The Abundant Flower Gardener: Design and Grow a Fabulous Flower and Vegetable Garden

Description

Packed with practical advice from leading cultivation specialists, this concise, easy-to-use book covers virtually every aspect of garden design and maintenance-from choosing a plot to selecting plants, maximizing space and building raised beds. Plant Combinations for an Abundant Garden shows how to create productive gardens by selecting the perfect plant combinations. A comprehensive plant directory provides handy information on summer-flowering annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, small trees, climbers, water plants, bamboos, culinary herbs, fruits and vegetables. Practical advice and step-by-step instructions are included for building up layers of soil with mushroom compost, covering weeds with mulch, protecting plants with nets and plastic and much more. With more than 300 gorgeous color photographs, illustrations and diagrams, this book is a must for busy gardeners everywhere.

David Squire has worked for many years as a gardening writer and editor. He has contributed to numerous gardening magazines and is the author (or co-author) of more than 80 gardening and plant-related books. His books include four titles in the new Home Gardener's Specialist Guide series (Fox Chapel Publishing) plus The Scented Garden (Orion) which won the "Quill and Trowel Award" of the Garden Writers of America. David trained as a horticulturist at the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and at the Royal Horticultural Society, where he was awarded the Wisley Diploma in Horticulture. He was awarded an N.K. Gould Memorial Prize for his collection of herbarium specimens of native British plants. In 2005, this collection of plants was accepted by the Booth Museum of Natural History to become library and museum exhibits. He has a passionate interest in the uses of native plants, whether for eating and survival, or for their historical roles in medicine, folklore and customs. Gill and Alan Bridgewater have gained an international reputation as producers of highly successful gardening and DIY books on a range of subjects, including garden design, ponds and patios, stone and brickwork, decks and decking, and household woodworking. They have also contributed to several international magazines. Alan and Gill live in Rye, East Sussex.

Covers virtually every aspect of garden design and maintenance from choosing a plot, to selecting plants, to maximizing space, and even building raised beds. --Midwest Book Review Be taken by the hand through each step and turn your yard into a showplace. Not simply a 'what-goes-where' treatise on plant combos, this colorful book is a comprehensive guide from planning to hardscape, to no-dig beds and troubleshooting. Whether gardening is in your blood, you're a beginner, or your landscaping plans just didn't work out, the authors have anticipated your most confounding questions." --Stephanie Hainsfurther, author of Pocket Gardening for Your Outdoor Living Spaces A comprehensive guide to planning, building and growing a garden that works with your landscape and expresses your personality and lifestyle. --Gardener Magazine More than just a collection of flower and veggie combinations, this book is a valuable resource for any homeowner excited to create a private oasis in their own yard. --American Horticulture Society Plant Combinations for an Abundant Garden is well put together and has it all, packed with useful gardening tips and tools for both newbies and seasoned gardeners alike. A definite must read for anyone interested in gardening. --Gardening Know How