In the multifaceted world of gardening, the same questions arise time and time again. Organised season-by-season, this book promises to answer the 1000 most-asked questions that can frustrate all gardeners alike. Drawing on her years of experience in gardening, former panellist and researcher for the BBC's Gardeners Question Time Daphne Ledward has answered them all. From knowing how to identify your soil type, the finer points of pruning and propagation, and seeds versus seedlings; to the thorny problems of dealing with chronic pests and diseases, and finding plants for difficult places, this book is the answer to all of the most frequently asked gardening questions. Get the most out of your garden, big or small, and discover answers to common issues such as: - what type of soil is best for your garden - how to select the best plants, vegetables and herbs according to your space - how to get your plants through a difficult winter - how to best care for your plants, be it bulbs, roses, vegetables or even your lawn - how to make your own compost

"[A] tome that holds the secrets to science-based organic and sustainable food crops. It joins a handful of essential books on the topic, and delves deeper and in more granular detail into the process of gardening with nature than any other book I know of."-Jeff Cox, author of From Vines to Wines and The Organic Cook's Bible, and contributing editor of Horticulture magazine Dismantle your gardening myths. Grow a garden grounded in fact. Edible landscaping pioneer Robert Kourik deftly guides the reader through the mysteries of growing plants and designing landscapes in temperate climates and suburbs, and the use of all-natural, sustainable methods to grow and maintain a healthy variety of plants. Would you like to garden without digging, composting, buying fertilizers, spraying with pesticides, or lamenting low yields? If so, Sustainable Food Gardening is the book you've been waiting for, with over 450 pages, 13 chapters, and 487 color photos, illustrations, charts, and graphs. Author Robert Kourik began his career in natural landscape design and maintenance in 1974, with one of the first sustainably oriented organic gardening businesses in the country. In Sustainable Food Gardening, you'll learn to: Design your own "edible landscapes." Use no-till techniques to preserve the integrity of your soil Adapt your growing space to fit into a wide range of USDA garden zones Review alternative ways to change "guilds' (well-intended clusters of trees and shrubs jumbled together) to more effective and labor-saving plantings. Grow new kinds of beautiful and productive Victory gardens Plant Native American "Three-Sisters" gardens that actually work Learn many myths about roots, and what to do to help them thrive Attract many beneficial insects to your garden with strategic flower plantings Here are some of the other topics covered in depth: Rainwater catchment/cisterns. Hugelkulturs (do you really need raised garden beds filled with rotten wood?). Options for better, faster ways to maximize and improve soil. "Dynamic accumulation"-a myth with some useful guidelines. Avoiding hours of tree-pruning and encouraging fruiting with a few dozen clothespins. Clever ways to install and simplify drip irrigation Using plants to lure good insects that prey upon pests. Promoting beneficial soil life. Adding food crops to a native-looking landscape. In Sustainable Food Gardening you'll learn how to achieve that Holy Grail of gardening-productivity, tasty food, and a beautiful, sustainable garden, yard, or landscape.

Water will bring a garden miraculously to life, drawing the eye more than any other feature. When still, its shimmering reflections create a peaceful mood, while moving water animates the garden scene and delights with its mesmerizing sounds. In this definitive guide, Alan shows you how to design and make a water feature to suit any size and style of garden, from a large wildlife pond, stream or rill to the tiniest pebble or wall fountain. * Easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step diagrams * A-Z directory of Alan's recommended pond and waterside plants * Guide to choosing and caring for fish * Key tips on encouraging wildlife to your pond * Season-by-season guide to pond maintenance

The best fertilizer for your organic garden is compost. It's easy to make, economically friendly, and teeming with nutrients. In this highly useful installment of his Bob's Basics series, Bob Flowerdew takes you through all the steps necessary to make a rich compost pile best suited to your needs. "Composting" is a highly comprehensive guide that goes over all the steps, from building a bin to collecting material to maintaining and adding to the finished product.

"What a super book! Great photos, and such interesting facts - it all makes a fascinating read." Christine Walkden, BBC-TV and Radio 4 Gardening Expert "This is a wonderful book, tracing the history of the family firm and the marvellous structures they created, in great detail. There are detailed accounts of 40 of the firm's most prestigious structures, stunningly photographed by professional garden photographer Jennifer Lilly. There is even a detailed chronological gazetteer of all the known Pulhamite sites. Definitely a must for your Christmas present list and garden history bookshelf." Hazelle Jackson, Heritage Consultant London Landscapes Autumn/Winter 2012 "It is excellent... A brilliant piece of work - I thoroughly recommend it." Peter Seabrook, Gardening Writer and Broadcaster Amateur Gardening "The result of many years' patient research, pulling together fascinating information on the Pulhams' work, which extended from grand gardens such as Sandringham and Waddesdon to modest suburban villas." The Times "A Charming Labour of Love, this offers everything you could wish to know about Pulhamite - and probably much more... The photographs are superb, the research exhaustive and the gazetteer makes it invaluable for the study, restoration and maintenance of Pulhamite features in 19th to early 20th-century gardens." BBC Gardens Illustrated This book tells the story of James Pulham & Son, the eminent family of Victorian and Edwardian landscape artists who specialised in the construction of picturesque rock gardens, ferneries, follies and grottoes. The book covers more than four generations of the family business that was also responsible for the manufacture of extremely high-quality terracotta garden ornaments including fountains, vases, sundials and bulastrading. The rock gardens, for which the firm are mainly remembered today, were built with 'artifical' rocks - formed from heaps of old bricks and rubble, coated with cement, and sculpted to simulate the colour and texture of natural stone. The author's interest in James Pulham & Son stems from the fact that no fewer than five of his ancestors worked for the company as 'rock builders'. Features many incredibly famous locations, including Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Heatherden Hall, Waddesdon Manor, Battersea Park, Friar Park and RHS Garden Wisley.