*** 'So you know you want to start gardening but you have no idea where to begin? ... Simon Akeroyd gives step-by-step guidance on everything from creating a cactus collection to growing fruit in hanging baskets. The book turns what is often a daunting task into bite-size steps that can often be done in an afternoon.' George Hudson, Evening Standard, favourite garden publications of the year Aimed at first-time gardeners, those in rented accommodation or anyone with limited outdoor space, this book teaches how to take stock of an environment and start a garden. With ideas for gardens, patio spaces, courtyards, balconies and interiors, these 50 easy-to-adopt ideas provide the steps to success for even the most inexperienced gardeners. Contents include: - Create a floral display with bulbs that last all year - Grow pet-friendly plants - Create a vegetable harvest in pots - Add height in flat spaces - Make a mow-free lawn - Hang plants around your home

From the green-thumbed optimist who views their garden as a calming getaway to those that see backyard life as more of a struggle against weeds and pests, almost all gardeners will meet a creature or two who will drive them to despair. Plenty of gardeners are ready to swear off nasty chemical deterrents and bloodthirsty solutions. But how can you save your squash and uphold your hostas at the same time? This book serves up a smorgasbord of eco-friendly ideas and solutions. They're legal, humane and - best of all - effective. Cut through the old wives tales, save your salt for seasoning, and discover gold-standard, sustainable planting solutions and crop-saving tips from gardeners who know exactly how you feel.

Increase your stock of plants easily and for free by propagating them yourself. RHS How to Grow Plants for Free demystifies the art of taking cuttings and explains the other ways you can multiply your garden plants. Propagating your own plants is fun, inexpensive, and a sustainable way to garden. An introductory section explains the botanical science behind all types of propagation and defines and simplifies the language. The book is then split into self-contained practical chapters detailing each of the different types of propagation. Each chapter includes a selection of 'plant profiles' for the plants best suited to each propagation method: - Dividing Plants covers the easiest methods of splitting one plant into several new ones - Saving Seeds introduces how to collect and process seeds from flowers, vegetables, herbs and trees - Cuttings covers how to successfully grow a new plant from an existing one using several different methods for taking cuttings - The Houseplants chapter shows techniques needed to increase your collection. - The final chapters show how to grow new plants from kitchen scraps, and gives ideas on how to make the most of all the new plants you've created by giving them as gifts

All the info you need to be a better gardener, whether you’re just starting out or needing to brush up on your skills. You don’t have to have a green thumb to have a healthy thriving garden! Inside The Beginner’s Guide to Gardening, you’ll learn: Skills and Techniques: Valuable expert guide to developing new gardens and taking care of those you already have Getting Started: How to choose healthy plants and build productive soil Garden Care: Easy-to-follow, time-saving methods and the least toxic disease & pest controls Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs: Advice on growing, propagating, and caring for flowers in containers and the garden, with plant encyclopedias Roses: How to select, grow, and prune healthy roses, as well as control pests & diseases Ground Covers, Trees, Shrubs: Fundamentals on planting, growing, and maintaining, plus detailed plant directories Vegetables and Herbs: Introduction to growing and care, including informative directories Specialty Gardens: Basics on creating water gardens, butterfly gardens, and gardens for birds Few pastimes are as rewarding as gardening. With a little bit of ground and a few seeds or plants, anyone can be a gardener, and almost any collection of plants can be a garden. Gardening can be a refreshingly simple activity in an increasingly complex world. But you’ll have greater success and more fun if you start with an understanding of basic gardening practices. The techniques in this book are easy to follow and suitable for all gardeners—from beginners to advanced. Ecologically friendly methods are included so that you can create a garden that eventually helps to sustain itself. The tools and materials you’ll need are included with each step-by-step project, and each is rated for difficulty. With well over three hundred photos and illustrations to guide you through each step of the process, this is your essential starter’s guide to beginning gardening!

If the desire to start a garden has been planted in your heart, then this essential guide is a wonderful companion to accompany you on your new adventure! If you're not sure of the first steps to take, this handbook takes the anxiety out of plotting and planting and equips you with all the know-how and confidence you need to get digging into your garden. Creating a garden that you can enjoy and keep looking beautiful all year round is easier than you think!With the expertise of the Royal Horticultural Society, you'll find simple step-by-step instructions, with clear images to help you create your dream garden, no matter the size and scale. Get to know your garden and choose plants that will grow well in particular soil types and conditions year after year. From growing root crop to cutting back ivy, this book gives you lots of simple garden ideas and projects that you can do yourself. Even if you've never sowed a seed or pulled a weed, RHS How to Garden When You're New To Gardening contains everything you need to kickstart your new outdoor hobby! This refreshingly accessible book is perfect for the novice gardener who wants to make the most of whatever garden they have. Your Guide to Creating the Garden of Your Dreams Do you want to create a garden you can show off with pride? Would you like to grow your own food? This book will get you started quickly! By following the simple steps and projects outlined in this book, you will reap instant rewards and long-term successes so that you can enjoy your garden in all seasons. Inside the pages of this comprehensive gardening book, you'll discover: - Clear definitions and descriptions of the different types of plants. - Tips on choosing the type of garden you want. - Easy-to-follow instructions for choosing the right plants for your soil. - Simple step-by-step instructions to producing your first crop. - Practical gardening advice on planting, growing, and caring for different plants.

“A practical and inspirational guide to a new style of planting.” —Country Homes & Interiors In this practical and inspirational guide, Greg Loades presents a new style of planting: a fusion between classic cottage style and the new perennial movement. Using real gardens as examples, The Modern Cottage Garden teaches gardeners how to combine the best of both styles—big, colorful blooms and striking grasses and native plants—into one beautiful space that requires little maintenance and has a long season of interest. Fresh planting ideas for containers, small gardens, and diverse climates present an exciting style that can shine anywhere.

Work in partnership with nature to nurture your soil for healthy plants and bumper crops - without back-breaking effort! Have you ever wondered how to transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden? Well now you can! By following the simple steps set out in No Dig, in just a few short hours you can revolutionize your vegetable patch with plants already in the ground from day one! Charles Dowding is on a mission to teach that there is no need to dig over the soil, but by minimizing intervention you are actively boosting soil productivity. In fact, The less you dig, the more you preserve soil structure and nurture the fungal mycelium vital to the health of all plants. This is the essence of the No Dig system that Charles Dowding has perfected over a lifetime growing vegetables. So put your gardening gloves on and get ready to discover: - Guides and calendars of when to sow, grow, and harvest. - Inspiring information and first-hand guidance from the author - “Delve deeper” features look in-depth at the No Dig system and the facts and research that back it up. - The essential role of compost and how to make your own at home. - The importance of soil management, soil ecology, and soil health. Now one of the hottest topics in environmental science, this "wood-wide web" has informed Charles's practice for decades, and he's proven it isn't just trees that benefit - every gardener can harness the power of the wood-wide web. Featuring newly- commissioned step-by-step photography of all stages of growing vegetables and herbs, and all elements of No Dig growing, shot at Charles’s beautiful market garden in Somerset, you too will be able to grow more veg with less time and effort, and in harmony with nature - so join the No Dig revolution today! A must-have volume for followers of Charles Dowding who fervently believe in his approach to low input, high yield gardening, as well as gardeners who want to garden more lightly on the earth, with environmentally friendly techniques like organic and No Dig.