The Good Gardener: Expert advice for every garden from the National Trust

Description

A practical gardening title that has the unique angle of being informed by the innovative techniques of National Trust gardeners, along with traditional skills A practical, modern gardening guide from the National trust Head Gardeners covering all aspects of gardening. Nt gardeners are very much at the forefront of modern gardening techniques yet at the same time, use valuable traditional skills passed down through the generations. Interspersed throughout all the upto- date gardening advice there will be tip boxes from Nt Head Gardeners describing all the traditional skills that are used. there will be contributions from many of the Nt Head Gardeners in world-famous gardens like Hidcote, Sissinghurst and Stourhead. Each chapter is packed with step-by-step guides to various techniques and 'tales from the potting shed' that give historical context to the methods used by the gardeners. Chapter outline: Garden basics - soil type, aspect, weeding and digging, plant picker guide of what to grow where and when; Designing your garden - styles, functional vs aesthetics, landscaping, low maintenance gardening, container gardening and a return to lost gardening styles and techniques; Lawn care and alternatives to lawns; Planting; Propagation; Pruning; Garden maintenance; Grow your own - growing fruit, vegtables and herbs, crop rotation, advantages of growing your own, advice on growing/cooking gourmet veg from Nt chefs; Greener gardening and wildlife gardening - natural alternatives, how to encourage wildlife, how to deter pests without damaging the environment, beehives and composting tips.

Simon Akeroyd is a garden writer with a passion for both kitchen gardening and cooking. He contributes to numerous magazines including Grow Your Own (as the Allotment Gardener) and was also a garden and food writer for the BBC. His books include Shrubs and Small Trees, Lawns and Ground Cover, RHS Allotment Handbook and Planner, A Small Course in Veg and Fruit, RHS Vegetables for the Gourmet Gardener, Raised-Bed Gardening and RHS Gardening School. He was previously a Garden Manager for the Royal Horticultural Society, and has worked at both RHS Wisley and Harlow Carr.