An original, totally absorbing and funny!

A small book which proves wonderfull things can come in diminuitive sizes. This encapsulates Bennett's whole philosophy. She may not have rolling acres, but her enthusiasm and knowledge is charming and subtle, alerting us to the small but significant choices we make everyday. Even if you only decide to grow some Italian plain-leaved parsley it will leave you with a feeling of quiet smugness! I particularly delighted in her description of the goings on in the antery she bought or was the best bit the saffron spice festival or the eating habits of worms?

A real gardeners' book

As always with books written by Beth Chatto, it is an engaging read and lavishly illustrated. A record of real gardening recording both triumphs and disappointments. But above all this book is about the plants. Beth Chatto is a true plants woman and in a league of her own. This book is an inspiration to us all.

Fantastic easy to understand read

I bought this book as I'm a novice to greenhouse gardening. This book is a must for others like me. It is written in an easy to understand manner and is structured so that you can pick out the sections you want or need without having to wade through endless pages of the stuff you don't want - not that there are any pages in the book that are surplus to requirements! The illustrations and photographs are very helpful too. The author doesn't use jargon or techno speak beyond the understanding of beginners and manages to instill the belief that greenhouse gardening is quite achievable for anyone who wants to have a go. Full of tips on what you need and don't need to buy also. An excellent book overall.

Just beautiful

I'm a huge fan of the colourful vintage and bazaar-style look in the home, it makes personal spaces that little bit more original. I love to search charity and second hand shops for the kind of finds featured in this book and I have to say that it is the most inspiring book of it's kind I have ever come across. If you are searching for a few tips, ideas and pointers on how to pull this look off, this book is well worth a purchase.

The Flowering Shrub Expert

A great book to have with you in the garden if unsure, very easy to read and understand and if not a competent gardener than a must have book.
Contains all the information on flowering Shrubs, soils and pests and there prefered growing enviroment that you need to get you through the seasons and will answer any questions that crop up.
I have found this book very easy to use and to help me identify shrubs that I have been unsure of and solutions to problems.
This book doesnt contain in depth knowledge for the proffesional gardener but like I have said a must have collection of books.

Very well written descriptions of how plants work

Reading about botany bores me (which is strange for someone who loves growing plants for a living), but I LOVE this book. When I was studying for the RHS Advanced Certificate in Horticulture (a Level 3 qualification) it provided just the right level of detail, well explained. Some great, simple diagrams clarify heavy subjects and the few pictures taken through microscopes are fascinating. There's no waffle, just facts.

If, like me when I started, you have very little knowledge of botany, you may find that 'Principles of Horticulture' by Adams, Bamford & Early is a better starting point. I used to read a chapter in PoH for the basics and then turn to Capon for a more satifactory level of detail.
Capon became the"Bible" of our botany class and we referred to it constantly as we struggled to understand and retain the botanical knowledge we needed.

Remeinder of some imortant things for interior design

This book tells about things that everybody involved in interior desig or architecture already knows.
But on the other side,it collected all this at one place, so it can be usefull becouse many interior designers and architects forget this things.It is especialy usefull for students who meet with interior design at first time.
Others who expect to find exmples of good design,computer rendered examples and photos of interiors, will be disapointed becouse there is no any.

Highly recommended for students and professionals

This book provides a valuable introduction to horticulture. The information covered is wide ranging, explained clearly and is accompanied on many occasions by useful pictures and diagrams. This text was useful to me on the HNC/HND (Horticulture) course and also occasionally during my horticultural degree. The book would also be of interest to many horticuural professionals. There are not currently enough text books available specifically for horticultural students so this book is a valuable one.

Full of ideas to power your imagination

This is a luxurious book that will keep drawing you back to it time and time again. Filled with photos and illustrations along with fascinating stories, it details the background to several 'shelters' across the world ranging from driftwood shacks to really large structures. The key thing is that each one was built by hand as a home to be lived in.

As a book for design inspiration it is without equal (although the original 'Shelter' by the same author comes close!

There is a rustic feel about the whole book - it's almost like you are reading through someone's personal scrapbook, which in a way you are.

If you are interested in building, whether it's a shed in the garden or something much bigger, don't delay - get this book.

Grow beautiful roses with the help of this excellent book

Once again, Hessayon comes up trumps with his simple, easy-to-follow and well-illustrated guide. There's everything you need to know about growing roses, from the qualities of different varieties to planting and care. The book has been significantly updated to take into account the latest varieties and fashions
My particular favourite is the rose troubles area, as the illustrations enable you to pinpoint exactly what problems you have and show you how to treat them.
This book is a must for anyone starting out or wanting to reinject some life into rosebed.

Erudite but also incredibly accessible

Warning: this book can become addictive. I've just been renovating a whole house and I spent so much time with my head in this book, friends started to tease me. It's beautiful, but it's also thoughtful and brilliantly creative. I can't believe some reviewers on here don't find it useful. McCloud covers so much, from every shade of each colour to period colours (like the 1930s palettes I ended up using) to colours for beach homes or cold climates or loft style apartments. In short, there is a wealth of knowledge in this book and it's written with the passion one has come to expect from McCloud. To those who find this book hard to use, what do you want Kevin to do, come round your house and choose the colours for you? Be creative, pick what you like and experiment. That's the whole idea of the book! I did and I've ended up using colour in a way that I never thought possible.

A fantastic and inspirational book

Having borrowed this book from my local library several months ago and renewed it so many times I feel guilty, I've come to realise that I simply must buy this book. Having read it cover to cover and gazed at the gorgeous pictures, I now dip into it in on a regular basis for reference and ideas. This book is full of suggestions for filling your garden with a riot of colour and dramatic foliage with sections on suggestions for damp, dry, sunny and shady areas with helpful planting plans. Not a book for those who like their gardens sedate and pastel coloured but for everyone else it really is a must have book. Honestly one of the best gardening book I have ever read.

One of the"Bibles" for backyard grape growers.

Cox's"From Vines to Wines" is probably one of the best introductions to backyard grape growing and basement winemaking available today. From selecting vine stock to harvesting the crop, the first half of the book covers all the bases for grape growing. The second half is dedicated to winemaking, from first establishing what type of wine you want to create to labeling the bottles. This book is definitely oriented towards the hobbyist - readers with designs for a large vineyard (1+ acres) will want to start with this book but move on to more detailed texts. Personally, I found the section on site selection and soil analysis a little thin - fine if you're limited to the space on hand (your backyard), but lacking if you want to buy acreage dedicated to a vineyard. No data was provided on small scale commercial operations or basic vineyard economics. Cox's winemaking chapters are probably the best I've seen. He goes through the whole process and highlights potential trouble areas. Overall, a very good book for the hobbyist.

A must for any newcomer to Furniture or Cabinet making

An excellent all round book with superb illustrations, tips and ideas for simple time saving jigs. Covering all aspects from design and wood selection to construction and finishing, this book is an essential addition to any shop.

Attractive and instructive

An excellent introduction and reference book for growing salad plants. The usual supects are covered as well as some rather more obscure ones. Creatively illustrated with marvelous photography, Larkcom firstly arranges chapters of salad plants such as stems and stalks, fruiting vegetables etc., as you would expect, but also flowers, herbs and wild plants. She then turns her attention to cultivation and finally ends with a few recipes. Anyone interested in starting a small kitchen garden, allotment or potager will find this invaluable and desperately inspiring. Joy Larkcom has been growing food since the seventies and her knowlege and clear style are inspiring.

try it and amaze yourself

Totally inspiring. Full of great ideas on taking one person's junk and turning it into a stunning point of focus in the home. Illustrated with charming photographs throughout. Recommended