Gardener in residence

No matter what gardening zone you grow in or your level of expertise, you’ll be right at home here. This two-part, 500-page volume takes readers by the hand and leads them through the gardening experience.

From the basics like understanding what a plant is, how it grows, and what it needs to mature to more advanced topics like wild flowers, edible gardens and water features, Titchmarsh shines when it comes to step-by-step techniques. No surprise, since this gardener/author hosted the BBC’s popular “Ground Force” before writing this book, which is a companion to his new BBC television show, “How to Be a Gardener.”

This gardening reference manual not only answers how-to questions on gardening but also shows and tells the gardener why certain techniques work better than others. Even readers with no gardening background and little knowledge can grow a rewarding garden with the helpful photographs, detailed drawings and diagrams.

Without a great Aunt Sophie to hand down the finer points of gardening, consider this book a “gardener in residence” on how to plant and maintain a garden that reflects your individual needs, character and style.

Judith A. Stock