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RHS Gardening School: Everything You Need to Know to Garden Like a Professional
by Simon Akeroyd Dr Ross BaytonKeen amateur gardeners and aspiring professionals can learn from the expertise of the RHS with this handy guide.It doesn't matter if you're an old hand at gardening or just starting out, there are always things to discover and opportunities to improve, whether it's mastering a new technique or brushing up on your botany.RHS Gardening School is the perfect guide for gardeners who want to learn. Inside you'll find chapters on:Understanding plants Everyday garden care Problem solvingPlanting designGardening through the yearand much more. Hands-on guidance and step-by-step instructions explain topics such as pruning, pest and diseases, weed removal and caring for lawns. Expert gardeners explain the underlying principles in plain English, while clear diagrams and beautiful photographs inspire and inform.Become a better, smarter, more productive gardener with this complete guide to horticulture in one handy book.
RHS Little Book of Small-Space Gardening: Easy-grow Ideas for Balconies, Window Boxes & Other Outdoor Areas
by Kay MaguireMake the most of your balconies and windowsills with this handy gardening guide from the author of the award-winning RHS Grow Your Own Crops in Pots.RHS Little Book of Small-space Gardening is packed with practical information and inspirational ideas for anyone who wants to grow plants in a variety of outside spaces, from balconies to stairways, windowsills to doorsteps. Look inside to discover a host of creative step-by-step projects, such as speedy salads, wildlife pots, fragrant baskets and green garden walls. Handy plant profiles tell you what's best to grow in a variety of conditions, such as wind, shade and drought.Whether you choose to start with a simple pot or tackle a more ambitious project, with this beautifully illustrated book you'll soon see how even the smallest spaces can be amazing growing spaces.
RHS Little Book of Happy Houseplants
by Holly FarrellGrowing indoors has never been easier or more fun. Become a star gardener without leaving your home with this beginner's guide to houseplants for the whole family.Whatever the size of your home, and even if you don't have much spare time on your hands, house plants are an exciting way to bring some low-maintenance greenery into your life. As well as looking luscious, house plants improve air quality and our sense of well-being - and caring for them is an endlessly enchanting hobby for both adults and children. See how a knobbly ginger root sprouts huge exotic leaves, or how plants can grow without any soil at all. Children can get up close and personal with the natural world and try their hand at growing with ease. Best of all, the plants provide year-round interest and there's never any need to go out into the rain. In RHS Little Book of Happy House Plants, every technique and project is explained and illustrated in clear, down-to-earth steps. Even beginners will want to have a go!
RHS How Do Worms Work?: A Gardener's Collection of Curious Questions and Astonishing Answers
by The Royal Horticultural Society Guy BarterEver wondered how worms breathe? Or why exactly trees are so big? This book covers all aspects of gardens and gardening, and will satisfy all your horticultural curiosity. Packed with photographs, vintage engravings and diagrams, this book will answer everything from the practical to the quirky and whimsical. Feature boxes provide practical guidance, so that you can apply your new-found knowledge to your own garden. Written by the head of the RHS Members' Advisory Service, this book is the ideal gift for fact-loving gardeners with curious minds.
RHS Practical Latin for Gardeners: More than 1,500 Essential Plant Names and the Secrets They Contain
by The Royal Horticultural SocietyRHS Practical Latin for Gardeners is a unique guide to plant binomials based on the bestselling RHS Latin for Gardeners. It contains 1,500 of the most useful and most widespread Latin names, organized into thematic chapters including Colour, Size, Form and Habitat. Each chapter is further subdivided into smaller groups, such as large plants and small plants. This allows gardeners to make new connections and discoveries in a way standard alphabetical lists don't permit. 'Behind the Name' feature boxes further increase the book's practical value, and a wide range of botanical watercolours ensure that it is beautiful as well as functional. This book includes a definition and pronunciation guide for each word, as well as a 16-page alphabetical index, so that it can still be used as a conventional dictionary of Latin names. And its handy, pocket-sized format makes it the perfect gift.
RHS Latin for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored
by The Royal Horticultural SocietyAided by this book the gardener can now answer the question "What's in a name?" and they and their garden will benefit from understanding the wealth of information that has hitherto lain hidden within the mysterious world of Latin names.' - Financial Times OnlineRHS Latin for Gardeners is an informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated unravelling of the mysteries of botanical Latin. Over 3,000 Latin names are listed alphabetically, showing how plant names can reveal where a plant originally comes from (and thus its preferred growing conditions), along with such properties as its shape, form, colour, taste, and smell. Each name is clearly defined and accompanied by a pronunciation guide, and the pages are filled with attractive botanical illustrations. Fascinating feature spreads retell the adventures of important plant hunters such as Sir Joseph Banks and Alexander von Humboldt, and explain how their discoveries affect the way our gardens look today. Individual plants are also profiled throughout, showing how their names can illuminate their hidden histories. Aided by this book, every gardener, and their garden, will benefit from uncovering the wealth of information that lies within the remarkable world of Latin binomials. A little Latin can do a lot of good - apply the lore of Latin to your own garden!Contents includes...The A-Z Listings of Latin Plant NamesPlant ProfilesPlant HuntersPlant Themes...And Much More!
RHS Botany for Gardeners: The Art and Science of Gardening Explained & Explored
by Royal Horticultural Society'Clever... valuable introduction to the study of plant science.' - Gardeners IllustratedRHS 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 shows how these can be applied to everyday gardening practice. For easy navigation, the book is divided into thematic chapters covering everything from The Plant Kingdom to Botany and the Senses, and further subdivided into useful headings such as 'Seed saving' and 'Parasitic plants'. '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 include:- 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 Illustrators... and much more!
RHS Grow Your Own: with 30 step-by-step projects using vegetables, fruit and herbs (Royal Horticultural Society Grow Your Own)
by Kay MaguireWinner of the Practical Book of the Year 2013 at the Garden Media Guild Awards.RHS Grow Your Own Crops in Pots is the natural successor to Carol Klein's bestselling RHS Grow your own Veg, which has sold more than 300,000 copies since publication. With this book you can turn the tiniest space into a productive and attractive plot, using the best varieties and techniques. Follow 30 tried-and-tested container recipes for top tasting crop combinations such as tomato with basil, fruit salads and cut-and-come-again vegetables. Discover the essential techniques that every container-gardener should know and use the crop directory to find out the best way to grow more than 60 vegetables, fruit, salads, herbs and edible flowers.
RHS Can Anything Stop Slugs?: A Gardener’s Collection of Pesky Problems and Surprising Solutions
by Guy BarterRHS Can Anything Stop Slugs assists with all of the most common problems encountered in a garden - as well as some slightly more unusual ones. The RHS's Chief Horticulturist, Guy Barter, provides expert advice, responding to the questions posed by thousands of gardeners every year.This entertaining and informative guide provides a wealth of information. Feature boxes of interesting facts enable you to really get to grips with the issue at hand.As the cause of a problem is not always apparent, the main symptom is used as the starting point in each section, enabling you to troubleshoot all your garden problems. This is not a dull reference book full of lists - it is an easy-to-read and amusing look at how we battle with nature in our gardens, showing you how to either come out top or to surrender with dignity.
RHS The Secrets of Great Botanists: and What They Teach Us About Gardening
by Matthew BiggsBotanists are the trailblazers who first discovered how plants work and collected from around the world many of the species that we find in our gardens today. This informative and beautiful guide presents the stories of 35 plant collectors and gardening pioneers of the past and present, including Joseph Banks, Asa Gray and Marianne North.Arranged in chronological order, each profile covers one botanist, presenting their life story, discoveries and legacy, while special feature pages reveal their secrets, exploring the qualities that brought them success and showing what ordinary gardeners can learn from them.Illustrated with beautiful period botanical watercolours and vibrant photographs, RHS The Secrets of Great Botanists will provide inspiration and practical guidance for gardeners of all levels, from successful plant cultivation to adding interest to your garden.
The Home Edit: Conquering the clutter with style
by Clea Shearer Joanna TeplinWhat if you could conquer the clutter, make your home pretty and keep it that way?'Move over, Marie Kondo - Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin are the professional organisers the A-list now let rifle through their drawers.' - Sunday Times Style'Professional organizers Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin are in high demand in Hollywood, having organized everything from pantries to play rooms for stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Zoe, Lauren Conrad and Mandy Moore.While the Nashville-based founders of The Home Edit (and its celeb-followed Instagram) may not be able to give you Rachel Zoe's enviable shoe collection, they can give you the tools to get your own into similarly immaculate order - and hey, that's a step in the right direction.' - People Believe this: every single space in your house has the potential to function efficiently and look great.The mishmash of summer and winter clothes in the closet? Yep. Even the dreaded junk drawer? Consider it done. And the best news: it's not hard to do-in fact, it's a lot of fun.From Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the Instagram-famous home organizers who made their orderly eye candy the method that everyone swears by, comes a signature approach to decluttering. The Home Edit walks you through paring down your belongings in every room, arranging them in a stunning and easy-to-find way (hello, labels!), and maintaining the system so you don't need another do-over in six months. When you're done, you'll not only know exactly where to find things, but you'll also love the way it looks.A master class and lookbook in one, The Home Edit is filled with bright photographs and detailed tips, from placing plastic dishware in a drawer where little hands can reach to categorizing pantry items by color (there's nothing like a little ROYGBIV to soothe the soul). Above all, it's like having your best friends at your side to help you turn the chaos into calm.
RHS Design Outdoors: Projects & Plans for a Stylish Garden
by Matthew Keightley'Designer Matt Keightley's first book is a thing of beauty and a valuable source of design inspiration - a stylish guide to a stylish garden.' - Gardens Illustrated Do you want your outdoor space to look as stylish and as well designed as your home? RHS Design Outdoors will give you the ideas and know-how you need to make that happen. Award-winning designer Matt Keightley has curated a collection of 35 gardens, created either by him or by other leading contemporary designers, that will provide the inspiration to transform your outdoor space. Gardeners features include award-winning designers Jo Thompson, Tom Stuart Smith, Tony Woods, Charlotte Rowe and Andrew Wilson. For each case study there is a detailed plan, information on the plants and materials used and a wealth of gorgeous photography by leading garden photographer Marianne Majerus.The designs are organized into five categories: Showstoppers at Home - high-design concepts that are nonetheless achievable; Family-friendly - gardens that incorporate play areas and socialising; Minimalist - spaces with larger areas of hard landscaping and bold, restrained planting; Plants First - gardens where more than half of the outdoor space is planted; and Other Spaces - roof terraces, basement areas and front gardens. This wide array of garden styles means that there is inspiration for all types of garden, and for all types of gardener.
The Pig: Tales and Recipes from the Kitchen Garden and Beyond
by Robin HutsonThe Pig is a collection of restaurants with rooms in Hampshire, Devon, Dorset and Somerset - and soon in Kent, West Sussex and Cornwall. Now, everyone can enjoy The Pig from the comfort of their own homes. Among the pages of The Pig you will find an idiosyncratic, seasonal approach to the good life, with delicious recipes, how-to guides, tips, tricks and stories.Inside the pages of The Pig you will find: Classic recipes from Nan's rice pudding to proper fish pie, porchetta, gammon with parsley sauce, devilish devilled kidneys on toast, a right old eton mess and even a pink blancmange bunny.The Pig's Guide to Pigs from identifying different breeds and selecting the best cuts of meat to making your own sausages, crackling and charcuterie. How to pickle, forage and identify edible flowers and suggestions on how to bring the weird and wonderful vegetables, fruits and salads from the garden into the kitchen. Noble wine, simple food from classic cocktails to modern twists and all the best accompaniments. Interior design recreating the comfort and elegance of The Pig at home.Setting the scene, The Pigs top tips on hosting your own festivals, summer feasts and winter gatherings, including creating the perfect playlist to the best recipes to cook outdoors. Praise for the book:'For us at home, the cookbook provides the perfect inspiration.' The Telegraph Magazine Praise for The Pig Hotels:Rick Stein: 'Dinner, bed and breakfast at The Pig, any Pig, is a comforting thought of some lovely flavoured pork, a British abundance of vegetables and some fabulous red wine.' The Sunday Times: 'There isn't a trace of cynicism here - just enthusiasm, craft and people who love what they do, creating a place you really, really don't want to leave.' The Financial Times 'Some inherited memory of a weekend with grandparents I never had... a little bohemian, and unbelievably good at cooking.' Tom Parker Bowles: 'The Pig revolutionised the country house hotel, creating a true home away from home. No pomp or pretence, just beautiful rooms and magnificent food with produce from their own kitchen gardens. Where The Pig goes, the others follow.'
RHS 50 Plants You Can't Kill: Surefire Plants to Grow Indoors and Out
by Jamie ButterworthIt's time to take control of your outdoor (or indoor) space with 50 Plants That You Can't Kill. These 50 easy-to-grow plants have been selected for their love of neglect and their ability to withstand even the most forgetful of gardeners. Whether you're looking for edibles for your windowsill, potted plants for your balcony or climbers for your garden, there's something for everyone.Handy plant profiles tell you why to grow it, where to put it and how to look after it, helping your plants to thrive without too much maintenance from you!- 50 resilient and easy-to-care-for plants- Plants in the same family and other alternatives give you even more choice- Clear and simple profiles tell you the space, light, water and soil requirements of each plant- Expert care advice in the form of dos and don'ts- Contains basic information on planting, watering, growing from seed and feeding
Home Sweet Rented Home: Transform Your Home Without Losing Your Deposit
by Medina GrilloYou've got the keys from your landlord, moved into your new home, and the boxes are unpacked. Now you want to put your stamp on the place, but how do you do this when you can't paint the walls, refurbish the kitchen or replace the old, tired flooring?And can you really live with magnolia walls? What about those outdated kitchen cupboards? Not to mention the tattered lampshades, old sofa and sparse furniture...In this invaluable book, award-winning interiors blogger Medina Grillo shares her favourite tips, tricks and DIY projects for transforming a rented space. Discover ways to add a splash of colour with removable wallpaper, learn how to hang artworks without damaging the walls, and turn your hand to upcycling those furniture bargains you picked up at the flea market. With chapters covering all aspects of the home, from walls, flooring and lighting to storage and accessories, Home Sweet (Rented) Home will enable every reader to make their house feel like home, whether they are a DIY expert or have never before lifted a paintbrush. Filled with photography and illustrations, it is the perfect read for any renter looking to live in a beautiful and stylish home.
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2020
by Lia Leendertz*THE ORIGINAL & BESTSELLING ALMANAC *'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof A perfect toolkit connecting with the world around us and the year ahead as it unfolds - all in a compact and pocket size that just begs you to pick it up and browse.The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2020 reinvents the tradition of the rural almanac for a new audience. It gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, such as the meteor shower of the month, beehive behaviour, folklore and stories, seasonal recipes and charts tracking moon phases and tides. You will find yourself referring to the almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close. PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: A SEASONAL GUIDE:'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight'This book is your bible' - the Independent 'An ideal stocking filler' - The English Garden 'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews
RHS How Can I Help Hedgehogs?: A Gardener’s Collection of Inspiring Ideas for Welcoming Wildlife
by Sophie Collins Helen BostockForeword written by Isabella Tree of the Knepp Wildland Project.RHS How Can I Help Hedgehogs? offers more than 100 ideas for you to help wildlife thrive in your garden. Packed with simple, low-cost ideas that will make a huge difference to the natural world, the book suggests ways to help birds, bees, butterflies, beetles and many other declining species.Hopeful, informative and entertaining, with plenty of 'I-never-knew-that' mini-features, this is a book you and your family need, and one that you'll all enjoy, too. Includes topics such as how to increase the biodiversity of your plot and how to improve your soil without using chemicals.Includes...- Can I make my garden bat-friendly?- Do green roofs work?- Why should I love my weeds?- Should I keep honey bees?- Which flowers are friendliest for moths?- Where's best for a bird box?- Is garden lighting disruptive?...and many more.
The Wood Fire Handbook: The complete guide to a perfect fire
by Vincent Thurkettle'Sound, well-seasoned advice [on] how to bring wood fires into our lives.' - BBC CountryfileThe Wood Fire Handbook shows you that the soothing effect of dancing flames and glowing embers is a simple pleasure to have in our lives. Understanding everything that underpins the perfect wood fire makes it even more enjoyable. Vincent Thurkettle's handbook is the essential companion and manual.The expert insight and knowledge in this book allow everyone to rediscover the skills of previous generations and savour the delight of a perfect wood fire in all its incarnations.Contents include...Understand which trees make the best firewoodLearn how to split, season, and store woodLay the perfect fireMake an ingenious campfireChoose wood for its scent...and much more!This revised edition features updated information on wood-burning stoves, 'clean' wood and other environmental considerations.
Sitting in the Shade: A decade of my garden diary
by Hugh JohnsonForeword by Alan TitchmarshFor more than 45 years Hugh Johnson has written Trad's Diary, delighting in recording his observations of his own garden, as well as many others, and of the wider natural world. Free to turn his attention to whatever is happening in that season, or simply something that piques his interest, his subjects are as diverse as the sounds of water, forest walks, the names of roses, the taste for shade he shares with Handel, the colours of autumn, the smell of rain, the private garden discovered within Beijing's Forbidden City or the first crocuses of spring. Month by month, Hugh shares with the reader through his easy, evocative writing an eclectic mix of thoughtful, topical and whimsical insights that will delight not only gardeners but anyone with an interest in nature in all its costumes.
RHS How Do Worms Work?: A Gardener's Collection of Curious Questions and Astonishing Answers
by Guy Barter The Royal Horticultural Society'This is a lovely book to dip into, and you may even find yourself reading it cover to cover' - the Guardian'An enlightening and entertaining read that will leave the reader armed with the facts and insight to improve their garden as well as their general knowledge' - The English GardenRHS How Do Worms Work? provides expert answers to the questions that every gardener wants to ask - and a few that you never even dreamt of. As well as answering the titular question about soil's best friend, this fact-filled journey through the world of the garden is packed with Q&As that are sometimes practical, sometimes whimsical and always intriguing. This richly illustrated volume is an absorbing guide to the quirky and lesser-known aspects of gardening and a perfect gift for any gardener with an inquisitive mind.With sections on Seeds and Plants; Flowers and Fruits; Below the Ground; Weather, Climate and the Seasons; and In the Garden, RHS How Do Worms Work? holds the answers to common questions such as:- What's the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?- Is it true that sunflower heads follow the sun?- When is a plant a weed?- How do you attract butterflies?- How long can a plant survive without water?and many more.
Why French Women Wear Vintage: and other secrets of sustainable style
by Aloïs Guinut"The sustainable fashion revolution has begun, and we must all be part of it." - Aloïs GuinutStylish women everywhere are realizing the environmental damage of fast fashion and looking for new ways to dress that don't involve cramming their wardrobe with clothes that may never get worn. As Paris-based style-coach Aloïs Guinut explores in this invaluable book, French women have a lot to teach us about how to cherish the planet without sacrificing your style:- Know what works for you.- Buy less and buy better.- Mix vintage items with a few wisely chosen modern pieces.- Optimize your closet.- Look after what you have and make it last.- Seek out quality fabrics that don't poison the environment.
RHS Grow Your Own Veg & Fruit Bible
by Carol KleinHighly-regarded gardener Carol Klein has collaborated with the Royal Horticultural Society to create a lavishly illustrated, easy-to-follow, practical and inspiring beginner's guide to everything you need to know to grow fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs all year round.With an approach that is environmentally friendly and easy, Carol gives all the advice you need to succeed. Beginners and experienced gardeners alike will be inspired by this indispensable reference for every gardener's bookshelf.Whatever the size of the garden, this is a book to convert readers to the pleasures of growing and harvesting their own food. From preparing a plot, planning what to plant, and how to grow any one of the 80 featured food plants, this is a book to which growers can return every year, whatever their level of expertise. Key techniques are shown in step-by-step photography and there are invaluable illustrated directories of the best varieties to select for best results.With her usual energy and enthusiasm, Carol Klein offers green-fingered advice for growing all your appetizing favourites plus many less familiar crops also.The material is taken from the bestselling RHS Grow Your Own: Veg and RHS Grow Your Own: Fruit.
The Home Edit Life: The Complete Guide to Organizing Absolutely Everything at Work, at Home and On the Go, A Netflix Original Series – Season 2 now showing on Netflix (Home Edit)
by Clea Shearer Joanna TeplinThe New York Times Number One BestsellerA Netflix Original Series.'Move over, Marie Kondo - Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin are the professional organisers the A-list now let rifle through their drawers.' - Sunday Times StyleClea Shearer and Joanna Teplin are back again to bring both function and beauty to your everyday life. In The Home Edit Life they show you how to contain the chaos when it comes to absolutely everything: your work, travel, kids, pets and more. Because the truth is, you don't have to live like a minimalist to feel happy and calm.The Home Edit mentality is all about embracing your life, whether you're a busy mum, a jetsetter - or both! You simply need to know how to set up a system that works for you so you'll maintain it for the long run. Get to know your organizing style, learn how to tailor it to your habits and, best of all, leave the guilt behind when it comes to owning things. With The Home Edit Life, you'll be corralling cords, archiving photos, packing your suitcase like a pro, and arranging your phone apps by colour in no time.'While the Nashville-based founders of The Home Edit (and its celeb-followed Instagram) may not be able to give you Rachel Zoe's enviable shoe collection, they can give you the tools to get your own into similarly immaculate order - and hey, that's a step in the right direction.' - People
RHS Do Bees Need Weeds: A Gardener’s Collection of Handy Hints for Greener Gardening
by Holly Farrell Gareth RichardsRHS Do Bees Need Weeds is packed with more than 100 practical questions and answers to help you become a more eco-friendly gardener, and show you how to adopt a more sustainable way of gardening. The book includes simple, low-cost ideas, from fun projects such as how to build a wormery or a homemade water butt to advice on which plants suit bees best and how to achieve a zero-waste garden.In these pages you will find dozens of solutions to common garden problems as well as inspiring innovations that reduce your gardening consumption, tackle waste and help the environment. Filled with fascinating facts and ideas that will help you make a real difference to the green credentials of your garden, this book is both informative and entertaining, with plenty of I-never-knew-that mini-features. This is a book you and your family need, and one that you'll all enjoy, too.Includes questions such as:- Which features will make my garden greener?- Are my garden lights harmful?- How can a lawn be wildlife-friendly?- Is it ever OK to have a bonfire?- Are there alternatives to plastic?- Can I grow year-round crops?- Is it OK to buy compost?
The Grove: A Nature Odyssey in 19 ½ Front Gardens
by Ben Dark***'Ben Dark is such a wonderful writer - The Grove drew me in from the first line.' Lia Leendertz'The Grove is overflowing with delicious nuggets of cultural, social and garden history - and I adore Ben Dark's humour and humility in equal measure.' Advolly Richmond'A heartfelt romp through the wisteria and wilderness of London's horticulturally remarkable front gardens.' Jack Wallington'Fans of Ben Dark's mellifluous tones on The Garden Log podcast will be delighted by how perfectly his lyrical musings transfer to the printed page as, with infant son in tow, he invites the reader upon a series of horticultural expeditions inspired by the deceptively ordinary planting of the front gardens in a south London street. The kind of thoroughly enjoyable read where you realise, late in the day, that learning has snuck in by the back door, though you feel inclined to forgive the author on account of the fun you've had along the way.'Andrew O'Brien'Any walk is an odyssey when we connect with the plants around us. Each tree or flower tells a tale. Mundane 'suburban' shrubs speak of war and poetry, of money, fashion, love and failure. Every species in this book was seen from one pavement over twelve months and there is little here that could not be found on any road in any town, but they reveal stories of such weirdness, drama, passion and humour that, once discovered, familiar neighbourhoods will be changed forever.' Ben DarkThere is a renewed interest in the nature on our doorsteps, as can be seen in the work of amateur botanists identifying wildflowers and chalking the names on the pavements.But beyond the garden wall lies a wealth of cultivated plants, each with a unique tale to tell. In The Grove, award-winning writer and head gardener Ben Dark reveals the remarkable secrets of twenty commonly found species - including the rose, wisteria, buddleja, box and the tulip - encountered in the front gardens of one London street over the course of year. As Ben writes, in those small front gardens 'are stories of ambition, envy, hope and failure' and The Grove is about so much more than a single street, or indeed the plants found in its 19 ½ front gardens. It's a beguiling blend of horticultural history and personal narrative and a lyrical exploration of why gardens and gardening matter.