Rock the garden

Given that growing veg is the new rock’n’roll, it was inevitable that someone would come up with a book for the new generation of gardeners. The Thrifty Gardener by Alys Fowler (Kyle Cathie, £16.99) has a suitably funky aesthetic, with lots of sun-dappled pictures of fashionably mis-shapen produce, and of its photogenic young author.

But as well as being pretty it is eminently practical, with lots of useful tips for the start-off gardener. Fowler – a highly trained horticulturist – advises on everything from what to plant and where to plant it, to ideas for containers (such as large olive tins and wooden wine boxes, which, she suggests, can be sourced free from friendly traders). Its subtitle is How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing and the book has a timely, recession-busting slant, with advice on how to get free plants, make a compost bin, build a cold frame using a pallet and lots more.