RHS gardening titles always present a best practice approach to gardening, whatever the subject; Part of a hard-working series with a strong identity and visible authority on mainstream gardening subjects; Jargon-free text clarifies the mystique and perceived difficulty of some gardening practices; Fully illustrated with colour step-by-step drawings and clear photography to make the problems easy to diagnose; The must-have new RHS practical gardening library for the best results.

This series is written by a team of Royal Horticultural Society experts in fruit, trees, ornamentals and hedges with decades of practical experience. The Royal Horticultural Society is at the forefront of a gardening revolution in which received wisdom is questioned and updated. This book is the result of more than 100 years of practical experience in gardens across the world. With this book, gardening practice is in safe hands.

INTRODUCTION UNDERSTANDING PROBLEMS Understanding environmental problems Understanding pests Understanding diseases Preventing problems Choosing the right plants Establishing good growing conditions Using good growing techniques Encouraging beneficial insects Encouraging wildlife predators Establishing good garden hygiene Barriers for small pests Barriers for large pests Sticky traps TAKING ACTION Improving growing conditions Common pests Common diseases ORNAMENTALS Introduction Seeds & seedlings Annuals & bedding plants Bulbs & corms Glasshouse plants Herbaceous perennials Lawns Trees & shrubs Conifers Roses VEGETABLES Introduction Seeds & seedlings Asparagus Aubergines Beans Brassicas Carrots Celery & celeriac Chard & beetroot Cucurbits Culinary herbs Leeks Lettuce Onions, shallots & garlic Parsnips Peas Potatoes Spinach Sweet corn Sweet & chilli peppers Tomatoes FRUIT Introduction Apples Pears Plums Apricots, cherries & peaches Blueberries Currants Gooseberries Grapes Raspberries Strawberries WEEDS Introduction Preventing weeds Annual weeds Perennial weeds Garden weed directory Lawn weed directory GLOSSARY INDEX PICTURE CREDITS