Good Garden Books to Enjoy

Every gardener needs to down tools now and then, which is exactly the moment to pick up some good garden books.

No matter what your interests, the chances are that someone has written a book about it. So whether you’re after inspiring guides to growing cut flowers, direction on making your garden more sustainable, or you want a languid foray into garden history, take a look at some of the best garden books released in the past months.

Good garden books:

Meadow  

Iain Parkinson, Royal Botanic Gardens, £25
Conservation manager at Wakehurst Place, Iain Parkinson presents a fascinating study of hay meadows by looking at the work of those specialising in aspects of these threatened landscapes. Archaeological investigators, hedgelayers, wardens and botanical propagators feature, while photographs by Jim Holden illuminate these important habitats.

Roses

Michael Marriott, DK, £24.99
There can be few people in the world who know as much about roses as Michael Marriott, who worked at David Austin Roses for 35 years, and has had a hand in most of the great gardens in this country, both public and private. Here he offers expert advice on choosing from and growing the great range of roses available, bearing in mind factors such as climate, position and function.

The Modern Flower Press

Melissa Richardson and Amy Fielding, William Collins, £30
The urge to preserve the beauty of nature has long been with us, but flower pressing is enjoying a moment of particular popularity. Here, the pair behind fashionable London florist JamJar Flowers sketch out the history of the pastime, provide inspirational ideas from JamJar’s own commissions and offer an array of creative projects to try at home.

Garden Insects of Britain and North-West Europe 

Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton, John Beaufoy, £14.99
While it’s easy to single out garden birds, bees, butterflies and even moths, identifying less beautiful garden insects is something of a niche activity. This handy book encourages us to become familiar with their characteristics and offers ways to attract them to the garden for a diverse and sustainable wildlife community.

Lilacs

Naomi Slade, Pavilion, £25
Naomi Slade and photographer Georgianna Lane turn their gaze to romantic, richly scented lilacs. Often a stalwart of the spring garden, these small trees can easily be overlooked. Naomi would urge us to do otherwise, and traces their origins, offers advice on growing them and considers some of the most beautiful varieties to grow, not least ‘President Lincoln’ and ‘Congo’.

A Garden Well Placed 

Xa Tollemache, Pimpernel, £35
Xa Tollemache’s work at 500-year-old Helmingham Hall in Suffolk has long been lauded. Here she relates the story behind the garden on which she began working in 1975 and which drew her towards a successful career in garden design. The book also explores her projects elsewhere, including signature designs for Cholmondeley Castle, Dunbeath Castle and Wilton House.

Napoleon’s Garden Island

Donal P. McCracken, Kew, £35
Until recently, the isolated British territory of St Helena in the South Atlantic could be reached almost only by boat, as it was by an exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. McCracken, an emeritus professor of History in South Africa, considers the function of this remote location as a stopping point on trade routes, and how this outcrop of 47 square miles became rich with flora from around the world.

Miss Willmott’s Ghosts

Sandra Lawrence, Blink Publishing, £25
Ellen Ann Willmott is perhaps best known for the eryngium ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’, seed of which the gardener is reputed to have scattered in the properties of those she disliked. Presenting a fascinating tale, Sandra Lawrence has used new archival material to unpick the full story of how this once celebrated gardener came to be maligned and ultimately overlooked by the gardening fraternity.

The Joy of Weeds: A Celebration of Wild Plants

Paul Farrell, Pavilion, £9.99
For most of us, some plants are more equal than others and we’re quick to grub up a dandelion or clump of chickweed. For Farrell, however, “a weed is simply a wild plant”, and he entreats us to look at them in a new light: as a tisane, a remedy or a salad garnish. This is a charming and informative book, although the graphic illustrations will not help with identification.

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