GARDEN DESIGN & PLANNING. Any outdoor space in an urban environment, however small, is an invaluable bonus. Here, expert garden designer Joe Swift shows us how to create an area that meets all your practical and style requirements whilst making the best use of every inch of available space. Familiar to many as the co-presenter of BBC's "Gardeners World", Joe's practical and attractive ideas will enable you to create your own personal Eden. It features chapters that take you through the initial assessment and planning stages, to selecting suitable plants and hard materials, quick makeovers and year-round maintenance to keep your garden looking at its best. Joe reveals how to make the most of existing elements, how to conceal less pleasing aspects, and how to create privacy and the illusion of space so that you can make the very most of whatever space you have. And, throughout, Joe remains cost-conscious, aware that redesigning a garden can be an expensive endeavour.

Joe's practical and attractive ideas will enable you to create your own personal Eden. Chapters take you from the initial assessment and planning stages, to selecting suitable plants and hard materials, quick makeovers and year-round maintenance to keep your garden looking at its best. Joe reveals how to make the best of existing elements, how to conceal less pleasing aspects, and how to create privacy and the illusion of space so that you can make the very most of whatever area you have. And, throughout, Joe remains cost-conscious, aware that redesigning a garden can be an expensive endeavour.

The contemporary guide to urban gardens. In this mould-breaking book, Joe Swift addresses the new generation of the stylish city, for whom the garden is just another room in the house - somewhere to relax, entertain, cook, eat, work and play. Like the other rooms, the 'plant room' needs to be decorated and, for people leading busy lives, the garden provides a new and satisfying way to express themselves creatively, as they blend textures, colours, sounds and scents to make a highly individual outdoor space. In the past, the garden was primarily a place to grow plants. But now, plants are only one of the main elements which go towards creating a successful garden. It takes careful planning to foster plants which will look good in the urban setting. Joe Swift shows readers how to achieve this and how to choose from the wide range of garden furniture and accessories available to complete the look.

With hardly any previous veg-growing experience and even less time, when Gardener's World design guru Joe Swift decided to take on a 250 sq metre allotment in north London, some people thought he was mad. But with hard work and dedication, in less than a year Joe created his very own urban oasis and a source of delicious, fresh, organic produce for himself and his family. In this book Joe takes us through every stage of his education as an allotment gardener, from putting his name on the council waiting list to harvesting his first crops. He reveals everything he's learned about acquiring a plot, clearing the site, planning the beds, and planting, nurturing and protecting his fruit and vegetables. All the techniques he has mastered are described and illustrated, step by step. Joe also introduces us to his Veg Heroes like Monty Don and Geoff Hamilton - fellow plot-holders with years of experience and the crops to show for it - who inspired Joe to take up veg growing in the first place. And he shares with us his enjoyment of allotment gardening, the combination of hard work, fresh air and a sense of community that makes his plot such a special place to be. Whether you are an established allotment gardener or are thinking of putting your name down for a plot, Joe's Allotment will provide you with a wealth of advice and inspiration.

"101 creative and inspiring ideas to grow edible and decorative plants in urban environments"--

Create your own small garden with expert gardener Joe Swift. Green spaces are the perfect antidote to fast city living. Learn how to create your own small garden with expert gardener Joe Swift’s practical, easy-to-follow advice. From courtyards to rooftops, transform awkward and unexciting spaces with inspirational ideas and solutions.