Spring gardening

November 2023

Some gardening books to celebrate spring.

Gardens for the soul by Sara Bird and Dan Duchars  

Gardens for the soul : sustainable and stylish outdoor spaces

By Sara Bird and Dan Duchars

"Gardens for the Soul shows how a sustainable and eco-friendly ethos can be at the heart of creating a beautiful garden, whatever its location or size. There are a multitude of different ways in which we use our outside spaces, and in Gardens for the Soul Sara Bird and Dan Duchars explore ways to create and style a haven that will suit your lifestyle. Day Dreamers seek solitude and a therapeutic experience, and Home Harvesters use their garden space to grow flowers or fruit and veg; while Garden Partiers put their outside space to work as an entertaining zone for friends and family and Great Escapers aim to recreate a chilled holiday vibe at home. Sara and Dan visit real-life gardens that fall into these categories, from tiny patios to larger spaces, to glean ideas, tips and inspiration. With a focus on sustainability and reclaimed materials, there are suggestions for choosing garden elements, from decor to lighting to furniture and accessories, as well as easy craft projects that add quirky personal touches" 

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My tiny kitchen garden by Felicity Hart  

My tiny kitchen garden

By Mel Baxter

You don't need a garden to grow your own food! This book is the perfect beginner's guide to micro-gardening, featuring tips on how to start, what to choose and how to grow over 20 types of plant for your kitchen. Have you ever been curious about growing your own food? Do you lack a garden? Have you got limited space in your home? Then this book is for you! Whether you want to produce fresh herbs for your cooking, save money on your food bill, reduce your carbon footprint or enjoy the simple pleasure of watching something grow, My Tiny Kitchen Garden is bursting with tips and ideas to help you get started. Whether you're a budding gardener or a seasoned expert looking for seeds of inspiration, dive into this book to hone your green fingers and cultivate your very own tiny kitchen garden.

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100 Australian wildflowers by Mel Baxter  

100 Australian wildflowers

By Mel Baxter

100 Australian Wildflowers is a beautifully illustrated book that can be used as a handy field and planting guide, as well as being a visual feast for the eyes. Through fanciful botanical illustrations, matched with fun and detailed descriptions, author and illustrator Mel Baxter (aka Moonshine Madness) guides you through 100 native Australian flowering plants. These wildflowers will tell stories of cultural, historical and spiritual significance, and in some cases, planting these species in suitable conditions may help tackle some of the environmental issues we face. Each flower's profile takes an intimate look at its habitat, and the exciting and dramatic lives of some of the flora and fauna that exist around it. Profiles also include traditional and edible uses by First Nations people, with many of the plant names listed in First languages. With a strong focus on conservation, this book features a basic planting guide, advice on growing your own wildflower meadow, and information on where to find these flowers in the wild. Take a trip through the Australian bush with 100 Australian Wildflowers and be inspired to cultivate your own relationship with wildflowers and connect with Australia's landscapes.

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Modern container gardening  

Modern container gardening : how to create a stylish small-space garden anywhere

By Isabelle Palmer

DIY House and Garden: A beginner's guide to your very own little patch of green. Whether you have a roof terrace, a tiny balcony or just a window sill, there's no excuse not to do some gardening. In Modern Container Gardening, Isabelle Palmer shows just how easy it is to get started in the garden - and how to make the most of every little space.

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Stonefields by the seasons by Paul Bangay and Simon Griffiths  

Stonefields by the seasons

By Paul Bangay and Simon Griffiths

Paul Bangay's celebrated Victorian property, Stonefields, has now been under his expert care for 15 years. Today, the garden is mature and more beautiful than ever - from the vibrant autumn colours in the woodland and evocative dormancy of winter to the jubilant flowering of the crab apple in springtime and perpetual rich harvest of produce. In Stonefields by the Seasons, Paul takes the reader through the garden at different times of year to highlight the design principles he has applied to various parts of it, and the wide-ranging inspirations for his choices. Along the way, he gives practical advice on seasonal planting and outlines essential quarterly tasks. Reflecting on his time in this treasured space, Paul muses on creativity, experimentation, achievements and disappointments, his shifting attitude to landscaping, the universal cycle of life and the impact of climate change on his surroundings. More than just an intimate tour around Stonefields today, this book is an invitation to contemplate the essence of gardening and the intense rewards we can all gain from it. 

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Grown and gathered by Matt and Lentil  

Grown and gathered

By Matt and Lentil

In this book, Matt and Lentil Purbrick tell you all that they know about growing, gathering, nurturing and cooking your own food. The first part of the book is Matt and Lentil's guide to producing your own food. The information, advice and projects can be used whether you have a 3-acre block or a courtyard with planter boxes. The Grow chapter shows you how to grow vegetables and fruit in whatever space you have, using the most earth-friendly practices; Gather explains how to forage for things like mushrooms, native greens and wild fruits; Nurture provides guidance on raising your own animals, from chickens and bees to cows. The second part of the book features over 100 delicious, nourishing and creative wholefood recipes. There's a host of staples, everything from how to prepare and sprout grains in a traditional way, to making and maintain a sourdough culture, and techniques and recipes for preserving and pickling. Other super tasty dishes include greens and kimchi pancakes; sweet and spicy turnips; fig, bacon and zucchini pizzas; duck ramen; and carrot crepes with burnt oranges and labne. 

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Planting for butterflies by Jane Moore and James Weston Lewis  

Planting for butterflies : the grower's guide to creating a flutter

By Jane Moore and James Weston Lewis

Butterflies are brilliant pollinators and add vibrancy and colour to the garden. A summer's day wouldn't be the same without the gentle fluttering of delicate wings. They connect us with living and breathing nature and are an essential part of a dynamic ecosystem. However, in the past forty years, these insects, which were once a common sight in our gardens, are now in decline thanks to habit loss, climate change and the use of pesticides. But do not despair -- there is a lot you can do to help improve their numbers! Planting for Butterflies will show you how you can attract these beautiful insects and help them to flourish by creating a butterfly-friendly garden. No matter how small or large your space -- from a window ledge in the city to a country garden - Jane Moore offers advice on the nectar-rich blooms to grow, and when and where to plant them. This charmingly illustrated, practical guide will set your garden a flutter.

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Green: simple ideas for small outdoor spaces  

Green : simple ideas for small outdoor spaces

By Ula Maria

DIY House and Garden: A completely fresh look at creating a garden in whatever outdoor space is available - a roof terrace, balcony, small back yard or patio. Perfect for first-time gardeners, the book approaches creating a garden as if decorating a room - exploring how to work with scale, colour and texture, to choosing the plants that will thrive in an urban space. 

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Floret Farm's cut flower garden by Erin Benzakein, Julie Chai and Michele M. Waite  

Floret Farm's cut flower garden : grow, harvest and arrange stunning seasonal blooms

By Erin Benzakein, Julie Chai and Michele M. Waite.

Welcome to the world of Floret Farm, where hundreds of flower varieties grow and thrive to produce show-stopping arrangements. Here, star flower farmer Erin Benzakein shares her insights on planting a cutting garden of your own - wherever you live. Learn the secrets to her airy and lush arrangements, including how-tos for spectacular bouquets, garlands, and wreaths to showcase your gorgeous flowers. Featuring planting, cultivating, and harvesting advice for more than 175 flower varieties along with tops to preserve their freshness from field to centerpiece, this book has everything you need to start planning your garden and the stunning arrangements that will keep your home bright and blooming year after year. 

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The abundant garden by Niva and Yotam Kay  

The abundant garden : a practical guide to growing a regenerative home garden

By Niva and Yotam Kay

Niva and Yotam Kay of Pakaraka Permaculture, on the Coromandel Peninsula of Aotearoa New Zealand, share their long experience of organic gardening in this comprehensive book on how to create and maintain a productive and regenerative vegetable garden. Taking care of the soil life and fertility provides plants with what they need to thrive. This is grounded in the latest scientific research on soil health, ecological and regenerative practices. Vegetable gardening, in this way, repeatedly demonstrates that every loved garden bed can produce high-yielding, resilient, nourishing and delicious vegetables year after year. The Abundant Garden has simple, reliable strategies and techniques to help maximise your ability to feed yourself and share the abundance with those around you. With information on growing a wide variety of vegetables, there are also helpful charts to help you plan and plant your garden year-round. In addition there are details on how to grow microgreens, and great recipes for ferments, preserves and pickles to stock the pantry with your garden's bounty. 

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Adelaide Hills gardens by Christine McCabe and Simon Griffiths  

Adelaide Hills gardens

By Christine McCabe and Simon Griffiths

The Adelaide Hills charts the evolution of gardening in Australia. And though anchored deeply in history, many of its gardens have their sights set firmly on the future. Old oak, elm and ash trees, planted long ago after memories of English gardens, live alongside stringybark eucalypts and native bush gullies, fruit-bearing orchards and wineries. All have thrived on the region's good rainfall, cool climate and natural springs. Over time, the Hills has weathered storms, droughts and fires. In response to these changing conditions, gardens, too, have changed. Heavily forested slopes have, in many cases, given way to veggie patches, free-ranging chickens and sheep, while Victorian rose and rhododendron hordes have made room for climate-compatible native flora. Encompassing twenty gardens, taking in grand Victorian estates and repurposed municipal water tanks alike, with evocative stories by Christine McCabe and sublime photography by Simon Griffiths, this book is a testament to the power of gardens to adapt, delight and restore.

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The complete gardener by Monty Don  

The complete gardener

By Monty Don

This extensively revised new edition of his Complete Gardener, first published in 2003, brings you right up-to-date on how Monty gardens today - and his recommendations for you. The most comprehensive, practical, and highly illustrated book Monty has ever written, it covers what he believes are the most important aspects of gardening. Organic techniques have always been at the core of his practice, but this new edition picks up on another key principle: the need to provide habitats in your garden for local wildlife. 

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