Thoughtful Gardening

A thoughtful and practical book on how to garden in harmony with nature. A leading National Trust gardener reveals the techniques that work at in grand gardens are just as applicable for all gardeners, whether you have a small yard, a veg patch or several acres. His advice covers: How to make a plant healthy from organic spraying with milk, introducing friendly fungi to good nutrition for your plants. Making perfect compost, including hot composting techniques, the ultimate leaf mould, bracken compost and potash, and composting food waste. Surviving droughts and downpours with low-watering regimes, increasing drought resistance in plants, choosing the right plant for your conditions, and keeping plants healthy in water-logged soil. Making your glasshouse green with water-collection systems, using beneficial insects to control pests, alternatives to pesticides and fungicides, sterilising without bleach, peat-free composts and alternatives to plastic. Gardening by the moon with simple and scientific experiments in biodynamic gardening.