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How to be a Gardener: Book One: Back to Basics
How to be a Gardener Book One, available at long last in paperback, is the fastest-selling gardening book of all time with sales in excess of 600,000 copies.
In How to be a Gardener Book One, Alan Titchmarsh draws on his knowledge and passion for gardening, and his many years of experience, to give you a comprehensive guide that explores every aspect of your garden and how it works.
In this, the first of two volumes, Alan starts with the basics that every gardener needs to know. He includes information on how plants work and what they need to survive, as well as advice on where to begin if youre a first-time gardener.
Released to coincide with How to be a Gardener Revisited, a reversioned series of HTBAG 1 & 2 featuring new footage with Alan Titchmarsh in January 2005.
In setting out the basic gardening principles and explaining the hows and whys, Alan gives the novice confidence and increases the skills and understanding of more experienced gardeners, too.
In How to be a Gardener Book One, Alan Titchmarsh draws on his knowledge and passion for gardening, and his many years of experience, to give you a comprehensive guide that explores every aspect of your garden and how it works.
In this, the first of two volumes, Alan starts with the basics that every gardener needs to know. He includes information on how plants work and what they need to survive, as well as advice on where to begin if youre a first-time gardener.
Released to coincide with How to be a Gardener Revisited, a reversioned series of HTBAG 1 & 2 featuring new footage with Alan Titchmarsh in January 2005.
In setting out the basic gardening principles and explaining the hows and whys, Alan gives the novice confidence and increases the skills and understanding of more experienced gardeners, too.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2002
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 24, 2023
My late father was a massive fan of Alan Titcmarsh, well he watched any gardening programmes with great interest, he was also a very good gardener. He worked on a farm when he left school and helped the famer's wife manage her vegetable garden and when my parents married he not only had two allotments but also our very large back garden (mum said he was only allowed to use one half the other must be lawns for us to play on and for mum to put in her flowers), and his father's back garden, plus working 6 days a week. I really don't know why then I bought him this book and the next one by Alan Titchmarsh!
He always sought out new ideas and new plants and vegetables to grow, in the very early 1970s he went to the allotment shed and bought some purple sprouting broccoli seeds and then proceeded to grow these "exotic" vegetables, which had family, friends and neighbours desperate to see and grab a few from dad. No-one had seen these before, broccoli? purple! What new madness was this!
Anyway he read this book from cover to cover, it is a basic book, very large and very heavy, but surprisingly clean, but then mum always left a large clean bowl of water, soapdish, nailbrush and towel in the veranda for him to clean up with before he came into the kitchen. And a small mat to leave his dirty boots.
It starts off with growing and planting and choosing what suits our soil conditions, about making a plan beforehand, creating borders (we were the only house which had a superbly mowed lawn), plants of various colours all ordered in neat rows and he even made his own fleur de lys housebricks by hand to build a short wall around the front of the house. When I look back I think where did he find the time, but he never sat still. The book also covers how to deal with weeds (a section which ironically I've just read!), how to maintain your garden when you've reached perfection, then how to prune and how to keep the seedheads for next time, the correct way to mow a lawn, and making your own compost (he was the compost king). Dad got mum started on her borders and containers for which she won awards at fuschia shows. I still don't know he found the time.
This book is also packed with numerous clear coloured photographs. It's a 2002 version but it's not out-of-date. I bought this Dad for his christmas present and now mum's been up the loft and brought his books down for me.
He always sought out new ideas and new plants and vegetables to grow, in the very early 1970s he went to the allotment shed and bought some purple sprouting broccoli seeds and then proceeded to grow these "exotic" vegetables, which had family, friends and neighbours desperate to see and grab a few from dad. No-one had seen these before, broccoli? purple! What new madness was this!
Anyway he read this book from cover to cover, it is a basic book, very large and very heavy, but surprisingly clean, but then mum always left a large clean bowl of water, soapdish, nailbrush and towel in the veranda for him to clean up with before he came into the kitchen. And a small mat to leave his dirty boots.
It starts off with growing and planting and choosing what suits our soil conditions, about making a plan beforehand, creating borders (we were the only house which had a superbly mowed lawn), plants of various colours all ordered in neat rows and he even made his own fleur de lys housebricks by hand to build a short wall around the front of the house. When I look back I think where did he find the time, but he never sat still. The book also covers how to deal with weeds (a section which ironically I've just read!), how to maintain your garden when you've reached perfection, then how to prune and how to keep the seedheads for next time, the correct way to mow a lawn, and making your own compost (he was the compost king). Dad got mum started on her borders and containers for which she won awards at fuschia shows. I still don't know he found the time.
This book is also packed with numerous clear coloured photographs. It's a 2002 version but it's not out-of-date. I bought this Dad for his christmas present and now mum's been up the loft and brought his books down for me.
May 6, 2010
I'm not sure I should count this as something I'm reading in the strictest sense. Flicking through and making lists of tools I should buy is probably more accurate. In fact you could say I'm between books, and MIGHT EVEN HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY ONE!!
January 4, 2015
Excellent gardening guide, Titchmarsh offers information for both the beginning gardener, and the more experienced. Lots of color pictures help in identifying pests and leaf problems. The best part is Titchmarsh's wit and sense of humor.
August 5, 2012
Essential to all new gardeners. This man knows his stuff.
May 9, 2013
Incredibly practical and helpful guide. Often read it at night before bed :)
March 11, 2023
Nice introduction to gardening. It won't tell you what to plant where but will give you the skills to work out what will work best for your garden, what to do each season in the garden and other skills needed.
September 15, 2025
Not exactly a great work of fiction, but I have found this extremely useful since coming into possession of a garden. Direct, amusing and not at all haughty - I would recommend this to those who are trying to become slightly more green-fingered.
September 3, 2021
A really useful book. One I assume I will be referencing back to as I develop my garden!
August 21, 2025
fabulously brilliant and amazing! le Titch is a god amongst men and gardeners!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews