No garden site is perfect but mine has a couple of particularly tricky issues. It slopes steeply at one end and, due to an open situation, can be extremely cold in winter – as the wisteria discovers every year. So, two titles in the new Gardener’s Guide series were of particular interest.
A Gardener’s Guide to Gardening on a Gradient by Carol Smith looks at how to deal with a sloping plot while A Gardener’s Guide to Protected Growing by Guy Deakins covers everything from greenhouses to protection from pests.
(I was given both books in return for a fair review.)
Carol Smith says her aim is to produce a “concise, detailed, easily read and understood handbook” for anyone with a sloping plot and, using her background as a garden designer, that’s what she’s achieved.
We’re taken step-by-step through the process of designing with a slope from how to analyse a site and simple surveying techniques to choice of materials and plant selection.
Potential problems, including drainage and soil erosion, are also tackled and there are useful tables showing the procedure for a professional planting scheme, and how to deal with problems on different soils.
Gardens that are simply flat are “boring” she declares, suggesting that introducing changes in level will give any garden more appeal.
Steps are often needed and they are given thorough consideration from what materials to use to how wide they should be. Other ideas include incorporating a water feature into a slope, or using a change in levels to add a sense of mystery by creating hidden areas.
While this Gardener’s Guide would be perfect for anyone faced with a difficult gradient, it also includes a lot of more general gardening information such as how to choose plants and look after them for the good results.
Guy Deakins’ guide to protected growing is far more than the obvious greenhouses and cloches. In a book that he describes as “strictly utilitarian”, he also covers creating micro climates with the use of hedges, fences and walls – particularly important as windbreaks – cultivating soil to give plants the best chance, and how to garden more sustainably.
A sizable part of the book is given over to growing in greenhouses or polytunnels with lots of information on how to choose your structure, maintenance, temperature control, and watering.
There’s an explanation of the importance of light and how to use grow lights to extend the season, along with advice on growing certain things, such as orchids or fruit, under cover.
Growing in polytunnels, greenhouses, or under cloches can also give the perfect conditions for pests and diseases, so there’s guidance on how to avoid these and what to do if they strike.
Lots of pictures and ‘Ask an Expert’ sections along with highlighted hints and warnings make the information easy to understand.
Both of these books would be suitable for newcomers to gardening or those who have been growing for years.
A Gardener’s Guide to Gardening on a Gradient by Carol Smith is published by The Crowood Press with an RRP of £14.99.
A Gardener’s Guide to Protected Growing by Guy Deakins is published by The Crowood Press with an RRP £14.99.
Top image: Sustainable planting at Trentham Gardens, near Stoke-on-Trent.
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