Books/website for a beginner

[ineedsomeinspiration]

We are (hopefully) soon to be moving to a house with a big garden. The bit at the top is ok but most is a bit of a wilderness.

We are complete garden novices but very keen and excited. We would like quite a substantial veg plot which we will share with my parents. Also maybe a couple of fruit tree.s

Anyone recommend any reading or good websites please.

This is good, it explains what all the tools are for, basic techniques, basic design tips, a few bits about different plants.

The RHS plant selector is good for getting ideas on what to plant where.

There are various books on allotments and fruit trees. I've just inherited a copy of this- I haven't read it all properly yet but from a quick skim it seems very user-friendly. I recommend Keepers if you need to buy some fruit trees, they are brilliant if you need help choosing.

I've just recommended my favourite book somewhere else, have I still got the link... www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=liz+dobbs&bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&kn=Which+vegetables&recentlyadded=all&sortby=17&sts=t

It's liz dobbs the gardening which guide to growing vegetables, but now out of print I fear. It is my bible and tells you all you need to know. Doesn't cover fruit though. A library may have it if you want to look first.

RHS Gardening Through the Year is great basic book - it explains what needs doing month by month. It's probably the book I use most.

The series of Expert pocket books is very useful - I have the Tree and Shrub Expert, the Flower Expert and the Container Expert (I like the small format better than the bigger one but not sure if they are still in print)

John Brookes Garden Design is excellent if you want to plan major changes to your garden. (might be worth a borrow from the library)

I quite like Carol Klein's veg book (but there is probably enough in Gardening Through the Year to get you started tbh).

YY to RHS plant selector too. Very helpful.

You may find Alan Titchmarsh books cheaper from other sellers, but maybe not exactly the same book HERE

Oh yes, don't necessarily buy from Amazon- charity shops are fab for gardening books, I'm always picking up bargains.

Oh I also have an RHS encyclopaedia of plants which I find quite handy (but probably the RHS plant finder online does pretty much the same job) It's quite useful as it shows you the general shape of the plants as well as eventual height and spread iyswim?

For general, practical garden advice Helen Yemm 'Gardening in Pyjamas' is excellent. It is short but gives the basics.

If you are interested in organic gardening Bob Flowerdew's books (especially veg & fruit books) are excellent and practical. He says the best value food crops are soft fruit: they don't take much work and the crop is often very expensive in the shops, and he's right!

Hi inspiration,

If you have access to either SKY/Satellite TV (for the BBC Scotland Channels), or access to the BBC iPlayer, I cannot recommend the programme Beechgrove Garden highly enough. I am in the greater London area, and found it by accident on BBC 2 Scotland while going through the TV guide.

Beechgrove Garden is aimed at people who Garden at home really (rather than designers etc) and covers everything from Lawns, Flowers, Vegetables, Tools etc and loads more. It really is a marvellous programme and it has taught me absolutely loads. It started it's most recent series about 6 weeks ago.

Please watch and enjoy.

Just seen that Beechgrove Garden has it's own website:

www.thebeechgrovegarden.com