In this book, Helen Dillon encapsulates, in her inimitable witty and accessible style, her lifetime of gardening know-how, deep love of plants and assured sense of design. Here is illumination for every gardener - from the beginner wondering why nothing will grow in the garden of the new house to the sophisticate aiming at exquisitely subtle effects. Thoughtful ideas on garden style are underpinned by practical advice on looking after plants and careful instructions on the basics of digging, planting and propagating. Helen Dillon teaches us all how to garden, and garden well. Helen Dillon is revered world-wide as one of the most skilled and perceptive gardeners of our time. She comes from Perthshire in Scotland and has been living in Ireland with her husband, Val, for the past thirty-four years. Much sought after as an author, broadcaster and garden consultant, she lectures frequently in the United States and New Zealand as well as all over Britain. She has also travelled extensively in order to study plants in Nepal, China, South America, South Africa and New Zealand. In 1999, she was awarded the Gold Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society in England and in 2003 the George Robert White Medal of Honour of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In autumn 2004, she was made a Distinguished Counsellor to the Board of the New York Botanical Garden. Her garden in Dublin has been open to the public for the last twenty years. Previous books include Garden Artistry and On Gardening.