• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Art of Doing Stuff
menu icon
go to homepage
  • HOUSE
  • COOKING
  • GARDEN
  • HOW-TO
  • EXTRA
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • HOUSE
    • COOKING
    • GARDEN
    • HOW-TO
    • EXTRA
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Garden Stuff

    A Year Full of Pots: Win Sarah Raven's New Book

    April 19, 2024 by Karen 664 Comments

    Pin2
    Share
    Email
    2 Shares

    Today I'm going old school blogger and giving away 2 copies of Sarah Raven's new book A Year Full of Pots. All you have to do is comment for a chance to win.

    THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED - But I still highly recommend this book.

    I started following gardener Sarah Raven on YouTube a couple of years ago. She lives in a rambling old house on a rambling old property in Sussex, England called Perch Hill.

    The property is filled with beautiful, beautiful gardens smashed full of flowers and vegetables. It's an orderly mix of chaos with everything being beautiful and inspiring, but in that charming, relaxed British way.

    So when the publisher offered to send me a copy of Sarah's latest book a few weeks ago I replied with an enthusiastic Yes - but could I also give some copies away? And could you also arrange for Sarah and I to become friends who visit each other's houses?

    The publisher said absolutely, so here we are. Except about the house part.

    Me with my own copy of Sarah's book and two to give away to you.

    My first impression of the book was, holy crap, there are a lot of words. So many words.

    Sure you can flip through it and see a ton of pretty picture examples, but there's also a ton of useful, practical information to back up all that beauty.

    I would venture to say that anything you wanted or needed to know about planting in pots is in this book.

    I'm a gardener as you know, but each area of gardening is a bit different and pots are one of those different things for me. Other than a couple here and there to grow my sweet potatoes, I just don't have a lot of experience with planting in them.

    You can see a couple of my lackluster examples below.

    You'll notice the huge split in the pot which is shoved against the post to keep it from completely falling apart. (Sun Coral Candy coleus, Juliet tomato)

    I could use some help with my pots. I LOVE big huge pots filled with stuff but I've never made the effort to do some nice ones. Thanks to Sarah Raven I'll be adding pots this year to my ever evolving 6 year old English Cottage garden.

    Would you like to save this stuff?

    We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.

    I'd also love to try a couple in my allotment garden with something more interesting than my normal clumps of sweet potatoes.

    This photo has nothing to do with pots, but I never miss a chance to promote the idea of a Rutabaga Pride Day. Let's say September 30th?

    My Potting Plan

    Get Pots

    Seems like a good starting place right???

    I love old clay pots for planting. They have patina and character, plus if you only use clay pots, everything will always look good in a grouping because the pots will all match. (not that they have to, but with different plants in them I'll prefer having the pot material be consistent)

    I'll scour local Facebook Marketplace sales and Buy Nothing Facebook sites looking for them.

    Pick Spots for Pots

    This is important because once huge pots are filled with soil they're going to be hard to move.

    Pick my Plants

    • I want to specifically do a mix from the book that includes a huge pot with "Apricotta" cosmos, "Kelsey Annie Joy" dahlia & Amaranth.
    • Instructions for making Sweet Pea supports out of willow or other bendy branches are in the book so growing sweet peas in pots is now also on my list.
    • Breaking away from Sarah Raven's theme of flowers in pots, I'll be doing vegetables (tomato in centre, Mascotte green beans and basil using any techniques I might pick up in the book.

    I'll also do a couple of full pots massed with beets and carrots just to see what happens and stick them in the backyard somewhere.

    What I'd *really* love to do is go to Sarah's Perch Hill to take a

    So who's ready to win a copy of Sarah Raven's book A Year Full of Pots? Just leave a comment below saying you'd like to win and if you're feeling chatty explain why you'd like to win.

    The two winners will be chosen randomly on April 26th. so don't feel pressured into a lengthy "why you'd like to win". I'm just curious.

    Winners will be announced next week at this time.

    The contest is now closed

    More GARDEN stuff

    • The English Cottage Garden Year 8 (Spring)
    • Garlic Scapes 101: Harvesting and Cooking Guide
    • The Potted Bulbs Reveal
    • 12 Real Gardening Books I Use Every Year — And Why

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

    1. Kelly M

      April 26, 2024 at 4:05 pm

      I would love to win!
      I have pots and no knowledge of what to plant in them
      or how to do it.

      Reply
    2. Christine Hindle

      April 25, 2024 at 10:42 pm

      I would like to win.

      Reply
    3. craig Hindle

      April 25, 2024 at 10:40 pm

      I would like to win.

      Reply
    4. Ann

      April 25, 2024 at 10:08 pm

      I need the sweet pea in pots info now.

      Reply
    5. Rebecca Beesley

      April 25, 2024 at 6:32 pm

      I'd love to win to give the book to an amazing friend who is a huge fan of Sarah Raven.

      Reply
    6. John Walker

      April 25, 2024 at 6:24 pm

      My partner loves anything to do with gardening and plants, so this would be a nice prize to try and get for her. Thanks for the competition.

      Reply
    7. Amy Gardiner

      April 25, 2024 at 6:21 pm

      What a fabulous prize, this is exactly the type of inspiration I have been seeking.

      Reply
    8. Yvonne Wilkinson

      April 25, 2024 at 6:18 pm

      I have never been able to grow anything in a pot because I have no idea what I’m doing. This book looks like it was written for me

      Reply
    9. Claire Hamilton

      April 25, 2024 at 6:00 pm

      Sounds interesting and something I'd like to read myself.

      Reply
    10. Paul

      April 25, 2024 at 5:53 pm

      I would like to win, because it looks a blooming marvellous book. I would love to make a living from blogging also, but rarely have the time to ponder its contents with my job sapping most of my energy, as well as not knowing where to begin. Hope you have plenty of future success with yours though!

      Reply
    11. Adrian Bold

      April 25, 2024 at 5:50 pm

      This would be a great prize to win for my Mum who I'm sure would love this book.

      Reply
    12. Patricia Barrett

      April 25, 2024 at 5:49 pm

      I would love to win as gardening is my main hobby.

      Reply
    13. Alex McKay

      April 25, 2024 at 5:14 pm

      I'd love to win.
      I used to live with a huge garden but am now buying a house with a courtyard garden. I'm only going to have pots and I'd love some ideas from a master. (It's the only thing that put me off the house, having no garden)

      Reply
    14. Angela Marie Fenton

      April 25, 2024 at 3:31 pm

      We have a large garden and are finding it more and more difficult to keep up to it so we have decided to use containers so we still have colour but need some expertise advice in this area.

      Reply
    15. tammy bové

      April 25, 2024 at 3:12 pm

      id love to win for my nan

      Reply
    16. Julie

      April 25, 2024 at 3:03 pm

      I'd like to win as I'd be potty not to.

      Reply
    17. toni pearson

      April 25, 2024 at 2:10 pm

      I have some beautiful pots, gifted to me for my birthday, and now need some inspiration and help in how to fill and care for them.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    SHOP ON AMAZON

    Use it 👆 to support my work. LEARN MORE

    My name is Karen Bertelsen and I was a television host. In Canada. Which means in terms of notoriety and wealth, I was somewhere on par with the manager of a Sunset Tan in Wisconsin.

    I quit television to start a blog with the goal that I could make my living through blogging and never have to host a television show again. And it’s worked out. I’m making a living blogging. If you’re curious, this is how I do that.

    So I’m doing this in reverse basically. I’m the only blogger who is trying to NOT get a TV show.

    More about me 👋

    Seasonal Articles

    • DIY a Modern Birdbath to Attract Birds
    • Turtles Can Fly, and Other June Discoveries
    • How to Clean a Crystal Chandelier
    • Garden Tool Handle Repair
    • 👉 14 Common Garden Oddities (and What to Do About Them)
    • How Does a Venus Flytrap Work? Meet Maureen

    Popular Articles

    • This Is Where I Try To Buy Your Love
    • Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip
    • A Year Full of Pots: Win Sarah Raven's New Book
    • The Difference Between People Who Eat Mayo & People Who Eat Miracle Whip
    • Your FIRST look at my new kitchen in Canadian Living Magazine.
    • How to Print an Image on Wood.

    Footer

    as seen in

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    2 shares