Garden Yourself Happy: A Quirky, Practical Guide to Keeping You and Your Garden Thriving

by Jonny Hincks

A warm, stress-free, and joy-filled gardening guide that helps busy people build a thriving garden in short, manageable bursts—no perfection required.

Gardening doesn’t have to be overwhelming, time-consuming, or perfect to be joyful. Garden Yourself Happy is a refreshingly down-to-earth gardening book designed for real life—busy schedules, messy patches, forgotten watering days, and all.

Written by beloved gardening creator Jonny Hincks (@gardenwithjonny), this book invites readers to ditch the pressure and rediscover the simple pleasure of getting outside. Organized seasonally, it breaks gardening down into achievable 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-minute jobs so readers can make visible progress without sacrificing their entire weekend.

Alongside practical guidance on planting, lawn care, mulching, pruning, composting, and garden planning, Jonny shares personal stories from his own journey—how gardening became a grounding force amid family challenges, a demanding career as a firefighter, and the chaos of everyday life. His humor-forward, judgment-free approach reminds readers that dead plants happen, weeds grow back, and that’s okay.

Perfect for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike, Garden Yourself Happy includes seasonal checklists, visual summaries, quick-win hacks, and a Q&A section answering the most common gardening questions from Jonny’s global online community.

This is more than a gardening manual—it’s an invitation to slow down, step outside, and build a garden that supports your life, your wellbeing, and your happiness. Stay green. Stay gorgeous.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published April 21, 2026

Reviews

[Emily Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a relatively amateur gardener, this was such a lovely motivational read that made me feel like I’m on the right track! I finally know what mulching actually means, I’ve pruned some stuff at roughly the right time, and I think I can now tackle the grass seed with (some) confidence. I follow Jonny on Instagram & this book reads exactly like his personality - fun, silly & accessible! It’s my first gardening book purchase, and one I’m sure I’ll keep referring back to each season.

[Louise Radford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read full of tips for garden and wellbeing.

[V. Le Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, it gave me really good emotions and sort of permission to relax and be imperfect in my own garden. Which is good for a perfectionist like me.

I don't think I learned anything new in the context of gardening rules or advice, but it was really precious in building some self esteem as a gardener and maybe some kind of a garden artist.

The only thing I disliked about this book was that it seemed a bit repetitive. Anyway, I give it a strong 4 out of 5 and proudly add it to my garden book collection.

[Beth Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real feel-good guide to gardening.

This book gives practical tips and gentle advice with a great pinch of humour.
At times some points are repetitive (but I would also says these repeated points are important). I think the repetition was only due to me reading it through in full, and as I plan to pick this up each season I dn't think it will be a problem anyway.

For me, this book really has inspired me and has made me feel less fearful of getting things wrong.

[Lucy Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for someone wanting to start gardening, and also for more established gardens. Helpfully broken down into seasons, and quick to more time consuming jobs so you can little and often. I'll definitely keep referring back to this!

[Lynne Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great, fun read! While not everything in this book will apply to my own gardening experience in Canada, there's definitely a lot of advice in here for any gardener, anywhere at any time.

Thank you for an inspiring, easy to read, and wonderfully illustrated gardening book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read, and great, practical suggestions. Love the lists of suggested stuff to do based on the amount of time you have that day and the season of the year, so helpful! I’m inspired to do better in my garden. :)

[Dannielle Towey]

Wonderful book. Listened to audiobook style. Read by the author. I love when the books are read by the author. Gives it an extra special touch.

[Meghan Schrumpf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, relatable and enjoyable to read. Author is in the UK so keep that in mind… different climate!