs by Matthew Williams Artisan New York, £28.99 ISBN 978-1579656522 This is an image-rich collection of gardens that have featured on gardenista.com since the website’s inception in 2012. Stylish is the key word, and although some of the showcased gardens have been made with extravagantly sourced materials and furnishings, there are plenty of more modest elements to make this a useful read for anyone looking for design ideas. Reviewed by Annie Gatti in the January 2017 issue.
THE ALMANAC: A SEASONAL GUIDE TO 2018
by Lia Leendertz Unbound, £9.99 ISBN 978-1783524044 This modern take on the rural almanac has been made possible by crowdfunding. It is split into monthly sections, illustrated with sketches by Emma Dibben, and includes observations on moon phases, sunrise and sunset times, constellations, sea temperatures, tides, garden tasks, nature spotting, traditional festivals and seasonal recipes. A labour of love that will remind you to appreciate the little moments throughout the year. Reviewed by Alys Hurn in the November 2017 issue.
PLANT LOVE: HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HOUSEPLANTS
by Alys Fowler Kyle Books, £18.99 ISBN 978-0857833815 Fowler’s love for houseplants is genuine, as is her candour about the difficulties of getting them to thrive. There is an extensive section of plant profiles, arranged according to light requirements. The photographs avoid the usual clichés of the modern houseplant book, where plants are artfully but thoughtlessly shoved in the wrong pots. Whether you are looking to start a collection, or trying to work out what killed your favourite fern, this is a rewarding read. Reviewed by Jane Perrone in the October 2017 issue.
WEEDS by John Walker
Earth-friendly Books, £15 ISBN 978-0993268342 To those who balk at the slow and painful processes involved in organic weed control, Walker’s response is that proper gardening can’t be rushed, and that age-old techniques should still apply in spite of the hectic pace of modern life. Weed control is not a straightforward activity and requires a flexible approach. Accordingly, Walker makes it his mission to foster an understanding of weed species’ ecology, habits and aesthetic appeal, exemplifying that ‘a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.’ Reviewed by Rory Dusoir in the June 2017 issue.