Book Review: Gardening in Small Spaces

Reviewed by Brett Kerley

de Thame, Rachel. Gardening in Small Spaces. Publisher: BBC Books, 2004. ISBN: 9780563521656 Format: Hardcover, 144 pages

Gardening in Small Spaces is a stylish and practical guide, aimed at gardeners with limited space and unlimited creativity. Rachel de Thame offers clear, approachable advice for transforming even the tiniest of outdoor areas into lush, vibrant sanctuaries. This book focuses on both the technical aspects of gardening in constrained environments and the artistry of design. It’s a dual-purpose guide: informative and inspirational.

The book is divided into user-friendly chapters, each targeting a different aspect of small-space gardening:

• Understanding Your Space – Offers thoughtful insights on observing your site’s microclimate, light, and dimensions before selecting plants or materials.
• Planning and Design – Focuses on making the most of the available space through layout tips, furniture placement, and focal points.
• Container Gardening – Arguably the heart of the book, this section showcases inventive uses of pots and troughs, with suggestions for combining textures, shapes, and plant heights for visual interest.
• Vertical Gardening – Explores the use of walls, fences, and even downspouts for growing climbers, herbs, or cascading flowers—perfect for our city balconies or terraces here in Edmonton.
• Seasonal Planting and Colour Schemes – Helps readers maintain year-round appeal using thoughtful plant pairings and seasonal rotation. Of course it won’t be year round for our climate.
• Garden Maintenance – Provides essential upkeep tips for small gardens, with concise advice on watering, pruning, and pest control.

• Visual Inspiration: One of the book’s biggest assets is its visual presentation. The photographs are not just decorative; they actively demonstrate the techniques and principles discussed, offering real-life examples that readers can emulate.
• Elegant Yet Practical Advice: De Thame strikes a balance between aesthetic aspiration and achievable gardening. She respects the reader’s intelligence but doesn’t overwhelm with technicalities.
• Adaptability: Whether you’re working with a windowsill, a roof terrace, or a narrow side yard, the advice scales well and encourages resourcefulness. This adaptability makes it suitable for renters and homeowners alike.
• Design-Forward Thinking: Her emphasis on colour, form, and space elevates the book above many other gardening guides, especially for readers more interested in the look of the garden than the Latin names of every plant.

While Gardening in Small Spaces is a valuable and inspiring book, it is not without limitations:

• Lack of Detailed Plant Lists: One noticeable omission is the absence of more comprehensive plant profiles or tailored lists for different conditions (e.g., full shade, windy balconies, dry containers). While some plants are mentioned, readers seeking in-depth botanical guidance may find themselves reaching for additional resources. And also remember this book comes from the UK, so not all the plants are available or hardy here in Edmonton, but good to use as a guide.
• Limited Focus on Edible Gardening: The book is heavily focused on ornamental and decorative planting. Urban gardeners hoping to grow edibles in containers will find only limited guidance. In an age where many city gardeners are also interested in food security and sustainability, this feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps an updated version of the book is needed.
• Dated Aesthetic: Published in 2004, some of the stylistic choices, container designs, and furnishings feel slightly dated by today’s standards. While the core principles are timeless, readers with a modern minimalist or eco-friendly sensibility may find themselves selectively applying the ideas.

Rachel de Thame is one of Britain’s most recognizable gardening personalities. She earned her reputation through years of television work, including her long-standing role on Gardeners’ World and her appearances at the Chelsea Flower Show. After an early career in modeling and acting, de Thame changed direction in the 1990s, studying horticulture at the English Gardening School.

Her approach to gardening is informed by a strong aesthetic sensibility. She frequently speaks and writes on garden design, planting for beauty and harmony, and the emotional impact of outdoor spaces. Her work is known for blending traditional English garden elements with contemporary sensibilities.

Rachel de Thame’s Gardening in Small Spaces remains a beautifully written and photographed guide for those looking to turn their tiny patches of outdoor space into thoughtfully designed green retreats. The book encourages readers to think big, even when the space is small, and succeeds in transforming small-scale gardening into an art form.

However, it is not an encyclopedic reference or a one-stop shop for detailed horticultural advice. Readers interested in more practical or technical topics—like edible growing, soil health, or pest identification—may need to supplement this with other resources.

This book is available in the Edmonton Horticultural Society Library. It may be used on site or borrowed by EHS members. Please contact the EHS office to arrange a time to visit the library.