The Garden Media Guild Book Awards 2010

The Garden Media Guild Awards celebrate the best in garden writing - including books, newspapers and magazines - photography, broadcasting - TV and radio - and new media - including gardening websites and gardening blogs. They are the garden media 'Oscars'.

 

Book Awards

 

Practical Book of the Year

Winner: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Kid’s First Gardening Book by Jenny Hendy, published by Lorenz Books.

Judges' comments: Simply wonderful! Well conceived, pitched in a way that will engage both parents and children; laid out in a fun and eye-catching way, but also packed with facts. A logically ordered start provides a good lead into the following sections, that consists of a range of projects, ranked in order of their difficulty, when to do them as well as the time needed; helping the reader plan ahead. This is a book that clearly relates how to have fun while achieving simple projects within the garden.

Finalists:

Creating a Forest Garden by Martin Crawford, published by Green Books.

Grow Your Own Garden by Carol Klein, published by BBC Books.

How To Garden by Alan Titchmarsh, published by BBC Books.

Sponsored by Hartley Botanic

 

 

Reference Book of the Year

Winner: The Kew Plant Glossary: an illustrated dictionary of plant identification terms by Henk Beentje, published by Kew Publishing.

Judges' comments: The judges were unanimous in voting this the winner, a reference book that provides clear definitions, excellent line drawings and would fit into a large pocket for on-the-spot use. The cover is alluring and exciting and the contents exemplary in accuracy. Thrill to the fact that not only will technical terms from abaxial to zygomorphous be at your fingertips, but that you will understand them. The correct names for shapes, divisions and colours of leaves, flowers, seeds and fruit are all described and annotated. Impeccable and a great investment.

Finalists:

Border Flowers (Greenfingers Guides) by Lucy Summers, published by Headline.

Gardening with Shape, Line and Texture A Plant Design Sourcebook by Linden Hawthorne, published by Timber Press.

Poisonous Plants A guide for parents & childcare providers by Elizabeth A Dauncey, published by Kew Publishing.

The Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers, Editor-in-Chief Chris Brickell, published by RHS and Dorling Kindersley.

Sponsored by Glee

 

 

Inspirational Book of the Year

Winner: The Gardens of English Heritage by Gillian Mawrey and Linden Groves, published by Frances Lincoln.

Judges' comments: The winning book fulfils the criterion to inspire on many levels. It brings English Heritage’s gardens to the reader’s attention and explores their fascinating history through well-written, readable text and clever panels that the reader can dip in and out of. It’s well designed and good looking enough to grace any coffee table, with excellent photos. It brilliantly achieves a tricky job: to be a factual book about gardens and their history that’s also a great read.

Finalists:

Bark - An Intimate Look at the World's Trees by Cedric Pollet, published by Frances Lincoln.

Dream Gardens of England by Barbara Baker, published by Merrell Publishers.

The Ministry of Food: Thrifty Wartime Ways to Feed Your Family Today by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Hodder & Stoughton.

The Surprising Life of Constance Spry by Sue Shephard, published by Macmillan.

Sponsored by Westland/Unwins