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10 Best Gardening Books UK 2024

No matter what's going on in the wider world, it’s a real privilege to have some outdoor space to call your own. While the green-fingered among us just have that knack with plants, others of us stare at our gardens wondering what on Earth to do with them?


From beginner's guides to gardening compendiums, you don’t need to be Monty Don to make the most of your window box, balcony or front lawn! That’s why we've compiled a list of the top 10 best gardening books to buy online from Amazon and eBay. 

Last updated 14/07/2023
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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Gardening Book in the UK - Buying Guide

Once you've dug deep (sorry!) into your reasons for buying a gardening book, you'll find it much easier to shop for one. Consider the type of plants you want to grow, your level of gardening experience and the size of your garden when deciding on the best book for your gardening needs.

1

What Will You Grow and Where? Choose a Book to Help You Achieve Your Gardening Goals

What is your top priority when gardening? Think about your available garden space and what you hope to achieve. This will help you find the best gardening book to make your vision a reality. 

Hoping to Become More Self-Sufficient? Try a Book on Growing Fruit and Veg

Hoping to Become More Self-Sufficient? Try a Book on Growing Fruit and Veg

More and more of us are intrigued by the idea of self-sufficiency. Just think about how wonderful it could be to grow your own fruit and vegetables at home! 


If you like the idea of home-grown tomatoes or garden-fresh herbs, check out gardening books which guide you through the basics of growing and nurturing crops

Choose a Book on Cultivating Flowers to Boost Your Mood

Choose a Book on Cultivating Flowers to Boost Your Mood

Flowers are one of nature's most beautiful treats and learning to grow them is a skill for life that can bring endless joy and satisfaction. 


Cultivating geraniums, pansies, wildflowers or roses is not as easy as it looks! Finding a simple flower growing guide is a brilliant way to get to grips with rearing blooms, and hone your skills the process. 

Want a More General Guide? Get a Gardening Compendium

Want a More General Guide? Get a Gardening Compendium

To help inspire you to get gardening, or for those seeking a green-fingered gift idea, you might want to try a gardening compendium


Gardening compendiums provide a more general guide to gardening. These could be a celebrity gardener's overview of horticultural elements, or perhaps an all-encompassing book which covers gardening tips month-by-month. 

2

If You're Short on Space, Look for a Gardening Book for Small Gardens or Growing in Pots

If You're Short on Space, Look for a Gardening Book for Small Gardens or Growing in Pots

Right now, many of us are realising what a privilege it is to have access to outdoor space. If you are lucky enough to have even a small patch of land, you'll want to look for a book to help you make the most of it. 


Those of us with no garden can still enjoy home-grown produce. For indoors growers, choose a gardening book which focuses on ways to grow potted fruit and veg at home.

3

Make Sure It's Aimed at the Right Experience Level so You're Not Uninspired or Overwhelmed

Make Sure It's Aimed at the Right Experience Level so You're Not Uninspired or Overwhelmed

Make sure that the book you buy is suitable for your current level of gardening know-how. Complete beginners will do better with gardening books that keep things super simple. Beginner-friendly books will support you through the fundamentals of gardening without feeling intimidating or de-motivating. 


Likewise, lifelong gardeners may find lower-level guides too simplistic and will be more inspired by advanced guides aimed at experts. Keen gardeners may also enjoy coffee-table style books which celebrate the beauty of plants, flowers and nature.

4

Paperback Is Great for Use in the Garden, Hardbacks Make Beautiful Gifts

Paperback Is Great for Use in the Garden, Hardbacks Make Beautiful Gifts

It's worth checking whether you're buying the hardcover or paperback version of your new gardening book. Hardbacks are sturdy and durable, and gardening books with gorgeously printed hardcovers will make excellent gifts.


Paperbacks, on the other hand, are flexible and often more affordable. Which is why paperbacks may also be more appropriate for taking out into the garden with you for reference while you hoe, rake and dig.

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Top 10 Best Gardening Books to Buy Online in the UK 2020

From growing your own vegetables to turning a tiny terrace into an oasis, we have a book to meet every budding gardener's needs. Now you know what to look for, here are the top 10 best to buy online in the UK!
Popularity
Products
Image
Click to purchase
Price
Key features
1

Holly Newton

How to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden

Holly Newton How to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden 1

£12.00

Mid

A Bold, Beautiful Guide to Creating a Well-Rounded Garden

2

Huw Richards

Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month

Huw Richards Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month 1

£12.99

Mid

An Illustrated Month-By-Month Gardening Guide for Homegrown Produce All Year Round

3

Monty Don

The Complete Gardener

Monty Don The Complete Gardener 1

£17.06

High

Gardening Tips from the Don

4

RHS

Gardening Through the Year

RHS Gardening Through the Year 1

£14.75

High Mid

A Whole Year of Gardening Tricks

5

Lucy Chamberlain

Step-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg

Lucy Chamberlain Step-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg 1

£12.99

Mid

A Clear, Accessible Guide to Growing More than Fifty Crops

6

RHS

Grow Your Own Crops in Pots

RHS Grow Your Own Crops in Pots 1

£11.99

Mid

No Garden? No Problem

7

Floret Farm

Cut Flower Garden

Floret Farm Cut Flower Garden 1

£15.69

High Mid

Grow and Arrange Your Own Flowers With This Lovingly Compiled Guide

8

Alan Titchmarsh

How to Garden: Small Gardens

Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Small Gardens 1

£7.72

Low

Make the Most of Your Small Space

9

DK

Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet

DK Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet 1

£13.25

Mid

Sustainability on a Small Scale

10

Carol Klein

Making a Garden: Successful Gardening by Nature's Rules

Carol Klein Making a Garden: Successful Gardening by Nature's Rules 1

£9.99

Low Mid

Gardening Inspired by Mother Nature

If you don't see the product you're looking for, you can request that it be listed.
No.1

Holly NewtonHow to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden

How to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
How to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
How to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£12.00
Mid
Reference price
£12.00
Mid

A Bold, Beautiful Guide to Creating a Well-Rounded Garden

Holly Newton's bold and beautiful book covers all the basics of gardening. Uniquely written from the perspective of a charismatic friend, chatting their way through a fun guide to veggies, fruit and flowers.


More a gardening guide for your nephew than your grandpa, this book presents gardening with a contemporary twist. Filled with colourful graphics and imaginative recipes to make from your harvest, you can avoid waste by turning your haul into flavourful homegrown treats through the year. 

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No.2

Huw RichardsVeg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month

Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£12.99
Mid
Reference price
£12.99
Mid

An Illustrated Month-By-Month Gardening Guide for Homegrown Produce All Year Round

For anyone hoping to turn a single raised bed into a source of fresh produce, this book is a godsend. From building the bed itself all the way to harvest, Veg in One Bed helps you grow vegetables month-by-month for homegrown produce all year round.


Packed with photos and time-saving tips, this book is guaranteed to get you as excited and passionate about budget-friendly organic gardening as its author Huw Richards. 

No.3

Monty DonThe Complete Gardener

The Complete Gardener 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
The Complete Gardener 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
The Complete Gardener 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£17.06
High
Reference price
£17.06
High

Gardening Tips from the Don

Monty Don, host of the BBC's beloved Gardener's World, has pulled together a guide which covers every element of gardening. The pages of this book are scattered with love, featuring snaps of Monty's own Herefordshire garden, including his trusty golden retriever Nigel.


The tour of his garden is interspersed with tidbits of advice and guidance on environmentally conscious, organic gardening. The combination of fantastic photos and expert tips make this book a great gift!

No.4

RHSGardening Through the Year

Gardening Through the Year 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Gardening Through the Year 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
Gardening Through the Year 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£14.75
High Mid
Reference price
£14.75
High Mid

A Whole Year of Gardening Tricks

Want step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions for how to work your garden all year round? Check out this helpful and comprehensive book from Ian Spence, one of the writers of BBC Gardener's World. 


Bold photos help bring the guide to life, coupled with useful 'To-Do' list. With advice on exactly when to plant certain seeds and tasks you can do ahead of time to avoid having to do extra work later. 

No.5

Lucy ChamberlainStep-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg

Step-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Step-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
Step-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£12.99
Mid
Reference price
£12.99
Mid

A Clear, Accessible Guide to Growing More than Fifty Crops

Described as 'foolproof', Lucy Chamberlain has created a gardening bible full of indispensable advice for both beginners and any keen gardeners looking to move from flowerbeds to the vegetable garden. 


Holding your hand throughout the early stages, readers can simply pick a particular crop and follow the straightforward steps. From cuttings and seeds, through the nurturing process all the way to the harvesting stage.

No.6

RHSGrow Your Own Crops in Pots

Grow Your Own Crops in Pots 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£11.99
Mid
Reference price
£11.99
Mid

No Garden? No Problem

Just because you don't have a garden space doesn't mean you can't get growing! Grow Your Own Crops in Pots is a laser-focused gardening guide that shows you how to grow potted plants on balconies, window sills and patios.


This ingenious book is packed with clever space-saving tricks such as hanging tomato baskets and coriander in a colander. Learn to grow salad leaves, herbs, edible flowers and even fruit, with advice on growing 60 different species of herbs and plants.

No.7

Floret FarmCut Flower Garden

Cut Flower Garden 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Cut Flower Garden 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
Cut Flower Garden 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£15.69
High Mid
Reference price
£15.69
High Mid

Grow and Arrange Your Own Flowers With This Lovingly Compiled Guide

Flowers are one of life's simplest pleasures and this book invites everyone to start cultivating their own. The author,  Erin Benzakein, is owner of Floret Flower Farms in Washington state, USA. In Cut Flower Garden, she kindly compiles her floral expertise into a loving tome that gardeners of all levels of experience can enjoy.


Discover the joys of different flower species from tulips to daffodils as Benzakein shares vital tips on growing and how to create splendid bouquets and arrangements for every occasion.

No.8

Alan TitchmarshHow to Garden: Small Gardens

How to Garden: Small Gardens 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
How to Garden: Small Gardens 2
Source:amazon.co.uk
How to Garden: Small Gardens 3
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£7.72
Low
Reference price
£7.72
Low

Make the Most of Your Small Space

Alan Titchmarsh has created this brilliant guide to making the most of your small garden. Packed with vibrant photos and charming aerial-view illustrations, this book is sure to help readers maximise small spaces.


The book includes growing ideas for front gardens, side passages, balconies, windowsills and rooftops. Offering plenty of advice on the best ways to utilise containers to create the illusion of  larger space. 

No.9

DKGrow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet

Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£13.25
Mid
Reference price
£13.25
Mid

Sustainability on a Small Scale

If you've always wanted to grow your own snacks, this could be a brilliant book for you. This gardening guide by Naomi Schillinger is incredibly easy to follow and encourages us to believe that you don't need a huge garden or allotment to successfully grow food.


This book teaches you the importance of healthy soil, the ideal spots and the perfect timings for different planting projects. With clearly numbered stages and bright photo illustrations, to help you along the way.

No.10

Carol KleinMaking a Garden: Successful Gardening by Nature's Rules

Making a Garden: Successful Gardening by Nature's Rules 1
Source:amazon.co.uk
Reference price
£9.99
Low Mid
Reference price
£9.99
Low Mid

Gardening Inspired by Mother Nature

What we particularly like about Carol Klein's book is how it celebrates the wonder of nature. Teeming with glorious high-quality photographs that create a fresh, breezy mood;  it focuses on the ways in which plants and flowers thrive on hilltops or in woodland, helping readers to identify similar conditions in their own garden space.


If you  already own other similar titles from Carol Klein, you may want to give this one a miss as much of the content is the same. 

Need Some Extra Gardening Gear to Get Growing?

Need Some Extra Gardening Gear to Get Growing?

If you are looking for ways to make the most of your garden, why not check out these articles to get you outside and feeling inspired? From plant pots to gardening accessories, our suggestions are horticultural heaven! 

Summary

Once you've picked your new gardening book, you can curl up on the grass and read it in the sunshine. We hope this article has helped you find one that gets you motivated to make some simple yet, satisfying changes. Or perhaps, embark on a gardening obsession that lasts a lifetime! 


Author: Annie Hopkins

Top 5 Gardening Books

No. 1: Holly NewtonHow to Grow: A Guide for Gardeners Who Can't Yet Garden

No. 2: Huw RichardsVeg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month

No. 3: Monty DonThe Complete Gardener

No. 4: RHSGardening Through the Year

No. 5: Lucy ChamberlainStep-By-Step Veg Patch: A Foolproof Guide to Every Stage of Growing Fruit and Veg

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