I received an advanced reader copy of For the Love of Plants by Adam Frost, courtesy of DK Publishing and Penguin Random House, in exchange for my honest review.
When I found out that Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost was publishing a new book this spring, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Adam is an award-winning garden designer from the United Kingdom. As a his new garden. While it’s been lovely seeing his garden on TV, reading about exactly what it has taken over the last couple of years gives me a lot of inspiration for my garden.
In For the Love of Plants, Adam tells us about some hardships that led him and his family to downsize to a quaint cottage with a smaller, yet much more manageable, garden. In his new place, Adam has divided each area into distinct gardens, each inspired by a different song. I had never considered using songs to design a garden, but it does make sense. Gardens should evoke feelings and memories. They should have a certain flow about them, just like melodies. It got me thinking about what songs come to mind when I’m out in my garden and how do I want to feel.
Just as music can drive emotions, connect people, and tell a story, a garden has the ability to evoke a feeling, bring people together, and create wonderful memories.”
For the Love of Plants describes over 150 different plants, complete with detailed descriptions and accompanying images. I have added several new plants to my garden’s wish list. The photographs are truly beautiful, and I feel as though I’m stepping into Adam’s garden.
I like how Adam has each part of his garden in separate sections. If you have an area that’s drier or wetter, it’s nice to compare your garden to a section of his.
If you’re brand new to gardening, you might feel a little overwhelmed by the use of Latin botanical names and the immense variety of plants in this book. Still, Adam does take some time to go over some basic garden DIY and makes sure to let readers know the importance of taking care of your garden’s soil.
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Overall, I recommend For the Love of Plants for anyone looking for design ideas and wanting to add new plants to their space. Any garden book collector will enjoy this book for the gorgeous photography alone. I’ll be turning to it for seasons to come as I continue to improve my garden spaces.
