Specialist
9 total works
Patios, paths and steps introduce interest into the garden, creating divisions, levels, seating areas and walkways. From tiny city backyards to spacious country gardens, there is a way of enhancing it with one of these features. "The Patio Specialist" is the essential book for anyone who is thinking of building one of these features, anyone who has bought materials but doesn't know how to start or anyone who has steps, a patio or a path and wants to know how to restore the feature to its former glory or give it a new lease of life. The book starts with the basics of assessing the garden, checking the site, planning and preparation, tools and materials and foundations. With the basics established, the authors introduce the many different types of patio and how they can be created, maintained and enhanced; from natural to brick patios, decking to split-level patios, furniture styles, planters, ornaments and lighting. Paths and steps are looked at in similar detail. Each subject is presented in a clear way with box features, lists and questions and answers.
For both beginners and experienced DIY enthusiasts, this book will prove invaluable time and again, providing the reader with clear, concise, readily-accessible information. The key features include: new ideas for keen DIY-ers, capitalizing on the current popularity of improving gardening and outdoor spaces; ideal as a 'first book' for beginners to learn all the basics; and, an invaluable sourcebook of inspiration for more experienced DIY enthusiasts to refer to again and again.
For both beginners and experienced DIY enthusiasts, this book will prove invaluable time and again, providing the reader with clear, concise, readily-accessible information. The key features include: new ideas for keen DIY-ers, capitalizing on the current popularity of improving gardening and outdoor spaces; ideal as a 'first book' for beginners to learn all the basics; and, an invaluable sourcebook of inspiration for more experienced DIY enthusiasts to refer to again and again.
Ponds and water features have been popular in gardens for thousands of years. This book is aimed at anyone who is thinking of building a pond, anyone who has bought some of the materials but doesn't know how to start or anyone who has a pond and needs to know how to keep it at its best. The book starts with the basics of assessing the garden, checking the site, planning and preparation, tools and materials and electrical wiring and safety. With the basics established the authors introduce the many different types of pond and how they can be created, maintained and enhanced. From split-level ponds to wildlife ponds, plant and fish and adding sculptures, bird houses, stones and bridges, each subject is presented in a clear way with box features, lists and questions and answers. The final chapter looks at water features - a rock pool or stream for a large garden or a small wall mask or trough for a tiny backyard.
The Small Garden Specialist
by David Squire, Alan Bridgewater, and Gill Bridgewater
Published 1 February 2005
The majority of people do not have the luxury of a large outdoor space - whether it be a garden, terrace or courtyard - most have a small area to work with. However, even the smallest of gardens can be made into a stunning outdoor area, the trick is knowing how to achieve this. This book contains all of the information that anyone who is looking to improve their small garden needs to know. Starting from the basics of types of garden, equipment, lighting and plant care, the book offers a wealth of ideas on different garden styles - from a Mediterranean garden to a wildflower garden, a Japanese garden to a wildlife garden - detailed lists of appropriate plants, including herbs, fruits and vegetables and practical step-by-step instructions for making paths, patios and other garden structures.
No matter what the type of garden or outdoor space, trees and shrubs are usually featured. This is because they are so versatile. Depending on the species chosen, shrubs and trees can form the background to a garden, be a focal point or add height to an overlooked garden. Whatever your garden needs, a tree or shrub can provide it. This book details the basics of choosing, buying, planting establishing and transplanting. A comprehensive plant directory has A-Z lists of species within different categories - seasons, colour, size etc. The final section of the book looks at how to care for shrubs and trees, giving practical advice on how to prune and clip, and the pests, diseases and other problems to watch out for.
No matter how big or small a garden is, there is always room for a container. They are available in a wide range of styles and sizes and encompass everything from urns, troughs, planters and tubs, to hanging baskets, windowboxes and wall pots. They can be used on terraces and patios to soften their appearance, form a point of interest at the end of a path or showcase a particularly wonderful plant. Whatever is needed in a garden, a container can be the answer. This book covers everything that you need to know about container gardening - from the basics of which container to choose, guidance on seasonal displays and creating a herb garden to container water features, indoor hanging baskets and planting a strawberry barrel. There is also invaluable information on looking after plants, raising new plants, fixing brackets and supports and pests and diseases.
Bonsai is both an art and a craft. It can be learned by novice gardeners and turned into a satisfying hobby, whether the plants are grown in the garden or in the house. This book starts by defining what bonsai actually is and moves on to types of bonsai (indoor and outdoor), bonsai styles, tools, growing and care and a detailed directory of plants suitable for use for indoor and outdoor bonsai. The book concludes with advice on how to display bonsai. Whether starting with an established bonsai or raising a plant from seeds and cuttings, this book has all of the relevant information and will be a valuable reference resource time and again.
The orchid family is made up of some 750 genera, nearly 20,000 species and many thousands more hybrids. Their exotic blooms and intriguing growing habits make them very appealing -- both to the plant enthusiast and to those who simply want them as an ornament in the home or garden. This book will satisfy the needs of anyone who is interested in orchids, whatever their reason for wanting to grow them. After the introductory section which explains the basics of the different types, the structure of the flower and the anatomy of the plant, there are detailed sections on growing and displaying different types of indoor orchids and greenhouse orchids as well as information on watering, feeding, repotting, pests and diseases. Orchids have a certain reputation of being very hard to grow, particularly in cooler climates, but this book guides you to the right orchid to choose and provides all of the necessary care information so that the plant will flourish whatever the climate
In order to be a successful gardener you have to know how to prune - whether to improve growth, increase fruiting qualities or to enable the plant to grow in space-restricted areas or cold environments. This practical book provides advice on pruning garden plants, from infancy to maturity. Included is detailed advice on renovating neglected plants, from shrubs and climbers to fruit trees and bushes. There is also a fun element, with instructions for creating topiary in the garden.