Alys Fowler – författare

'Bog - the word sounds dank, claggy, unlovable. Yet functioning peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined and harbour astonishing biodiversity, from mosses and carnivorous sundews to rare butterflies, golden plovers and hen harriers. In her Wainwright Prize-longlisted paean to this unsung ecosystem, Alys Fowler roams the peat bogs of the British Isles, capturing their beauty and wildlife, from the Peak District to Scotland's Flow Country.' COUNTRYFILE BOOK OF THE YEARA beautiful, urgent and personal exploration of bogs and the role they must play in saving our planet - for fans of Otherlands and The Last Rainforests of BritainLonglisted for the Wainwright Prize 2025Shortlised for the Beth Chatto Environmental Award at the Garden Media Guild Awards 2025 'A fascinating, impassioned invitation into the hidden mystery of bogs' - OLIVIA LAING, author of The Garden Against Time'Enchanting . . . If you've ever looked at a wetland and wanted to know it better, Fowler is an ideal guide: knowledgeable, passionate, and above all, joyous and personable in her prose.' - JESSICA J. LEE, author of Two Trees Make a Forest'The book throws a sharp light on the plight of bogs - places that come spectacularly to life under Fowler's analytic and passionate gaze. A delight to read but also a sobering education.' - TOM STUART-SMITH'The curious, still silence of peat bogs is so much at odds with their deep and ancient complexities. This book, so immersive, thoughtfully penned and well-observed makes an intimate connection to these often overlooked and enormously precious places. It makes you want to tread lightly and to look deeper.' - DAN PEARSON -------'Why do I like bogs so much? I think it is because I feel very at home with them, I think this has something to do with my queerness and their queer nature as a space.' The value of peat bogs as a natural resource and haven of biodiversity is undisputed, yet few of us have been lucky enough to experience their beauty and richness. In Peatlands, Wainwright Prize-shortlisted author Alys Fowler calls for us to sink deep into the dark, black earths of these rugged places and take a close look at the birds, animals, plants and insects that live within them.Living in Wales nestled between bogs makes Alys Fowler's Peatlands both personal and illuminating. Her odyssey takes her deep into the Flow Country, to the remote Border Mires, through Bannau Brycheiniog, the Peak District and Ireland, creating an intimate picture of these magical places and the people who care for them.

Imagine a garden that is as beautiful as it is productive, that gives you fresh, wholesome, chemical-free food with flavours that go way beyond anything the shops can offer.In Eat What You Grow, Alys shows you how to create a rich, biodiverse garden that feeds not only you, but supports a wide range of pollinators, bees and butterflies, as well as other wildlife. From perennial vegetables that come back year after year, to easy-to-grow delights, she has selected plants that hold their own in both the garden and on the plate. And tells you how to raise these plants, guiding you through the process of feeding your soil, saving seed and taking cuttings to increase your supplies. She also teaches you simple and effective design tools that will ensure your garden looks striking and wild, brings joy to your world and feeds you day after day.

THE BEST GARDENING BOOKS OF THE YEAR - GARDENS ILLUSTRATED'Informative and enthusiastic' i PaperPLANT-BASED MEDICINE FOR A CALMER, HEALTHIER LIFEIt's easy to turn to the pharmacy when we're stressed, sick or feeling under the weather, but what if you turned to your garden instead?In this accessible and easy to use manual, horticultural expert, former Gardener's World presenter and Guardian columnist, Alys Fowler, shows how to take control of your health by adopting a more natural lifestyle. For thousands of years, people who had no access to clinical medicine knew how to boost their well-being by using the ingredients they found in plants. Herbs are the people's medicine; often freely available and abundant, they are ready and waiting to be plucked from around you to soothe and heal your body and mind.With guides for how to use and grow over 100 herbs - for example how to use fennel for indigestion, camomile for anxiety and nettle for hayfever - you'll soon be heading into the garden, rather than opening the medicine cabinet. Offering a fusion of botanical, practical, cultural and historical information, A Modern Herbal reveals how common herbs are the simple, cleansing way to better health and happiness.'An important and accessible herbal for the 21st century . . . For anyone delving into herbs for the first time or those who want to broaden their herbal repertoire in the garden and home, this book is much needed' Gardens IllustratedAS SEEN IN THE GUARDIAN

THE BEST GARDENING BOOKS OF THE YEAR - GARDENS ILLUSTRATED'Informative and enthusiastic' i PaperPLANT-BASED MEDICINE FOR A CALMER, HEALTHIER LIFEIt's easy to turn to the pharmacy when we're stressed, sick or feeling under the weather, but what if you turned to your garden instead?In this accessible and easy to use manual, horticultural expert, former Gardener's World presenter and Guardian columnist, Alys Fowler, shows how to take control of your health by adopting a more natural lifestyle. For thousands of years, people who had no access to clinical medicine knew how to boost their well-being by using the ingredients they found in plants. Herbs are the people's medicine; often freely available and abundant, they are ready and waiting to be plucked from around you to soothe and heal your body and mind.With guides for how to use and grow over 100 herbs - for example how to use fennel for indigestion, camomile for anxiety and nettle for hayfever - you'll soon be heading into the garden, rather than opening the medicine cabinet. Offering a fusion of botanical, practical, cultural and historical information, A Modern Herbal reveals how common herbs are the simple, cleansing way to better health and happiness.AS SEEN IN THE GUARDIAN'An important and accessible herbal for the 21st century . . . For anyone delving into herbs for the first time or those who want to broaden their herbal repertoire in the garden and home, this book is much needed' Gardens Illustrated

Houseplants are more than just decorations. They turn a room into a living space and breathe life into our interiors. Not all of us can have a garden or even a window box, but everyone can own a houseplant - and everyone should. Not only are they an affordable and attractive way to add a decorative and personal touch to a space, indoor plants also have unique air purifying properties and their presence is good for our health and wellbeing. In this practical yet inspiring guide, gardening expert Alys Fowler explores all the possible indoor plant options available, helping you to find the perfect plant for any location, from cool, shady bedrooms to warm, sunny kitchen windowsills. As well as more traditional indoor plants, Alys looks at specialist plant groups such as indoor tropical edibles, orchids, cacti, succulents and climbers. With her encyclopedic knowledge and trademark inspirational style, this definitive guide will give you all the knowledge you need to care for your plants.

Forget makeover culture and all your gardening preconceptions, this is a witty, wise and practical take on to how to create a garden that suits you. The Thrifty Gardener is about creating the garden of your dreams, regardless of resources or limited space. It will eliminate the intimidation factor and reveal the ins-and-outs of soil, seeds, sowing and growing. At the heart of this book is a DIY ethic that says you don''t always have to buy what you need, you can make it, take it or swap it with friends. From making window boxes out of wine cases to creating your own stylish compost bin, from bulking up perennials to finding plants for free, this book is packed with offbeat projects for a new generation of gardeners.

Alys Fowler takes a fresh look at foraging, encouraging you to look closer to home, from the weeds in your garden to the trees in your street, rather than the fields and hedgerows of the countryside. Alys showcases her favourite edibles with a plant directory packed with useful information - photographic identification, plant description and tips on how to grow and how to eat it (including recipes such as fruit leathers and chutney) - that will give you the confidence to identify plants yourself. The book also features innovative ideas for eating your local landscape, from community gardens in Todmorden, UK to Edimental (edible ornamentals) gardens in Norway - this is a fast-growing, global phenomenon that is fun, environmentally friendly and thrifty!

Fresh produce is a joy: crunchy lettuce, sun-warmed tomatoes, juicy berries - their flavours are immediate - but a winter of those summer flavours preserved, now that''s a feeling of satisfaction. If you are going to truly try and attain a little more self-sufficiency (and save some money at the same time), think about what you can store to get you through the leaner months. Alys takes you through all the different ways of preserving - bottling, drying, fermenting, freezing, pickling, using sugar - with delicious recipes that make the most of your produce. This book is a must for anyone who wants to store and preserve their garden bounty.

There's no denying that growing your own food is good for the pocket, good for the environment and hugely rewarding for the soul. In The Edible Garden, Gardeners' World's Alys Fowler will take you one step closer to self-sufficiency by showing how to grow edible crops and flowers in any garden - even a small suburban back garden! 'Quirky is the word that springs to mind when leafing through this book ... it is for anyone who has dreamt of the Good Life but despaired at their lack of land' -- Countryfile Magazine'A handsome book' -- The Times'An indispensable go-to gardening book' -- ***** Reader review'I absolutely love this book and it's just my sort of gardening' -- ***** Reader review'Beautiful and inspiring' -- ***** Reader review'The best gardening book I have ever read - so useful for a beginner!' -- ***** Reader review'Inspirational' -- ***** Reader review**********************************************************************In this timely book, Gardeners' World's thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with modern day living.Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes grow in pots on the patio.And all of this is produced in a way that mimics natural systems, producing delicious homegrown food for her table. And she shares her favourite recipes for the hearty dishes, pickles and jams she makes to use up her bountiful harvest, proving that no-one need go hungry on her grow-your-own regime.With beautiful, specially commissioned full colour photography, step-by-step recipes, directories of crops and flowers to grow and accessible, practical advice, The Edible Garden will encourage everyone to chuck out the old gardening rules and create their own haven that's as good to look at as it is to eat!

'Fowler's moving memoir charts her experience of coming out as a gay woman, alongside her journey through Birmingham's canal networks, mapping both the waterways and the travails of her heart.' Observer'An emotional and compelling memoir, that left me inspired, both by her bravery in transforming her life, and by the unexpected beauty she finds along the way' Countryfile Magazine'Fowler beautifully exposes her emotional fragility while also celebrating the unloved nature of buddleia, herons and even the water rats who take refuge among the locks.' i paper'Fowler captures the beauty of the canal's dishevelled, neglected condition...' Times Literary Supplement'Thoughtful and heartbreakingly honest ...Beautiful' Press Association'An astounding memoir' Gay Star News'Hidden Nature is one of the most thrilling things I've read in a long time' Waterways World'She writes wonderfully about the species that have carved out a place for themselves amid the discarded shopping trolleys, condom packets and industrial waste' Guardian'This candid book is as much about mapping the heart as it is about mapping the paths of waterways. Lovely.' Simple Things'A beautiful memoir' Good Housekeeping'Gentle, brave and acutely observant' Woman's WeeklyLeaving her garden to the mercy of the slugs, the Guardian's award-winning writer Alys Fowler set out in an inflatable kayak to explore Birmingham's canal network, full of little-used waterways where huge pike skulk and kingfishers dart.Her book is about noticing the wild everywhere and what it means to see beauty where you least expect it. What happens when someone who has learned to observe her external world in such detail decides to examine her internal world with the same care?Beautifully written, honest and very moving, Hidden Nature is also the story of Alys Fowler's emotional journey and her coming out as a gay woman: above all, this book is about losing and finding, exploring familiar places and discovering unknown horizons.

With over 30 fun, easy to follow and rewarding growing projects, foraging activities, experiments and arts and crafts activities, you'll never be bored again! From growing your own air plants to foraging for edible flowers, gardener, TV presenter and forager Alys Fowler will take you through a range of indoor and outdoor activities that are sure to ignite a lifelong passion for plants! You don't need a garden or any fancy equipment - a homemade pot and watering can, seeds from the kitchen cupboard and a sunny windowsill will do.With Alys's expert guidance you can grow your own avocado tree, make wildflower seed paper, forage for tasty roots to add to your favourite recipes and even grow neon pink beetroot in the dark! Welcome to the wonderful world of plants - what will you discover?

With over 30 fun, easy to follow and rewarding growing projects, foraging activities, experiments and arts and crafts activities, you''ll never be bored again! From growing your own air plants to foraging for edible flowers, gardener, TV presenter and forager Alys Fowler will take you through a range of indoor and outdoor activities that are sure to ignite a lifelong passion for plants! You don''t need a garden or any fancy equipment - a homemade pot and watering can, seeds from the kitchen cupboard and a sunny windowsill will do.With Alys''s expert guidance you can grow your own avocado tree, make wildflower seed paper, forage for tasty roots to add to your favourite recipes and even grow neon pink beetroot in the dark! Welcome to the wonderful world of plants - what will you discover?

There's no denying that growing your own food is good for the pocket, good for the environment and hugely rewarding for the soul. In The Edible Garden, Gardeners' World's Alys Fowler will take you one step closer to self-sufficiency by showing how to grow edible crops and flowers in any garden - even a small suburban back garden! 'Quirky is the word that springs to mind when leafing through this book ... it is for anyone who has dreamt of the Good Life but despaired at their lack of land' -- Countryfile Magazine'A handsome book' -- The Times'An indispensable go-to gardening book' -- ***** Reader review'I absolutely love this book and it's just my sort of gardening' -- ***** Reader review'Beautiful and inspiring' -- ***** Reader review'The best gardening book I have ever read - so useful for a beginner!' -- ***** Reader review'Inspirational' -- ***** Reader review**********************************************************************In this timely book, Gardeners' World's thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with modern day living.Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes grow in pots on the patio.And all of this is produced in a way that mimics natural systems, producing delicious homegrown food for her table. And she shares her favourite recipes for the hearty dishes, pickles and jams she makes to use up her bountiful harvest, proving that no-one need go hungry on her grow-your-own regime.With beautiful, specially commissioned full colour photography, step-by-step recipes, directories of crops and flowers to grow and accessible, practical advice, The Edible Garden will encourage everyone to chuck out the old gardening rules and create their own haven that's as good to look at as it is to eat!