With colourful foliage, flowers, bark and scent, shrubs, together with trees, are probably the most important plants used in gardens and landscapes. In this well-illustrated handbook, the professional horticulturalist and plantsman Ian Cooke introduces the variety and uses of shrubs, climbers, conifers and bamboos; provides detailed descriptions of a selection of plants; and gives practical information on designing with shrubs and growing them.

Born Maria Theresa Villiers in 1830, Mrs CW Earle was an artist, writer and hostess who divided her time between London, where she entertained the leading writers of the day, and Cobham in Surrey. First published in 1897, her bestselling country diary charts the gardener’s tasks for each month of the year, from spring flowers through autumn annuals to winter vegetables. Her friendly, no-nonsense advice is interspersed with seasonal recipes.

From an article published in 1900 on Gregor Mendel’s work on peas by William Bateson, the man who coined the term ‘genetics’, to Toby Musgrave on growing heritage fruit and vegetables in 2012, this anthology brings together the best and most important writing from The Garden, the journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. The selections are in chapters ranging from seasons and the weather to the RHS itself, and are interspersed with vibrant illustrations by Jenny Bowers.

BBC Radio 4's long-running Gardeners’ Question Time is much respected by horticulturalists for its mixture of hands-on practical advice and up-to-date information on gardening matters. With contributions from four of the presenters, this volume distils their wisdom on twelve basic topics including planning a garden, soil, weed control, lawns, planting and combatting pests; and it is illustrated with both how-to-do-it photographs of the gardeners at work and inspirational pictures of what you might achieve.

Written for the reluctant gardener, this is a guide to what not to do in the garden. Rather than letting your plot revert to wilderness, Wareham (the gardener of Veddw House, near Tintern) encourages finding easier ways to do the jobs you dislike and suggests effective alternatives. The book is arranged by season, from what not to do in spring (grow roses – if you don’t grow them they won’t need pruning), to winter (washing empty pots – madness).

Few subjects have attracted as much received wisdom as gardening. In this collection of articles, Daily Telegraph gardening columnist Ken Thompson sorts the genuine from the hokum, the essential tasks from those that aren’t worth doing. This entertaining and informative miscellany contains advice on how to attract more wildlife to the garden, the ideal temperature for a compost heap, and how bees can improve a strawberry crop.

Orchards are among the oldest types of garden, with origins in the irrigated enclosures of ancient Egypt and Persia. This book traces their history, describes different traditions of fruit-growing and discusses contemporary orchards before turning to their produce. Chapters on apples, pears, quinces, plums, cherries, medlars and mulberries examine each fruit’s history, uses and cultivation, and give a selection of recipes. The final section is on the practical business of growing fruit trees, with information and advice for gardeners.

Part of the Royal Horticultural Society's Simple Steps to Success series, this is an authoritative, illustrated guide to combatting problems with trees, shrubs and climbers, and in herbaceous and vegetable gardens and in greenhouses.

The Daily Telegraph has long been popular reading among gardeners, and its pages have featured some of the nation's finest horticultural writers. Compiled by the newspaper's gardening columnist, this lively and varied anthology includes articles by Fred Whitsey, Rosemary Verey and Bunny Guinness, along with the more esoteric musings of Bill Deedes, Germaine Greer and Roy Strong. The subjects range from Vita Sackville West's garden at Sissinghurst to how to grow prize-winning pumpkins. Book club edition.

There is an enormous variety of sun-loving plants, with endless potential for stunning planting schemes. Graham Clarke shows how to select sun-loving varieties and plant with confidence, whatever your experience and abilities.

From Aa to Zygostates, this dictionary provides the most comprehensive and extensively illustrated account of orchid genera to date, plus an introduction, bibliography and glossary.

Behind the high walls of the Vatican, beautifully kept gardens offer the Pope a tranquil refuge, fragrant with sweet herbs and cooled by shade trees and fountains. Linda Kooluris Dobbs's photographs give us access to these normally hidden lawns and avenues, grottoes and parterres, with their fine statuary and fountains, and their imposing backdrop – the buildings of the Vatican and the dome of St Peter's. Kildare Dobbs's introductory essay accompanies this collection of over 140 photographs.

After the arrival of tulips and other bulbs in the 16th century, the local flower species that had been common in British gardens were gradually sidelined in favour of showier plants, although some adapted forms of local species such as double red campion or red cowslips survived. This comprehensive illustrated guide introduces the best of our native plants, explaining their history, needs and habitats and showing how they can be successfully incorporated into modern gardens.

The satisfaction of knowing that your food has been grown free from toxic chemicals, and has travelled merely a few hundred yards to your plate, cannot be beaten. This is a detailed and expert guide to achieving that satisfaction yourself. There are chapters on the basics of soil preparation, variety selection, growing techniques and dealing with pests and diseases, followed by an alphabetical directory of popular vegetable varieties and how to grow them successfully.

What is a garden for, and how does its form reflect its function? Focusing on beliefs, purpose and design philosophy, this magnificent book charts the development of the garden from its origin in the Middle East 12,000 years ago through the extravagant creations of the Baroque to the present day. Illustrated with 900 colour photographs, paintings and diagrams, it features some of the finest gardens in Europe, from Vienna to Versailles, explaining how, why and for whom they were created.

'The landscape garden, embodying a naturalistic approach, was in tune with Enlightenment thought across Europe, where nature was a central preoccupation and motivator' (from the Preface). In this illustrated study, Symes provides an overview of the extent to which the 18th-century English landscape garden spread throughout Europe and Russia. He considers each country individually, with a special chapter devoted to Le Jardin Anglo-Chinois, and examines gardens created 'in the English style' up to around 1850.

This journey through the history of the English garden features twelve of the most important, original and beautiful parks in the country. Garden design changed radically during the 18th century, when French symmetry was replaced by a new landscaped naturalism, and gardeners at Chiswick House, Castle Howard, Studley, Rousham, Stowe, Petworth and elsewhere redefined our ideas of beauty. The erudite narrative is accompanied by contemporary illustrations. No jacket.

A horticultural revolution took place in England during the late 16th and 17th centuries, as gardeners, botanists, scholars and courtiers exchanged the latest ideas, and the growing book trade spread them to a wide audience of creators of more modest plots as far away as the new colonies in the Americas. This book charts these developments through the experiences of enthusiasts such as the Tradescants, Francis Bacon and John Evelyn, and the stories of the kitchen and flower gardens of the great estates.

In this lavish volume we are treated to a private view of 30 of the most exciting gardens in London. They are as varied as they are beautiful, on rooftops, afloat on the Thames, within palaces, around churches and behind walls. Some are grand and traditional, such as the homes of the Prince of Wales (Clarence House) or the US ambassador (Winfield House), while others are more modest, such as the garden squares. Several contemporary designs add to the visual feast.

For thousands of years, people around the world have adopted belief systems that give a key role to the natural world and the trees, fruits and flowers found there. This book explores this complex subject, pointing to similarities and differences, and showing how belief systems often transfer their ideas to the real world, such as the Pure Land gardens of Buddhist Japan. It is richly illustrated with a mix of historical images and photography of contemporary gardens.

Preparing and eating freshly harvested, homegrown food is immensely satisfying, and all who enjoy it will relish this lavishly produced introduction to herbs from the Royal Horticultural Society. Each one receives its own listing, with growing tips, key facts, nutritional information and recipes. Feature spreads on topics such as edible herb flowers, topiary and historic settings complement the directory, and the illustrations of flowers, roots, leaves and seeds are exquisite. Gourmet Gardener series. Silk marker.

In this practical guide, horticultural lecturer and garden designer Michael Lavelle explains how to plant and maintain a garden that works with nature and has a positive environmental impact.

Part of the Reader's Digest Garden Basics series of straightforward, illustrated guides, this handy, ring-bound book is in two main parts: a seasonal guide to keeping the garden healthy and a directory of over 200 pests and diseases arranged by symptom, with special features on roses, slugs and snails, winter pruning and lawn care. The introductory section includes information on beneficial creatures and using organic treatments.

Three horticultural texts by the great diarist and author of Sylva (1664): Kalendarium Hortense is a gardening calendar; Directions for the Gardiner is based on Evelyn's garden at Sayes Court; and Acetaria is a gardening cookbook for salad plants.

Illustrated with engravings, postcards and maps, this is a history of Manchester Botanical Society's garden at Old Trafford, from its brilliant heyday to sad decline as a doomed amusement park.

This majestic book offers a complete and thorough explanation of the life of trees: how they grow, their constituent parts, how leaves manufacture nutrients and how they reproduce. Its heartwood is an encyclopedia of more than 600 species from all around the world, illustrated with colour photographs and drawings. Blending authority and enthusiasm, this title is more than a botanical guide – it is a celebration of trees and the ways that they enhance our existence.

This history of the allotment movement explains how it has reached the high point it enjoys today, with approximately 330,000 plots around the United Kingdom. Foley reaches back a thousand years to the movement's own roots, when even the lowliest serf had a stake in the land, and traces the influences of monarchs, politicians, pioneers and farmers. As a social history the book reveals much about issues such as unemployment, class struggle and attitudes towards the environment.

The King Edward potato was originally named 'Fellside Hero' by its Northumbrian grower in 1902, but with Coronation fever in the air a merchant changed the name to associate the variety with the new King. In this comprehensive guide, Alan Romans explains how to plant, maintain, harvest and store potatoes; he explores their history and provides an illustrated reference to over 130 varieties, scoring each for its relative qualities and resistance to disease.

This is a sumptuously produced study and celebration of 70 heritage varieties that were in danger of being lost. Today more people grow them, not just to preserve them but because they look and taste so wonderful. With glorious photographs (was ever onion so lovingly portrayed?), this book tells the stories of fruits and vegetables, from asparagus in spring, through soft fruits, beans and salads in summer, to winter squashes and brassicas. Foreword by Raymond Blanc.

In this pocket guide, Gardener's Question Time expert Bob Flowerdew sets out his methods for controlling pests and diseases without resorting to chemical poisons. Employing such techniques as companion planting, encouraging natural predators and erecting physical barriers, his approach is to use wit and cunning to outmanoeuvre garden pests rather than seeking to eradicate them completely – gently shifting the natural balance in the gardener's favour. No jacket.

This compendium by the author of the best-selling Expert series is intended for people who want to take a rest from weeding, relax, and read about plants, people and places. Here you will find a short history of the tomato, an article on Gregor Mendel and his peas, descriptions of famous gardens such as Hidcote Manor and Stourhead, and pieces on topics as diverse as working-class plants, earthworms, mazes, and how to win at the rose show.

In the 1940s, the Adam the Gardener cartoon appeared each week in the Sunday Express, advising what jobs to do in the garden and how to do them. Featuring Cyril Cowell's illustrations, this replica of a classic 1946 collection presents Adam's tips, week by week throughout the year.

The garden created by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, at Kenilworth was one of the wonders of Elizabethan England. It was also the best-documented garden of its age, allowing English Heritage to recreate it in 2009. Comprising 17 essays by specialists and lavishly illustrated with reproductions, plans and modern photographs, this book charts the documentary and archaeological detective work that went into that project, but also represents a major addition to the study of English garden history.

Despite its distinguished history, garden painting seems to have fallen from favour. This delightful survey of the work of 21 contemporary artists - including the author - demonstrates that the genre is alive and well. Working in a wide range of media and styles, the artists hail from the United States, Britain and continental Europe, and reproductions of their pictures are accompanied by brief biographical sketches. Among the gardens depicted is that of Sir Roy Strong, who has contributed the foreword.

The skill of growing fruit is to manage the shape and size of the tree or plant so that it can produce the best quality yield without becoming exhausted. Illustrated with colour photographs throughout, this gardener's guide provides tips on choosing the most appropriate fruits for your garden, instruction on how to train, support, prune and protect them, and detailed advice on individual fruits, from container-grown raspberries to apple, pear and plum trees.

It was the taste of a ripe mulberry that gave Mark Diacono the inspiration for Otter Farm, the Devon smallholding where he runs courses to share his love of fresh, seasonal food. In this beautiful book, illustrated with his own superb colour photography, he charts the story of the farm, and shares its seasonal recipes: Warm Salad of Padron Peppers, Cherries and Halloumi; Chicken, Pork and Borlotti Bean Casserole; and a refreshing Cucumber Ice-Cream.

This innovative guide to incorporating wild plants into the garden is packed with ideas and excellent photographs. It is organized by habitat, with plants for the rockery, the mixed border, ponds and meadows. Almost 200 different plants are included, with expert growing advice for each one and planting plans showing how to combine them creatively for maximum effect.

How do seeds know which way is up? When does a shrub become a tree? Where do bees go in winter? Guy Barter, the head of the RHS Members’ Advisory Service, provides expert, in-depth answers to 130 intriguing questions. However curious the query, Barter’s detailed, illustrated answers deepen our understanding of the garden, from the ‘millions of tiny organisms consuming millions of even smaller ones’ below ground, to the ‘chemical labs of mind-boggling complexity’ in the plants above.

Since the end of the Second World War, the cartoon gardener Mr Digwell has been dispensing horticultural advice to Daily Mirror readers, and he remains as popular as ever. This collection offers a comprehensive, month-by-month guide to a gardener’s tasks, from winter pruning through spring seed sowing and planting out to autumn lawn care. Clear, simple strip cartoons present up-to-date information on growing flowers, shrubs and vegetables in a reassuringly traditional manner.

For around 40 years, up to the 1980s, Mr Digwell dispensed his vegetable-growing wisdom via a cartoon strip in the Daily Mirror. Now his straightforward, illustrated instruction and advice on growing your own, which was invaluable during post-war austerity, is as relevant as ever. Based on the original strips, but updated for today’s gardeners, the book has advice on growing vegetables, fruit and herbs; combatting pests; growing in a greenhouse; and storing, preserving and cooking your produce.

Showcasing over 300 of the UK’s best contemporary garden designs, by 50 designers, this useful guide presents photographs, information and inspiration for outdoor spaces large and small. As well as providing advice on planting, pathways, entrances and water features, Hodgson considers what you will do in your garden – eat, play, bathe etc. – and how to keep it environmentally friendly. The book includes information on how to realize your own design, and a directory of reputable designers.

Norah Lindsay was a major influence on English garden design between the wars. Having developed her skills in her own Oxfordshire garden, she turned professional in 1924 when the collapse of her marriage left her penniless. This magnificent book, lavishly illustrated with historic and modern photographs, celebrates her life and work creating gardens for Nancy Astor, the Prince of Wales and royalty across Europe. It includes a directory of all her clients and the work she undertook for them.

Requiring very little space, small really can be beautiful with these miniature scenes. Quick to create and easy to maintain, from tiny landscapes to an ecosystem in a terrarium or a hanging garden, this guide provides a wealth of ideas. The chapter on basics will explain everything a beginner needs to know, including the best containers and equipment to use, how to plant and maintain the gardens and ways of coping with pests and diseases.

Along with a compost carousel – showing what you can and can’t compost – a ‘worms and ladders’ game, compost bingo and a worm identification chart, this guide includes all the practical information you need to start composting at home, as well as three sheets of colourful stickers, a press-out Worm Lovers’ Society card and extra interesting facts (and jokes) about soil and worms. Age 7+