Leaf through some inspiring books

Hannah Stephenson looks at some of the best new books offering guidance in the garden

If you’re still scratching your head as to what to do with your garden this year, whether trying veg in pots for the first time, creating a wildflower meadow or completely relandscaping your outdoor space, there are new books coming out which should provide you with plenty of ideas.

Here are just a few of the many gardening titles on offer this year:

THE DRUNKEN BOTANIST BY AMY STEWART ( TIMBER PRESS, £ 14.99, MAY 2)

This intoxicating and eclectic new book on the hidden botany behind your favourite booze would make a fabulous gift for gardeners who enjoy a tipple. The quirky guide explains the chemistry and botanical history of more than 150 species, show- ing how they form the bases of our favourite cocktails and also offers 50 drink recipes.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN’S NO- NONSENSE CONTAINER GARDENING ( SIMON & SCHUSTER, £ 20, FEBRUARY 28)

She may now be a regular on The One Show and Radio 4’ s Question Time, but Christine Walkden is a gardener first and a presenter second. In her typical down- to- earth style, she shows you how to recycle tin cans, fruit crates and baskets and turn them into portable growing containers, grow your own lunch in a tub with dwarf varieties and cultivate abundant flowers for cutting and fragrance. Well illustrated and with tips from personal experience, this book will suit the fairly new gardener looking for new ideas.

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY GROW YOUR OWN CROPS IN POTS BY KAY MAGUIRE ( MITCHELL BEAZLEY, £ 16.99, AVAILABLE NOW)

As growing your own fruit and veg continues to gain popularity, this bookis onefor people who per haps don’t have room for a vegetable plot or who simply want to have a goat growing produce in pots on the patio, close to the kitchen. Featuring everything from bags of potatoes to grapes on the vine, and delicious combinations such as tomato with basil, the book guides the reader through techniques and tips, as well as sound advice for growing each type of fruit and veg.

A BOOK OF GARDEN WISDOM BY JENNY HENDY ( LORENZ BOOKS, £ 5.99, MAY 31)

If you like to hark to days gone by and restore some traditional methods of gardening on your plot, this delightful book of folklore, organic gardening, hints and tips featuring traditional techniques for sowing, planting and harvesting, as well as age- old methods for controlling pests and diseases, feeding the soil and caring for tools, should fit the bill.

RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW: A CENTENARY CELEBRATION BY BRENT ELLIOTT ( FRANCES LINCOLN, £ 25, APRIL 4)

Chelsea Flower Show’s centenary couldn’t go without a commemorative book and this offering, by the RHS historian Brent Elliott, explores how the show evolved, how it has formed part of the social calendar and how it has reflected and shaped tastes in garden design and planting over the years. There are short pieces by significant nurserymen and nursery women, designers, organisers, visitors and patrons describing what Chelsea means to them.