The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing
by Alys Fowler
Gardening is something you do, not something you buy. You don’t have to spend money to have a great garden. Slow gardening – like slow food – is taking time to savour. It’s the process, not this sudden transformation that matters. When you build a little, dig a bit, plant a little, harvest often and more importantly don’t try and do it all at once, nature will work for you. For this is gardening that won’t cost the earth.
This is a book that will eliminate the intimidation factor and reveal the ins and outs of soil, seeds, sowing and growing. Designed to be highly appropriate for beginners, it will cover the basics like planning, planting and pruning using organic and inexpensive methods. Its quirky projects and thrifty ethic will mean that it reaches beyond the usual gardening audience – this book is for those who would rather be found hunting through a skip than be seen in a garden centre.
Alys Fowler started gardening in her early teens and trained at the Royal Horticultural Society, the New York Botanical Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Whilst living in New York and with only a fire escape to grow plants on, Alys quickly found a community that was making beautiful gardens on a shoestring budget. She has since vowed never to waste money in her garden. Alys is the Head Gardener at Berryfields, the location for BBC’s Gardeners’ World and she writes for the Guardian, BBC’s Gardeners’ World magazine and Gardens Illustrated as well as other publications.
An easy and enjoyable read and apart from giving advice about saving money, it also gives valuable information about soil and propagation. It is amazing how much we can save just by spending a little time and recycling everyday rubbish.
You can buy The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing