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Amazon.co.uk Review
How to Be a Gardener: Book Two is the follow-up to the phenomenally successful How to Be a Gardener: Book One by Alan Titchmarsh, aka TV's Mr Gardening. Titchmarsh's title suggests what many will agree with, namely that gardening is more a state of being than an activity, something to which more or less every waking hour and thought must be dedicated. (The less ambitious Delia Smith, it might be noted, did not call her trilogy How to Be a Cook). Nonetheless, like the first volume, this is resolutely, and rightly, aimed at the virtual beginner--perhaps the ideal reader is the owner of a garden whose sole effort to date has been to look guiltily out of the window from time to time and swear to get round to doing something about it.
This volume, subtitled Secrets of Success, adds to the basic techniques of the first in the practical context of making and maintaining gardens. They aren't secrets, of course--or they won't be once this book starts selling--but the wisdom and knowledge of an experienced gardener and teacher. A quick whisk (three pages) through garden history since the Middle Ages and we're off into an introductory consideration of garden types and how to make the best of what nature and the previous owner have bequeathed. Structure and style established, the remainder of the book the practice. The rather mysteriously titled Vertical Gardening turns out to be about fences, hedges, pergolas--anything that goes up rather than along. Patios, beds and borders, water features, vegetables and wildlife and covered (i.e., greenhouse and conservatory) gardens are each explored in depth, giving all the information the nervous gardener will need to bring it all together. This book privileges good advice and endless reassurance over high concepts. There really is no excuse now not to get on with it. --Robin Davidson
Review
Back with his second series, the blue-eyed much-loved garden presenter Alan Titchmarsh teaches the nations gardeners how to design their garden. Whereas Book 1 taught them the basic botany and how to do the practical bits, this one explores how to transform a boring back garden into a place of paradise. Easily written in his inimitable chatty style, he shares top design tips in an easy-to-understand way for all to comprehend. Lavishly illustrated with pictures to make the mind drool, all styles of garden are represented from rustic to formal, contemporary to old-fashioned cottage garden. And all aspects of gardening are covered too: water gardening, vegetable growing, patio planting and how to encourage wildlife into your garden even if you do live in the middle of a city. As Book 1, this will become a gardener's essential reading, lending itself to both the novice and the more experienced in search of inspiration. - Lucy Watson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
138 of 138 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My wife and I required help. We had just bought a house with gardens that required much attention - Lawns that had had many football tournaments played on them, flowerbeds that resembled war zones and barren areas of land that made the Sahara desert look positively fertile.
We had studied many gardening books, many of which were good, but none aimed at the 'absolutely useless'. After watching Mr. Titchmarsh's series on back to basics gardening we decided to check out the accompanying book.
Were we impressed? Absolutely. There's everything here that the beginner could wish for. What tools you require and their uses. Garden pests and ways to remove them. Correct ways, positions, and times of year of planting, to name but a few topics. My only gardening 'skill' was mowing the lawn. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I'd been doing it wrong (Cutting too short, not removing dead grass, etc).
If the only time you get green fingers is after picking your nose (sorry) then this is a perfect book and cannot be recommended enough.
77 of 79 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
How good it was to read a gardening book written for a true novice. Alan does not assume that you know anything except that the garden is usually outdoors. All is explained clearly but not in a patronising way, the pictures would surely inspire anyone to get out there and have a go at creating their own little paradise.
What a refreshing change this book is to all the fashionable 'no plants' type of gardening, I was quite sad when I finished reading it. I have had a garden for quite a while,mine has grown randomly without any design whatsoever, but Alan's book has inspired me to have a go at designing my own triangles.
What a refreshing change this book is to all the fashionable 'no plants' type of gardening, I was quite sad when I finished reading it. I have had a garden for quite a while,mine has grown randomly without any design whatsoever, but Alan's book has inspired me to have a go at designing my own triangles.
148 of 153 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A very well written book in simple language, yet full of valuable information from start to finish. Mr Titchmarsh takes you through a brief explanation of what gardening is or should be and onto the basic fundamentals explaining about soil and how plants live, breath and grow. Easy to read and excellent photographs. i particularly enjoyed the sections on pests which will hopefully get rid of the army of never ending slugs in my garden! Written with his usual sense of humour I found it more like a one to one chat than reading a book. Very informative for the whole spectrum of gardening, can't wait for the tv series.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great book
I'm a total novice at gardening and recently bought a house with a fantastic garden without any knowledge on how to look after it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jonathan Bradshaw
Basic gardening book
The book arrived in good time and in good condition. It is a present so I cannot make any further comment.
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. V. Little
An Inspiring Book
If you are very much a novice gardener like me, this is the book for you. Alan Titchmarch is the best. He is down to earth (excuse the pun! Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. L. Brown
how to be a gardener secrets of success book two alan titchmarsh
this book is better than expected.i ordered a brand new one from amazon at the same time and this is in better condition than the brand new one(which was damaged in the post) . Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mrs. H. J. Harris
Fantastic
An early christmas present for my brother who has just bought a new house with an established garden, he needed to know how to get rid of the roses in his garden as they were... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mrs J
Alan Titchmarsh gardening book
This was recommended by a friend to buy for my recently bereaved mother-in-law. As she would be doing the gardening from now on. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by A. S. Pomfret
Excellent advice but for novices only
I was really tempted to give this book a five star rating but for one point - this is a very short book and, while it does what it says on the cover, if you follow Alan's advice... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2005 by J. Brand
great!
As with Book 1, I found the second in the series an excellent read and extremely helpful. Book 1 gave you the basic knowledge, this one helps you put it into practice. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2004 by Helena
excellent!
This is a truly wonderful book. It starts at square one and goes through all the very basic things you need to know about gardening. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2004 by Helena
Real Gardening at last!
I bought this book for my father who is an avid gardener but ended up reading it myself! It is very thorough and doesn't assume previous knowledge of the subject. Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2004 by Cantox
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