If the desire to start a garden has been planted in your heart, then this essential guide is a wonderful companion to accompany you on your new adventure!If you're not sure of the first steps to take, this handbook takes the anxiety out of plotting and planting and equips you with all the know-how and confidence you need to get digging into your garden.Creating a garden that you can enjoy and keep looking beautiful all year round is easier than you think!With the expertise of the Royal Horticultural Society, you'll find simple step-by-step instructions, with clear images to help you create your dream garden, no matter the size and scale.Get to know your garden and choose plants that will grow well in particular soil types and conditions year after year. From growing root crop to cutting back ivy, this book gives you lots of simple garden ideas and projects that you can do yourself.Even if you've never sowed a seed or pulled a weed, RHS How to Garden When You're New To Gardening contains everything you need to kickstart your new outdoor hobby! This refreshingly accessible book is perfect for the novice gardener who wants to make the most of whatever garden they have.Your Guide to Creating the Garden of Your DreamsDo you want to create a garden you can show off with pride? Would you like to grow your own food? This book will get you started quickly! By following the simple steps and projects outlined in this book, you will reap instant rewards and long-term successes so that you can enjoy your garden in all seasons.Inside the pages of this comprehensive gardening book, you'll discover: - Clear definitions and descriptions of the different types of plants.- Tips on choosing the type of garden you want.- Easy-to-follow instructions for choosing the right plants for your soil.- Simple step-by-step instructions to producing your first crop.- Practical gardening advice on planting, growing, and caring for different plants. Read more

A Sunday Times bestsellerEven great gardeners like Monty Don are always learning and always experimenting.The Complete Gardener brings you right up to date on how Monty gardens today.This extensively revised new edition covers what Monty believes are the most important aspects of gardening today. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned gardener, it's time to get your green-fingered hands dirty!A comprehensive gardening guide that no gardener should be without: - An introductory chapter that explains the essentials of organic gardening practice- A structure chapter that shows you how to define space in your garden with hard landscaping and natural options, such as trees, hedges, and topiary- Discover all different types of flowering plants explaining how to design with them, combine, plant, and care for them- How to grow fruits and vegetables with in-depth crop-by-crop explanations and which tried-and-tested varieties to choose fromPacked with beautiful illustrations and practical gardening tips, Monty reveals the secrets of growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs while respecting the needs of the environment. He covers everything from planning the space and crop rotation to pruning fruit canes and staking peas. Join Monty in his garden at Long Meadow! Over half of the photos included in this updated edition were shot at his renowned personal garden over the course of a year. Discover how he created this beautiful garden, and how you can do the same in your own. Design Your Dream GardenAlthough organic techniques have always been at the core of his practice, this new edition has a new emphasis on gardening for wildlife and the impact of global warming on the garden. This is a go-to guide for anyone seeking Monty's gardening advice and the perfect gardening gift for any plant lover, regardless of their experience or budget. Read more

LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITINGSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONTHE TIMES / WATERSTONES TOP 10 BESTSELLERA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE INDEPENDENT, STYLIST, RHS, GARDENS ILLUSTRATED and moreWomen have always gardened, but our stories have been buried with our work. Alice Vincent is on a quest to change that: to understand what encourages women to go out, work the soil, plant seeds and nurture them, even when so many other responsibilities sit upon their shoulders. To recover the histories that have been lost among the soil and to understand women's lives, their gardens and what the ground has offered them. Wise, curious and sensitive, Why Women Grow follows Alice in her search for answers, with inquisitive fronds reaching and curling around the intimate anecdotes of others. Read more

Take a wander through Adam’s garden as he reflects on the plants that have shaped his life.The scents of the rosemary and thyme lining the garden path instantly welcome you to what follows: a wildflower meadow, an ornamental kitchen garden, a shady courtyard, terrace and borders, gravel garden, and woodland walk, taking you on a tour through Adam’s garden.As you go, Adam explains his design and planting choices, drawing on personal feeling and memories as well as years of experience.Plant profiles provide inspiration for your own planting dreams, interspersed with practical know-how on plant care and design ideas to help you create flow and moments of pause using pathways, arches, water features, and pots. Read more

Learn more about the beautiful trees around you with this identification guide, perfect for beginners, featuring over 150 common British and European species.If you want to know the difference between a Serbian spruce and a silver birch or how different trees change through the seasons then What's that Tree? is the ideal guide for you. Species overviews show you what to look for where and related trees are shown side by side for quick comparison and identification.Clear photography of leaves will help you to directly compare the tree you're looking at with those in the guide and will assist you with specific features of the leaf to help identify the tree. This quick-reference guide also includes information on bark, flowers, and seeds.The perfect pocket guide for beginners but also a handy reference for the more seasoned naturalist, What's that Tree? will help you to become an expert tree-spotter in no time. Read more

THE LATEST GUIDE TO THE HIDDEN MEANING OF NATURE FROM THE NATURAL NAVIGATOR, TRISTAN GOOLEY Readers are LOVING How to Read a Tree:'I could write a book about this book. After the first five pages I knew my forest hiking was already permanently changed. After five more I began ordering copies for some fellow tree-loving friends' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Very interesting and beautifully written' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'An enjoyable read full of fascinating stuff' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I absolutely loved this book! I've read several of his other books before and this one might be my favourite. Gooley is the master of providing a way to examine patterns' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-------------- Do two trees ever appear identical? No, but why? Every small difference is a clue. Each tree we meet is filled with signs that reveal secrets about the life of that tree and the landscape we stand in. The clues are easy to spot when you know what to look for, but remain invisible to most people.In How to Read a Tree, you'll discover the simple principles that explain the shapes and patterns you can see in trees and what they mean. And you'll learn rare skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in a town or a wilder spot.As the author of the international bestsellers The Walker's Guide and How to Read Water, Tristan Gooley knows how to uncover the phenomena worth looking for. He has been instructing people in the art of reading trees for two decades and this book includes signs that will not be found in any other book in the world.Once you have learned to see these things it is impossible to unsee them. We will never look at a tree the same way again.----------------- 'An important book and a pleasure to read.' - Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path'You will never look at a tree in the same way again after reading this mesmerising book. Gooley drops learning as lightly as blossom falls in spring.' - John Lewis-Stempel'Tristan Gooley has done trees the greatest service.' - Isabella Tree'Will undoubtedly leave you with a deeper appreciation of trees...your country walks will never be quite the same again' - Daily Mail Read more

Beegu is not supposed to be on Earth. She is lost. She is a friendly little creature, but the Earth People don't seem very welcoming at all. However, so far she has only met the BIG ones. The little ones are a different matter . . . Read more

An essential guide to every species of tree found in the British Isles outside of arboretumsThis easy-to-use guide covers the 360 species of tree that are found in Britain & Ireland. Each species is covered in detail with information on how to identify, whether from a leaf, twig, bark or whole tree, plus extra information on where the tree grows (including a map), how high they grow, what uses the tree is used for and its unique history.Every species is also comprehensively illustrated with photographs of every useful feature – bark, leaf, seed, flower, twig and whole tree.Sample identification section:Silver Birch Betula pendula (Betulaceae) height to 26mA slender, fast-growing deciduous tree with a narrow, tapering crown when young and growing vigorously. Older trees acquire a weeping habit, especially if growing in an open, uncrowded situation. Read more

Witch's Garden describes over 50 of the world's most powerful magical plants and their uses, mythical and proven.Wise women, apothecaries, witches, herbalists: whatever you call them, those who cultivate plants for their fabled mystical and healing properties have existed for thousands of years. From the screaming mandrake to calming St John's Wort, the history of esoteric species is often as dark and elusive as the art of herbalism itself. Including tales of remedies for everything from bad weather and broken hearts to protection from evil and the invocation of immortality, Witch's Garden features exquisite botanical illustrations and fascinating specimens held within the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, while archival images depicting occult practices evoke the bewitching nature of these mysterious species. Read more

Cut trees and plants at the right time - this pruning and plant training guide will show you how. Keep your garden in top shape with RHS's guide to pruning over 800 plants, shrubs, fruit bushes, ornamental trees, and climbing plants. RHS Pruning and Training (Revised Edition), is packed with tips and advice on keeping your plants neat, tidy, and growing. Inside you will find: - Comprehensive guidance for pruning and training over 800 plants- Clear artworks and step-by-step photographs to guide horticultural experts and gardening novices alike- A practical A-Z approach, organised by plant type, displays detailed information in an easy-to-use format- Guides to specialised techniques for each plant type, such as renovation pruning, pollarding, fruit bush training, topiary, and pinch pruning.Gardening design is so much more than aesthetic! Knowing how to prune and shape plants correctly will help you achieve the best displays of flowers, produce bumper crops of fruit, and help your plants remain disease-free. Learn how to understand how different trees change through the seasons and the best way and time to cut them, apply best-practice techniques to different species, and gain expert insight into gardening a variety of plants. Detailed instructions and illustrations allow novice and amateur-expert gardeners to prune and train their gardens with confidence. Author Christopher Brickel has ensured that this gardening book is an excellent quick reference guide and simple step-by-step instruction manual with illustrations to demonstrate precisely where, how, and when to make those crucial cuts. Read more

Meet Betsy Buglove in this magical picture book - a girl who LOVES bugs more than anything else in the world!In a big, bustling town lived a girl who loved bugs,from earthworms to ladybirds, woodlice and slugs.While spiders or ants might make some scream in frightto her, creepy crawlies were such a delight!If there's anything to know about Betsy Buglove, it's that, when she's around, no bug ever has to worry about getting in trouble. Betsy's not afraid of sticky goo, tangled webs, or even muddy boots, no!On her sixth birthday she receives a special gift - a magic magnifying glass that allows her to speak to her fuzzy, sometimes slimy, friends. So get ready, because Betsy's about to get some serious business done.Perfect for children who love to help out in the gardenWill delight the toddler David Attenborough fans in the making, little ones will appreciate bug life even more after reading this!Super bright illustrations and rhyming text will make this a delight for parents, teachers and carers to read aloud time and againWith engaging endpapers at the back, including fun facts about caterpillars, praying mantises and more... did you know butterflies can smell like popcorn?"an exciting and lively adventure with gorgeous illustrations" Picturebook Snob"Fun, factual and filled with ideas about how we can help our insect friends" Book Murmuration Read more

Written by the Royal Horticultural Society's foremost fruit and veg experts, RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner provides the lifestyle-changing advice that gardeners need for growing a year-round supply of healthy, edible crops for their garden. With RHS tried-and-tested varieties, this book covers what to grow, how and where to grow it. Exploring best practice growing advice, allotment life and its numerous benefits, this book also includes a month-by-month calendar of tasks to guide gardeners through the year. Read more

The beautiful family drama from the international bestselling author of THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOOUSE and The Seven Sisters series'A beautiful story, brilliantly woven through generations' 5***** Reader Review'Stunning, enchanting, evocative . . . You can feel the wind in your hair' 5***** Reader Review'Takes you on a journey . . . Beautifully written' 5***** Reader Review________How did a secret from 1914 cause a century of heartache? . . .After a devastating loss, Grania Ryan returns home to Ireland and the arms of her loving family.There, she meets young Aurora while walking along the cliffs. Mysteriously drawn to her, Grania discovers that the histories of their families are strangely and deeply entwined.From a bittersweet romance in wartime London, to a troubled relationship in contemporary New York, the two families, past and present, have been entangled for a century.Can Aurora help Grania understand the past, and change her future?Haunting, intriguing and deeply moving, The Girl on the Cliff tells of the triumph of hope over loss.________Praise for Lucinda Riley'Thoroughly addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart' Dinah Jefferies'A brilliant page-turner' Daily Mail'An absolutely fantastic storyteller' Katherine Webb'Brilliant escapism' RedLucinda Riley, Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024 Read more

A compact guide to everything bonsai.The Japanese and Chinese have been creating bonsai trees for centuries and it is now an internationally popular pastime. This compact and stylish guide will provide everything you need to know to grow bonsai successfully, including shaping with wires, watering, seasonal maintenance, tackling common ailments, choosing the right container, feeding and repotting. A directory of over 90 of the most popular species, illustrated with beautiful photographs, will enable you to find the tree that is right for you. Read more

'In this enlightening guide to container gardening, Ann Treneman comprehensively dispels the notion that growing plants in a pot is in any way a second-best option...the real strength of this book is the author's enthusiasm for creating a container garden that will not only look beautiful but will also benefit nature.'Daily Mail***This complete primer on how to make an eco-friendly container garden is dedicated to showing that everyone can have a garden, no matter the size, that can benefit the planet.RHS Greener Gardening: Containers guides you through greener choices when it comes to creating a container garden including materials, design, plant choice and maintenance. A few pots on the patio or a window box can become a dynamic mini eco system. A balcony garden can attract wildlife. With the right plants to choose from, a patio can hold an orchard. It's all a matter of 'thinking green', using recycled materials when possible, being wildlife-friendly, choosing plants that will avoid waste, and gardening sustainably.Featuring an easy-to-follow guide to green techniques as well as a helpful series of plant profiles, this is the perfect handbook for a sustainable container garden. Sections include:- Setting up your container garden- Container gardening techniques: sourcing plants, containers & contents, watering, feeding & troubleshooting- Creating containers: growing in groups, choosing a theme, how to create a map or a plan Read more

Everything you need to know about bonsai care, maintenance, design, and arrangement. With clear explanations of bonsai and what it is, these 101 easy-to-grasp tips have everything you need to get the results you want.Build knowledge and confidence with this must-have pocket guide, filled with the essentials you're looking for including pointers and advice on cultivating bonsai plants. Create a sense of balance and serenity in your home with these beautiful miniature trees and bring the ancient practice into the 21st century. Using a step-by-step approach, 101 Essential Tips: Bonsai explains design and style principles, which containers to use, how to cultivate a bonsai plant and more. Learn about the different suitable species, from Japanese red maple to Scots pine, find out how to prune, reshape with wiring, implement Saikei and rock planting, and develop a watering routine to keep your living art healthy.Whether you want to build on your basic skills or become an expert, 101 Essential Tips: Bonsai is right for you. This pocket guide is chock-full of information to guide you, inspire you, and give you the knowledge and confidence you're looking for. Read more

The perfect planting guide by RHS experts.From a clay border in sun to a shady wall, this gardening book will help you create your dream garden with plants for every site! Featuring over 3000 plants, you'll discover how to get the most out of your gardening space.This beautiful gardening encyclopedia is perfect for beginner gardeners who need reassurance from the RHS to choose the right plant for their garden. Here's what you'll find inside: - Features RHS award-winning varieties of shrubs, hydrangeas, peonies, perennials, roses and many other popular and widely available garden plants- Showcases garden plants for every garden style, as well as flowering plants for year-round colour and problem-solving drought-tolerant plants- "Plant focus" spreads showcase the range of varieties of favourite garden plants, such as roses- Introduction with practical "how-to" gardening advice makes plant care and garden design easy and shows you the best plants for sun and shadePlanning a garden has never been more simple! Whether your garden is stuck in shade or scorching in the sun, this gardening guide advises on the best plants for 30 types of locations, and what to plant and where to plant it for special effects. Plus, a section on fragrant or colourful plants helps you create a fabulous outdoor idyll.Solve your garden problems with simple steps to assess your site and soil and then use the at-a-glance classification guide and photos to choose from over 3000 plants. From creating stylish beds or borders, this indispensable guide to planting is packed with useful gardening tips and inspirational planting "recipes" that will show you how to landscape your garden like a pro. RHS What Plant Where Encyclopedia is an essential gardening reference book for every gardener, and a great gardening gift for green-fingered friends and family. Read more

Enter an enchanting world filled with wonderfully unique houses! The 31 imaginative illustrations feature playful dwellings that include everything from fanciful storybook cottages, castles, and fairy houses to magical tree houses, decorative birdhouses, and dozens more fantastical structures. The delightfully quirky and detailed designs will inspire colorists to add their own creative touches to make each picture a special keepsake. The art is printed on one side only, and the pages are perforated for easy removal and display. Read more

The ultimate photographic collection of the most historic trees on the planet.Uncover remarkable trees from around the world, many of which have borne witness to key moments in history or reached a scale and age that have allowed them to become a part of history themselves.First meet 'Methuselah’, a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, believed to be 4,900 years old. Learn about other trees which have inspired great events, such as the Isaac Newton apple tree in Woolhope, Lincolnshire, where the scientist observed the famous apple falling from a tree (which still stands in the family garden). Other flora has withstood historic events such as in Japan, where the Hibaku jumoku still grows as a survivor tree from the Hiroshima bombing or the 9/11 Survivor Tree in New York City.Many trees continue to inspire our world today including the long avenue of beech trees in Northern Ireland known as the Dark Hedges which Game of Thrones fans will instantly recognise as the road to Kings Landing, the Robin Hood’s oak in the Sherwood Forest or the J. R. R. Tolkien trees in Avebury, which inspired the Ents in The Lord of the Rings.Rest a while beside the oldest trunks and witness the enthralling stories nestled within the branches of these gentle giants. Read more

Sunday Times Bestseller‘A paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement’ Charles FosterWaterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month (September)Are trees social beings? How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings?In The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben makes the case that the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.A walk in the woods will never be the same again. Read more