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Large gardens, small gardens, window sills, front steps: all provide areas for planted containers to brighten up and provide seasonal interest. From dwarf shrubs and trees to the tiniest alpine plant, displayed in an attractive pot or trough, they bring an instant splash of colour or form to an otherwise empty area. Whilst in theory any plant can be grown in a container, the dwarf plants are happier and easier to please using this growing medium. Herbs, perennials and bulbs are all ideal subjects and are discussed in depth but the most striking are the sinks and troughs of alpines. The perfection of these tiny jewels can only truly be seen in miniature landscapes such as those provided in sinks, pans and troughs. They can be kept clean, protected and, being slightly raised, appreciated more. Sempervivums and sedums tend to look their best grown in pans either mixed together to create a tapestry of foliage or individually in groups. The authors, Chris and Valerie Wheeler, are both trained horticulturalists and run a nursery specialising in dwarf hardy plants so speak with authority on a the subject of sink and container gardening. Photographed by Chris all sorts of ingenious plantings are shown and the attractive drawings of Melanie Clitheroe offer further ideas. Due to the recent plethora of gardening books on container gardening, I feel that this book would have benefited from confining itself just to sinks and troughs. Where they do depart from these feels slightly disparate, the authors' main interest of alpines being so obvious. However, the professional advice on how to plant and display containers is far superior to other similar books which merely present a superficial picture for a seasonal planter rather than a long-term planting and the book offers many attractive inspirations for gardeners of all abilities.

Part I ideas: why use sinks and containers?; choosing sinks and containers; siting and grouping containers; plant selection; planning your planting scheme. Part II practicalities: preparation, planting and maintenance; problems, pests and diseases; planting plans. Part III plants: plant descriptions.