Gardens Illustrated

‘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.

"Plotting out all the basics, The Zero-Waste Garden focuses on unique yield maths to maximise space, taste and minimise waste.... Organic gardening expert, Ben Raskin, shares over 60 unique planning-for-yield guides for key crops. Work out how to make the most of the green space you have got, what to grow easily in it, and how much you will harvest seasonally for zero waste. Learn about the roots of organic gardening, and unearth how to plant waste-free for any size plot, from balcony containers to 5-metre-square yards. Peppered with root-to-stalk cooking techniques, and edibility tips including which crops you can eat straight away, this is a plot-to-plate handbook for everyone with a green-thumb."--Publisher.

“A detailed and richly illustrated account of how one of the UK’s leading practitioners approaches the art of garden design.” —Gardens Illustrated Prolific designer Jinny Blom embraces a wide variety of styles, from large garden spaces to formal walled gardens and contemporary installations. What defines her work is her skill with plants and her ability to create a garden that responds to the history of the site and the wider landscape. The gardens Jinny creates are as different as their owners and their locations. In this book, Jinny shares her insight into the creative process she has developed while designing more than 250 gardens around the world. The Thoughtful Gardener contains modern takes on traditional forms, and is split into six sections: seeing, understanding, structuring, harmonizing, rooting, and liberating. All of Jinny’s gardens share a commitment to beautiful craftsmanship and considered planting. Structure and detail are important, and receive close attention. The styles vary considerably—logical, calm, beautiful, romantic, naturalistic, formal, sometimes spare—but the principles remain firm. Jinny designs for the long term, with consideration for the environment; these gardens are built to last. Reflecting Jinny’s highly individual character, there is plenty of wit and quirkiness alongside the expert knowledge, and it will appeal to the widest audience of garden lovers. Thoughtful and beautiful, yet practical and informative, this book marries artistry with functionality. Praise for The Thoughtful Gardener “The most romantic, creative person in garden design I know.” —Piet Oudolf “Jinny’s genius is to marry a beautiful vision to an extraordinary empathy with the landscape into which that vision will fit, resulting in a pastoral harmony second to none.” —Victoria, Lady Getty “The Thoughtful Gardener, at once a lavishly illustrated coffee-table tome and a friendly hands-on primer, offers a glimpse into some of the most magical gardens in the world.” —Architectural Digest “Landscaper Jinny Blom’s long-awaited book is so beautiful that you will not want to rush it. As the title suggests, there is more to this than lovely photography: the pages of The Thoughtful Gardener will stop you in your tracks and make you think about the potential of gardens, in a way that has never struck you before.” —Gardenista

“Uprooted reveals how a late-life uprooting changed Dickey as a gardener.” —The Wall Street Journal When Page Dickey moved away from her celebrated garden at Duck Hill, she left a landscape she had spent thirty-four years making, nurturing, and loving. She found her next chapter in northwestern Connecticut, on 17 acres of rolling fields and woodland around a former Methodist church. In Uprooted, Dickey reflects on this transition and on what it means for a gardener to start again. In these pages, fol­low her journey: searching for a new home, discovering the ins and outs of the landscape surround­ing her new garden, establishing the garden, and learning how to be a different kind of gardener. The sur­prise at the heart of the book? Although Dickey was sad to leave her beloved garden, she found herself thrilled to begin a new garden in a wilder, larger landscape. Written with humor and elegance, Uprooted is an endearing story about transitions—and the satisfaction and joy that new horizons can bring.

How can we support native species and provide rich habitats on our own doorsteps? The book shows how to plan and maintain a beautiful garden that will attract bees and birds as well as a throng of unsung garden heroes. Whether you have a small balcony or a large open space, discover the joys of welcoming natural ecosystems back into the garden along with a host of new visitors

With literally hundreds of choices, it can be overwhelming to decide which perennials to plant in your garden. Nancy J. Ondra takes the stressful guesswork out of perennial garden planning by offering 52 vibrant designs, each made up of only five plants. Ondra tailors each simple design to a specific set of growing conditions, with plenty of tips to help your planting mature. Enjoy gardens full of sun-drenched blooming flowers and shade-loving greenery for years to come.

Gracing the grounds from mid-spring until late autumn, lilies are dramatic and striking. The beautifully presented reference guide features more than 50 well-loved and unusual varieties of lily. Find out how to care for your lilies, with practical tips for all kinds of gardens, containers and balconies.