The intimate Monk's Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston embodies the design principles that inform the work of noted landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. In Designing a Garden, Van Valkenburgh presents the design of the Monk's Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, an intimate, walled garden that Laurie Olin has described as a masterpiece, and not a minor one. The book documents the evolution of the garden's design, which is based on the concept of meandering paths through a dreamlike woodland to create a contemplative space. Sketches and models show how the idea was worked out, and lush photographs reveal the completed garden through the seasons. Van Valkenburgh's text explores the origins of his love of landscape and plants in his family farm in Upstate New York and how this has influenced his intuitions as a designer. He shares the full background story of the Monk's Garden, focusing on the experimental nature of design work as well as the challenges and satisfactions of the small scale and the historic and cultural context. Designing a Garden provides a unique first-person account of the design process from the most prominent landscape architects in the country.

Desperate to use this time to get out into your garden but don't know where to start? This is the book you need! 'An easy read with no gardening know-how required . . . Hart's enthusiasm flows from the page . . . Up-to-date thinking on wildlife, wellbeing and no-dig cultivation pop up too, which are applicable to gardens big and small, making this a perfect introduction to gardening without the fear of doing something wrong' Gardens Illustrated Are you frightened of your garden? Terrified of accidentally bringing death to a sap-filled friend? Put off by the overwhelming number of species of plants and their baffling Latin names? Whether your garden is a sprawling country plot or a kitchen windowsill, gardening is good for the mind, body and soul. Yet just the thought of picking up a pair of secateurs can strike fear into even the bravest of hearts, meaning we often don't make the most of our personal Edens. Charlie's 'no fear' approach to gardening will help you find the easy path to beautiful borders and jampacked vegetable beds. A reassuring, simple-to-use handbook, No Fear Gardening is aimed at all budding gardeners and anyone who might be missing out simply because they don't know how and where to start. Whatever the reason, this book will answer all your questions. From digestible lists of what seeds to plant where, guides to pruning and how to cope with difficult spots to Charlie's favourite vegetables to grow (and, more importantly, eat) and essential pieces of kit, Charlie has condensed a wealth of gardening know-how into easy-to-follow and practical tips. With its unique, liberating approach, No Fear Gardening will inspire you to dust the cobwebs off your watering can and get your garden blooming, whatever the weather or season.

Elevate your own green space and become a more confident and creative gardener with lessons from experienced National Trust gardeners in this comprehensive horticultural guide. 'An accessible, informative guide for beginners, but full of ideas and tips for seasoned gardeners.' - Sunday Mirror Elevate your own green space and become a more confident and creative gardener with lessons from experienced National Trust gardeners in this comprehensive horticultural guide. The National Trust looks after hundreds of beautiful gardens of every imaginable shape and size across Britain - from the grandest country estate to the smallest cottage garden. They manage such internationally renowned gardens as Sissinghurst and Hidcote. National Trust garden staff receive countless questions from visitors about plants growing in the gardens and techniques that can be tried at home. This in-depth guide will pass on their wisdom and provide the answers you are looking for. This book is packed with images of National Trust gardens of all types, spanning over 300 years of horticultural heritage, to inspire keen amateur gardeners and aspirational novices to realise their green-fingered ambitions. Written by expert gardener Rebecca Bevan, with the help of National Trust gardeners, the National Trust School of Gardening will make you feel confident about developing your garden rather than overwhelmed with unnecessary technical detail. From herbaceous borders to gardening sustainably, roses and climbers to growing under glass, each chapter provides snippets of horticultural history, examples of best practice from National Trust gardens, unique gems of wisdom from talented NT gardeners, and lots of easy-to-follow practical advice. Featuring a wide range of National Trust gardens both large and small, formal and informal, famous and undiscovered, high maintenance and low key. The topics covered and the insightful practical guides shared are easily applicable to private gardens, enriching even the tiniest urban spaces.

**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** The Garden Jungle is a wonderful introduction to the hundreds of small creatures with whom we live cheek-by-jowl and of the myriad ways that we can encourage them to thrive. The Garden Jungle is about the wildlife that lives right under our noses, in our gardens and parks, between the gaps in the pavement, and in the soil beneath our feet. Wherever you are right now, the chances are that there are worms, woodlice, centipedes, flies, silverfish, wasps, beetles, mice, shrews and much, much more, quietly living within just a few paces of you. Dave Goulson gives us an insight into the fascinating and sometimes weird lives of these creatures, taking us burrowing into the compost heap, digging under the lawn and diving into the garden pond. He explains how our lives and ultimately the fate of humankind are inextricably intertwined with that of earwigs, bees, lacewings and hoverflies, unappreciated heroes of the natural world. The Garden Jungle is at times an immensely serious book, exploring the environmental harm inadvertently done by gardeners who buy intensively reared plants in disposable plastic pots, sprayed with pesticides and grown in peat cut from the ground. Goulson argues that gardens could become places where we can reconnect with nature and rediscover where food comes from. For anyone who has a garden, and cares about our planet, this book is essential reading.

The easy way to succeed at urban gardening

A townhouse yard, a balcony, a fire escape, a south-facing window--even a basement apartment can all be suitable locations to grow enough food to save a considerable amount of money and enjoy the freshest, healthiest produce possible.

"Urban Gardening For Dummies" helps you make the most of limited space through the use of proven small-space gardening techniques that allow gardeners to maximize yield while minimizing space.Covers square-foot gardening and vertical and layered gardeningIncludes guidance on working with container gardening, succession gardening, and companion gardeningOffers guidance on pest management, irrigation and rain barrels, and small-space composting

If you're interested in starting an urban garden that makes maximum use of minimal space, "Urban Gardening For Dummies" has you covered.

Winner of the Inspirational Book of the Year, Garden Media Guild Awards Ambra Edwards and Charlie Hopkinson explore, in words and pictures, the lives, visions and achievements of fourteen very different head gardeners. "Ambra Edwards's fascinating interviews show what diversity there is in British gardens. It's a book about people and how they tick - people who happen to be gardeners." - The Times "An informative and eye-opening delight." - Philippa Stockley, Country Life "The author, well-known for her sparky writing style and broad hinterland of interests, has interviewed 14 head gardeners in search of some answers, teaming up with the highly empathetic and skilled photographer Charlie Hopkinson to produce this visually appealing and revealing book about some remarkable people in horticulture... Nor is it hard to argue with her view that gardeners are undervalued by society, in status and reward. Let's hope this brilliant book goes some way to redressing that." - Ursula Buchan, The Garden

Small enough to take to the garden center or nursery, this book contains all the gardening information you need to decide which plants to select and how to care for them in your regional garden

Everything cultivated begins with a seed, and with more than 50,000 copies sold, Rodale's The New Seed Starters Handbook has been the source for expert information on raising healthy seedlings since its release in 1988. This revised version of the staple seed book is an easy-to-use reference that gives readers the most up-to-date information on how to start seeds successfully and grow their favorite plants from year to year. The New Seed Starters Handbook presents step- by-step guides to starting plants from seed, which allows for earlier harvests, greater variety, and healthier seedlings. It a Iso presents an encyclopedia of more than 200 plants-including vegetables and fruits, garden flowers, wildflowers, herbs, trees, and shrubs-with details on how to start each from seed. This is the perfect guide for gardeners of every level -from novice to veteran.

Whether your aspirations are simply to sell a selection of home grown plants from the boot of your car or to establish a succesful all-year-round gardening business, this book will show you how. It covers: preparing your business plan; getting kitted out; how to find work - and keep it; what services to offer; book-keeping for gardeners; planning the gardening year; how to get commercial contracts; providing estimates; the top ten most profitable gardening jobs.

From diggers and weeders, to artists and colourists, writers and dreamers to trend-setters, plantswomen to landscape designers, women have contributed to the world of gardening and gardens. Here Deborah Kellaway, author of The Making of an English Country Garden and Favourite Flowers , has collected extracts from the 18th century to the present day, to create a book that is replete with anecdotes and good-humoured advice. Colette, Margery Fish, Germaine Greer, Eleanor Sinclair Rohde, Vita Sackville-West, Rosemary Verey, Edith Wharton and Dorothy Wordsworth are some of the writers represented in this book.

We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life: supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and pepper drove the Age of Discovery, coffee beans fueled the Enlightenment and cottonseed sparked the Industrial Revolution. Seeds are fundamental objects of beauty, evolutionary wonders, and simple fascinations. Yet, despite their importance, seeds are often seen as commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked. Thanks to this stunning new book, they can be overlooked no more. This is a book of knowledge, adventure, and wonder, spun by an award-winning writer with both the charm of a fireside story-teller and the hard-won expertise of a field biologist. A fascinating scientific adventure, it is essential reading for anyone who loves to see a plant grow.

The "Horticultural Reviews" series presents state-of-the-art reviews on topics in horticultural sciences. The emphasis is on applied topics including the production of fruits, vegetables, nut crops, and ornamental plants of commercial importance. It is a serial that appears in the form of one hardbound volume per year.

Loaded with helpful hints and easy-to-understand examples -- and now with 20 percent more content -- this book covers the type of mathematical problems that golf course superintendents face every day. You'll learn how to handle budgeting estimates and figure how much fertilizer or pesticide you should buy. You'll also find guidance on the ordering of topdressing, irrigation volume and coverage, area and volume calculations, and many other aspects of golf course operation that require a thorough understanding of basic mathematical principles. Whatever the management calculation may be, this book has the solution you need! Example problems and answers help you get the job done right.

Piet Oudolf is renowned for his exceptional use of perennials and grasses. His deep knowledge of plants and skill in choosing and grouping them is brilliantly displayed at Hauser & Wirth Somerset in an immersive, botanically rich garden which enthralls visitors in every season. The garden piqued the interest of plantsman and garden designer Rory Dusoir who undertook regular visits over the course of a year. In this book he describes the beautiful, dependable plants used to striking effect, scrutinizes the classic Oudolf planting techniques and marvels at the sporobolus meadow which Piet has described as "wilder than wildness itself". Oudolf fans will delight in this book which gives full access to the plant lists, planting combinations and horticultural know-how. More than 300 exceptional quality photographs capture the very special quality of the gardens and, combined with the text, offer a unique insight into planting the Oudolf way.