Author Polly Stevens, who manages the decorative display unit at Kew, answers common gardening questions such as 'what sort of soil does my garden have?, when should I feed my plants, how do I deal with pests without using harmful chemicals and should I plant only native species.
This basic advice is in bitesized chunks and offers guidance on old chestnuts you get at any garden talk about tools, soil and what and how to plant where and how to look after your plants.
The top 10s are the best bit for me.
Top 10 plants for beginners are: Viburnum, euphorbia, lavender, sage, achillea, penstemon, heuchera, birch, allium and daffodil.
Top 10 low maintenance plants are: santolina, stachys, windmill palm, herb Robert, stonecrop, miscanthus, valerian, helenium, phormium and pittosporum. Some may regard some of these as weeds, which are listed as yarrow, bindweed, fat hen, thistle, chickweed, cleavers, spurge and plantain, as well as hawk's beard, Himalayan balsam, honeybells, buttercuo, Japanese knotweed and groundsel. Control by using groundcover, hoeing and not letting them seed.
Top 10 pest and disease resistant plants: jasmine, marigold, stipa, juniper rugosa, phlox, tomato, potato, ilex crenata, cherry.
Top 10 wildlife plants: holly, honeysuckle, salvia, buddliea, echinacea, foxglove, catnip, knapweed, hawthorn, osmanthus.
The book gives handy advice laid out on facing pages, which are easy to read at a glance.
