Best gardening book for beginners?

Hi everyone,

Happy Monday!

can anyone recommend a really good book for beginner gardeners like myself? Something that’s informative, with pictures, that tells me what to plant, and when and also gives troubleshooting on what to do with dying plans, very patchy lawn etc.

Thanks in advance!

 

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Hi,

So many books , so many different tastes, its an impossible task, though probably the simple answer would be the softback books from Dr Hessayon, which despite the 'Expert' title are also beginners books.
D. G. Hessayon books and biography | Waterstones
and / or one of the many books from the RHS.
Royal Horticultural Society - Product Details - RHS How To Garden When You're New To Gardening -

Also to buy the weekly gardening mags like Amatuer Gardening and Garden News, plus watch the tv programs like Mr Titmarshs on tonight, or Beechgrove.

Needless to say plenty of help and advice here in this forum ....

 

I have the RHS How to Garden When... book and found it very useful.

I also have the RHS Encyclopedia of Gardening. I use that one less but it's a good reference to have on hand.

I have a looooong wishlist of gardening books. I can't vouch for these as I haven't read them yet, but I think they look good:

What Plant Where
Plants for Places
Gardening School
Pests & Diseases

Also these, which are vegetable gardening related so might not be relevant for you:

Step-by-Step Veg Patch
Propagating Plants

That said, there is a wealth of information available online. If you have a specific question - like, when should I prune a rose bush - you can find that out quite easily.

Here's a few websites I often refer back to for information:

RHS - if I'm thinking about adding a plant to the garden, I'll usually start by looking it up on RHS. That will give me some basic info - like whether it likes sun or shade, whether it needs a lot of maintenance, how big it might get, and which varieties the RHS recommend.
Suttons - anyone who sells plants or seeds will have some information about the plant on the relevant product page. Suttons also have a virtual garden planner, which I find really helpful for planning the vegetable beds. It's not free though.
Google - this is usually my first port of call for troubleshooting (whether it's gardening, knitting, or just... life). After reading a few of the results on the first page I usually have my answer, or at least an idea of what I need to find out next.

I'm also an RHS member as I live near one of the gardens, and the magazine they send out is full of tips and inspiration. As a member you can also call them and use their advice line - I haven't done that before, but I've heard good things.

 

I've got the Hessayon "Expert" books too. You do need to accept that they don't have a full list of plants or varieties, but they're a good place to start.

 

I spent years reading books on plants, and bought lots over the years.
Since I've had the internet I rarely look at any of them.
Pity really, but most if not all info is available on the internet these days, often much more than a book can contain.

 

Going back a bit, but exactly the sort of thing you're after....'Gardening through the Year' by Ian Spence. ( Geoff Hamilton's gardener). Very simple, clear and informative, if a bit dated now re. plant varieties.

 

My FIL got me RHS Gardening Month by Month which is brilliant, perfect for dipping in and out of, and some excellent pictures/diagrams. It's a bit jack of all trades in that it doesn't cover anything in too much detail, but it's a great starting off point - and it is a good way of keeping track of what needs doing when!

 

Stefan Buczacki is another good writer.

There are of course many books published by the RHS, the latter being recognized world wide as one of the great authorities. One of their books is. The Wisley Book of Gardening.

My advice to a newcomer to gardening is. Get out there, talk to gardeners, ask questions, have a go. Then turn to the books. Quite often so much can be learned from older publications, especially those that include pre mechanical digging etc.

 

When circumstances allow I would go and visit some second hand book shops and browse until you find one you like. There are a lot of books on gardening for beginners and the presentation varies more than the content; so find a couple you like. As you become more experienced you may want books on specific subjects.
Don't forget there are gardening magazines out there that can be useful, the internet is a useful tool, but look at several sites and also bear in mind which country the site is based in as what applies in America may be of less use in the UK.
Also remember that general gardening books are just that and you need to consider your garden and climate, especially with books giving month by month guidance. Some times it can be better to do a job when you have the time and conditions to do it properly rather than when the book says so. If you are a week or so late sowing seed it doesn't make much different. Gardening is a forgiving hobby and most plants "want" to grow.

 

My sister was commenting one of the Hessayon books she has.

It said that garlic is very rarely grown in Britain but much more liked on the Continent.
Don't know if they have been updated but they are a bit old in their thinking.

 

I suppose that was true when the books were first introduced. There is now an updated version.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Vegeta...1592310954&sprefix=The+new+veg,aps,195&sr=8-1

 

Thanks @Freddy ,she has obviously got the originals.

 

I have both, and there’s a marked difference, including the more up to date varieties.