My friend Elyse wrote a book and I wrote about it in this post. Her publisher, CICO Books (based in London) which is an imprint of Ryland Peters & Small, Ltd, did such a beautiful job of presenting her projects that I was greatly impressed. To my great delight, CICO has asked me to review some of their books from time to time. Recently, they sent me a copy of Teeny Tiny Gardening by Emma Hardy.
Oh my stars! The cover photo shows one of the delights to come: Egg Shell Gardens.
The tag line after the title is “35 step-by-step projects and inspirational ideas for gardening in tiny spaces.” I fell in love with all of them. So many of us are pressed for space nowadays, whether we live in apartments or have postage stamp-sized gardens. We want to garden, but how do we do it in the space we have? Emma Hardy provides us with all sorts of wonderful ideas.
Why not use a vintage tin? Isn’t this delightful?
Or plant some succulents in old drawers? Be still my heart. I really love this idea. The mix of weathered wood, stones and the wonderful texture of succulents speaks to me. I have some old sewing machine drawers that would be perfect for this project.
This type of stand is everywhere nowadays – whether it is in the form of a cupcake stand or a tiered basket. Adding some moss and some flowers makes for a stunning display.
Or you can make a Vertical Garden by using one of those vintage wooden soda pop boxes.
Why didn’t I think of this? I have a jadeite green colander that I’m not using. Perfect for a hanging plant, with ready made drainage holes.
I’ve had my eye on this cart from Ikea for a while. But I never thought of filling it with herbs. If you want a little kitchen garden, this might be for you. I can see it on a balcony or right outside the kitchen door.
The author provides a list of all materials needed and easy to read, step-by-step directions. I love clear directions. And there is always a tip or two included.
I love the way this book is designed. The layout is charming and the photos are stunning. There is, like there was in Elyse’s book, a signature series of illustrations that are shown throughout the book. In this case, there are lovely drawings of spades and hoes and watering cans and flowers on the endpapers that reappear on the project pages. That design element ties the whole book together rather nicely and adds a whimsical touch.
The projects that Emma Hardy has chosen to highlight are completely doable. Nothing is too complicated. Everything is beautiful. If you want to be a gardener but claim you have no space, think again! You can find space. For those of us who are gardeners but want to add visual interest to our patios or porches or decks, look no further.
Teeny Tiny Gardening by Emma Hardy is published by Cico Books at £14.99 and is available from Cico Books. It’s also available stateside at your local bookstore or through Amazon.
I think you’ll really enjoy this little treasure. To be completely honest, I can’t stop looking at it. It’s that delightful.
I’m off to get ready for rehearsal. More one-on-one coaching today. And as to the missing Polyfil, downtown Hartford, though charming, doesn’t have many shops and there are definitely no fabric or crafting shops. I either have to borrow a car when I have some free time and when will that be? Or I have to wait until I get home. And again, when will that be? I could just kick myself!
Happy Thursday.
