10 best gardening books for beginners to herb your enthusiasm

Create a garden that you can enjoy year-round with the expertise of the Royal Horticultural Society. Learn everything you need to know with this guide to kickstart your new garden. This covers the basics of growing your garden and is packed with detailed steps and expert advice. This book is full of simple ideas that you can do yourself.

Reviewers praise this book's suitability for absolute beginners, liking the fact there's a handy section to work out what kind of soil you have - useful to know what's going to grow best for you. Also popular is the over 80 photographic, step-by-step guides which visually explain various gardening processes.

We've picked this one as our essential guide to gardening in the modern age. What better time to take up a new hobby? Gardening is a beautiful way to make life enjoyable. You're taking care of something, nurturing it. It benefits our mental and physical wellbeing, as well as helps with environmental issues.

Plus, the book itself will guide you through the history of gardening (and promises interesting trivia), different types of gardens, urban gardening, and the benefits that come with it. One reviewer describes this book as a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of gardening whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural environment.

Joe Swift, an expert gardener, has written a no-nonsense, practical guide on how to create your own small garden. From courtyards to rooftops, Swift promises to help transform even the most awkward and unexciting places. In this book, Joe covers a vast range of exciting, impactful and innovative ways to stamp your personality on your outdoor space.

Reviewers like the fact that as well as suggested layouts and planting plans for small gardens, this book also has great sections on the basics of practical gardening, such as watering guidelines, mulching advice, pruning directions, repotting instructions, and how to protect more delicate plants over winter.

Emma Andrews' book on raised-bed gardening helps you master your first gardening experience – even with limited space – by following these nine easy steps. Featuring DIY designs, and expert advice on irrigation and fertilisation, this book is equipped with everything you need to know.

As well as back garden container gardening, this book is very useful for anyone wanting to create a balcony garden. Reviewers say the chapters are well-separated and clearly titled so you can jump straight to the area you need to reference quickly. The glossary at the back is also praised for being useful if you are unsure of particular terminology.

There's nothing quite like eating veggies that you've grown yourself. If you've got some space for a veggie patch, but have no clue how to start, this book by Jill McSheeby will guide rookies on how to build the ideal foundation, pick the perfect plans and nurture a budding garden.

You'll be surprised how easy it can be to create a thriving vegetable garden, with reviewers praising the fact McSheeby's advice doesn't require complicated equipment or the use of any harsh chemicals. As well as general planting advice, this book offers info on pairing up companion plants, watering, mulching, and handling pests.

A bestseller, How Not to Kill Your Houseplant is a beginner's guide to plant parenting. Turn your home into a beautiful greenhouse of healthy, happy plants with easy advice and survival tips. Soon, you'll be able to identify what's in the pot. Further down the line, you'll be an expert in helping your plants flourish. This is the ultimate guide for indoor gardening.

While we recommend this book for anyone who has their own houseplants they are trying not to kill, it also makes a great gift. Have you got a loved one who is horticulturally challenged? This may be the best gardening book for them.

Learn how to grow and arrange your own beautiful flowers with Amy Barene's guide. With the right guidance and a touch of practice, you can grow your way to a beautiful floral paradise. This book has all the information you'll need to plan, cultivate, tend, harvest, and arrange home-grown flowers. No experience is required.

This book gives you the chance to discover detailed profiles that explain how to start 35 different flowers from seed, harvest them, and dry them. Reviewers love the access to quick information offered in the profile section and say it's very informative about the plants that are growing in their garden.

Want to get your kiddies acquainted with the outdoors? Popular reference publisher Usborne has given us another gem. After all, gardening is a great way for children to discover how plants grow and to learn where lots of things come from. Here, they will learn how to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

What we particularly love about this book is how inclusive Usborne has made it. While you can get loads out of this book if you have outdoor space, there are plenty of growing ideas for pots that can be placed on windowsills. Reviewers appreciate the simple diagrams and instructions.

If you're wondering how to grow your own food if you don’t have a big garden, you can with this book. Discover how you can grow your own food by choosing pots for your plants to harvest, this book has all the information you need to start growing food and plants in containers.

Aimed at urban and suburban gardeners, one reviewer who lives in a top floor flat with no outdoor space states this book managed to inspire them to get growing. This book offers useful 'dos and don'ts' for not just starting a beautiful container-based garden, but maintaining it and keeping in healthy in the long run.

Expert herbalist, Ava Green, will take you on a unique journey where you will learn how to find science-backed natural remedies for your ailments. You'll learn about herbs, herbal remedies, the practice of herbalism and more. If you're looking to grow healing herbs in your garden, there's even information to help you with that.

This book promises to help you tackle over 70 ailments, providing detailed information and imagery about their suggested herbal remedies. One reviewer strongly recommends trying Green's nettle tea recipe, especially if you suffer from hayfever.