RHS The Creative Gardener by Adam Frost

RHS The Creative Gardener by Adam Frost

Inspirational projects and ideas to create the space you want

 31 March 2022 | £20 | Hardback | 256 pages

Be inspired to get practical and creative in the garden with Adam Frost and you could boost your mental well-being too

  • Adam Frost shares more than 25 design-led projects to make for the garden, with clear instructions and step-by-step photography
  • How to create furniture, wildlife habitats, planters, water features, plant supports and hard landscaping for your outdoor space, as well as clever design flourishes
  • Written by Adam during lockdown, the book encourages readers to enjoy the well-being benefits of the creative process as well as the finished project.
  • Google searches for ‘garden inspiration’ reached an all-time high in April 2021 as people are spending more time in their garden (Google Trends)

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost shows you how to get hands-on in the garden to transform your outdoor space with heaps of practical tips and down-to-earth expert advice in his new book RHS The Creative Gardener.

Well known for his straightforward presenting style, and his award-winning design ideas, Adam combines these skills to offer realistic, achievable, impactful suggestions for creating great garden spaces.

In this ‘recipe book’ of ideas for your garden, published in March, Adam walks the reader through how to create dozens of design features with clear step-by-step photography and easy-to-follow instructions.  RHS The Creative Gardener shows you how to personalise your ideas; recycle and upcycle what you already have; gain inspiration from different materials, textures, places and the nature around you, plus demonstrates there is something to suit everyone’s taste, space and budget.

“Through the process of writing this book, I’ve come to realise something important: whatever you’re making, be it big or small, complicated or easy, there’s as much pleasure to be had from the process as from the end result,” Adam says. “I also realised I get a deep sense of calm and satisfaction when I use my hands to make something.

“These days, it seems that we live in a world where it’s all about the end goal, the destination. I want this book to celebrate the benefits of taking your time to enjoy the journey and making the connection to the simple pleasures of learning new skills, using your hands, and spending time productively. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a weekend or three years to finish it, when you make something, you also create memories, and this is what gives your garden personality and soul.”

There are project ideas for everyone, ranging from the relatively simple such as seasonal planting suggestions for containers, a hazel ladder, coffee table planter, sparrow terrace nest box and a log seat, through to the more the complex including creating a cosy fire pit, green roof log store, carved bird bath, sleeper steps and a formal pond.

Easy to use guides on choosing the best tools to use for hard landscaping and in the workshop; where to find design inspiration, and even how to calculate materials and mark out your site are all included.

Inspired by his dad, uncle and grandfather, and reflecting back on his childhood when he ‘knocked bits of timber together’, Adam wrote the book during lockdown. “I’ve always loved using my hands, but it’s only recently dawned on me that when I make things today, it gives me a connection with my past. I’ve realised just how important making things is to my sense of self – it’s how I fit into the world,” he explains.

“None of the projects is very difficult, and I’d feel comfortable teaching my 14-year-old to do everything in this book. It’s true that you might need to invest in a few tools or other pieces of kit but, more than anything, you need to invest in setting some time aside,” Adam adds.

Taking an artisan’s approach and carrying out projects yourself, RHS The Creative Gardener helps you to not only create the garden you have always wanted but also gives you an added satisfaction of creating and making it yourself.

ENDS

For further information contact Emma Mason emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433 or Jane Southcott jane@janesouthcottpr.co.uk 07787 527430

Notes for editors: THE AUTHOR – Adam Frost

Adam Frost is an award-winning garden designer, with seven Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals to his name. He is a presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World and BBC coverage of the RHS Flower Shows.

He started his gardening career as a 16-year-old gardening apprentice with the North Devon Parks Department. He then moved back to London to train as a landscape gardener, before getting a job with the late, great gardener Geoff Hamilton. During his time with Geoff, he trained as a landscape designer and then established his own garden landscape business in 1996, which has taken him around the world designing gardens.

Adam is also an RHS Ambassador, carrying out a mission close to his heart: to encourage our next generation of gardeners and to raise the profile of careers in horticulture.

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