RHS 50 Ways to Start a Garden: Ideas & Inspiration for Growing Indoors and Out

by Simon Akeroyd

Overview

The perfect gift for the first-time gardener, RHS 50 Ways to Start a Garden is an accessible how-to guide for beginners, including inspiration for 'no-garden' homes

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Aimed at first-time gardeners, those in rented homes or anyone with limited outdoor space, this book teaches how to take stock of an environment and start a garden. With ideas for gardens, patio spaces, courtyards, balconies and interiors, these 50 easy-to-adopt ideas provide the steps to success for even the most inexperienced gardeners. 

Contents include: 

-    Create a floral display with bulbs that last all year
-    Grow pet-friendly plants
-    Create a vegetable harvest in pots
-    Add height in flat spaces
-    Make a mow-free lawn
-    Hang plants around your home

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784728441
Publisher:	Octopus Books
Publication date:	10/25/2022
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Simon Akeroyd has written over 30 gardening books, including RHS Gardener's Quiz & Puzzle Book and the bestselling RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner (both published by Mitchell Beazley). Simon's most recent book is RHS 50 Ways to Outsmart a Squirrel & Other Garden Pests. He writes for national garden and lifestyle magazines and as producer and journalist for the BBC. 

Simon was previously Gardens' Manager for the National Trust (with properties that include Agatha Christie's Greenway, Coleton Fishacre, Compton Castle, Bradley Manor and Polesden Lacey). He was also Garden Manager for the Royal Horticultural Society including Harlow Carr and RHS Garden Wisley. Apart from gardening he is also a keen beekeeper.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

1 Assess your growing space 8

2 Get the right equipment 12

3 Learn to water your garden 16

4 Plant bulbs to make the most of spring 18

Spring-flowering plant selector 20

5 Plant a wildlife-friendly garden 22

Create a bug hotel 24

6 Make a lawn 26

7 Create a pet-friendly garden 28

8 Adorn shade with low-light plants 30

Shade-loving plant selector 32

9 Create a dry garden 34

Dry garden plant selector 36

10 Create a garden jungle 38

11 Make friends with weeds 40

12 Grow scented plants that come to life at night 44

Evening-scented plant selector 46

13 Enjoy your garden in winter 48

Create a winter container display 50

14 Elevate your garden 52

15 Create a quiet nook 54

16 Design a no-fuss garden 58

17 Make a rock garden 62

Alpine plant selector 64

18 Introduce a water feature 66

Create a small wildlife pond 68

19 Grow something unusual - a loofah 70

20 Make an easy-access veg garden 72

21 Harvest vegetables in pots 74

22 Grow vertical veggies 76

Vegetable plant selector 78

23 Garden on a tabletop 80

Grow a vine through a table 82

24 Train scented climbers around the garden 84

Scented climbing plant selector 86

25 Grow a screen for shelter and privacy 88

Weave a willow or hazel screen 90

26 Grow shade-loving plants in containers 92

27 Grow fruit trees in containers 94

Plant an apple tree in a dustbin 96

28 Grow fruit in hanging baskets 98

Harvest strawberries from hanging lengths of guttering 100

29 Grow a cut-and-come-again buffet on your windowsill 102

Sow chia seeds 104

30 Create an indoor jungle 106

Indoor jungle plant selector 108

31 Build a living wall or room divider 110

32 Create an indoor hanging garden from cuttings 112

Make kokedama balls 114

33 Colour your garden with annual flowers 116

Sow a sunflower patch 118

34 Grow fruit from leftover pips or stones 120

Grow tomatoes from seed 122

35 Fill kitchens and bathrooms with luscious foliage 124

Damp shade plant selector 126

36 Cultivate a carnivorous display 128

37 Tend a terrarium display 130

38 Start a cactus collection 132

Create an indoor cactus garden 134

39 Add spice to your kitchen 136

40 Build a compost heap 138

Make liquid fertilizer from nettles 140

41 Use a wormery 142

42 Build a keyhole raised bed 144

43 Create a no-dig vegetable garden 146

Build a mini Hügelkükur bed 148

44 Plant a herb garden 150

Herb plant selector 152

45 Grow a bonsai tree 154

46 Be inspired by a Japanese garden 156

47 Reseed or turf a lawn 158

How to lay turf 160

48 Create paths and paved areas 162

Build a rustic brick path 164

49 Sow a mini wildflower meadow 166

50 Add splashes of autumn colour 168

Glossary 170

Further resources 171

Index 172

Credits 176