The Science of Gardening: Discover How Your Garden Really Grows

by Stuart Farrimond

Exploding myths and providing key takeaway advice for gardeners at any level, this book provides a shortcut to decades of gardening experience by explaining the science behind how a garden grows.

How often should I water my plants? What’s the most effective slug deterrent? Could I breed my own unique variety of flower? Do plants have intelligence? Does it really matter when and how I prune? And why is my compost heap so slimy? If you find yourself seeking the answers to these questions and many more, then this may be the book for you!

The world of gardening can be a mystifying place, with so many instructions to follow and often little explanation as to why. Dr Stuart Farrimond casts his scientific eye over the garden to answer all the horticultural questions you’ve ever wondered about.

Get your gardening gloves on and dive straight in to

- An accessible guide structured around the life cycle of the garden, taking you from first shoots to pruning for renewal.
- An accessible Q &A format, with stats and infographics to bring the story to life, as well as  long-held gardening myths are exploded by new science.
- Every way to greener fingers has action points so that you can understand the science, apply your gardening practice, and enjoy a flourishing garden.

From hands-on, practical advice, to an exploration of the mental health benefits of gardening, whilst also covering topics such as the positive impact gardening can have on the earth during a time of climate crisis, The Science of Gardening debunks myths, and reveals the latest science often only taught at horticultural college. As a passionate newcomer to gardening, daunted by the mountain of often conflicting advice in gardening manuals, Dr Stuart Farrimond has set about testing the scientific basis of so much conventional wisdom and practice so you too can garden like a pro.

A must-have gardening book for keen beginners with a passion for plants but who are daunted by the prospect of trawling through traditional gardening manuals for explanations, as well as experienced gardeners who are intrigued to find out the theory behind their practice and who want to improve on where they might be getting something wrong.

At DK, we believe in the power of discovery.

So why stop there? 

If you like Science of Gardening, then why try Science of Cooking or Science of Spice to complete the collection.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Plants, Reference, Science Nature

224 pages, Hardcover

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

Stuart Farrimond was a British science communicator, food scientist for BBC's Inside the Factory, best-selling Sunday Times science author, and a brain tumor researcher.

Reviews

[Mo Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good actually
i love being a woman in stem

[Elliot H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique approach for a gardening book. Dr. Farrimond teaches the science behind good gardening techniques and debunks common gardening myths along the way. I also appreciated the colorful and well-designed diagrams.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I was a bit wary about, it has science in the title and I wasn't sure how much science this would have in it. It actually is a really easy-to-understand book and one that makes a lot of sense and is full of great advice.

I love gardening and have a mix of trees, flowers, shrubs, fruit and veg. Using this book alongside my own knowledge is going to be great as I am just starting to plant out and grow for the upcoming season.

Whether you read this from cover to cover or just flick through it until you find something that catches your eye it is very accessible. Understanding more about the soil, conditions plants like and the right and wrong times to chop things back is something I am aware of, but not necessarily why I do things the way I do. Most of my knowledge has been passed on from family and friends. Being able to refer to this book has given me the chance to build up my knowledge further.

This is a visual book so there are a lot of images and diagrams rather than pages and pages of writing. Having visuals make this easier again to understand. The text that accompanies the imagery is simple but to the point.

This is a fabulous book and I often pick it up and flick through it, or use the index to find something specific. It is a book that my husband and myself glance through regularly since it arrived, leaving it on the kitchen table makes it easy to grab while having a cuppa.

Fabulous book, with great advice and one I would definitely recommend.

[Stef A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Has general information on all gardening-related topics (no plant-specific advice, though).

[Theresa R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous graphics and informative text. Full of information for any gardener to continue to learn more about their practice.

[Laurence Brouard-Trudel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contenu riche et diversifié, allant de conseils pratiques sur l'entretien des plantes à une exploration approfondie de la santé mentale liée au jardinage. Les illustrations, schémas, statistiques, lexique et index détaillé rendent ce livre accessible, même pour les concepts écologiques les plus complexes.

[Jessica Brusven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very comprehensive book about the less glamorous side of gardening…the science! I learned a lot about how to improve the health of both my outdoor garden and indoor potted plants. It’s technical yet accessible and the graphics enhance its use. While I read this cover to cover to further my gardening acumen, it’s also a book I’ll keep around to reference time and again when I run into a plant issue. Great tool for any gardening enthusiast!

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly recommend this book to all gardeners who believe they can only water plants in the mornings or follow some strict schedules (like water every other day). This book is a myth-buster. And it is indeed based on solid science, as there is a complete list of bibliographies at the end of the book.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook, and I think the text version would be more helpful.

It was a mix of beginning gardening advice, scientific details about plants, and an occasional detour to explain sustainability. In some ways, it was too much of a mix of things to be all that great of any one thing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to know who, exactly, is Ferrimond's audience. Rank beginners? Experts who have been slavishly following myths? In any case, perhaps more declarative than explanatory in places. It's a good work, done, though and I learned quite a bit about stem cells (pun intended).

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned A LOT!

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed relatively surface level for me.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a good job of giving introductory information across a broad scope okay the topics in a short period of time. Evidence-based.

[Bre]

Nice introductory information. However, audio version continued to be problematic (skip) and by Chapter 4 we couldn’t deal with it any longer.

[Laura Rowlands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an informative book of plant information, packed with knowledge and great graphical additions. Anyone interested in gardening should have this on their shelf for continued reference.

[Leah Clifford]

The audiobook (Libby app) skipped. I gave up at 56%.

[Rebecca Dabelko Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some good information....but i felt like so much of the book was talking about the environmental impact of Gardening and global warming.

[Doreen Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well thought out resource so anyone with interest can make their garden grow! Layout of illustrations are very effective. All information is researched based! I love this book!

[H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: the book I read was actually, Live Your Best Life by the same author, however, it is not on Good Reads.

[Sarahtar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected more science, considering it was in the title, and found the question and answer format to be really annoying.

[Tyler Trotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only very informative but the illustrations and designs in this book are beautiful and enlightening. Don't shy away because it says science in the title, the author breaks things down in a easy to understand way.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

accurate title