This book shows how to use annuals and perennials to conjure up gardens with a special accent: fragrant gardens, colour gardens, water gardens, specialist flower gardens and container gardens. It offers all the skills and routines you need to keep your garden looking lovely all year round, shown in step-by-step photographs with clearly written text. It provides exciting ways to create a host of different gardens: pretty cottage and wildflower gardens, grand formal plans and more informal schemes. It includes inside information on the best plants to use for ground cover, climbing, foliage and shape. The first part of the book includes in-depth studies that show how to achieve the perfect planting for a wide selection of different garden types - from a cottage garden to a formal scheme. The best plants and techniques for different conditions - including dry, damp, shady, large and small spaces, and family gardens - are then explored. The second half of the book includes a series of comprehensive guides to all the techniques you need to keep your outdoor space in top condition, from preparing the soil and sowing to feeding, and coping with pests and diseases. With more than 250 stunning colour photographs, stepped routines, and handy reference lists of recommended plants for all situations, this is the book that no aspiring or experienced gardener can afford to be without.