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RHS Resilient Garden – sustainable gardening for a changing climate by award-winning designer Tom Massey

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GARDENS FIT FOR THE FUTURE 

TOM MASSEY COMBINES NEW RHS CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH WITH CUTTING EDGE DESIGN & VIRTUAL REALITY

6 April 2023 | £27.00 | Hardback | 256 pages

  • In the first book to feature latest RHS climate change research, celebrated designer Tom Massey uses his expert knowledge and virtual reality to showcase an immersive garden for the future
  • Advice on how to create productive outdoor spaces that are brilliant for biodiversity
  • Techniques to help reduce the impact of climate change such as resilient gardening; analysing your plot; practical projects; sustainable materials and plant choices
  • A ‘climate emergency’ call to action for gardeners to work with the environment, the book includes case studies of innovative resilient gardens from around the world and interviews with leading scientists, experts and growers
  • Tips on building your own backyard food forest, green roof and swale planting, rainwater harvesting, hügelkultur mounds, rewilded zones and choosing anti-pollution plants
  • One of the foremost designers of his generation, Tom Massey runs his own London-based design studio, has appeared on BBC show ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’ and won multiple awards including a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2021

Award-winning designer Tom Massey uses the very latest RHS climate change research and ground-breaking design techniques to show how we can future-proof our gardens, making them more sustainable, resilient, and beautiful places to enjoy for years to come.

RHS Resilient Garden innovatively taps into the virtual world, inviting the reader to explore a computer-generated garden for the future, inspired by the principles outlined by Tom in this, his debut, book.

Providing a passionate narrative into why, and how, gardeners can make changes in their outdoor spaces, Tom gives an expert insight from gardens and people he has met around the world. Fascinating case studies of intelligent, sustainable garden designs are punctuated throughout with practical and relatable advice for gardeners to learn and understand how they can make the right plant and design choices, for their own gardens.

RHS Resilient Garden is grounded in the latest research. The book explains the importance of planting mixed hedging for pollution trapping, how a patio affects waterlogging, the benefits of green walls and roofs for insects and pollinators, how to rewild patches of our gardens, why we should all compost and use circular waste systems, and how to reap the rewards of a backyard food forest.

Readers worldwide will be able to analyse the needs of their plot, looking at wind, sun, soil, water, wildlife, air quality and carbon. Tom offers innovative ideas on how we can all combat ‘eco-anguish’ with positive solutions to inspire gardeners to do ‘their bit’ to help and support the environment and wildlife.

With diagrams and infographics to illustrate key concepts, the book contains stunning images of Tom’s design ideas.

RHS Resilient Garden is believed to be the first garden design book to use immersive virtual reality. Via a QR code, readers are transported into Tom’s virtual garden for the future, seeing for themselves how a small urban garden can be transformed from the ordinary to an extraordinarily beautiful and sustainable design.

Tom said: “Radical and resilient garden design has been employed throughout history and we need to learn from the inspiring pioneers so that we can become the radicals of the future.

“I wanted to share what I have learnt from inspiring people and places around the world and from the latest research undertaken by the RHS and others, to show that we can all come together as gardeners and collectively make a difference. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the climate emergency, but if all gardeners come together to make small, ecologically focused changes, this will combine to have a big impact in helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and halt biodiversity decline. Together we can build a network of sustainable and resilient gardens designed for the future.”

ENDS

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

Notes for editors:  

About the Author Tom Massey works with nature to produce sustainable, ecological and beautifully designed gardens that support wildlife, promote biodiversity and use sustainable growing mediums. After graduating from the London College of Garden Design at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he founded Tom Massey Studio in 2015. His work has won multiple awards, including a gold medal and BBC People’s Choice Award for the Yeo Valley Organic Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2021. Tom also appeared on the BBC2 television series ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’ in 2021 and 2022.

  • In 2021, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) warned that more extreme weather is to be expected in coming years: some 87% of UK homes have a garden, making up to 433,000 hectares of land that can be used in the fight against climate change
  • Responding to climate change was a key issue at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in September 2021: the COP26 Garden demonstrated how gardens play an integral part in protecting our planet to ensure a greener, more resilient future
  • The RHS has recently launched its Sustainability Strategy, raising awareness of the effects of climate change on gardens both in the UK and worldwide

ABOUT DK

DK | For the curious

We believe in the power of discovery. That’s why we create books for everyone that explore ideas and nurture curiosity about the world we live in. From first words to the Big Bang, from the wonders of nature to city adventures, you will find expert knowledge, hours of fun and endless inspiration in the pages of our books.

Not-Another-Jungle-jacket-hi-res

Not Another Jungle by Tony Le-Britton – how to take your houseplant growing to the next level

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Comprehensive care for extraordinary houseplants by leading houseplant influencer Tony Le-Britton

6 April 2023 | £16.99 | Hardback | 155 pages

HOW TO TAKE YOUR HOUSEPLANT GROWING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

  • Expert advice on how to care for some of the most desirable and beautiful houseplants available so they can thrive in your home
  • Award-winning photographer Tony Le-Britton switched his career focus during lockdown and is now one of the UK’s leading indoor ‘plantfluencers’ @NotAnotherJungle with 221k followers
  • Self-taught and now a professional grower, Tony is a prolific houseplant collector of some of the world’s rarest plants
  • Includes myth-busting, tips on watering, propagating, feeding, lighting, pests and diseases, as well as sustainability, responsible growing and sourcing
  • The science of how houseplants actually grow explained
  • Inspirational step-by-step ‘how to’ photography and stunning images of the rare plant jewels in Tony’s own collection – ideal for those obsessed with houseplants and newbie owners too

One of the country’s most popular growers Tony Le-Britton, shares his infectious passion and expansive knowledge for houseplants in his debut book Not Another Jungle.

Tony’s new book is aimed at anyone who loves houseplants and wants to find out how to progress their rare plant collections, and how to help them flourish with bespoke care techniques. For houseplant novices there are his easy-to-follow tips and methods for ensuring their plants not only survive but thrive. Tony’s personal and easy-to-read text helps ensure everyone can understand how to get the best from their houseplants.

Tony, who began as an amateur enthusiast and is now a leading professional grower with his own houseplant shop, says: “I want to help readers take their houseplant growing to the next level, by sharing my knowledge and explaining how to care for and nurture your plants, but also the reasons behind why we do what we do for them and why plants behave in certain ways.”

A breakout social media star, Tony, aka @NotAnotherJungle, has established a large following with his calming plant-filled videos, helpful advice and intriguing peeks inside his stunning indoor greenhouse at home. He actively engages with his audience, and shares so much of his passion, his followers feel they are there growing the plants with him. His book cleverly covers everything houseplant lovers need, with detailed chapters on light, water, humidity, fertiliser, variegation, propagation, and pests and diseases so you can confidently care for your inside garden.

Having travelled the world to explore and learn about plants in their natural habitats, Tony empowers readers to create the optimum environment in their own home so their plants will thrive. Combining detailed information and stunning imagery, the book’s curated plants include Monstera, Anthurium, Philodendron, Rhaphidophora, Alocasia and Begonia, with a special focus on desirable and unusual varieties, including beautiful variegated plants.

Tony discusses the history of plant exploration, touching on the impact to indigenous peoples and habitats, and the blight of modern-day plant poaching. He gives practical advice on how to source and grow plants responsibly, encouraging readers to value their collections, rehome rather than throw away, and use environmentally friendly growing materials and practices.

Tony says: “I want to make sure that enthusiasts choose a plant that is right for their specific growing conditions – my aim is to enable everyone to be successful with houseplants. I also want to inspire them to explore plant growing and to cut down on unnecessary waste by keeping their plants longer and rejecting the throwaway plant culture. It’s a win-win. The feeling that comes from nurturing individual living things and seeing them grow is something that can’t be rivalled.”

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:

Tony Le-Britton is a self-taught grower and prolific houseplant collector of some of the world’s rarest plants. Taught to garden as a child by his grandparents, this book will bring together 30 years of growing experience and plant knowledge. His Instagram account @NotAnotherJungle has built up over 188k followers since he set it up in 2020 and many ask for plant care advice. Featured on BBC Gardeners’ World. He is also one of the UK’s most respected hair and beauty photographers. https://www.hji.co.uk/latest/tony-le-britton-photographer

DK | For the curious

We believe in the power of discovery. That’s why we create books for everyone that explore

ideas and nurture curiosity about the world we live in. From first words to the Big Bang, from the wonders of nature to city adventures, you will find expert knowledge, hours of fun and endless inspiration in the pages of our books.

 

 

Charles in his no dig garden with lettuce and other vegetables September

Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly

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No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly

Published end August 2020 – £22.50 – Hardback – 240 pages

Available to order via www.charlesdowding.co.uk Nationwide distribution

Organic pioneer Charles Dowding reveals how to create a successful ‘no dig’ garden, as well as the history of this time-saving and highly productive method of gardening, in his new book ‘Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening – From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly’.

Charles is a world authority on no dig vegetable gardening which involves simply mulching soil with compost, rather than laboriously digging it. With millions of views of his YouTube videos over lockdown alone, Charles’s no-frills methods resonate with novice and experienced gardeners alike.

In this highly detailed resource, which is based on the written content of his successful online course, Charles explains the concept of no dig vegetable gardening, the art of making good compost for your garden and the differences between soil and compost. He explores the history of no dig over the last 100 years, how it often challenges the gardening ‘norm’ and why only in recent years the method has become popular and valued.

Although the book is not a manual of vegetable growing, it has two chapters with detailed planting plans for small spaces based on what Charles has grown and how no dig helped to achieve these outcomes. He uses the results of growing trials at his Homeacres market garden in Somerset to show how no dig works, and questions the need, or not, to grow vegetables in a different place each year.

There is a chapter on site evaluation and planning your layout, and a section on clearing weeds by mulching, with all the associated details. Readers will also learn how to:

  • Use no dig on different soil types
  • Ask questions and recognise gardening myths, to save time and unnecessary effort
  • Create and look after beds and paths, with a whole section on paths and their value
  • Recognise and reduce different types of weeds
  • Understand and use different types of mulch or soil cover
  • Know the differences between soil, compost and various types of compost
  • Make their own compost
  • Grow an abundance of vegetables using the no dig method. There are growing plans for one bed and for a small garden, with photos and tables to illustrate the results.

The book has 19 chapters, 85,000 words and 900 photographs. Each ‘lesson’ is comprehensively illustrated with sequences of before, during and after photographs from Homeacres. Lessons finish with a multiple-choice quiz to consolidate learning. This is the ideal book for anyone wishing to learn and garden with the no dig method.

Charles Dowding’s Vegetable Garden 2021 Calendar

Monthly calendar A4 opening to A3 – £10 inc VAT 

Available nationwide in stores and via www.charlesdowding.co.uk

Illustrated calendar with photos from Charles’s garden and handy vegetable growing tips. Charles gives a vegetable growing summary for every month, plus his favourite sowing dates for each vegetable at their best times of year, based on decades of fine tuning. Use these dates to help you enjoy a regular supply of fresh produce through all four seasons.

Enjoy the seasonal beauty of his famous vegetable garden, as seen on You Tube and BBC TV Gardeners’ World, in magazines and newspapers. 32 pages printed on 200gsm Premium Gloss Paper, with 350gsm cover. Hole-punched, for hanging on a wall.

ENDS

For further information contact Emma Mason on emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433.

Charles Dowding has made no dig popular and is a world authority on the subject. His productive and weed-free garden illustrates the benefits simply of mulching soil to feed its microorganisms. They “turn on the tap” of making food and moisture available to our plants, as well as improving soil structure.

  • Drainage and aeration improve, in an easy and long-lasting way
  • The method is simple and requires less work
  • The result is fewer weeds and healthier, more resilient plants
  • Carbon is retained in the soil

Since 1982 he has created and cropped four no dig market gardens on different soils, from stone to silt to clay. In the 1980s he cropped 7.5 acres (3ha) of no dig beds. In the 1990s he farmed in France.

Currently he grows vegetables on 0.25 acres/1000 square metres in Somerset, SW England zone 8. He sells £20,000 of harvests locally, mainly salad leaves, and vegetables are served on courses at Homeacres.

There are two crops a year from beds which are cheap to establish and quick to maintain. Charles’s methods are easy to understand and work on small areas as well as large ones. No dig scales up and down easily.

He has written nine books and an annual calendar of sowing dates, runs a You Tube channel with 21 million views, writes for national gardening magazines, and gives talks and courses at home and abroad. He has created online courses in no dig gardening and on vegetable growing.

More information can be found at charlesdowding.co.uk

Twitter @charlesdowding 

Instagram charles_dowding

You Tube Charles Dowding

Facebook Charles Dowding No Dig Gardening