Author(s): John Walker

House & Home

This is the practical guide to greener, planet-friendly gardening. It includes garden layouts and planting plans, step-by-step techniques, a directory of 80 plants and over 500 photographs and illustrations. It shows how to reduce your garden's 'carbon footprint' and create a greener, more ecologically sustainable garden by working with nature. It includes step-by-step advice for establishing an eco system, controlling weeds, composting with worms, harvesting and storing water, planning a food garden, encouraging backyard wildlife, and landscaping with recycled materials. Detailed and inspirational 'greenprints' show layouts and planting schemes for city courtyards, food gardens, allotments, dry gardens and rain gardens, as well as how to eco-fit an existing garden. This title features a fully illustrated directory of 80 plant species chosen for their eco-friendly benefits, from flowers, shrubs and hedging plants to vegetables, tree fruits and herbs. Working in harmony with nature, eco gardeners can create attractive and resilient gardens that reduce our 'carbon footprint', while nurturing vibrant, biologically rich growing spaces that build soil, boost biodiversity and encourage a sense of self-reliance. Simple and fun projects include making a pond, a log pile and a wildlife hotel, turning a lawn into wildflower meadow, and making an edible green roof. A fully illustrated directory of 80 plant species describes the best plants for an eco garden, including flowers for attracting beneficial insects, and shrubs that provide winter food for birds.