Grow and Gather: A Gardener’s Guide to a Year of Cut Flowers

by Grace Alexander, Rob Mackenzie (Illustrator), Dean Hearne (Photographer)

You don't need a flower field in the countryside to grow cut flowers, arrange beautiful floral displays or connect with nature.

A simple patch of earth is plenty. In Grow and Gather, you'll follow the annual cycle of growing cut flowers, from sowing in spring to seed-collecting in autumn.

Simple projects show you how to plant and nurture various flowers, as well as demonstrating the importance of texture, colour and shape when arranging them.

Together with these practical projects, tips and hints, flower field gardener and clinical psychologist Grace Alexander guides you in the art of meaningful, engaged and intentional gardening - through mindful growing, you can transform your wellbeing and find a greater connection to your garden and yourself.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2021

Reviews

[Alexis Leisinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my favorite gardening book I read this year. It’s beautiful and poetic. I’m fully inspired to prioritize being in my garden for the purpose of enjoying it and not just forever seeing the to do list.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully photographed book. Not as much a guide, but a reminiscence of a year in a country garden.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautifully done. The pictures are aesthetically pleasing and the book is poetic. It’s a poetic journal of a gardener in a year. I’d have rated it higher however it’s called “ a gardeners guide to a year of cut flowers” and I’ve read a few cut flower garden guides now and as a guide it lacks a lot of helpful instruction. Better for someone who wants to appreciate the craft and knows more than a novice gardener

[Mallory Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only does this book stun with beautiful design and visuals from Grace’s garden and homestead, the contents transplant readers to another era encouraging and emboldening them to preserve, foster, and create green life, if only for the sake of the pleasure it brings. While reading, I learn to record my experiences cultivating nature—both good and bad; I plan my own growth journey little by little; and am reminded often to take joy and pleasure in hard work, trial and error, and taking things the slow way.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed. In February of this year I decided to start a cut flower garden, and in March and April spent my days sowing seeds (indoors) and learning all things fliers. I am late to pick up this book, but once I did I was obsessed.

This book is written beautifully, with gorgeous photos to follow, lyrical journal entries and gardening tips and tricks.

I’m now a proud member of the author’s online community “Gather” and she has now gained a fan for life! Can’t wait for her next book to be published!

[Torrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps this book won't change your life, but I loved it -- the photography, the cozy chatty feel of the writing, the garden diaries (esp. the garden diaries!). I like hearing from someone else who "gets it," this thing that I do for both my work and my greater purpose.

Lovely book.

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

day to day flower gardening

A journal of the garden Year. If you follow it week by week you’ll have a blooming delight. Highly recommended.

[Kate Shivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful book, but not super informative for a novice like myself

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty book! I’d like to rent it again from the library and read more into it.

[Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

Beautiful inspiring and thoroughly enjoyed during the slow gray winter months. I think I would love a book just on her dogs too. They brought a smile to my face as much as the flowers.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, relaxing read. I loved the simplicity and layout of the content. It was the perfect mini road-trip read! It has some basic growing instructions, but I felt like the compost, no-dig, and KNF were really beneficial for me. This would make a wonderful gift for a gardener in your life.