TWO Book Reviews: Shades Of Grey And New Small Garden

Have you been good this year?!! Are you looking for Christmas present ideas? Here are my last two Modern Country book recommendations for your Christmas list this year.. I have one for inside and one for outside!

The first is Shades of Gray by Kate Watson-Smyth (published by Ryland, Peters and Small). Now I have to be honest and say that when I first heard of this book, I was tempted to roll my eyes: Not another person getting on the grey bandwagon....but then I actually saw it for myself and was utterly converted! Please give it a try!

Imagine all your favourite Modern Country Style interior photos in one place, with specific paint ideas, advice and inspiration....that's Shades Of Grey in a nutshell. 

There's very little boring grey in here (which is what initially worried me) but there is LOTS of gorgeous, subtle greyed hues. Plus plenty of description of real paints, leading you to want to read every last word to make sure all inspiration is squeezed from the pages.

The second book is utterly lovely Amazon bestseller New Small Garden by Noel Kingsbury (photographs by Maayke de Ridder). This is published by Frances Lincoln who have produced so many completely gorgeous gardening books. 

New Small Garden has all you'd expect in a book about gorgeous small gardens - plant list, top tips, stunning photos.....BUT what I think marks it out from the crowd is the quality of the ideas. Noel Kingsbury's knowledge is vast and he shares it very generously.

There are so many tips I'll be taking and using as we plan and design our own garden. There are charts comparing plants' seasonal performances, for example, helping you to minimise the amount of time you have deteriorating foliage on show. Then are masterclasses to teach you about plants' structure over time. 

In a small garden, it's vital that you make every square inch count and New Small Garden really takes that idea to the next level by teaching you how to effectively layer plants. 

Shades Of Grey and New Small Garden are two very different books but both utterly Modern Country. Click through to Amazon now - You'll love 'em!!