Jonathan Gibbs creates cover artwork for Chales Dowding's latest title
26 May 2026
Gardening guru Charles Dowding is back on our bookshelves and has once again teamed up with wood engraver Jonathan Gibbs to convey the joys of the common vegetable patch. They’d previously worked together on No Dig via Charles’ publisher DK and it does seem to be wholly appropriate to create a gardening illustration using wood as a medium
"Grow Together follows No Dig and Compost, Charles Dowding's previous books. It has been an inspiration to make a number of wood engravings for all three of these books. In each case I made drawings first, with clear guidance from Charles combined with the excellent and creative art direction from Barbara Zuniga. In all of the illustrations, the subject matter is close to my heart and to my interests. I am fascinated by the way in which things grow, not least the origin and kind of woods that are used to make tool-handles and my woodblocks. There have been a number of Natural History and environmental narratives for which I have been asked to make a pictorial complement. Grow Together, Compost and No Dig chime closely with all of these things and it has been a great pleasure and privilege to have taken part in this collaboration.”
More of Jonny's printmaking here.
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