The Essential Guide to Gardening Techniques - Tapa dura

Part of the excellent "Essential Guide" series, this is a fabulous introduction to gardening and its techniques. Newcomers will soon be entranced by the glossy, verdant photographs and easy-to-understand instructions which will bring these glorious paradises within reach. From the basics of designing your new garden to growing your own plants from seeds and cuttings, author Susan Berry, a regularly published gardening writer and journalist, takes the gardener step-by-step through all the necessary techniques: container growing, vegetable production and greenhouses, lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers, specialized skills like topiary and grafting. This is an ideal introduction to a hobby that will soon become a deep-rooted love, adding value to your house and giving you an oasis to retreat to away from today's stressful world. - Lucy Watson

This encyclopedia of gardening techniques includes the very best gardening practices, old and new. The principles of planning, planting and maintaining a garden, propagating plants, establishing a kitchen garden, growing in containers and keeping lawns and other features looking their best are explained clearly and in detail. Backed up by simple, step-by-step projects and photographs, the projects show you how to master techniques required for success. Complete with a comprehensive plant directory describing plants for all situations, this book is an indispensable garden companion.