Contains advice for creating a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly ecosystem in the average urban garden.
- Designing for nature
- planting vignettes of nature - woodland and shade, the woodland edge, grassland - meadow and prairie, wetlands, dry and exposed habitats, open borders
- natural gardening without a garden
- practicalities of natural gardening
- plant directory
Noël Kingsbury is a leading exponent of contemporary naturalistic planting design. He contributes regularly to The Garden, Homes and Gardens, Hortus and The English Garden and writes occasional pieces for many other magazines and newspapers including The Financial Times and Country Life. He has written some eleven books including The New Perennial Garden (Frances Lincoln, 1996) and Designing with Plants with Piet Oudolf (Conran Octopus, 1999).
"Leading natural garden designer and expert Noel Kingsbury turns his eye to smaller gardens, hoping to educate owners of city gardens to the added benefits of gardening in tune with nature. These benefits are enormous: increased wildlife leading to a decrease in garden pests, easier to grow plants as they have been chosen specifically for the conditions, a more relaxed feel with plants that flow naturally together, making the vision easier on the eye. Kingsbury backs up his arguments with solid fact and years of experience, clearly explaining the pros and cons of this form of garden cultivation. Gloriously illustrated with colour photographs, this is an informative and inspirational book for all aspiring to a greener life in all senses of the word."
– Lucy Watson