The title might sound like a bold statement, but you really will be able to garden by the end of this book. Whether you are a budding botanist or just aspire to have greener fingers, this book will hold your 'horticultural hand' and guide you gently through the principles of gardening. Whether you have a tiny courtyard or something a bit bigger, this book will share everything you need to know to create your own patch of horticultural heaven. With 12 easy-to-follow chapters that explore all the basics of successful, stress-free gardening including assessing and designing your garden, how to grow fruit and vegetables, plant maintenance, propagation, lawns and container garden. The 15 step-by-step techniques will teach you how to sow seeds, prune shrubs, cut a hedge, mow a lawn and even how to design your own outside space, plus so much more. Just as important, the book explains how to garden sustainably and encourage wildlife, so that you can make informed decisions when it comes to creating and maintaining your garden.

Whatever the size of your garden or outdoor space, raised beds can work for you. With Simon Akeroyd's Raised-Bed Gardening: How to Grow More in Less Space, home gardeners will find the perfect bed to suit their needs and objectives. Greater yields and less watering are the keys to using and maintaining raised garden beds. The heart of the book comprises step-by-step instructions for building and maintaining 15 types of raised beds - from the conventional to the innovative "keyhole garden," which is particularly effective in hot and dry climates, to rooftop. The book also offers plans for raised-bed dining areas and designs to be used by children. Illustrated with 250 images, Raised-Bed Gardening answers numerous questions, including how big and high to make a bed, using reclaimed and recycled materials, extending the season, tackling pests, watering and water conservation, and maintenance. Herb, vegetable and ornamental gardens are explained in detail as well as: building a bed with center pond rotating crops creating fruit cages dealing with compost Also included are suggestions for building projects and planting schemes to inspire you to create your own unique raised-bed garden.

'Clever... valuable introduction to the study of plant science.' - Gardeners Illustrated RHS Botany for Gardeners is more than just a useful reference book on the science of botany and the language of horticulture - it is a practical, hands-on guide that will help gardeners understand how plants grow, what affects their performance, and how to get better results. Illustrated throughout with beautiful botanical prints and simple diagrams, RHS Botany for Gardeners provides easy-to-understand explanations of over 3,000 botanical words and terms, and show how these can be applied to everyday gardening practice. For easy navigation, the book is divided into thematic chapters covering everything from Plant Pests, and further subdivided into useful headings such as 'Seed Sowing' and 'Pruning'. 'Botany in Action' boxes provide instantly accessible practical tips and advice, and feature spreads profile the remarkable individuals who collected, studied and illustrated the plants that we grow today. Aided by this book, gardeners will unlock the wealth of information that lies within the intriguing world of botanical science - and their gardens will thrive as a result. This is the perfect gift for any gardener. Contents Includes... The Plant kingdom Growth, Form and Function Inner Workings Reproduction The Beginning of Life External Factors Pruning Botany and the Senses Pest, Diseases and Disorders Botanists and Botanical Illustration ... And Much More!

A delightful introduction to plant life and nature, as little ones get hands-on to grow their own sunflowers. Includes sunflower seeds, a sunflower height chart, and exciting flaps. RHS I Can Grow a Sunflower is a friendly approach to plant science and a great gift for little gardeners. Sixteen bright board ebook pages reveal the life cycle of a sunflower, and the excitement of growing a plant from seed. Little children follow the journey of a mystery seed, learning how to plant it, and what it needs to grow. Could it magically become the tallest of all the garden flowers? RHS I Can Grow a Sunflower includes facts about garden creatures, from the helpful ladybird to busy worms, and the visiting bees and butterflies who spread pollen. Children will enjoy read-aloud text, easy-to-follow pictures that show the life cycle of a sunflower - underground, above ground, and through the year - and flaps that show plants growing and creatures hiding. RHS I Can Grow a Sunflower includes a packet of sunflower seeds and a height chart that reinforces how tall a sunflower grows, making this the perfect book for getting young gardeners hands-on for the very first time. "This is a wonderful first gardening book for young children that perfectly captures the magic of growing a beautiful plant from a tiny seed." - Jamie Butterworth, RHS Ambassador

From plot to plate, a cookery and gardening book in one, for young Australians Is your child a budding gardener or chef? Children will love learning how to plant seeds and turn their produce into delicious meals they can eat. They'll have juicy tomatoes that make fantastic pizzas, luscious strawberries for a smashing smoothie and many more tempting treats. They'll discover how food grows, from photosynthesis to pollination and learn to care for their plants. Then when they've picked their crops, there are recipes for snacks, lunches and dinners that are really tasty and will encourage your child and family to eat healthily. And you don't need a garden: Grow It, Eat It includes plants that can all be grown in pots.

Kitchen Gardening for Beginners has everything you need to leave the supermarket behind in favor of tastier and healthier home-grown fruit and vegetables. Avoid bland, pesticide-tainted produce flown in from the other side of the world and start growing your own produce with this reassuring guide, complete with a glossary of gardening terms and a picture gallery of common weeds. Kitchen Gardening for Beginners takes you through ten steps to preparing your plot and teaches you need-to-know techniques such as sowing, plating, feeding, mulching, watering, and weeding. Armed with the basics, you'll learn how to grow over 70 types of fruit and vegetable crops. You'll also find easy projects such as making a simple compost bin and planting a fruit tree and tips to attract wildlife along with simple, delicious ways to enjoy your produce. A handy troubleshooting section covers identifying and dealing with weeds, pests, and diseases. Whether you prefer to start small with a few herbs and vegetable staples or you are more ambitious and intend to feed your whole family all year-round, Kitchen Gardening for Beginners will show you how.

From the RHS comes this compendium of poetry about gardens and garden plants, themes that have provided inspiration for poets since the dawn of time. The poems span many centuries and include the work of such great writers as Wordsworth, Spenser and Shakespeare.

Garden lovers will have to own this leading, fully updated guide! Produced by the Royal Horticultural Society, it reveals where to see plants growing in more than 1,000 British gardens--including 150 nurseries and demonstration gardens--that are open to the public. Each entry, which is listed alphabetically by country or region, includes a description, with highlights and key features; full contact details, including opening times, admission fees, and coded facilities; and brief directions. In addition, there are comprehensive regional maps at the back, and an alphabetical listing to help visitors choose the gardens with the very finest displays.

Take an inspirational journey through nature with this beautifully illustrated guide to plants, wildlife and the great outdoors

‘An accessible, informative guide for beginners, but full of ideas and tips for seasoned gardeners.’ – Sunday Mirror 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. 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.