The No-Dig Children's Gardening Book

Gardening - whether window box, allotment or vast estates - is proven to have many benefits. It provides exercise and fresh air, promotes team work and well-being as well as offering a hands on approach to scientific concepts such as plant life cycles and growing conditions.

No-Dig Children's Gardening Book is a practical guide to using the 'no-dig' approach, offering an excellent resource to families and schools that might be considering developing their gardens. Starting with an explanation of what 'no-dig gardening' entails and how this differs from 'normal' gardening, Charles Dowding then offers a step-by-step guide to creating this type of garden.

The book explains the importance of compost, the role of microbes and what soil needs to be healthy in a very accessible and easy to understand manner, bringing to life many basic scientific concepts taught in school. Clear photographs or appealing illustrations illustrate each point, making the process seem achievable - and look like fun!

There are plenty of practical suggestions and activities which could easily be incorporated into lessons or enjoyed at home. Making planters from old wellies, growing your own cress, making a dibber… all elements to extend and develop the pleasure of having your own little garden and watching nature work her magic. The book also includes some 'case studies', focusing on real life experiences which readers can learn from.

There are tips on how to develop a school garden, a market garden, gardening for children with additional needs and developing a sensory garden. It's a fascinating read and is sure to inspire those who might be put off by seeing gardening as needing a lot of hard physical work before getting started.

An index and contents make it easy to locate relevant information, but it is very easy to read this in one sitting before being inspired to leap up and create a no-dig garden of your own.

64 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

When we first looked at the No-Dig Children's Gardening Book, we wondered how we could garden without digging? However, a quick read of the blurb put us right. This non-fiction book is full of double page spreads covering all sorts of techniques to help preserve the integrity of the soil, making it ready for planting and producing food.

This ties in so nicely with us becoming an eco-school, we now have many more ideas to put in place, such as companion planting, strategies to reduce weeds in our vegetable beds and which flowers to plant to encourage flying pollinators.  Class 11 liked the idea of planting for four seasons and were very keen to use the planting calendar. We are hoping to harvest produce to sell to our community later this year.

This book is great to use for those looking for gardening ideas, but also any school looking to reduce their environmental impact. Our eco-council are particularly interested in the contents of this super book!

64 pages / Reviewed by Sharon Porter, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+