A Gardener's Guide to – serie

Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens is a complete guide to tackling one of a garden designer’s biggest challenges. Whatever the size or the gradient, creating a garden on a sloping site presents lots of conflicting possibilities and potentially expensive choices. Whether home gardener or professional designer, this accessible book will guide you through the challenge, from the initial garden site assessment and survey, right through the design process to the final stages of planting. Step-by-step instructions and explanative diagrams offer readers practical solutions and tried-and-tested methods, as well as inspiration and some novel ideas drawn from sloping gardens around the UK.

Plant propagation is an economical, rewarding and sustainable way to increase your plant stock and develop your horticultural skills. A Gardener’s Guide to Propagation Techniques is a comprehensive, practical guide to the various methods of propagation suitable for a wide range of trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs and tender plants. Chapters cover seeds, cuttings, layering, division, grafting, bulbs and even micropropagation, as well as providing an extensive list of plants that are suitable for each method, rating them from easy to difficult. Lavishly illustrated with photographs by Serge Barker, Rob Jackson, Palmstead Nurseries, Andy Vernon and C.J. Waters, the book includes: step-by-step photographic guides to the different propagation techniques; advice on selecting the right plant material, at the right time; help with deciding on the best method for different plants; guidance on choosing the appropriate propagation environment and aftercare of the material, and finally an overview of pest and disease challenges.

The soil in your garden or allotment is the most precious asset you have as a gardener – healthy plants start with healthy soil. Written by two soil science specialists, this book explains the fundamentals of soil science in a horticultural context and provides practical guidance on how to optimize the soil in your garden.The main types of soil and their key characteristics are discussed, including the implications for different plants and how the soil can be improved, with an emphasis on working with nature, not against it.Techniques for assessing soil health are described in step-by-step detail, with recommendations for ways this can be enhanced.A detailed overview of the life in the soil, from bacteria to moles, shows how to harness this ecosystem and increase biodiversity.There is a chapter on container growing media tackles patio gardening and the use of raised beds. Finally, detailed examples from around the UK are provided to illustrate the scientific principles in practice.

Biological pest control provides a natural, safe and sustainable way to control insect pests. Increasingly recognized by professional and hobby growers alike, it’s fast becoming the best solution for insect pest control in the garden. A Gardener’s Guide to Biological Pest Control applies the latest practices from professional horticulture and botanical gardens to all garden settings, including greenhouses, vegetable plots, lawns and borders. It guides the gardener from the very start of the process, outlining the conditions required for successful application and which natural enemies to use against which insect pest, to how to ensure successful, sustainable pest control in the long term. Quote from Robert Brett - Curator, RHS Garden Hyde Hall: "Having worked in glasshouses and public gardens for over thirty years, I have witnessed first-hand the vital importance that natural predators (biological control) have to play in helping combat the problems we continually face with plant health. There is no one more equipped and knowledgeable to help illustrate and guide us in the use of natural predators in the garden than Julian Ives."

Boundaries, borders and shelter are essential parts of any garden, but they can be the most difficult to get right. The excitement of buying new hedging plants can quickly be overtaken by difficult upkeep, damage to surrounding plants and a costly waste of time. Whether you’re planting a new hedge from scratch, restoring a neglected one or creating softer internal divides within the garden, this book provides the planning, planting and maintenance know-how to do it right, first time. Coverage includes: assessment, preparation and design advice for establishing a new living boundary; advice on dealing with existing boundaries in need of restoration or extension; considerations to take into account for both your human and wildlife neighbours and finally, there are directories of hedging plants, climbers and trees to aid your selection.

A comprehensive guide to growing tulips from bulbs, with expert advice on the most rewarding varieties. A Gardener’s Guide to Tulips is a practical guide helping growers understand the tulip’s lifecycle and ensure success in its cultivation. Alongside practical advice, the book also includes wider information for interested growers and admirers of tulips. With over 300 photos, a wealth of varieties and planting situations are considered, as well as case studies of gardens where tulips have been used to great effect. It will interest experienced gardeners and inspire those who may not have attempted to grow these beautiful plants before.Readers will find information on: Taxonomy and types, Cultivating and caring for tulips, Propagation and breeding, Designing with tulips in the garden, Tulip varieties, both current and past selections, Gardens and places of interest for tulips, What can be learnt from commercial growing, The fascinating history of tulips.

A Gardener’s Guide to Sustainable Gardening is an essential, practical guide to the design, planting and maintenance of truly regenerative and sustainable gardens. Discover a new model of thinking about our outdoor spaces, whether it’s simple changes you can make in small gardens, or more challenging solutions that propose a significant departure from traditional gardening practices. This is not a rule book, but a map, guiding the willing gardener towards a better way of working with our natural world.

This book covers a range of methods to create a sustainable garden with a low carbon footprint that will continue to thrive as the climate changes in the future. It includes ideas and suggestions on how to design and maintain a low-carbon garden that is still both colourful and productive.