The more books on easy gardening, the better. "Many folks with a vision for a garden are swamped with information when seeking guidance," say the publishers.
Using 50 "beginner-friendly" plants, Plant by Number takes all the work out of garden planning. It arranges them into 24 layouts for a variety of gardens, ranging from pollinator-friendly to colour-centric plots, while taking into account different light levels and soils.
The "plant-by-numbers" idea has already proven effective in the UK with Garden on a Roll, while in the US, Houseplant by Numbers was published a decade ago. Of course, the original concept of paint-by-numbers is a century old, initially designed to help anyone paint a pre-designed image.
Because of this history, the concept of the book feels universal. This release follows a recent trend of books being published in the UK by US authors. While it comes from a US publisher, and there is nothing inherently wrong with the perspective, the references to USDA habit zones 5–9, bee balm, bellflower, and specific "native plants" do not fit perfectly for a UK audience.
Ultimately, this fills a gap in the market for a book that makes you wonder, "Why has no one done that before?"
