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Essential reading!


Essential reading!

I love a massive plant encyclopaedia. I learned to garden by delving obsessively into the RHS encyclopaedia of plants and flowers. I read it so much it fell apart. I replaced it and found the newer edition very disappointing. So this week when I was missing my old reference tome I decided to treat myself to something new and similar. And this one is a cracker! I’ve already had a good nosey in it and it’s going to be a favourite! I hardly have any gardening books nowadays. I tend to give them away after reading them. But this one’s a keeper! What are your favourite gardening books? The ones you can’t bear to part with?



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I do have quite a few Karen, though I did some culling when I realised that I had 42 gardening books! My all time favourite is The Border Book by Anna Pavord, bought secondhand many years ago for £4 🙂.
Christopher Lloyd makes a lot of sense too …

15 Mar, 2024

 

Thank you Sheila. Anna Pavord is a very well respected and I have never read any of her work.

15 Mar, 2024

 

I've culled a large boxful to the Oxfam bookshop just recently. In fact, we've got rid of a huge number of our book collection overall. (Part of my decluttering regime!!) I thought it would be a difficult thing to do but, like you, Karen, I realised many did not serve my purpose anymore. I find I have 'enthusiasms' and so buy books on those when I need them - currently Japanese maples and exotic gardening. I have very much enjoyed 'Jungle Gardening' by Philip Oostenbrink. And wildlife gardening; Chris Baines is still hard to beat after all these years since first publication. Also, I admit to using Youtube much more for general information It's a great source I think.
I think, too, that like recipe books, many new publications just keep regurgitating old stuff.

16 Mar, 2024

 

I do love a clear-out Ange! :)

16 Mar, 2024

 

I find it very therapeutic, Karen. It makes my OH very nervous!

16 Mar, 2024

 

I think it's several years since I picked up a gardening book. I don't have many, but, they were all passed on to me from older and experienced gardeners, Karen.

23 Mar, 2024

 

Lucky you Kate! The older books are often better too!

24 Mar, 2024



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