A one-stop treasure trove from the RHS that covers every aspect of gardening, from planning and planting to growing and care.Choose plants that will thrive in your space.Design a border for year-round colour.Grasp different pruning techniques.Discover how to protect your veg patch from pests.Make the best compost.Delve into this concise, practical encyclopedia to find all the ideas and advice you need to create a spectacular, thriving garden.

No area is too small to grow something beautifulWhether you're a novice gardener or a seasoned hand wanting to make the most of your patio, Adam Frost will guide you on how to bring beauty to your space, whatever the size. This practical book will walk you through how to make a kitchen garden on a window ledge and create a beautiful, aromatic space using just a couple of pots. Adam will take you through every step from selecting the right compost for containers and sowing seed, to combining plants, dealing with pests and much more.

Even great gardeners like Monty Don are always learning and always experimenting.\\nThis extensively revised new edition of his Complete Gardener, first published in 2003, brings you right up-to-date on how Monty gardens today - and his recommendations for you.\\nThe most comprehensive, practical, and highly illustrated book Monty has ever written, it covers what he believes are the most important aspects of gardening. Organic techniques have always been at the core of his practice, but this new edition picks up on another key principle: the need to provide habitats in your garden for local wildlife.\\nOver half of the photographs in this new edition will be new, taken over a year in his Long Meadow garden, and he is going through the text with a fine-tooth comb to ensure everything he says reflects his latest approach.

"A genius little book! This is a fascinating guide to herbs and what to do with them - love it!" Jamie OliverFrom rosemary to wild garlic, and hyssop to sea kale, our food would be poorer without the herbs we grow. Jekka McVicar is the expert on herbs and how to get the best from them, and this new pocket book is the go-to guide for chefs and gardeners across the country. In a compact and handy A-Z format, this guide will ensure you get the best out of your herb garden, providing details such as when and where to plant, how hardy each plant is, how to nurture and care for your herbs and what each herb is best used for in the kitchen. Jekka's own photography of the herbs complements the text, providing a quick and colourful reference.

Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain, and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season.John Wright is the country's foremost expert in foraging and brings decades of experience, including as forager at the River Cottage, to this seasonal guide. Month by month, he shows us what species can be found and where, how to identify them, and how to store, use and cook them. You'll learn the stories behind the Latin names, the best way to tap a Birch tree, and how to fry an ant, make rosehip syrup and cook a hop omelette.Fully illustrated throughout, with tips on kit, conservation advice and what to avoid, this is an indispensable guide for everyone interested in wild food, whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or are happiest foraging from your armchair.

How to nurture your well-being with natureDiscover the joys and health-giving benefits of nurturing a gardenWe have long been aware of the positive effects of spending time in nature and how it can be a powerful antidote to the stresses of modern life. Science now tells us that cultivating a green space of our own has a proven ability to reduce depression and anxiety, boost our happiness levels and provide a feeling of balance and calm.This book will help you:Explore which plants release scents to help uplift and soothe. Discover the ways gardening can boost physical and mental well-being, and promote feelings of balance and calm. Learn about birdsong and how it can boost happiness and creativity. Experience the wonders of growing plants from seeds, and how it teaches us to slow down and appreciate the simple things.

Making a haven for wildlife doesnt need acres of space in the countryside. If you get the habitat and planting right, then even the tiniest of urban gardens can host a variety of creatures from birds and bees to hedgehogs.\\nCovering everything from going organic, making a pond and how to turn your green space into a wildlife haven – this book is for gardeners who want to apply a more holistic approach to gardening and create their own urban sanctuary. Through a collection of simple projects that can be easily adapted for a variety of gardens and planting guides, this book will help you to re-connect with natural world on your own doorstep.\\nJane Moore will draw on her 16 years of experience of creating an urban sanctuary in the heart of the city as she lays out the simple ways in which you can approach making even the smallest patch of land a haven for wildlife, great or small.

This book is ideal for beginners, improvers and those serious about growing tasty, healthy organic fruit and vegetables. It will empower readers to grow food for a family, and help work out how to get the best results. Many books give sowing and growing instructions for a multitude of crops, but few give space to the techniques and tips that make gardening easier and that help anyone to grow healthy, sustainable food.Some of the techniques are developed from Joyce’s own trials and observations; others are classic techniques that are still useful now. With a bit more detail, and a step-by-step project, a technique becomes much easier to follow and understand.There’s something here for everyone: whether you grow in a small back yard and want to know how to raise salad in buckets, or if you have a large allotment where you want to improve pollination, or make your own liquid feeds.The book makes several promises to its readers. Firstly, by following its advice you will grow great fruit and vegetables. Next, the knowledge you gain will save you time as well as money. Third, you'll enjoy the gardening journey and the discoveries made along the way. Fourth, you'll find greener and cleaner ways of doing things, and you'll improve your skills, methods and habits.Find out how to rotate your vegetables so they stay healthy and well-fed, to preserve choice crops for the freshest taste, to improve the soil organically and sustainably, and to produce home made fertiliser from the leaves of your comfrey crop.

A guide to creating a modern outdoor space that provides us with the materials we need to eat, be creative, learn and get the most out of our gardenWe no longer just want to garden, we want to engage with the land; the plants in it, the animals, insects and even the fungi. The Modern Gardener isn’t just about creating a space that simply looks visually stunning, but about responding to the need to modernize; to live in a way that works in harmony with the world around us and engages with our outdoor space. The plants that we choose to grow should encourage wildlife, reduce our carbon footprint and be useful in all areas of our lives.Filled with projects, as well as the whys and hows of growing and choosing plants, it includes a recipe section with activities that can be tried at home for all kinds of fun – from delicious concoctions to essential products – all made from plants."Frances Tophill is not only a qualified horticulturist but is fast becoming the fresh new face of television gardening." – Daily Mail

Before it was restored, the High Line was an untouched, abandoned landscape overgrown with wildflowers. Today it is much more than that; it’s a central plaza, a cultural center, a walkway, and a green retreat in a bustling city that is free for all to enjoy. But above all else, it is a beautiful, dynamic garden with plantings designed by Piet Oudolf, one of the world’s most extraordinary garden designers. Gardens of the High Line, by Piet Oudolf and Rick Darke, offers an in-depth view into the planting designs, plant palette, and maintenance of this landmark achievement. It reveals a four-season garden that is filled with native and exotic plants, drought-tolerant perennials, and grasses that thrive and spread. It also offers inspiration and advice to home gardeners and garden designers looking to recreate its iconic, naturalistic style. Featuring stunning photographs by Rick Darke and an introduction by Robert Hammond, the founder of the Friends of the High Line, this large-trim, photo-driven book is a must-have for anyone who appreciates the nature of design.

Discover the joy of growing and using plants indoors and outdoors, no matter how limited your space.If one positive thing came out of the successive lockdowns brought on by the pandemic, it was a renewed interest in gardening. While life slowed down, we were all looking for simple ways to connect with nature, improve our surroundings and lift our spirits.This beautifully illustrated book is a modern, fresh take on gardening that shows how anyone can grow their own vegetables, create a mini wildflower meadow or learn how to make the most of their houseplants. And you don’t need your own garden to get started. Creating a thriving window box, choosing suitable plant pots for a desktop oasis or joining a local community garden are perfect ways to experience the joys of gardening.Learn which plants will encourage wildlife, discover what works best for your space (no matter how small), find inspiration, experiment with color, texture and techniques. Whatever you choose to grow, you’ll be doing one of the best activities there is to enhance your sense of wellbeing and improve your physical health – so grab those seeds, pick up the watering can and get growing!

In today's climate of increasingly hot summers and dry winters, gardeners need guidance on plants that will thrive in dry conditions. In Beth Chatto's classic book, she uses plants that need very little attention and are naturally adapted to flourish in dry conditions to provide a year-round display of beautiful foliage and flowers. Drawing from her own immense experience, she provides valuable guidance on types of soil and on basic principles of design. She discusses the plants and plantings suited to dry conditions and includes a detailed list of plants, with notes and advice on their characteristics.

How do seeds know which way is up? When does a shrub become a tree? Where do bees go in winter? Guy Barter, the head of the RHS Members Advisory Service, provides expert, in-depth answers to 130 intriguing questions. However curious the query, Barters detailed, illustrated answers deepen our understanding of the garden, from the millions of tiny organisms consuming millions of even smaller ones below ground, to the chemical labs of mind-boggling complexity in the plants above.

Going green in the garden has never been easier with Nancy Birtwhistle’s sustainable, eco-friendly tips that will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow. Whether you have a sprawling garden, a modest patch of grass or just a spare windowsill, The Green Gardening Handbook has over 100 tips will help you embrace the joy of growing and eating from your own garden.This beautifully illustrated guide is packed with advice on everything from composting, clothing and basic equipment to seasonal recipes and guides to freezing, storing and preserving that will help you save money and reduce waste. This practical book from the former Great British Baking Show winner and Sunday Times bestselling author of Clean & Green and Green Living Made Easy is for anyone, green-fingered or not, looking to discover the delights of growing and eating food they’ve grown themselves.‘Getting out in the garden helps us stay healthy – and it helps our planet too. Mother Nature wants you to succeed, plants actually want to grow – those seeds are there patiently ready and waiting. All we need to do is just have a go.’ Nancy x

Whether you have a roof terrace, a tiny balcony or just a window sill, there's no excuse not to do some gardening. In Modern Container Gardening, Isabelle Palmer shows just how easy it is to get started in the garden – and how to make the most of every little space. Modern Container Gardening is the perfect book for novice gardeners who are looking to make the most of the space that that they have. The chapters include the basics, how to make a garden in a day, one-pot wonders, window boxes and finishing touches. It contains a mix of small gardens, singular containers and window boxes, all of which are stylish and easy to manage. This is an accessible book for anyone looking to start gardening.

Join two of the world’s most influential garden designers, Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen, as they describe their ideal perennials, bulbs, grasses, ferns and small shrubs for your natural garden. This comprehensive compendium classifies these 1200 plants according to their behaviour, strengths and uses.An ideal plant is one that is both beautiful and robust, performing reliably with very little input from the gardener – and without artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Rather than striving for big, bold masses of colourful blooms that are vigorously pruned back as soon as they have finished flowering, their innovative approach to gardening involves choosing plants chiefly for their form – leaves, flower heads and stems included – which means they retain their natural beauty through all the seasons. Find within:1200 beautiful and reliable plants used by top garden designers Full descriptions and growing instructions Unique easy-to-follow classification according to growing behaviour and use in the garden Natural gardening, without artificial fertilizers or pesticides More than 250 full-colour photographsWith these plants and expert advice, create a garden that will thrive with the life of the insects and birds it welcomes.

A distinguished psychiatrist and avid gardener offers an inspiring and consoling work about the healing effects of gardening and its ability to decrease stress and foster mental well-being in our everyday lives.The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Gardening is one of the quintessential nurturing activities and yet we understand so little about it. The Well-Gardened Mind provides a new perspective on the power of gardening to change people’s lives. Here, Sue Stuart-Smith investigates the many ways in which mind and garden can interact and explores how the process of tending a plot can be a way of sustaining an innermost self.Stuart-Smith’s own love of gardening developed as she studied to become a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. From her grandfather’s return from World War I to Freud’s obsession with flowers to case histories with her own patients to progressive gardening programs in such places as Rikers Island prison in New York City, Stuart-Smith weaves thoughtful yet powerful examples to argue that gardening is much more important to our cognition than we think. Recent research is showing how green nature has direct antidepressant effects on humans. Essential and pragmatic, The Well-Gardened Mind is a book for gardeners and the perfect read for people seeking healthier mental lives.

Elevate your own green space and become a more confident and creative gardener with lessons from experienced National Trust gardeners in this comprehensive horticultural guide.‘ An accessible, informative guide for beginners, but full of ideas and tips for seasoned gardeners.’ – Sunday MirrorElevate your own green space and become a more confident and creative gardener with lessons from experienced National Trust gardeners in this comprehensive horticultural guide.The National Trust looks after hundreds of beautiful gardens of every imaginable shape and size across Britain – from the grandest country estate to the smallest cottage garden. They manage such internationally renowned gardens as Sissinghurst and Hidcote. National Trust garden staff receive countless questions from visitors about plants growing in the gardens and techniques that can be tried at home. This in-depth guide will pass on their wisdom and provide the answers you are looking for.This book is packed with images of National Trust gardens of all types, spanning over 300 years of horticultural heritage, to inspire keen amateur gardeners and aspirational novices to realise their green-fingered ambitions. Written by expert gardener Rebecca Bevan, with the help of National Trust gardeners, the National Trust School of Gardening will make you feel confident about developing your garden rather than overwhelmed with unnecessary technical detail.From herbaceous borders to gardening sustainably, roses and climbers to growing under glass, each chapter provides snippets of horticultural history, examples of best practice from National Trust gardens, unique gems of wisdom from talented NT gardeners, and lots of easy-to-follow practical advice.Featuring a wide range of National Trust gardens both large and small, formal and informal, famous and undiscovered, high maintenance and low key. The topics covered and the insightful practical guides shared are easily applicable to private gardens, enriching even the tiniest urban spaces.

Grow your own vegetable garden with this practical, straightforward gardening guide.There is nothing more fulfilling than growing your own home produce. You don’t have to be a seasoned gardener to produce a healthy, flourishing garden — all you need is a few seeds, water, sunlight, good advice and patience!In just one raised bed, author Huw Richards shows you exactly how to grow vegetables organically, abundantly and inexpensively so you have something to harvest every month of the year. Here’s what you’ll find inside:• A month-by-month guide showing you what to do and how to do it, including what pests to look out for and what can be harvested• Covers the first year in detail, with the final chapter on “Next Steps” providing suggestions of what to do in years two and three• Illustrations show you what the bed should look like from month to month• Includes instructions on assessing your site and building a 4 x 10ft raised bed• Alternative vegetables are recommended, allowing readers to tailor their bed to their tasteVeg In One Bed shows you that you can have a small thriving garden and still be able to maintain it, yielding fresh vegetables all year round. Learn what to do each month on your windowsill, where you’ll raise seedlings and in your raised bed, where your plants will grow to maturity. Everything is explained in clear, illustrated steps: building your bed, growing from seed, planting, feeding and harvesting.This gardening book not only guides you through the whole process of building your raised bed through to harvesting your vegetables, but also provides sustainable gardening practices that resonate with all gardeners committed to protecting our planet. This makes for the perfect book for new gardeners who want to grow their own produce, as well as the new generation of gardeners who are seeking a gardening guru of their own age.

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as cutting flowers for your home, and this fresh take on the subject, full of tips and advice, shows that a cut flower patch is the most economical and eco-friendly way to enjoy cut flowers today.Starting in spring with seeds, bulbs, perennials and even shrubs, Louise Curley shows you how to create the most diverse displays, from subtle bunches to armfuls of blossom.Full of advice on what to grow – from favourite hardy annuals, half hardies and biennials to spring and summer bulbs to adding foliage and fillers to balance arrangements – and suggestions on how and when to sow, how to support your plants and tips on weeding, deadheading, pests and feeding,this book is the complete guide to growing and cutting your own flowers.This book also comes with step-by-step plans and guidance on making a cutting patch in a garden or allotment, this guide has everything you need to create the most beautiful and fragrant cut flower displays, every month of the year.Providing growing information on more than 100 plants for foliage and flowers plus expert tips and time-saving tricks that allow you to dive in at the deep-end, this inspiring guide will help you transform a small patch of ground, be it on an allotment or in a garden, into a cut flower patch which produces flowers from early spring to late autumn.

Is it okay to use potting compost? Which plants are best for absorbing pollution? What's the alternative to carbon-packed fertilisers? How can I cut out single-use plastics?Aspects of gardening can actually be bad for the environment. But make a few changes and you can significantly reduce the carbon imprint of your outdoor space, and even use it to lessen the impact of your other activities.This green gardening book will make growing your own garden easy, enjoyable, and eco-friendly. It includes sections on:- How to grow plants that reduce your carbon footprint- Creating a garden that considers the local wildlife- Tips on setting up your garden, low-impact plants, and best fertilisers to useTurn your outdoor space into a low-impact, carbon-absorbing sink. This book is packed with ideas to grow a climate-friendly garden that will help protect the planet.Keen on starting your own garden but unsure about your environmental impact? This guide will give you practical advice on which soil to use, plants that are best for absorbing carbon dioxide, low-carbon fertilisers, and cutting out single-use plastic. What's more, this garden book is completely backed by scientific research!Share in the delight of eco-conscious gardening when you start using RHS How to Garden the Low Carbon Way as your guide. Explore the benefits of no-dig gardening, how to use fewer plants, using hedges instead of fences, how to grow shrubs that support wildlife, and more!Green Gardening: Low environmental impactThis RHS Gardening Book is a simple, step-by-step guide to learn about gardening or to reference as your garden grows. You'll quickly become acquainted with the benefits of growing a garden that positively contributes to the environment.

A natural, sustainable approach to gardening for plots both big and smallThe Little Book of Wild Gardening is a guide for anyone wanting to garden in a more sustainable, natural way. Working with nature benefits not just the garden, but also the gardener, wildlife and the wider environment. Divided into chapters for different garden areas - including lawns, flower beds, edibles, trees and water features - The Little Book of Wild Gardening details how to embrace a natural approach to gardening for plots large and small.Introductory chapters explain how garden ecosystems can work, and how a healthy garden can mean savings in both work and resources for the gardener. There are plant profiles providing a variety of choices for a wilder approach, plus design tips and expertise in sustainable and wildlife-friendly gardening. From a sustainable veg patch to wildflower meadows, and from bat boxes to gravel gardens, the book includes projects and plants in a range of sizes and timescales so gardeners can create a bountiful and enjoyable haven that will benefit themselves, their local area, and all kinds of wildlife.

Derek Jarman's garden at Dungeness draws thousands of visitors every year. It is a weird and windswept place, a small garden beside a humble cottage. But between the pebbles of the beach Jarman grew all manner of plants - some were burnt by wind and sea-spray, whilst others flourished creating brilliant, unexpected beauty in the wilderness. A filmmaker, writer and icon of his day, Jarman explores through this exquisite diary of his garden the nature of art, politics, life and death.

It's official: living with houseplants is good for your wellbeing! Turn your living space into an indoor oasis with our handy, easy to follow guide.Discover key indoor gardening design principles and learn how to care for your houseplants and keep them healthy. The RHS Practical Houseplant Book contains a dozen stunning step-by-step projects to help you assemble an eye-catching terrarium, create a floating kokedama 'string garden', or propagate succulents for your friends. Complete with 175 in-depth plant profiles, this is the essential practical guide for indoor gardeners.

A stylishly photographed guide to creating lush, layered, dramatic little gardens no matter the size of your available space--an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door.Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living. But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space for entertaining or relaxing.A style quiz helps you focus in on your own personal garden style, be it traditional, modern, colorful, eclectic, minimalist, or globally inspired, then utilize every inch of your yard by considering the horizontal, vertical, and overhead spaces. You'll learn how to design stunning planters and container gardens using succulents, grasses, vibrant-colored pots, and more. Hendry Eaton and Blaise Kramer recommend their favorite plants and decor for small gardens, along with lawn alternatives and inspiration for making garden accents such as a fire pit, front door wreath, instant mini orchard, boulder birdbath, patterned vines, perfumed wall, and faux fountain with cascading plants.However small your garden, Small Garden Style will transform it into a magical, modern outdoor oasis.

An in-depth course for experienced gardeners or those new to no dig gardeningThis book is for anyone wishing to learn the no dig method from the beginning, or to consolidate what they already know: it helps readers to see the simplicity of no dig, why it works so well, and how much time they can save. The course has six modules and totals 18 lessons, each one packed with easy-to-understand theory and practical advice. The lessons are beautifully illustrated with fully explained photos from Charles’s no dig gardens. At the end of each lesson there is a multiple-choice quiz to consolidate learning, with answers in the appendix.This book has a sequel, Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing, based on Charles’s second online course.

Planting flowers for cutting brings that 'grow-your-own' excitement to a whole new level - being able to step out of the back door and pick a single stem for beside the bed or pull together a posy for a friend is a joy.In this beautifully designed book, brimming with inspirational photographs, Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular homegrown arrangements that will fill your home with color and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round.She takes the mystique out of what to grow and guides you through the entire process - from choosing the plants to suit both your garden and home décor and laying out your cutting patch, to planning ahead so you get your perfect palette of color, texture and shape to play with at the right time. A whole chapter on arranging will inspire you to create spectacular arrangements for your home without the need for complicated floristry techniques.

An easy-to-follow gardening guide endorsed by the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you encourage different types of wildlife into your garden.Wildlife Gardening for Everyone (and Everything) is a useful and easy-to-follow gardening guide with a strong focus on the different types of wildlife you can attract to your garden. The book breaks down by accessible groups of species, and each chapter explains what they require to thrive, what their role in the garden is and how they contribute to the garden ecosystem.The first chapters begin with the favorites that all gardeners know and love, such as the pollinators, birds and amphibians. Later sections of the book explore species that are more likely to be overlooked, including the wasps, flies and spiders, explaining the crucial role they play and how to provide for them.Every chapter will include wide-ranging suggestions of useful plants and projects that will be relevant to all, regardless of the size of their available space, ranging from an urban balcony or patio to a community or large garden. You will be encouraged not only to create but also to relax and observe the habitats in your garden through the year. Ultimately, this is a book about creating a space that's as much for you as it is for the other species you welcome into it, and about getting to know the wildlife around you.

Use the power of the humble house plant to combat the stresses of modern life!Succulents and indoor house plants may seem extra trendy right now, but these plants have more benefits than simply looking beautiful. Everyday products pollute the air in our homes and our mental wellbeing is threatened like never before. This gardening book reveals the best life-enhancing houseplants that can reduce stress, fight fatigue, and even lower your blood sugar.Drawing on groundbreaking research, this book profiles the best air-purifying plants you can put in your home to reduce pollutant gases, particulates, and volatile compounds. Discover how these indoor plants can actively clean the air and improve your mental health through their colours, scent, habit, and nurturing needs.Explore how having leafy companions can help to unlock your potential:- Profiles of the 50 top air-purifying and mood-enhancing plants- Easy-to-follow advice and expert tips from David Domoney, award-winning horticulturalist- Informative text highlights the natural wonder of each plant- Feature spreads show plant combinations to enhance your mood in different ways- Step-by-step demonstrations of essential care techniquesPacked with expert advice, this book will equip you with everything you need to keep your plants thriving. It also highlights mindful ways to nurture and increase your green guests: by misting, wiping, feeding, pinching, pruning, and propagating.Discover the Power of NatureThe ideal gift for your green-fingered friends, this book is perfect for urbanites with little or no outdoor space who want to increase the amount of greenery in their life.

Plant the garden of your dreams and transform your outdoor space with award-winning Royal Horticultural Society garden design experts.Whether you're looking to revive a tired flowerbed or simply looking for new garden ideas, the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design will show you how to make your ideal garden a reality. Grasp the fundamentals of garden design, find a style that suits you, and bring your ideas to life.This design bible is packed with advice to guide you from planning to planting. From preparation such as choosing the correct materials for your structures and assessing your drainage, to laying patios, making ponds, and planting perennials, the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design is with you every step of the way.Discover inspirational portfolios including modernist, sustainable, Japanese, urban, family, and cottage gardens. Understand the unique features of each garden style, create your own plan, and marvel at case studies showcasing the gold standard of each garden type. With a handy visual dictionary and coverage of all the latest gardening trends, this book combines style with substance to guide you as you plant your perfect outdoor space.Previous edition ISBN 9781409325741

Eco gardening can lessen our overconsumption of natural resources, reduce waste, cut energy use, and make a positive contribution to reducing our carbon footprint. Each page of this planet-friendly book is bursting with ideas for creating your own eco garden on any scale from a small courtyard to a large garden or allotment. Find out how to make soil-building compost from kitchen and household waste, how to save energy by harvesting rainwater, and how to utilise sunlight in your garden. Discover organic techniques that improve biodiversity and attract pest-eating animals and insects. Learn the value of using recycled and reclaimed materials for landscaping. Six eco garden ‘greenprints' are packed with environmentally friendly ideas. Simple projects include making a pond and a wildlife hotel, turning a lawn into a wildflower meadow, and planting a ‘fedge'. Packed with practical advice and 500 photographs, this book is for everyone who wants a beautiful, productive backyard that won't cost the earth.

An updated edition of the best-selling highly illustrated garden plant reference, featuring more than 8,000 plants and 4,000 photographs.Choose the right plants for your garden and find all the inspiration and guidance you need with The RHS Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers. Drawing on expert advice from the RHS, this best-selling book features a photographic catalogue of more than 4,000 plants and flowers, all organised by colour, size, and type, to help you select the right varieties for your outdoor space. Discover perennials, bulbs, shrubs, and trees, succulents, and ornamental shrubs, all showcased in beautiful, full-colour photography. Browse this photographic catalogue to find at-a-glance plant choice inspiration. Or use the extensive plant dictionary to look up more than 8,000 plant varieties and the best growing conditions.This new edition features the latest and most popular cultivars, with more than 1,400 new plants added, as well as updated photography, comprehensive hardiness ratings, and a brand-new introduction. Fully comprehensive yet easy to use, the RHS Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers is the inspirational, informative guide every gardener needs on their bookshelf.