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The 30-Minute Gardener
Find Happiness, Connection, and Accomplishment in Your Garden
Are you ready to discover your garden’s unexpected gifts? All it takes is a daily practice. In The 30-Minute Gardener, Greg Loades reveals what dedicated time spent in the garden every day can create: a moment of solitude in a busy world, a welcoming space to enjoy with family and friends, and an increased connection to nature. In this practical and inspiring guide you’ll find advice on tasks like pruning a rose bush and planting bulbs, inspired ideas like adding a green roof or laying a patio, and hints on how to sit back and enjoy your accomplishments.
Are you ready to discover your garden’s unexpected gifts? All it takes is a daily practice. In The 30-Minute Gardener, Greg Loades reveals what dedicated time spent in the garden every day can create: a moment of solitude in a busy world, a welcoming space to enjoy with family and friends, and an increased connection to nature. In this practical and inspiring guide you’ll find advice on tasks like pruning a rose bush and planting bulbs, inspired ideas like adding a green roof or laying a patio, and hints on how to sit back and enjoy your accomplishments.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
232 pages, Hardcover
Published July 11, 2023
13 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 28, 2022
I must admit I am addicted to books on gardening and this is one of my all time favorites. Reading this book is like having a friend who is determined to inspire you and help with guidance and experience. The photography is gorgeous. I thank Netgalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 26, 2024
A lovely book with beautiful photos. I loved the message of viewing your garden as a place to play and experiment without the pressure of it having to look perfect or be able to grow all your food. In the past I've gotten overwhelmed just trying to plant things. Now I've internalized the voice saying it's ok, plant lots of seeds, if they grow great, if not, try again.
June 5, 2023
Thank you to the author, Timber Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this, I had spotty internet during my holiday and missed the publication date.
As with the author's book on cottage gardens, this book is beatifully photographed and gets you itching to get outside and get to gardening. However, I found it quite a bit more prose and less practical than I expected. While the prose was well-written and the book not only personal, but also personable and the author very likeable, I was hoping for more practical help in getting to grips with a garden. The structure of the book was not easy to follow, and while I enjoyed it as a book about the author's experiences in gardening, I felt it did not provide the clear guidance that the blurb promised.
As with the author's book on cottage gardens, this book is beatifully photographed and gets you itching to get outside and get to gardening. However, I found it quite a bit more prose and less practical than I expected. While the prose was well-written and the book not only personal, but also personable and the author very likeable, I was hoping for more practical help in getting to grips with a garden. The structure of the book was not easy to follow, and while I enjoyed it as a book about the author's experiences in gardening, I felt it did not provide the clear guidance that the blurb promised.
May 24, 2023
This book was a how-to of sorts, with personal stories by the author. It tells what garden tasks should be done in each season. It also covers how to transplant things, how to separate things and even how to take cuttings from bushes, so that you can have new plants for free or buy using seeds. The photos are absolutely magnificent.
I was slightly disappointed that this mostly focused on flowers. I’d been hoping for more info on veggies and fruit. There was a little about it, but not a lot.
I’d recommend this book to anyone looking to clear out an overgrown yard, or just trying to better manage the time in their garden. It’s easy to read with loads of info.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review by Netgalley.
I was slightly disappointed that this mostly focused on flowers. I’d been hoping for more info on veggies and fruit. There was a little about it, but not a lot.
I’d recommend this book to anyone looking to clear out an overgrown yard, or just trying to better manage the time in their garden. It’s easy to read with loads of info.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review by Netgalley.
May 31, 2023
The 30-Minute Gardener by Greg Loades is a superb book about learning one's garden, listening to it, reveling in it and being in it. One can learn a lot in thirty minutes a day from season to season. My first assumption was this book would be mainly about "working" in the garden thirty minutes a day for the sake of maintenance. But that's not really what it is. Garden chores are part of it, of course, but there is so much more. To me the book is about extending your home into your garden, only better. Though peaceful, gardens can be busy places with so much to experience every day.
I am a master gardener who lives in two countries on different continents, one with a hardiness zone 2a (only 85 frost-free days per year with deep snow on the ground for six months) and in zone 8b in the Mediterranean. Worlds apart. Obviously the latter is a gardener's dream! But the former in Canada has its beauty, too. When in Croatia we spend nearly all our waking hours outside, mostly in our delightful garden which brings such joy. Countless pinch-me moments. It forces us to inhale deeply and just be. I plunk away on my laptop as we inhale nature around us and watch animals stroll by in what we call our outdoor office. As we are so in tune with it we know when the newest rosebuds unfurl, watch tiny figs grow, marvel at evergreen olive leaves and run our fingers through aromatic lavender. We are learning which insects and birds gravitate towards which plants. We need to be comfortable in our gardens and pay attention. This is the premise of the book.
One can glean so much happiness from learning where plants are happiest. The author mentions being rebellious in ways...planting what we love and pushing the sun/soil requirements without being foolish about it and forcing sun-loving plants to grow in dark shade. He also gives examples of how to practically work the garden (seeding, moving plants, the art of watering, preparing ground, mulching, revamping patios, harvesting) without it being a chore. I like that he discusses growing food (talk about gratifying!) and experimenting. The sections on winter gardening will not apply to everyone (no such thing in my zone 2a home) so these short parts are more of a dream for those who live in cold climates. And the photography is glorious! The magnificent roses particularly grip my heart.
Those who may be overwhelmed by their overgrown garden, think they lack a green thumb or only have a balcony available, this book is for you. In fact, it's for anyone for any stage of gardening, even experts who merely need to be reminded of the power of nature and beauty.
My sincere thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this stupendous and inspiring book. I adore it!
I am a master gardener who lives in two countries on different continents, one with a hardiness zone 2a (only 85 frost-free days per year with deep snow on the ground for six months) and in zone 8b in the Mediterranean. Worlds apart. Obviously the latter is a gardener's dream! But the former in Canada has its beauty, too. When in Croatia we spend nearly all our waking hours outside, mostly in our delightful garden which brings such joy. Countless pinch-me moments. It forces us to inhale deeply and just be. I plunk away on my laptop as we inhale nature around us and watch animals stroll by in what we call our outdoor office. As we are so in tune with it we know when the newest rosebuds unfurl, watch tiny figs grow, marvel at evergreen olive leaves and run our fingers through aromatic lavender. We are learning which insects and birds gravitate towards which plants. We need to be comfortable in our gardens and pay attention. This is the premise of the book.
One can glean so much happiness from learning where plants are happiest. The author mentions being rebellious in ways...planting what we love and pushing the sun/soil requirements without being foolish about it and forcing sun-loving plants to grow in dark shade. He also gives examples of how to practically work the garden (seeding, moving plants, the art of watering, preparing ground, mulching, revamping patios, harvesting) without it being a chore. I like that he discusses growing food (talk about gratifying!) and experimenting. The sections on winter gardening will not apply to everyone (no such thing in my zone 2a home) so these short parts are more of a dream for those who live in cold climates. And the photography is glorious! The magnificent roses particularly grip my heart.
Those who may be overwhelmed by their overgrown garden, think they lack a green thumb or only have a balcony available, this book is for you. In fact, it's for anyone for any stage of gardening, even experts who merely need to be reminded of the power of nature and beauty.
My sincere thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this stupendous and inspiring book. I adore it!
July 3, 2023
The 30-Minute Gardener: Cultivate Beauty and Joy by Gardening Every Day by Greg Loades is currently scheduled for release on July 11 2023. Are you ready to discover your garden’s unexpected gifts? All it takes is a daily practice. This book describes what dedicated time spent in the garden every day can create for readers: a moment of solitude in a busy world, a welcoming space to enjoy with family and friends, and an increased connection to nature. In this guide you’ll find advice on tasks like pruning a rose bush and planting bulbs, inspired ideas like adding a green roof or laying a patio, and hints on how to sit back and enjoy your accomplishments.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a wonderful reminder of taking things in small doses and enjoying the fruits (sometimes literally) of our hard work. I thought the pictures were well chosen, and match the text well, and broke up the text in just the right spots to give my eyes and mind a break. The text was well written, and I enjoyed the conversational tone of the text. I am very much the kind of gardener that has great plans and vision, but when it comes to the daily weeding and upkeep rather falls down on the job for reasons- too hot, too tired, too buggy, a good book needs reading, or whatever. I read this book in hopes that it would provide me the tools and motivation to do better this year. I like that Loades includes the important details the gardeners might think they already have a handle on (like hardiness zones), and describes them with enough detail and information for newcomers to understand, but it never felt condescending or trite for even very experienced gardeners. I found myself nodding as I recognized impulses that I share with the author (like getting impatient and wanting to plant a little to early for me area) but I also got a great deal of little hints and encouragement on how to make getting out there in the garden, even in the colder months, part of a healthy daily routine. I also liked that they emphasized a low stress approach in regards to weeds, and things that will take several weeks of attention. It is much easy to get out there and do what you can, when you can, without the guilt and stress that often creeps in when we look too hard at what needs to be done. I also thought some of the suggestions- like a simple garden diary in some form is great, because it helps you see how the small changes and growth really have made a difference when you cannot see it in the moment.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a nice and thoughtful read, and a helpful resource for gardeners of all skill levels that need a little help staying motivated with changes and upkeep in a garden.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a wonderful reminder of taking things in small doses and enjoying the fruits (sometimes literally) of our hard work. I thought the pictures were well chosen, and match the text well, and broke up the text in just the right spots to give my eyes and mind a break. The text was well written, and I enjoyed the conversational tone of the text. I am very much the kind of gardener that has great plans and vision, but when it comes to the daily weeding and upkeep rather falls down on the job for reasons- too hot, too tired, too buggy, a good book needs reading, or whatever. I read this book in hopes that it would provide me the tools and motivation to do better this year. I like that Loades includes the important details the gardeners might think they already have a handle on (like hardiness zones), and describes them with enough detail and information for newcomers to understand, but it never felt condescending or trite for even very experienced gardeners. I found myself nodding as I recognized impulses that I share with the author (like getting impatient and wanting to plant a little to early for me area) but I also got a great deal of little hints and encouragement on how to make getting out there in the garden, even in the colder months, part of a healthy daily routine. I also liked that they emphasized a low stress approach in regards to weeds, and things that will take several weeks of attention. It is much easy to get out there and do what you can, when you can, without the guilt and stress that often creeps in when we look too hard at what needs to be done. I also thought some of the suggestions- like a simple garden diary in some form is great, because it helps you see how the small changes and growth really have made a difference when you cannot see it in the moment.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a nice and thoughtful read, and a helpful resource for gardeners of all skill levels that need a little help staying motivated with changes and upkeep in a garden.
August 21, 2023
I found this book helpful in clearing my feelings of being overwhelmed in my garden. In sitting and reading this, it’s become a little easier to not try to do everything all at once. I think this is a good book for someone who has moved into a home with a yard and feeling like they don’t know where to start. As I understand it, start in a corner and set a timer. As you go, you’ll understand what your garden/yard is going to be. We are given chapters on what to do for each season. Though, the winter chapter is possible in some places, those in the upper parts of the northern hemisphere will have difficulties due to the ground being frozen solid and occasionally several inches of snow. But this could be a good time to plan your garden or plan changes to it. Quick reading with sections of recommended plants depending on the time of year and where your garden faces. I want to add this book to my collection of gardening books as a reference guide and something to pick up when I get stressed about what my garden is doing.
Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Thanks to Timber Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
July 25, 2023
Thank you to author Greg Loades and Timber Press for sending me this free copy of THE 30-MINUTE GARDENER. Being gifted this book does not influence my honest review.
This book teaches you how to “Find happiness, Connection & Accomplishment in your garden”, so open the first page and get started. You’ll find tips on how to care for your garden, planting, pruning, harvesting, experiencing the peacefulness and joy of your garden in your very soul, and much more.
This is a wonderful book for anyone but I’ve recommended it to my three children who have zero connections with their yards. That’s right, yards, green grass and shrubs, no flowering anything . I want them to discover that gardening doesn’t have to be work and I want them to experience the same serenity I experience simply sitting in their garden and watching nature do its glorious thing. This is all the book you need to get started.
This book teaches you how to “Find happiness, Connection & Accomplishment in your garden”, so open the first page and get started. You’ll find tips on how to care for your garden, planting, pruning, harvesting, experiencing the peacefulness and joy of your garden in your very soul, and much more.
This is a wonderful book for anyone but I’ve recommended it to my three children who have zero connections with their yards. That’s right, yards, green grass and shrubs, no flowering anything . I want them to discover that gardening doesn’t have to be work and I want them to experience the same serenity I experience simply sitting in their garden and watching nature do its glorious thing. This is all the book you need to get started.
May 30, 2023
I am a newly sprouted thirty-minute gardener with effusive, rambunctious thanks to Greg Loades and his beautiful, informative, and entertaining THE 30-MINUTE GARDENER. With pictures, encouragement, practical advice for those of us timid about garden design, making mistakes and having to transplant mistakes, Loades demystifies and makes possibly a daily relationship with nature, no matter the season, the challenge (I'm talking about you poison ivy), and the size of the project. With rare genius and poetry, Loades offers ways to make the gardening fun and the daily celebration of the sprouts, the quiet place to enjoy, and have confidence in your ability to grow and thrive along with your garden. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
July 23, 2023
This is a lovely book but was not what I expected. I thought by the title that it would be about gardening projects and chores that take just thirty minutes. Instead it is a rather introspective book on why you should spend thirty minutes a day in your garden. Eloquent text is accompanied by lots of photos of the author’s garden and a few stock photos. There is general advice about gardening in all seasons, mostly flower gardening.
It’s a great book for people who like reading about gardening but not necessarily great for gardeners with short attention spans who are looking for quick, productive things to do in the garden in only 30 minutes. Ironically, that’s the opposite of the point of the book.
I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.
It’s a great book for people who like reading about gardening but not necessarily great for gardeners with short attention spans who are looking for quick, productive things to do in the garden in only 30 minutes. Ironically, that’s the opposite of the point of the book.
I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.
July 23, 2023
This was the perfect book for me! I love gardening and want to be able to do it better. This book has so much to offer, from those with an interest in gardening, beginner gardeners and master gardeners. The emphasis is on enjoying spending time in your garden, as well as hints to work in it every season. I very much enjoyed the pictures, too. The most helpful tip I read was to have mulch around a plant, to help keep it moist, but to form a grove around it so that water will not just pour off of it like a mountain. What an outstanding book! I enjoyed it very, very much!
I read this book, compliments of the publishers. The thoughts expressed are my own.
I read this book, compliments of the publishers. The thoughts expressed are my own.
January 5, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to enjoy and review this book! I have been getting interested in gardening recently, and this book could not have come at a better time! Such a quaint read, easing you into the joys of gardening and finding comfort among plant life! This is a great introductory book and easy to digest! Definitely going to recommend it to my gardener friends to check out!
February 24, 2023
A few things I loved about this book was the entire concept of 30 minutes a day. We love being outside anyway, so instead of thinking the garden is a chore or so much work to do, in thinking we can overcome and be successful with consistency and “finding peace in the repetition.” The photos of the flowers just are inspiring as ever to get started. Counting down the days until planting season is here.
April 26, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The 30-Minute Gardener by Greg Loades! Thank you Timber Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a beautiful introduction into gardening and carving time out in our busy lives for it.
My absolute favorite parts of this book is the vivid photography and the lovely poems speckled through out.
The 30-Minute Gardener is a beautiful introduction into gardening and carving time out in our busy lives for it.
My absolute favorite parts of this book is the vivid photography and the lovely poems speckled through out.
May 11, 2023
I was hoping the book would give me time saving tips as I would love to get to 30 minutes a day in the garden but it was more for people who don't regularly garden and want to build a gardening habit. The author is in England so you will need to keep that in mind if your climate is much different (I don't think he has to deal with it being 90 degrees at 11 pm during the summer). Full review soon.
January 9, 2024
As someone who has a black thumb, I thought this book might be able to help. What I liked most about the book was how it focused on enjoyment and let you know what tasks needed to be done according to the season. I've referenced it in each season since reading it the first time to update my knowledge. A very helpful book for new gardeners and many good reminders for those who are avid gardeners.
November 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced readers copy.
This is going in my next engagement/newhome/wedding gift basket along with a nursery gift card.
Simple to read wonderful photography and so many great ideas. Well done!
This is going in my next engagement/newhome/wedding gift basket along with a nursery gift card.
Simple to read wonderful photography and so many great ideas. Well done!
October 1, 2024
I picked this book up from the library & enjoyed it so much, I picked up a copy to keep. I've hopes it'll inspire me to step out into the yard & putz around throughout the seasons and enjoy the changes along the way.
August 2, 2023
I love this book. I loved it because of his enthusiasm and how he felt that gardening can get one out of one’s self. That is something that is true.
November 25, 2024
Gardening as mindfulness practice.
x-not-for-me
October 3, 2025Looked at it, but if I ever get serious about gardening I'll be willing to spend more than 30 minutes a day in the yard and I'll want something local.
April 13, 2025
Picked this book up at the library completely on a whim. One of my rare forays into nonfiction (usually my nonfiction reading is pretty exclusively limited to skimming crafts books, and I don’t count things I don’t read to cover to cover.) This is a meditation on the beauties of gardening, of going out every day and puttering about and building something bit by bit. It’s about watching the seasons turn and taking five minutes to deadhead every day and admiring the dewdrops on the grass. (taking you by the shoulders and rattling you very gently) IT’S ABOUT THE MIRACLE OF THE BEAN SPROUT, THAT EVERY TIME IT EMERGES FROM THE SEED AND GLORIOUSLY UNFURLS-
Ahem. Anyway. This book was very serendipitously timed to catch me in early summer in the mania of planting when everything is just getting started and I’m battiest about gardening. The practical advice included in this book was almost comedically irrelevant– he’s from the north of England, I’ve lived my whole life in a dry mild Mediterranean climate. Lots of information about winterproofing things for hard freezes and protecting against soggy ground and suggestions for plants that wouldn’t work here. But in everything else, this man is precisely exactly on the same wavelength of how I feel about gardening.
This is far enough off from my usual reading that I can’t exactly recommend it to you all, but I’ll say I had the time of my life reading it.
Ahem. Anyway. This book was very serendipitously timed to catch me in early summer in the mania of planting when everything is just getting started and I’m battiest about gardening. The practical advice included in this book was almost comedically irrelevant– he’s from the north of England, I’ve lived my whole life in a dry mild Mediterranean climate. Lots of information about winterproofing things for hard freezes and protecting against soggy ground and suggestions for plants that wouldn’t work here. But in everything else, this man is precisely exactly on the same wavelength of how I feel about gardening.
This is far enough off from my usual reading that I can’t exactly recommend it to you all, but I’ll say I had the time of my life reading it.
April 13, 2023
I am a new and excited gardener, but I've found winter to be incredibly frustrating. This lovely book offered some great ideas for how to keep up the garden practice even when digging in the dirt is not possible. I'm excited to take on more of the projects and ideas as the weather gets warmer. This is a lovely companion to a more in-depth guide to gardening with lovely little tips for keeping a practice.
February 20, 2024
Gorgeous photography inside and out warms garden-lovers souls. Even gardeners starting with brambles are encouraged to dig in and savor their garden time without stressing about the work needed to achieve their vision. The 30-Minute Gardener contains some how-to and plant recommendations but its main value to me is developing the habit of meditative work in my garden and enjoying my garden as it is as well as for what it will become.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews