This book motivates gardeners to adopt a completely different mindset: instead of growing foreign plants and killing perceived pests, gardeners can benefit from planting indigenous vegetation with the object of actually attracting insects and other garden wildlife. It illustrates how easy it is to work with nature instead of against it. Not just another gardening book, it encourages gardeners to help preserve and restore our fast-disappearing natural heritage. In this way they can contribute to conservation right on their own doorsteps, while deriving great pleasure in the process. Virtually every aspect of environmentally-friendly gardening is covered, making it a complete “how to” guide and debunking some long-held myths. Winner of a University of KwaZulu-Natal book prize, the first edition was out of print for several years after all 15 000 copies had been sold. This new edition, which covers the eastern and northern parts of the country, is a greatly improved version of the much acclaimed original. Besides being expanded to 320 pages with much more information, it has nearly 100 colour pictures and almost twice as many black and white illustrations. The same lighthearted and entertaining style has been retained and technical terms have been avoided, thus making it an easy read. The book is enhanced by delightful humorous drawings that emphasise points made in the text. A must for all nature-loving gardeners, the large amount of information is almost encyclopedic and will also be more than useful to conservationists and anyone with an interest in the natural sciences.

"I'm not dead yet," writes Clare Hastings to her daughter, Calypso, who will one day inherit Clare's beloved cottage garden in the Berkshire Downs. "In fact I woke up this morning feeling quite chipper. I glanced out of the window . . . and thought about you. And felt a frisson of panic. What if I were to be struck down before elevenses on the B4009? I realized that I needed to leave you a handbook about the garden. For you the countryside is a pathway from the car park to the door, to be completed on the run. But I'm not giving up." The daughter of writer and gardener Anne Scott-James, Clare too was a latecomer to gardening, daunted by Latin names and nervous around plants. Then she realized she wasn't and never would be a 'proper plantsman' and that it didn't matter. Since then she has explored the joys of gardening and now after many years' experience of her own cottage garden, Clare shares her gardening life notes with Calypso.

* Kirsty Athens and her husband Michael always had visions to escape the city and get farming - and that's exactly what they did 'Get Your Pitchfork On ' is an amusing and informative guide to country life that draws upon real-life experience.

For most people, creating a garden, or caring for and nurturing a garden, is of far greater significance than just gardening itself. Modern-day gardens tend to be more personalised as an expression of individual lifestyle choices. However, with so much information available on the broad subject of gardening and what to plant, it's not surprising that many garden lovers feel intimidated and choose the route of blissful ignorance, while all the time wishing there had been an accessible way of knowing how to do it right the first time.

In this concise and systematic publication, the authors have pooled their cumulative knowledge and wisdom of their own practical experience, as well as their respective, proven teaching methods, into a book which will help the beginner and even the more knowledgeable gardener to navigate his or her way through the process of creating a successful garden. The illustrations are visually stunning, and in their own right present a veritable treasury of inspirational ideas.

Most importantly, Making Sense of Garden Design (Sinvolle Tuinontwerp) it is a companion to help you create or recreate your garden. It offers practical exercises and hints, and is a practical, interactive reference and guide to the fundamental topics relating to planning and creating your own garden, including the basic steps in developing a long-term master plan; important considerations such as appropriate choices of styles and plants, water consumption, labour-saving techniques, and security, all shared within a local, South African context, which will also contribute to building confidence and pride in the development and evolution of a uniquely South African gardening style.

Gardening on Clay provides valuable information and support for anyone struggling to create a garden from this challenging soil, which can so easily become waterlogged in winter and baked dry in summer. The author guides the reader through the basics of cultivation before going on to look at more detail at the plants that will flourish on clay soil.

Based on her hit Allotment Tales column for "The Scotsman and New Consumer Magazine", Antonia Swinson - the First Lady of the allotment - shares, not only her tips for gardening and allotment management, but also the effect of her time spent in the mud. Written with humour and vim You Are What You Grow is her extraordinary original vision of how the world ticks. Scything down the caricature of the allotmenteer, this is a social and political critique from an allotmenteer's point of view. Antonia explores issues such as the history of British land ownership, organic produce and self-sufficiency, community building and the psychological benefits to be found by allotmenteering. The work is divided by season with gardening tips, money saving ideas and promotion of healthy, and organic food.

Container Succulents is the perfect book for container gardening beginners who don't have a lot of space to work with. The beautiful photographs of succulent decor are sure to inspire your inner gardener, interior designer and all-around house plant lover. Learn how to care for and display individual succulent varieties, or get creative with groupings that combine multiple plants with complementary colors, shapes and sizes. Whether you prefer a garden that is simple or intricate, this book covers all the basics of container selection and succulent care to ensure healthy plants. This book shows you how to: Use the colors and textures of your containers to enhance the tones and textures of the succulents to create stunning visual combinations Repurpose old cans and kitchenware to create interesting and healthy new homes for your succulents Use unconventional and openwork containers (like an antique birdcage) to add a new dimension to a composition Plant succulents in antique urns and pedestals for a touch of the unexpected Use traditional planters and baskets to create interesting design effects Create attractive soil surfaces and use cuttings to create original arrangements And much more! Each arrangement includes a "floor plan" showing you how to mix the colors, shapes and textures in ways that are pleasing to the eye and healthy for the plants. A reference guide to over 120 succulent varieties explains the different plants' characteristics to help you create compatible groupings. Even succulent beginners can get involved in this low-maintenance gardening trend. With the help of this inspirational guide, anyone can have a beautiful succulent garden in no time at all!

Challenged to prove her claim that an 18th-century diet was better than today's, for a full year Fiona J Houston recreated the lifestyle of her 1790s rural Scottish ancestors in a basic one-roomed cottage, cooking from her garden and the wild, often entertaining family and friends, and surviving on her own resources. She learned lost crafts and skills, making nettle string, quill pens and ink as well as cheese and ale, lighting her fire from flints, and dressing in hand-sewn period clothing, with nothing but an old range stove and candles for warmth and light. This beautiful, quirky, illustrated title tells her extraordinary story and is packed with historical anecdotes, folklore, practical gardening info, seasonal menus, recipes, wildlife notes and more. Includes linocuts, photos and historic engravings.

Methods for improving ground and soil have undergone significant developments in recent years, particularly in terms of application and usage, and many innovative techniques have been introduced. However, it is of significance that in many areas the design process still lacks a theoretical framework. The papers included in this volume, written by international authors, deal with a cross-section of problems faced by many practising engineers and provide advice and guidance on how these problems can be dealt with in a practical manner.

In "The Curious Gardener," Anna Pavord brings together in 12 chapters - one from each month of the year - 72 pieces on all aspects of gardening.
From what to do in each month and how to get the best from flowers, plants, herbs, fruit and vegetables, through reflections on the weather, soil, the English landscape and favourite old gardening clothes, to office greenery, spring in New York, waterfalls, Derek Jarman and garden design, Anna Pavord always has something interesting to say and says it with great style and candour.
The perfect book to guide you through the gardening year and, on days when the weather keeps the most courageous gardener indoors, the perfect book to curl up with beside the fire.

'Essential guide . . . an invitation to a year of happy visiting' Robin Lane Fox, Financial Times The Garden Visitor's Handbook is the famous yellow 'bible' for anyone interested in gardens and the 2021 edition is now available. Its 744 pages contain descriptions of the 3,700 gardens opening to visitors throughout England and Wales this year, and offers people unique access to the most beautiful gardens in the country. Most are privately owned and never otherwise accessible, so the book offers a magical entre to these wonderful domains. Funds raised at the gardens on their open days come from admissions, teas and plant sales and are donated to the National Garden Scheme which in turn donates the net proceeds every year to a group of nursing and health charities. Currently these donations total 3 million annually and, since its foundation in 1927, the National Garden Scheme has given away a whopping 60 million. The main beneficiaries include some of Britain's best-loved charities including Macmillan, Marie Curie, the Queen's Nursing Institute, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, Parkinson's UK and Horatio's Garden.

"The Anxious Gardener's Book of Answers" identifies the 100 most common gardening mistakes and gives gardeners the techniques to prevent them. Or, if it's too late and they've already goofed, there are tips to fix the mistake.

The book's 24 chapters tackle every kind of gardening disaster, whether it has to do with plants, tools and techniques, or general care and maintenance. Gardeners looking to prune their roses will learn to hold off until late winter to avoid damaging plant tissue. Gardeners that have allowed their mint to overgrow? Dunn advises pulling it out and replanting it in a container to control the root.

Organized by common garden topics and designed to be easily dipped in and out of, "The Anxious Gardener's Book of Answers" offers nuggets of wisdom based on Teri Dunn Chace's years of hands-on gardening experience. Advice is humorously supported by Colleen Coover's delightful illustrations. This accessible guide will transform an anxious gardener into an informed, confident, successful gardener with a mistake-free garden

Create and maintain your perfect garden with the world's finest and most authoritative source of gardening tips and advice from the experts at the RHS, now fully revised and updated to encompass the eco-conscious gardener of today. Marking 30 years since its first publication, this revised edition of the RHS Encyclopedia of Gardening provides dependable, essential gardening advice while expanding on key topics that are important to the next generation of gardeners, such as wildlife gardening and sustainability. Packed with unrivalled detail and a vast breadth of information, you'll find advice and clearly photographed step-by-step guides that show you how to garden, whether you're tackling your vegetable plot or tending to cacti and succulents. Updated with the latest guidance to help your plants withstand pests and diseases, and techniques to make your garden more resilient in the face of climate change, you'll find everything you need to know. Whatever your level of skill, expert advice from the RHS will help you keep your garden thriving all year round.

The Gardener Says invites readers to a festive garden party where guests ranging from Gertrude Jekyll and Henry David Thoreau, to Michelle Obama and Michael Pollan share their insights and words of inspiration. Ranging from the humorous to the poignant, these quotes from gardeners, poets, philosophers, and landscape designers highlight both the joys and challenges of gardening-the exhaustion at the end of a long day's work, the satisfaction of seeing a flower blossom, the peace and happiness of time spent in quiet contemplation. A delightful hobby, a potent tool for ecological and social transformation, and a crucial reminder of our place in nature, gardening is, in the words of Mirabel Osler, the one occupation where "if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling."