As many states in Australia go into another round of circuit-breaker slow-down, the nights are still chilly but there’s that hint of jasmine in the air and the return of bird song arriving earlier than our alarms. It can only mean one thing… spring. Hope, new beginnings, colour, life, sunshine, and most of all, gardening!
Whilst we may not be able to travel far, books allow us to explore the world and deliver inspiration for the coming season. There’s been some cracker new garden books released in the last few months, some drool-worthy garden escapades that belong on your bookshelf, and some yet-to-be released soul-filling goodness that should be required reading for all.
We’ve created a list with our faves here; those that are filling us with anticipation and ambition, devising and sketching, dreaming and doing!
Dear Friend and Gardener Letters on Life and Gardening
Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd
Published: 18th June 2021 | ISBN: 9780711255807
An absolute joy of a read. A glorious book that shares the letters over many years between two of Great Britain's most loved gardeners, Beth Chatto OAM and Christopher Lloyd. share their successes and failures, and learn from each other's experiences in their two very different gardens.
Australian Dreamscapes The art of planting in gardens inspired by nature
Claire Takacs
Published: 1st November 2018 | ISBN: 9781743794708
In Australian Dreamscaps, Claire Takacs showcases the varied gardens found in the Australian landscape, from lush green oases to semi-arid settings. Claire's stunning photography is accompanied by essays written by the garden owners or designers. The chapters detail the journey to establishing the gardens, their motivation, and the struggles and rewards the gardens bring day in, day out.
An Australian Garden Reimagining a Native Landscape
Philip Cox
Published: 31st March 2020 | ISBN: 9781760760939
Some forty years ago, renowned architect Philip Cox and a group of like-minded friends purchased 80 hectares as a private retreat and a conservation exercise. Applying his own aesthetic principles of vista, light, texture, colour and mass, Philip worked with nature to reveal and enhance the bushland in an enticing way. This book is about this garden, and it’s retained indigenous roots and authentically Australian aesthetic.
The Complete Gardener A practical, imaginative guide to every aspect of gardening
Monty Don
Published: 4th May 2021 | ISBN: 9780241424308
The most comprehensive, practical, and highly illustrated book the man himself, Monty Don, has ever written, it covers what he believes are the most important aspects of gardening. Organic techniques have always been at the core of his practice, but this new edition picks up on another key principle - the need to provide habitats in your garden for local wildlife.
Costa's World Gardening for the soil, the soul and the suburbs
Costa Georgiadis
Available: 13th October 2021 | ISBN: 9780733339998
Costa's World is a generous, joyous, fully illustrated gardening book that celebrates the life-changing joy of chooks; kids in the garden; big ideas for small spaces; Costa's favourite plants; growing the right plants for your conditions; biodiversity in the soil and garden; the power of community; the brilliance of bees and pollinators and easy-peasy permaculture. It brings together all of Costa's gardening and sustainability knowledge.
The Good Life How To Grow A Better World
Hannah Moloney
Available: 31st August 2021 | ISBN: 9781922419385
For Hannah Moloney, a good life is one built around community, sustainability and practicing radical hope. From growing your own food to composting, building a rocket stove to car sharing, The Good Life will show you how living an ordinary life can make an extraordinary contribution to countering the climate emergency. Whether you have a half-acre, a backyard, a tiny balcony or no balcony at all, there are tips and tricks to suit everyone.
Soil The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy
Matthew Evans
Published: 6th July 2021 | ISBN: 9781922351418
For too long, we've not only neglected the land beneath us, we've squandered and debased it, by over-clearing, over-grazing and over-ploughing. But if we want our food to nourish us, and to ensure our planet's long-term health, we need to understand how soil works - how it's made, how it's lost, and how it can be repaired. In this ode to the thin veneer of Earth that gifts us life, commentator and farmer Matthew Evans shows us that what we do in our backyards, on our farms, and what we put on our dinner tables really matters, and can be a source of hope.
Dark Emu Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture
Bruce Pascoe
Published: 1st June 2018 | ISBN: 9781921248016
Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating, and storing — behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. It is essential reading to what Australia once was, and a further education about the original gardeners of this wonderful island we call home.
A History of Gardening in 50 Objects
George Drower
Published: 28th May 2021 | ISBN: 9780750996853
A treasure trove of gardening information in 50 often little known objects that have transformed the way we think about and work our gardens today. Here George Drower takes 50 objects that have helped create the gardening scene we know today, exploring the history of beautiful, fruitful outside spaces in a truly unique way. With stunning botanical and archive images, and colourful photographs, this lavish volume is one no garden lover should be without.
Peppa Visits the Australian Botanical Gardens
Peppa Pig
Published: 20th July 2021 | ISBN: 9780241519233
No list is complete without a book for young readers! When Peppa and her family visit Australia, her friend Kylie Kangaroo has a special surprise for her - a trip to the botanical gardens! There are so many wonderful things to see and do in the botanical gardens, Peppa and George have a magical time. But what secret does Kylie Kangaroo have for Peppa at the end of the trip?