Give It a Grow: Simple Projects to Nurture Food, Flowers and Wildlife in Any Outdoor Space

by Martha Swales

The instant Sunday Times bestseller from internet sensation @marfskitchengarden with 40 simple projects to grow your own veg, fruit or flowers no matter how much space you have.

In this beautiful and practical guide, Martha Swales makes it easier than ever before to start growing your own slice of nature with her collection of fool-proof projects.

You don’t need expensive tools or equipment, Martha’s approach is all about getting outside, trying something new and watching the magic of nature take its course. With chapters on veg, fruit, herbs, flowers and wildlife, there are over 40 of Martha’s favourite projects to make the most of your garden, patio or balcony (plus bonus recipes for how to cook with your produce!)

Grow garlic greens on your windowsill (and use them to make tasty garlic flatbreads)Create a tower of tumbling strawberriesBuild a pond to bring wildlife to your gardenMake a bulb lasagne for a changing display of flowers throughout spring

Complete with beautiful illustrations, this is the perfect book for anyone who wants to get more out of their outside space, to enjoy the taste of their own produce, or to simply feel more connected to nature – why don’t you give it a grow?

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Plants, Education

320 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Louise]

This is a lovely book. As someone with a new garden and no idea what I’m doing this has given me some great advice. The illustrations throughout are lovely and there is the odd recipe thrown in too. I immediately want to plant EVERYTHING

[Mariella]

I devoured this book over 2 days. It is filled with such awesome little projects to experiment with growing and thankfully it's written without assumption of any prior gardening knowledge. It ultimately an encouraging, bright read about building confidence and wonder to whatever outdoor space you have... whether it's a balcony, a windowsill or a tired tiny London lawn. I can't wait to get started even though it's winter :)

[Jeanine ♡]

As someone who has killed many plants, this book has me feeling confident that I could plant a garden and some plants would survive

[Addie]

Exactly the gardening book I want and need! Reads like a recipe book for gardening projects, but Martha includes lots of personal experience and tips throughout. I appreciate that it's very UK-centric, as lots of gardening advice online is more general or US-focused.

[Gina Garcia]

Lots of good projects for all different kinds of spaces. I’m excited to start my porch garden!

[Sara Bainbridge]

I really enjoyed this book and will find it so useful for all the gardening 'recipes'! I can imagine coming back to it every year to try something new. Martha writes in such a friendly and helpful way. I also think more than one person will find this useful as a gift if they're just getting started with gardening!

[Arabella Wheeler]

Beautifully written book. Can't wait to start my own growing projects in my London garden. The projects look easy to follow and perfect for beginnners.

[Elizabeth Richmond]

The author has a really friendly, conversational style that makes me feel like I could accomplish anything. I gathered so many ideas and tips that I hadn’t considered before.

This book includes projects to complete in your garden. They’re comprehensive but not rambling. There’s several ways to plant some of the same plants, which is so helpful for my concrete patio full of pots in comparison to a more traditional yard/garden. I am very inspired to start growing immediately, even though it’s not quite time to start planting.

I think the author did an excellent job of explaining and motivating me, an average gardener, and I think this book has value whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been growing for years. I am impressed!

[Rebecca]

Really enjoyed this read! I would say its tailored to beginners but I have been interested in gardening for a few years now and still took away plenty of tips to try and learnt some new things.

Gardening can seem daunting, and often it feels like you need a huge garden or allotment for it to be worthwhile but this book shows you can give all sorts a go no matter the space you have.

It is filled with tips to make the most out of your space - even if all you have is a small paved garden, or even just a balcony where containers are all you can garden from, there will be some things you can try.

I love Martha's writing style - it just feels friendly and approachable, like a mate giving me advice over a cup of tea!

Highly recommend.

[Amy Dora]

Absolutely fantastic book, was sceptical at first as I didn't realise it was black and white with no guidance pics (how can I see what I have to do!) however I got my tabs out and highlighters and this is now my gardening go to bible! It's been incredibly helpful and taught me so much and written in a way that can help you learn how to do anything with very minimal knowledge (this was me re-reading this book!) and so much to learn for people already experienced in gardening!

100% recommend! I've been so excited seeing all my crops taking root and flourishing so far!

[Karen]

A fantastic little reference book which I will refer to constantly. As someone who is now in my second year of vegetable growing I found it particularly useful and packed with lots of lovely tips and tricks. I particularly enjoyed the projects and recipes, which I will definitely be making. I devoured this book over two days and I do hope Martha writes another one I will be on it immediately.

[Anouk]

Great beginner guide for gardening. The small, simple projects are accompanied by nice recipes and cute illustrations. I love how the author encourages the reader to just experiment and enjoy the process, instead of trying to achieve perfection. This book inspired me to finally start my own little veg garden on my balcony. Can’t wait for spring!

[Beth]

Lovely book with lots of ideas and inspiration for someone just starting out with gardening. I felt like the book was definitely written for someone like me - living in an urban environment with not much space and very little gardening experience and definitely no confidence! I look forward to trying some of these projects out.

[bliink]

Having followed Mar on Instagram it was a pleasure to dive into her book and thought process, a lovely starter book for an aspiring gardener and a reminder to just get out there and grow something (anything!).

[Emma Williams]

Great book, would have preferred a colour version with photos too.

[Jaime]

Gardening suddenly seems a lot less daunting! 😊

[Anna Leckey]

Loved this book, easy read and lots of lovely projects!

[Kitty]

I love this book. It’s not so much of a gardening “how to” (even though it is) as a gardeners journey with tips along the way. Give it a read!

[Fionn McGorry]

Really lovely book. Looking forward to trying some projects when the weather turns.

[Amanda Macneil]

Very accessible. Great tips and projects to try. Lovely writing style.

[Isabelle McK]

Not super relevant to my particular gardening skills.

[Megan Robinson]

Some great tips for the garden, looking forward to starting some of the projects..handy book to look back at for tips when doing the projects.

[Freya Gratland]

Not conducive to a fallow year

[Alli Young]

Straightforward, easy to use, yet also whimsical and anecdotal.

[Loren Ewan-Hines]

Filled with lots of fun projects! Definitely has given me a better idea of where to start with my own fruits and veggies in the garden. Looking forward to using some tips and tricks from this books! Loved the illustrations!

[Leonie Faulkner]

listened to audiobook and it was really inspiring

[Hannah Newton]

3.5⭐️

A great book for beginner gardeners, lots of fun little projects and recipes to have a go at. Wish I’d read it this time last year when I didn’t know most of the stuff included in the book