Gardening (Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure) Books - Genuine Titles, Great Prices

Gardening Books: Grow Flowers, Vegetables and Plants at Home

Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can take up, and it needs very little to begin. A sunny balcony, a few pots and some patience are enough. Gardening books help you avoid the common mistakes that kill plants, and they give you the confidence to try new things, from growing tomatoes on a terrace to designing a flowering courtyard.

This shelf covers practical how-to guides, garden design, flower arranging, indoor plants, hydroponics and a few lovely books about the pleasure and history of gardens. Here is how to find the right one for your space and your goals.

Gardening for Beginners

If you are new to gardening, start small and choose a book that matches the space you actually have. Container Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie is ideal for flats and balconies, where most urban Indian gardeners begin. It covers vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers grown in pots. Potted by Andy Sturgeon is another stylish guide to growing in containers. Houseplants and Succulents for Dummies by Steven A. Frowine is perfect if you want greenery indoors and do not have outdoor space at all.

A few basic rules will save you a lot of disappointment:

Know your light. Watch your space for a day and note how many hours of direct sun it gets. This decides what you can grow.
Do not overwater. More potted plants die from too much water than too little. Check the soil with your finger first.
Use good soil. Garden soil alone is too heavy for pots. Mix in compost and something light such as cocopeat.
Start with easy plants. Tulsi, mint, money plant, marigold, chillies and tomatoes are forgiving and grow well in most of India.

Growing Vegetables at Home

Kitchen gardening has become hugely popular in Indian cities, and for good reason. Homegrown vegetables taste better, you know exactly what has gone into them, and children love watching food grow. The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour explains how to plan crops so that you are harvesting through every season. Garden Harvest by Steven Bradley is a practical companion for growing fruit and vegetables. Readers who want to grow onions on a larger scale will find The New Onion Culture by Tuisco Greiner an interesting older guide.

Remember that Indian seasons differ from those in European and American books. Adapt their advice to your local climate: many leafy greens grow best here in the cooler months, while gourds and okra love the heat.

Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Soil-Free Growing

Soil-free growing is perfect for small spaces and rooftops. Hydroponics and Aquaponics: From Beginner to Expert by William Walsworth explain how to set up simple home systems. Aeroponics by Ferdinand Quinones covers growing plants with roots in air and mist. These methods use less water and can produce surprising yields from a tiny area, though they need a little more setup and attention than pots.

Flowers, Roses and Flower Arranging

Flower lovers have plenty to enjoy here. The Practical Book of Outdoor Rose Growing by George Clifford Thomas is a classic, and R Is For Rose by Carolyn Parker is a personal tribute by a passionate rose grower. How to Grow Chrysanthemums Like an Expert by Max Richards will help you grow the big, bright blooms that are so popular in Indian winters.

Once your flowers are blooming, bring them indoors. Ultimate Flower Arrangement Book by Kathrine Thor Stratton, Flowers Cut and Dried by Caroline Alexander and Everlasting by Terence Moore show how to arrange fresh flowers and how to dry them for displays that last for months.

Herb Gardens and Bonsai

Herbs are the perfect first project: they are useful, fragrant and easy. The Ornamental Herb Garden by Catherine Mason shows how to grow herbs beautifully, from window boxes to formal knot gardens. If you want a patient, meditative hobby, Bonsai by Elizabeth Raphael is a step by step guide to growing and shaping miniature trees.

Garden Design and Inspiration

Not every gardening book is a manual. Some are meant to inspire. The Jewel Garden by Monty Don, the much loved British gardener, tells the story of the garden he made with his wife. Gardens Within a Garden: Sunder Nursery, New Delhi by Geeta Wahi Dua and Archana Saad Akhtar celebrates one of India's finest restored historic gardens. Seeing Gardens by Sam Abell, The Water Garden by Leslie Geddes-Brown, Garden Details by Lynne Blundell and Portfolios of Contemporary Gardens by Stephen Woodhams are full of ideas for layout, water features and decorative touches. The Climate Change Garden by Sally Morgan offers timely advice on growing a garden that can cope with heat waves and erratic rain.

Plants of India

Indian gardeners will appreciate Shrubs and Climbers in India: A Field Guide by Pippa Mukherjee, which helps you identify and choose plants that suit local conditions. For the science behind growing, Fundamental Ideas of Horticulture by Dr. Shubham Jai is a useful text for students and serious gardeners. Readers who want to go further into farming can visit our agriculture books shelf.

Gardens in Literature and History

Gardening has inspired writers for centuries. The Gardener by Rabindranath Tagore is a collection of lyrical poems, and The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams is a warm novel about neighbours brought together by a shared garden. Garden History by Gordon Campbell, a Very Short Introduction, and The Quest for Paradise by Saba Risaluddin trace how gardens have been imagined from ancient times to the present.

A Simple Seasonal Plan for Indian Gardens

Monsoon: Plant new saplings and trees, as the rain helps roots settle. Watch for fungus and avoid waterlogging in pots.
Winter: This is the best season for flowers such as marigold, petunia, chrysanthemum and pansy, and for leafy greens like spinach, methi and coriander.
Summer: Move delicate plants into shade, water early in the morning and mulch the soil to keep it cool. Gourds, okra and basil enjoy the heat.

Keep a small garden diary of what you sowed and when. After one year you will know your own space better than any book can tell you.

Where to Go Next

Gardening connects naturally with cooking, nature and wildlife. Turn your harvest into meals with our cookery books, learn about the birds and insects that visit your plants on the natural world and pets shelf, and explore wider green topics in our environment books. Pick one plant, one pot and one good book this week, and you may find that a lifelong hobby has quietly begun.

Even a small balcony can grow herbs, flowers and vegetables. Learn about the sunlight your space receives before buying plants, and water with care.

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