My Bookshelf
The following books are from my own personal bookshelf at home. They are books that I love and wanted to share with you. I hope this page inspires you to read them. If you want to purchase any of these books, can I suggest that you contact your local independent bookstore (support local!) to see if they have a copy.
I have not received any payments or sponsorship of any kind in relation to these recommendations. The books were either purchased by me or given to me as gifts from wonderful friends and family, who know my two passions in life are gardening and reading.
Down to Earth
Author: Monty Don
This is one of my all time favourites. The book is beautifully written with capturing photographs and a unique layout. It’s a brief insight into 50 years of gardening experience with tips and essential gardening knowledge. It covers many aspects of gardening and offers recommended jobs to be done in the garden month by month.
The Thrifty Gardener
Author: Alys Fowler
I think this book sums me up entirely. It was a real eye opener and it made so much sense to me that gardening should be “something you do, not something you buy”. The book has a great section on “skip-diving etiquette” which I love and a fantastic chapter on “No-Garden Gardening” which has some great suggestions for those of you who want to grow but don’t have a garden. The book itself is beautiful, in colour tones that just soothe. The whole book is very relaxed and will start to make you look at things and say “that would make an excellent pot for the garden”.
Veg In One Bed
Author: Huw Richards
This book was a gift from my Secret Santa and it's so good.
It starts with the basics of how to make your raised bed and then how to start planning your planting. Full of great diagrams that show you month by month what will be in your raised bed and plenty of ideas about companion planting and successional sowing. It has detailed sections on what veg is best suited to cool climates, low rainfall and even options for low effort veg beds.
If like me you are the type to plan and organise your patch months ahead, this book is for you.
Compost
Author: Ken Thompson
Dirt is one of my many passions in the garden and there is nothing better than producing your own compost. Taking waste material and turning it into ‘black gold’ is something every gardener should be doing. This is a great book to get you started on your composting adventure, I refer back to it all the time, it really is a ‘celebration of compost’.
Allotment Month by Month
Author: Alan Buckingham
This is a fantastic comprehensive step by step guide for allotment growers. It covers everything from weather seasons, plot layouts and crop rotation.
It also includes a section on crop planning by product, which is a quick reference guide that I love to keep referring back to.
There is also a great trouble shooting section and occasional ‘must-try’ suggestions which are great fun.
The Hidden Life of Trees
Author: peter wohlleben
I am fascinated by this book, I've read it many times. I enjoy the language and the poetry used to describe these living organisms that we have relied on throughout history and still continue to take advantage of. There is an entire other world beneath of our feet and we don't even realise it. I love that trees have a secret life and the author is able to share this in such a way that it almost seems magical.
I have read a couple of books by this author and I have a couple more on my bookshelf waiting to be read. There is something in the way that he describes the trees, that makes you want to get lost, both in the book and in nature.
Gardening on a Shoestring
Author: Alex Mitchell
I often joke that my entire life is just one big budget, so the very title of this book appealed to me enormously. The book is filled with tips and tricks to enable you to make the very most of what you have. Another of my passions is up-cycling and this book has some great suggestions, many of which I can testify actually work.
Indoor Edible Garden
Author: Zia Allaway
I love to grow my own edibles and I haven’t always had a garden to do that in. This book has been and still remains to be an inspiration of what’s possible.
I urge everyone to try and grow something, chilli pepper, herbs, salad leaves, even root vegetables in your home, this book will show you how!
There are still some fantastic ideas I really want to try, like the Cucumbers on wheels...page 149!
My Roots