Turn your garden into a wildlife haven by growing the right plants to encourage beneficial insects, aquatic life, backyard birds and animals. This title includes illustrated directories of over 200 plant species, from annuals, bulbs and pond plants, to shrubs, trees and climbers, with practical advice on cultivation and uses. It features 80 of the most common garden bird species, with identification illustrations and natural history information on distribution, size, distinguishing characteristics, nesting, eggs and feeding habits. It shows how to create beautiful borders, ponds and meadows, and how to make all kinds of birdhouses, birdbaths, bird tables and wildlife stacks. It is illustrated with over 1700 stunning practical photographs. One of the most enjoyable aspects of creating and maintaining a garden lies in the feeling of closeness to nature. These two books, written by award-winning gardening experts, give advice on how to create a range of wildlife gardens, with suggestions for the best flowers, shrubs, hedges and trees to grow. There are 25 projects for tables, nest boxes and birdbaths, as well as directories of over 200 wildlife-friendly garden plants, from woodland and countryside locations to town and city environments. With its helpful practical advice and over 1700 beautiful photographs and illustrations, this is the ideal source book for gardeners, bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

This title tells you how to create vegetable, fruit and herb gardens using completely organic techniques. This is a practical guide to natural gardens, showing how to apply organic principles to all aspects of garden planning, design and maintenance. It contains over 600 photographs, including illustrated step-by-step sequences to show how to achieve the best results in ornamental, wildlife and kitchen gardens. It covers all the basic techniques, including soil care, weeding, watering, feeding, growing under glass, pruning and propagation. This book applies organic principles to different types of garden - ornamental, wildlife and kitchen - showing how to plant flower beds, borders and ponds, how to create woodland gardens and wild-flower lawns, and how to grow vegetables, herbs and fruit. There is also a section on plant health that discusses the best ways of using natural methods to deal with any pests and diseases that may occur, for example by creating suitable habitats for beneficial predators such as lacewings, wasps, hoverflies and frogs. Whether starting an organic garden from scratch or applying organic principles to an existing garden, this book is filled with step-by-step information that will help you achieve your goal. Written by award-winning authors, it is a comprehensive guide packed with inspirational photographs and well-informed gardening advice.

This is the organic cookbook that includes over 140 imaginative and inspiring recipes. It is the organic gardening book that is an essential reference guide to natural techniques, with advice on applying organic principles to all aspects of garden planning, design and maintenance. It is an expert and practical guide for the home cook on understanding the issues around organic food and drink. It features a comprehensive survey of organic ingredients, from fabulous fruit and vegetables to tender meat and poultry, hearty breads and handy storecupboard items. It is packed with practical advice and clear, step-by-step sequences to show you how to achieve the best results in ornamental, wildlife and kitchen gardens. Reflecting our growing interest in producing and eating healthy organic food, this boxed book set is perfect for those who love cooking and gardening. There is advice on all aspects of organic gardening, from growing, watering and feeding to pruning and propagation. The cookbook provides tips on storing and using organic ingredients, as well as 140 recipes for all types of meals, from light lunches to dinner parties. Try seasonal dishes such as Asparagus with Lemon Sauce or Summer Berries in a Sabayon Glaze. A directory of vegetables, herbs and fruit provides clear information on growing and cooking healthy produce, with handy hints for gardeners and cooks.

This is a practical gardener's guide for animal lovers, including planting advice, designs and 90 step-by-step projects, with 1700 photographs. Turn your garden into a wildlife haven by growing the right plants to encourage beneficial insects, aquatic life, birds and animals. It includes illustrated directories of over 200 plant species, from annuals to climbers, with practical advice on cultivation and uses, plus 80 of the most common garden bird species, with identification illustrations and natural history information on distribution, size, distinguishing characteristics, behaviour, nesting, eggs and feeding habits. It includes practical step-by-step projects that show you how to make all kinds of birdhouses, bird tables, birdbaths, wildlife stacks and more. It features all the basic gardening techniques such as plant propagation, soil preparation, composting and general maintenance. Itis illustrated throughout with over 1700 practical colour artworks and photographs. One of the most enjoyable aspects of creating and maintaining a garden lies in the feeling of closeness to nature. Now, with this new book box set, you can encourage hidden birds, animal and insects to proliferate in your very own back garden. These two books, written by award-winning gardening experts, give clear advice on how to create a range of wildlife gardens, showing how adopting a few simple methods will produce a dazzling display of colour while helping native animal species. There are suggestions for the best flowers, shrubs, hedges and trees to attract birds, including a design for a garden border that will provide food throughout the seasons. Comprehensive directories explore over 200 beautiful garden plants, plus over 80 of the most common birds, insects and animals, from woodland and countryside locations to town and city environments. With its helpful practical advice and over 1700 photographs and illustrations, this is the ideal source book for gardeners, bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Creating and maintaining a beautiful garden that is safe and natural is becoming increasingly popular as we begin to understand the benefits of adopting an organic way of life. The Organic Garden is an indispensable guide to using organic methods to create flourishing ornamental and wildlife gardens. There is also a vital section on kitchen gardening that reflects our growing interest in eating and producing fresh, healthy and chemical-free vegetables, herbs and fruit. Christine and Michael Lavelle give clear advice on creating and caring for a natural garden, showing how to adopt an organic approach to each garden task, whether this is soil preparation, weeding and weed control, watering and feeding, or pruning and propagation. There is also helpful practical information on dealing organically with pests and diseases in both the garden and the greenhouse. The book looks in turn at different aspects of organic gardening, from creating spectacular lawns and decorative beds and borders in the ornamental garden, through attracting a host of beneficial creatures to the wildlife garden, to growing a wealth of crops in the kitchen garden. An easy-to-use directory of vegetables, herbs and fruit provides clear, at-a-glance information on growing a wide range of healthy produce, with advice on sowing, planting, harvesting and storing. With its wealth of inspirational and practical photographs, useful step-by-step information and well-informed text, The Organic Garden Book is a comprehensive guide for both first time and experienced gardeners, whether you wish to start an organic garden from scratch or use organic methods in an existing garden.

This is a practical directory of garden produce with over 250 photographs. It is a comprehensive guide to vegetables, fruit and herbs, with advice on how to grow them in a healthy and chemical-free environment. It offers practical introduction illustrates the basic gardening materials and techniques you will need for successful organic gardening, helping you to grow beautiful and tasty produce for your kitchen. It offers guidance for choosing reliable varieties of vegetables and fruit, combined with tips on cultivation, after-care, harvesting and storing, as well as dealing with any common pests and diseases you may encounter. It is lavishly illustrated with over 250 inspirational and practical photographs, including step-by-step sequences demonstrating gardening techniques, luscious vegetable and fruit photographs, and over 25 hand-painted artworks. Creating and maintaining a working garden that is both safe and natural is becoming an increasingly common ambition among gardeners. This helpful guide contains directories of vegetables, fruit and herbs, each providing information on recommended varieties, their cultivation requirements, sowing, planting, harvesting and storage needs. From apple trees to rhubarb, a wide range of plants are covered. With its stunning photographs and a superbly well-informed text by award-winning authors, the book is the perfect guide for first-time growers and experienced gardeners wishing to transform their garden into a healthy, organic plot bursting with goodness.

This newly updated edition guides the budding allotmenter through every step of successful growing from early planning to planting and harvesting. Information on tools, equipment and soil management follows, along with a chapter on what to grow where, crop rotation, companion planting and growing both outdoors and in a greenhouse. Techniques such as sowing, propagation, feeding, watering, pruning, harvesting and storing are examined with easy- to-follow instructions and examples .Directories of vegetables, fruit and herbs outline the specific requirements of different crops while a section on plant health helps to deal with common pests and diseases and carry out weed management. A season-by-season calendar of care ensures you do the right jobs at the right time.

This title shows you how to attract bees, butterflies, insects, birds, frogs and animals into your backyard. It features practical instructions for designing and planting beautiful gardens that welcome wildlife. It includes wild flower meadows, ponds, hedges, trees, shrubs, woodland edges, climbing plants, flower borders, herb and vegetable gardens, roof gardens and patios. It offers ideas for feeding and sheltering wildlife, such as bird feeders, log piles, toad houses, bee nesting boxes, butterfly roosting houses, bird boxes and hibernation sites. In this book, award-winning garden writers Christine and Michael Lavelle give expert advice on how to help native insects, birds and animals, with the aim of creating a wildlife habitat in your backyard. All the major habitats are covered, from grasslands and hedges to ponds and kitchen gardens, with ideas for the best types of plants to encourage wildlife. There are instructions for how to make bird feeders, bee boxes, log piles, nesting boxes, hibernation sites and more. With its wealth of hands-on practical advice, 40 step-by-step projects and over 570 inspirational photographs, this is the ideal book for gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts everywhere.

This book contains essential facts about the habitats, feeding preferences and behaviour of each type of garden wildlife, including their life cycles and how you can supplement their natural diet. It explains how to select the best plants for the creatures that live in your area, with practical advice on cultivation, propagation, the types of wildlife they attract, and how they are used as food and shelter. It includes ideas for closely related plant species, including alternative common types that help wildlife and those that are not beneficial, allowing you to decide which plants to choose. This book, written by award-winning authors Christine and Michael Lavelle, is aimed at gardeners who want to encourage wildlife to take up residence in their backyards. The first part focuses on the more common types of wildlife found in a variety of habitats and the plants and supplementary food that will attract them. The next stage is how to choose the right plants to attract backyard wildlife. A directory of over 200 species makes the process clear and simple and every plant is accompanied by a full-colour identification photograph. Each entry explains how to grow the plant and which types of wildlife will benefit. This book's wealth of information and beautiful photographs will appeal to gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

Growing your own vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers? This is the complete practical guide to growing your own vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers in an allotment, shown in over 530 hands-on photographs and illustrations. It explains how to get started on your allotment, from finding and applying for a site to assessing the conditions, planning the design and planting your first crops. It contains step-by-step instructions for essential techniques, such as testing the soil, weeding, composting, planting, sowing seeds, propagating and fertilizing. It includes down-to-earth advice on growing in the open and under glass, and how to deal with pests and diseases. This highly accessible book shows novice gardeners how to start their own allotment garden, from applying for permission and planning the garden through to planting, growing and harvesting vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. A brief history examines the origins of allotments, from their first official inception in the late 1500s through the World Wars and to their role in modern society. Next, the book explains how to keep your soil healthy, plan what to grow where, and how to choose the best plant varieties. It includes practical step-by-step instructions for everyday techniques, such as sowing seeds, propagation, pruning, and harvesting. Finally, a season-by-season calendar of care provides an at-a-glance checklist of what to sow, plant out and harvest for every stage in the gardening year. With its expert information and more than 530 photographs and illustrations, this is an essential volume for anyone interested in cultivating home-grown crops.