Gain some new ideas along with the principles and history of Japanese stone gardening with this useful and beautiful garden design book. Japanese Stone Gardens provides a comprehensive introduction to the powerful mystique and dynamism of the Japanese stone garden--from their earliest use as props in animistic rituals, to their appropriation by Zen monks and priests to create settings conducive to contemplation and finally to their contemporary uses and meaning. With insightful text and abundant imagery, this book reveals the hidden order of stone gardens and in the process heightens the enthusiast's appreciation of them. The Japanese stone garden is an art form recognized around the globe. These meditative gardens provide tranquil settings, where visitors can shed the burdens and stresses of modern existence, satisfy an age-old yearning for solitude and repose, and experience the restorative power of art and nature. For this reason, the value of the Japanese stone garden today is arguably even greater than when many of them were created. Fifteen gardens are featured in this book: some well known, such as the famous temple gardens of Kyoto, others less so, among them gardens spread through the south of Honshu Island and the southern islands of Shikoku and Kyushu and in faraway Okinawa.

Are you facing drought or water shortages? Gardening with Less Water offers simple, inexpensive, low-tech techniques for watering your garden much more efficiently - using up to 90% less water for the same results. With illustrated step-by-step instructions, David Bainbridge shows you how to install buried clay pots and pipes, wicking systems, and other porous containers that deliver water directly to a plant's roots with no or minimal evaporation. These systems are available at hardware stores and garden centres; are easy to set up and use; and work for garden beds, container gardens, and trees.

Learn the secret to transforming a small space into a blooming array of verdant life in this indispensible and handy guide. Small gardens are a challenge to design and to keep looking good but now help is on hand! This practical guide seeks to inspire and inform gardeners to make the most of their small spaces. Featuring more than 50 contemporary and inspirational gardens, the handbook examines both how their designers created them and how their owners use and develop them. This serious review of the perennial subject explains the theory and practice of planting a small garden, as well as design tricks, storage solutions and vertical planting to help small garden owners maximise their small spaces. With advice for embracing sustainability, the use of recycled materials and the scope for bio-diversity, this is the go-to guide to ensure you are getting the most from your small garden. Stunningly illustrated with photos by Dutch garden photographer and former fashion stylist Maayke de Ridder, this is a must for anyone looking to be creative with their small garden.

Susannah Seton reminds us in "Every Garden Is a Story" that reader and gardener alike have much to learn from their gardens. The poignant and touching stories - from her father's quest for a seven-headed sweet pea to cancer survival and magical portraits of moon gardens - take readers on a journey through garden beds, along the way reinforcing how to care for themselves and their loved ones by caring for the Earth. "Some of the most touching stories remind us that we don't have to have a big yard or a lot of money to have a garden." - from the foreword by Carolyn Rapp. "Every Garden Is a Story" is a thoughtful and inspiring gift for any gardener.

Vegetables are more than just food for humans: they've been characters, companions, and even protagonists throughout history. "How Carrots Won the Trojan War" is a delightful collection of little-known stories about the origins, legends, and historical significance of 23 of the world's most popular vegetables. Curious cooks, devoted gardeners, and casual readers alike will be fascinated by the far-fetched tales of their favourite foods' pasts. Readers will discover why Roman gladiators were massaged with onion juice before battle, how celery contributed to Casanova's conquests, how peas almost poisoned General Washington, why some seventeenth-century turnips were considered degenerate, and, of course, how carrots helped the Greeks win the Trojan War (hint: carrots enabled the soldiers to stay inside the Trojan horse without a break).

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER NIGEL - One of Britain's favourite dogs! MONTY DON - One of Britain's favourite presenters. When Monty Don's golden retriever Nigel became the surprise star of BBC Gardeners' World inspiring huge interest, fan mail and his own social media accounts, Monty Don wanted to explore what makes us connect with animals quite so deeply. In many respects Nigel is a very ordinary dog; charming, handsome and obedient, as so many are. He is a much loved family pet. He is also a star. By telling Nigel's story, Monty relates his relationships with the other special dogs in his life in a memoir of his dogs past and very much present. Witty, touching and life-affirming, Nigel: My family and other dogs is wonderfully heart-warming. Monty Don is a great writer coming out of the garden and into the hearts and homes of every dog lover in the UK. 'I have always had a dog, or dogs. I cannot imagine life without them. I am just as much a fan of Nigel as any besotted viewer. In the book I explore why we love dogs and what they mean to us emotionally and domestically. I look back on all the dogs in my life - all of which I have loved deeply and which have been an essential part of my life. So, this is the book of Nigel - but also the book of all our dogs in every British family and a celebration of the deep love we feel for them' Monty Don

An elegant mini edition of Katie Scott and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew's beautiful Aroboretum.

This stylish mini edition of Arboretum is the perfect gift for nature-lovers or anyone who appreciates beautiful books. Wander the galleries - open 365 days a year - and discover a collection of curated exhibits on every page, accompanied by informative text. From majestic redwoods to ornamental cherry trees, beautiful pines and exotic palms, each chapter features a different part of the arboreal kingdom.

Pools made private by lush plantings, bedrooms open to the back yard, bar seating by the outdoor oven. California native and exterior architect Scott Shrader is known for creating covetable outdoor rooms for clients including Ellen DeGeneres and Patrick Dempsey. In his first book, he shares the grounds of twelve beautiful properties, all designed to be lived in and enjoyed as extensions of the homes they surround, rich with creature comforts. Shrader shows us how to connect the landscape outside with interior decor; resulting in an exterior environment that flows naturally, stylishly and serenely from this core. He also inspires us to think of the way these outdoor spaces will be used, and plan ahead for ways to keep our family and guests fed, warm, and entertained in them. Folded in between the featured gardens which range in style from Hollywood Regency to Modern Moroccan are meditative essays on topics including Sustainability, Lifestyle, and Pathways, as Shrader reflects on the ways that gardens change constantly in small ways, shifting mood with the light and the weather, transforming dramatically with the cycle of the seasons and the passage of years. These are modern, chic gardens and outdoor entertainment spaces specifically designed for cooking, entertaining, playing, and relaxing.

An estimated 10,000 baby boomers retire every day, and many of them are gardeners. As part of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, they need to adapt how they garden to ensure they can continue enjoying the hobby for years to come. In The Lifelong Gardener, popular garden speaker Toni Gattone shares adaptive gardening techniques that help readers garden smarter, not harder. Gattone offers tried-and-true methods that help eliminate the physical strain of gardening like buying new ergonomic tools, using raised beds, making small adjustments like using kneeling pads, and dozens of simple ways to make the garden comfortable. Throughout, Gattone maintains a positive and empowering tone that honors the garden and the gardener and focuses on the joy of aging. The perfect gift for older home gardeners, The Lifelong Gardener shows how a little advanced planning can make gardening a safe and fun daily activity.

Ernest Ballard (1870 1952) was a British horticulturalist who was noted as a breeder of Michaelmas daisies. In this book, which was first published in 1919, Ballard provides a richly detailed account documenting some of the more affecting moments in the British natural calendar. Written in a beautifully lyrical style, the text also contains 131 illustrative figures derived from photographs taken by the author. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in horticulture and botany."

The beautiful designs of Amy Butler are showcased in this collection of notecards that telegraphs elegant eco-friendliness and exquisite taste.