Organic Gardener

Description

This title tells you how to create vegetable, fruit and herb gardens using completely organic techniques. This is a practical guide to natural gardens, showing how to apply organic principles to all aspects of garden planning, design and maintenance. It contains over 600 photographs, including illustrated step-by-step sequences to show how to achieve the best results in ornamental, wildlife and kitchen gardens. It covers all the basic techniques, including soil care, weeding, watering, feeding, growing under glass, pruning and propagation. This book applies organic principles to different types of garden - ornamental, wildlife and kitchen - showing how to plant flower beds, borders and ponds, how to create woodland gardens and wild-flower lawns, and how to grow vegetables, herbs and fruit. There is also a section on plant health that discusses the best ways of using natural methods to deal with any pests and diseases that may occur, for example by creating suitable habitats for beneficial predators such as lacewings, wasps, hoverflies and frogs. Whether starting an organic garden from scratch or applying organic principles to an existing garden, this book is filled with step-by-step information that will help you achieve your goal. Written by award-winning authors, it is a comprehensive guide packed with inspirational photographs and well-informed gardening advice.

Author description

Christine Lavelle is a lecturer in horticulture and ecology at Writtle College, Chelmsford, UK. She trained at the National Trust for Scotland's Threave School of Practical Gardening and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Christine has worked in many different areas of horticulture and has held two head gardenerships at Askham Bryan College in York and Otley College in Suffolk. Michael Lavelle is a committed environmentalist and a firm believer that nature provides the best model for any garden design. Michael studied horticulture at Askham Bryan College in York, UK and environmental management at Wye College in Kent, UK. He worked as a professional landscaper before starting a career as a horticultural lecturer in the early 1990s. Michael has designed and constructed educational exhibits at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, achieving prestigious gold medals in 1999, 2003 and 2005, and winning a silver medal for his specialist wildlife garden in 2007.