The best gardening books for growing your own fruit and vegetables

Whether you're in possession of a garden big enough to rivalthe Queen's, or just a small patch of green, these beautiful books will have your vegetable garden blooming in no time (plus, they make great gifts...)

We're all for the best eReaders, but there's something special about a beautifully presented coffee table books, just like these charming gardening books.

Many of us have become converts to the greener side of life since lockdown started in March – and for good reason.

Vegetable gardening offers a wealth of life-changing benefits aside from the obvious (delicious) result. Not only can it be used as a means ofmindfulness to check in with your mental health, gardening can help us to stay active.

And, as any green thumb will tell you, home-grown fruit and veg justdoes taste better than your standard, shop-bought punnet. Why?Because your own produce is fresher, it doesn't have to go through the long transportation process of your packaged supermarket stuff, and you're in the driver's seat when it comes to the use of pesticides and fertilisers. So no more chlorine-y after taste from your fruit.

READ MORE:7 pairs of beautiful gardening gloves that’ll add to the pleasure of preening your outdoor space

While all it sounds amazing in principle, starting or maintaining your own vegetable garden can also seem incredibly daunting. This is why books are a gardener's best friend. (And a failsafe gift when it comes to birthdays.)

So whether you're at the point of planning to open your own farm shop, or you're an absolute beginner, these books on growing your own vegetables can provide some expert advice on how to get the most from your marrows.

READ MORE: These have been considered the best and worst garden trends ever – do you agree?

And if reading about vegetable gardening isn't quite what you had in mind for your September book club pick, check out the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020 shortlist.

You'll be sure to find something worth spending a rainy Sunday afternoon with.

Best gardening books to buy now

Starting a fruit and vegetable garden can be hugely overwhelming – that's why Alice Holden's pretty and practical Do Grow is a great start. From outlining the tools you need to get started, to how to make a raised bed and a recipe for compost, this lovely book will never see you lost.

Don't let a lack of space stop you from growing your own veggies. This helpful guide by Huw Richards uses diagrams and practical advice to help you get the best from your patch month after month.

When it comes to cultivating crops, we trust the Royal Horticultural Society. This step-by-step guide is the perfect book for beginners – from first-attempt tomatoes to more complicated cultivars.

All it takes is a pot – as outlined in this beautiful book by Aaron Bertelsen, with photographs by Andrew Montgomery. Find expert planting advice for growing fruit and vegetables in pots from the beautiful English garden of Great Dixter in East Sussex. This one would make a gift that anyone would treasure.

This one does what it says on the tin, covering everything you need to know about growing over 75 types of fruit and vegetables. Practical, fuss free advice with beautiful illustrations, this is one to keep on the coffee table.

With a beautiful design and practical, often funny, writing by self-taught gardener Hollie Newton, this entertaining book is enough to inspire any weary beginner to get their gloves dirty.