A self-taught gardener says it is “one of the best hobbies you can have” as she releases her debut book this month.
“It’s rewarding in so many different ways, your mental health, the environment, through growing your own food.” said Amy Chapman, from Newbury, who has just published her first book, ‘Dopamine Gardening: 52 Joyful Outdoor Projects for Every Season and any Space’ with Harper Collins and Pavilion Books.
Amy Chapman in her garden
The book contains ideas for 52 different tried and tested gardening projects that can be completed year-round, in winter, spring, summer or autumn.
Miss Chapman said a highlight of the process was seeing her book in shops for the first time.
Speaking to NewburyToday on release day, she said:
“It didn’t feel real until today when I went in and saw it (in person), and I saw people buying it after I spoke to them about it.”
‘Dopamine Gardening’ is all about making gardening accessible for those who often feel overwhelmed by the idea of starting new projects, or struggle to maintain them.
Amy’s book covers gardening projects for all seasons
“It gets people into gardening with small projects and for those who already do it, it can inspire them to try new things.
“I’ve talked to lots of people who want to start but they feel so overwhelmed by ideas that they don’t know where to start.
“Having projects for all seasons means people can dip in and out as they please, it’s short attention span and ADHD-friendly.
“I’d rather people give one thing a go and come back to it, as so many gardening books can be overwhelming.
Through the book you can explore all projects for all seasons of the year
Miss Chapman’s favourite projects from the book include growing oyster mushrooms to make a mushroom tower, and growing chamomile seeds out of tea bags.
She said a lot of hard work and effort went into making the book.
“It took well over a year with a lot of work, as you not only have to write it, but do the 52 projects, and have them ready to be photographed in only a couple of days.”
Amy’s love for gardening came from when she started growing food produce
Luckily, she was able to have two photoshoots over the end of spring and summer to ease the pressure.
Miss Chapman has shared various gardening projects on social media where she has now built a community with hundreds of thousands of followers.
She started posting online after finding a hobby that stuck, which was gardening, and wanted to share this newfound joy with other people around the world.
After moving into a cottage in Wales which had a large garden, Miss Chapman was inspired to take care of it, as the previous owner had looked after the green space with flowers and plants galore.
Amy Chapman’s Dopamine Gardening: 52 Joyful Outdoor Projects for Every Season and any Space (Pavilion Books) is out now and available to purchase from online book retailers and bookshops.
“I just started gardening, growing my own fruit and veg and I found it had a great effect on my mental health,” she said, “I wanted to share this and give people new inspiration, whatever sparks joy for them.”
Her best advice for anyone scared to start gardening would be to “start small with something that excites you, and play and experiment with it.”
Dopamine Gardening by Amy Chapman is now available on Amazon, Waterstones and in many bookshops across the UK.
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