Dig into these gardening books in 2022
If you want to save on hard work and enjoy the biggest harvests, then you need to pock up a copy of gardening expert, YouTube presenter and
‘no dig’ advocate Charles Dowding’s latest guide for successful vegetable growing.
With the aim of saving you time but not at the expense of success, he shows grow-your-own enthusiasts how to create planting plans, implement succession planting, save seed, propagate and multi-sow.
He also sheds light on how to garden in winter and grow perennial vegetables.
YOU GROW, GURL! PLANT KWEEN’S LUSH GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR GARDEN
By Christopher Griffin, HQ, £20, available March 31 Six years ago, Christopher Griffin was just beginning the plant parenthood journey with one small Marble Queen pothos. Today, this black queer non-binary femme plant influencer known as Plant Kween (@plantkween on Instagram) tends to more than
JOE’S EXPERT GARDENING GUIDE
By Joe Swift, Collins, £9.99 each. Available March 3 Popular gardening presenter and designer Joe Swift brings budding horticulturists a series of five easy-tofollow guides to different aspects of gardening, from indoor plants and small gardens to creating a modern space, a nature garden and an edible garden.
Ideal if you want inspirational design ideas and plenty of pictures to show you techniques, no matter what the size or location of your green space. 200 plants in a Brooklyn apartment.
Griffin now brings us this gorgeous illustrated guide to becoming a plant parent and keeping your green ‘gurls’ growing, with practical instructions and advice on everything from propagating and re-potting, to measuring humidity. Featuring more than 200 pictures and illustrations, this guide teaches you to apply the same attention and love to yourself, they say.
splitting plants and making the most of edibles like basil and strawberries. Of course, your harvests can also be put to good use in the recipes she includes.
THE VERTICAL VEG GUIDE TO CONTAINER GARDENING
By Mark Ridsdill Smith, Chelsea Green, £25. Available March 24 he could grow on the balcony of his flat.
Through his eight steps to containergrowing success – including matching crops to how much sun your space has, choosing the right container, spacing, watering and feeding – he can help people with little space to grow everything from French beans to tomatoes, courgettes and soft fruits in containers. Even balconies can be bountiful, he proves.
THE JOY OF WEEDS
By Paul Farrell, Portico, £9.99. Available April 7 Many experts now say we need to love weeds, that they encourage biodiversity, attract pollinators and can be beautiful. Paul Farrell takes this idea a step further with this colourful celebration of wild plants around the world. The illustrator and nature lover explains the benefits of re-wilding ourselves a little.
In his 50 graphic illustrations he shows the beauty of dandelions, thistles and feverfew and offers a quirky history on how weeds can be used in medicine, food, cooking and arts – as well as being an important aid for wildlife.
BY HANNAH STEPHENSON