This anthology of practical advice from more than 50 eminent gardeners is full of wit, wisdom and experience. Comprising extracts on subjects as varied as water gardens and window-boxes, lettuce and lupins, it offers insights into the patience and versatility required of the successful gardener as he or she negotiates the vagaries of soil, climate and the seasons - to say nothing of the temperamental behaviour of different plants. From the elegant prose of Sir George Sitwell, evoking the sea-maidens and gold-red fish that might lurk beneath the surface of a water-basin to Vita Sackville-West describing the glories of the scent of thyme and Anna Pavord recounting her tribulations and triumphs with tulips, there is something here to inspire every gardener, whether novice or seasoned professional, all year round. Exquisitely illustrated with prints by the artist Angie Lewin, this is a delightful, useful and thoroughly engaging book.