A Year of Colour
How to Create a Bold and Bright Garden
By Ann-Marie Powell and Photographed By Julie Skelton
My garden exists in stolen moments. Saturday mornings before anyone’s awake. Weekends, bank holidays, and those precious light evenings when there’s just enough light to get one more pot planted.
I’ve been grafting on my new book which documents a year of what actually happens here.
Not the sanitised version, but the real deal. The partnerships that deliver, the colour that lifts everything, the ideas worth stealing.
The brilliant @julieskeltonphoto photographed forty combinations from this very real, very lived-in garden – the triumphs, the happy accidents, the pairings that surprised me most. No staged perfection, just what works when you’re gardening around everything else life throws at you.
For anyone who’s looked at their garden and wondered “could I go bolder?” – yes, you absolutely could.
Available to order now. Your support would mean the absolute world to me!
Read A Year of Colour Reviews Here!
Listen to what Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball had to say on their BRILLIANT podcast Dig It
Available for Listening here!
Reviews
“A book to inspire you the whole year. Do you ever go to the garden centre and buy random plants without really thinking where to put them? This book will help guide and plan ahead to enjoy colour and texture all year long. During the last week, we have had non-stop rain, however, this book has kept me sane and captivated planning my garden ahead. Thank you AMP, I love the ribbon.”
“A beautiful book.
Full of gorgeous photographs, planting and colour combinations together with practical advice for each season.
Highly recommended”
“One of the best gardening books I’ve bought in a long time. It is full to the brim with real plant combinations and gardening advice, and the writing style is so enthusiastic encouraging getting your own hands dirty. It’s clearly written by someone who loves and knows plants.”
“This is an accessible, inspiring and beautifully crafted book that will appeal to anyone seeking to get more punch, colour, nuance and emotion into their garden”
“Her joyful approach to life combines with her consummate design skill and a brilliant eye for colour. If you wish for more confidence with colour, a common desire, then this is the book to buy.”
FAQs
The US/Canada edition will be available from 7th April 2026 at $35. Customers who prefer not to wait can order the UK edition through Amazon US for earlier delivery.
Yes. The UK edition can be shipped internationally through online retailers.
Yes. International customers can order the UK edition from Amazon or other international booksellers for delivery from February 2026. See the UK Edition order link HERE.
Now on sale in the UK! The UK publication date was 5th February 2026 in the UK.
In the US and Canada, A Year of Colour will be published on 7th April 2025.
Julie Skelton photographed all 40 combinations throughout the year, capturing each season in Ann-Marie’s garden.
Frances Lincoln, an imprint of Quarto Publishing.
The planting combinations were developed in Ann-Marie’s own 10 x 20 metre garden in Hampshire, which includes both a rear east-facing garden on two levels and a front west-facing space. The book demonstrates that bold, biodiverse planting is achievable in gardens of modest size.
Yes. Alongside the planting combinations, each seasonal chapter includes practical guidance on tasks appropriate to that time of year, with step-by-step guides for techniques such as bulb planting and dahlia care.
Yes. The book includes combinations suitable for container growing, including late winter displays using small bulbs such as Iris reticulata and crocuses.
Each combination includes individual plant descriptions with heights and hardiness ratings, guidance on when and where to plant, maintenance advice, and practical tips for success. The combinations also include “What To Do” sections covering essential seasonal tasks.
The book features 40 detailed planting combinations spanning all four seasons, each with comprehensive information on the individual plants, their requirements, and how to achieve similar results.
Absolutely. While the combinations draw on professional design expertise, the guidance is written in accessible, practical terms. Each combination includes clear information on plant heights, hardiness, when and where to plant, and tips for success. The principles work whether you have extensive borders or a collection of containers.
The book is organised into eight chapters, covering early and late periods of each season. Each chapter includes an introduction to what’s happening in the garden during that period, followed by detailed planting combinations with individual plant descriptions, planting guidance, and seasonal tasks. Step-by-step guides cover essential techniques such as lifting dahlia tubers and creating bulb lasagnes.
The combinations featured are photographed in a real, working garden rather than show gardens or staged settings. Every partnership has been tested over multiple seasons, with honest observations about what worked, what didn’t, and what might be changed. The approach celebrates bold colour combinations that bring genuine joy, rather than playing it safe with conventional planting schemes.
A Year of Colour documents a full year in Ann-Marie Powell’s own garden, featuring 40 detailed planting combinations photographed through the seasons. The book offers practical guidance on creating bold, vibrant borders using tried-and-tested plant partnerships, complete with planting times, hardiness ratings, and maintenance tips.
