Nearly 6 million copies of The Vegetable & Herb Expert have been sold & it is widely regarded as the grow-your-own bible. It takes the story from the seed packet to the back door but the second half of the story has been neglected
- taking the produce from the back door & on to the table. People who have grown their own vegetables & fruit want to know all the things they can do with them but this is not in the standard cookery books. The Garden to Kitchen Expert provides this information.
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Britain is famous for its gardens
- & rightly so. We take great care in the presentation of our gardens & these six gardens at
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' Garden Wisdom' is an inspiring mix of practical advice traditional garden lore & eco-friendly ideas compiled to help you make the most of your garden. This book tells you everything you need to know about the preparation cultivation & maintenance of a garden be it large or small lawn or terrace or even just a windowbox & provides indispensable advice both for fair-weather gardeners & for those who garden at every opportunity whatever the weather. The book is divided into four broad sections: earth air water & plant alchemy. Earth covers everything from newfangled ways of making compost to tips for ageing terracotta & examines pest control techniques both ancient & modern. The section on Air deals with topics as varied as plants that thrive in shade how to create an old-fashioned hot bed greenhouse & how best to store garden produce. Water consists of ways of preserving what is fast becoming our most precious resource & how to use it effectively in the garden. Finally plant alchemy begins with the art of companion planting -- where one species appears to protect another against attack or disease. ...

Gardens are now considered by many people to be an extension of the home & with the popularity of reclaiming re-using & re-inventing rather than buying brand new items now is the time to embrace the value of outdoor salvage. Gardenalia provides the inspiration & the know-how for creating a perfect outdoor room. In the first section of the book Sally Coulthard guides the reader through the myriad choices of recycled & reclaimed materials & objects you can employ in your garden to inject style & personality. Gardenalia can be introduced in many forms from recycled wooden fences & charming old gates to reclaimed brick for paths & edging & metal plant supports pergolas & arches. Statuary & ornaments offer decorative devices & design focal points. All types of furniture
- from classical benches to weather-beaten old tables & retro deckchairs
- can create stylish areas for dining & relaxing while containers & tools provide the perfect finishing touches. The second section covers a wide variety of different garden spaces taking in potagers vintage & formal style gardens relaxing spaces container gardening colourful corners potting sheds spaces for work & play & even animal sanctuaries for wildlife & pets. A host of inventive ideas show you how to breathe new life & uses into salvaged pieces. Gardenalia offers practical guidance for the perennial garden tasks of planning your space incorporating seating & eating areas & creating exciting backdrops & structures for your plants.

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Under the bracken under the soil under the forest under the water the gardens history is there. It needs an ardent lover to find it. Lotte is in unfamiliar territory. After a divorce & a great deal of soul-searching she has abandoned her successful career as an architect for a degree in garden history & uprooted her three children to take a job as head gardener to millionaire Brody Keegan at Maddon Park in Oxfordshire. Brody is as ignorant about gardens as Lotte is knowledgeable his tastes as loud as hers are quiet. They have little in common except a passion for Maddon Park & a determination to get their own way. As Lotte locks horns with her boss & his spoilt young wife she finds herself on an emotional roller coaster. She knows what is right for the garden but
- still raw from divorce anxious about the children & frightened of entanglement
- she is less sure of what is right for her.

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This is an illustrated directory of 500 fuchsia varieties including those suitable for growing as standards trained structures & summer bedding plus hardy fuchsias container candidates & unusual types. All the most popular cultivars are featured such as ' Brookwood Belle' ' Cecile' ' Golden Anniversary' ' Lillian Annetts' ' Marinka' ' Mrs Popple' ' Tom Thumb' & Twinny' & new cultivars introduced in recent years such as ' Big White' ' Hastings' ' Lind' & ' Pippa Penny'. Each entry describes the attributes & size of the flowers & foliage the growth habit hardiness recommended zones the plant's original hybridizer & its year of introduction. It

Includes:: definitions of the key gardening & technical terms used to describe fuchsia plant forms & hues. Fuchsias were first hybridized in the early 19th century & since then more than 10 000 cultivars have been introduced. This book is a beautifully illustrated directory of over 500 of the best-loved fuchsia cultivars. Each entry consists of a description of the attributes & size of the flowers & foliage the growth habit hardiness recommended zones the plant's original hybridizer & year of introduction & there is guidance about the ideal varieties for any situation. With over 270 specially commissioned flower photographs this is the ideal reference book for everyone who has a passion for growing these beautiful & well-loved plants.

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Bulbs are always a delight for gardeners whether used to burst freely in drifts or caught to add colour & exuberance within a border or container. This book captures that sense of joy by celebrating the potential of bulbs throughout the year. Organized into seasons it gives practical advice on growing &
- especially
- choosing bulbs for the garden.

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Beginning with the outdoor garden this book shows how to grow fuchsias as specimen plants for summer bedding in the rockery underplanted with bulbs as hedges & as trained shapes. Beautifully illustrated galleries showcase an inspirational range of colours & types. A section on container gardens shows how to use fuchsias in large pots urns troughs boxes hanging baskets hanging pots wall troughs wall pots chimney pots & more. A comprehensive techniques section looks at every aspect of basic fuchsia care. Advice on how to deal with pests & diseases is included as well as a detailed calendar of care for the year. Finally an illustrated directory provides the perfect resource for growers looking for the best varieties. With its wealth of hands-on practical advice step-by-step sequences & 800 colour photographs this is the ideal reference book for everyone who has a passion for these beautiful & well-loved plants. ...

This title offers step-by-step instructions for creating plants for free from propagating seeds & cuttings to dividing layering & grafting. This is a complete practical guide to propagating your own flowers trees shrubs climbers wet-loving bog & water plants & vegetables & herbs. It covers all the standard techniques including sowing seed; taking cuttings; dividing plants; growing suckers & offsets; layering; creating extra bulbs tubers & corms; & grafting two plants together. There is an A-Z directory that lists 375 plants for propagating describing each plant's size colour & shape where they are best grown & how & when to propagate. This title

Includes:: advice about equipment from specialist secateurs & garden knives to biodegradable pots & cold frames as well as how to improve your soil & make compost. It is beautifully illustrated with over 1100 clear & informative photographs. The book begins with techniques for growing plants from seed. Next there are instructions for taking cuttings from established plants & taking leaf & root cuttings
- procedures that will save you a fortune. Dividing plants is equally easy & you can even transform suckers into separate plants & sever offsets & runners giving a bigger crop next year. Once you have mastered the basics layering couldn't be easier. & if you can't stop propagating there's more on stooling dropping & air layering & a section on grafting. All the techniques are explained with step-by-step instructions & photographs throughout with advice on preparation potting up & aftercare. There is also a directory of over 375 plants with propagating notes & growing tips.


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The Gardeners Book" is the green-fingered friend that every novice gardener needs when embarking on a new project or just for inspiration on how to rejuvenate or improve an existing garden. A celebration of the wonderful & ancient art of gardening " The Gardeners Book" also contains a wealth of practical tips. It
Includes:: fascinating facts gardening lore & history; garden games; ideas for making your garden the most impressive in the street; how to make & nurture a compost heap; when to sow a lawn; how to keep tools in pristine condition; & advice on planning your garden to maximum effect. From allotment gardening to tending the topiary & from greenhouse to greenfly " The Gardeners Book" will inspire & spur you on to greater things."
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