Book Review: Anne-Marie Powell. A Year of Colour: How to Create a Bold and Bright Garden. (2026.)

When I first heard about this latest book by the award-winning garden designer Anne-Marie Powell, the subtitle immediately caught my attention. For over 25 years I have raided the treasure trove of imaginative and memorable planting combinations in Sarah Raven’s The Bold and Brilliant Garden (Frances Lincoln, 1999), updating some of the varieties as time has gone by. In the same way I cherish Christopher Lloyd’s contemporaneous and joyous celebration of the different hues to be found in our gardens, in Colour for Adventurous Gardeners (BBC Books, 2001). So another potential classic about colour in the garden is timely.

Anne-Marie Powell’s book does not disappoint. It describes a year in the author’s own modest-sized garden, but the principles that she describes can be applied to a collection of containers or to a plot of any size, so are relevant to a wide readership. Running alongside the more horticultural content there is also an emphasis on the grounding, meditative sense of calm and hope that colour in the garden can provide.

The book is divided into eight main chapters, which describe the early and late stages of each of the four seasons – what one might call ‘sub-seasons’. Each chapter has an introductory section full of striking photographic images and the author’s own observations of and reflections on the subtle transformations that occur between the sub-seasons. There are also many useful practical suggestions (for example, ways to grow spring performers that might get ‘lost’, such as deep purple crocuses, to enhance their impact), This is followed by a number of planting combination ‘recipes’ for the sub-season, which are very well illustrated, and include comprehensive plant descriptions and growing tips. Each chapter ends with detailed practical advice on tasks to be done at that time of year – from kitchen table seed sowing to the ‘Hampton Hack’, and from watering wisely to plugging the gaps in summer borders. The advice sections and growing tips will be particularly useful for those relatively new to gardening. (My only quibble is that the lists of essential Dos and Don’ts would have been less confusing if ticks and crosses had been used rather than plus and minus symbols – the latter can seem like alarmingly wrong instructions until one realises that they are don’ts!)
Dividing the gardening year into eight sub-seasons is both helpful and thought provoking – for example, there are so many plants that can be used to bridge the gap between seasons and create a seamless transition. Although colour is the main focus of the planting recipes, the author constantly takes into account the setting, the backdrop and the supporting cast for these star performers – it is about creating a symphony of colour, texture and light. Innovative planting for shade, including dry shade, gets a welcome amount of attention, and the many examples of container growing will be particularly useful for gardeners with a balcony or patio, or who rent their property.

As gardeners we all have a duty of care to the wildlife that shares our space, and Anne-Marie Powell describes numerous ways in which we can help these vulnerable creatures. There is also a helpful section on climate-conscious gardening, and as our summers become ever hotter and drier as a result of global warming there will be an increasing need to adopt measures such as the ‘drought recovery plan’ outlined for late summer.

This richly informative volume is a very personal, almost journal-like account of colour through the seasons. But most importantly, as Anne-Marie Powell points out, ‘this book is about finding joy in everyday gardening’.

Reviewer: Jo Hargreaves: Jo worked as a research botanist for a number of years, before moving to Scotland and studying horticulture. She now divides her time between editing gardening and natural history books and designing and maintaining planting schemes for private and community gardens.

Note: The Caley will be adding this book to the library at Saughton