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The
Impatient Gardener
Book
Review Richard Wright
1 July 2002
 As
its title suggests, this is a book for those
wanting a quick fix to have an immediate impact
on their garden. The author recognises people
often donÂ’t have time to garden, let alone
the patience to wait until their garden matures.
The first chapter – "Instant Gratification"
– responds to this "age of instant
everything" with a range of projects that
can be implement in a weekend at any season
of the year. Advice is to choose your style
and have a plan to work towards – whether
a traditional cottage garden, a formal garden
with plants and paths in a regular pattern,
or a modern garden using sculpture and texture
to create a design. The most common gardening
problems are assessed, and simple quickly achieved
solutions are suggested – for example the
use of pale coloured paint-work and shade loving
plants to bring life to a dark corner or passageway.
Putting
some thought into the use of hard materials,
features and containers can transform a garden.
This can range from simply painting a boundary
wall to more ambitious project such as adding
an arbour or water feature. Containers offer
instant impact and are a good choice for those
on the move. Plants are the key to any garden,
and the plant directory describes a wide variety
and how to care for them. Uniquely, this is
divided into fast, medium and slow categories,
and the author suggests choosing plants from
each to phase planting for immediate and lasting
effect.
The
book is beautifully illustrated by photographs
of many of the projects. At £16.99 it
is good value for anyone looking for time-saving
techniques to transform their garden instantly,
whether they are owners of old overgrown gardens,
virgin plots or simply a small back yard.
Book
The Impatient Gardener
Author Gay Search
Publisher Quadrille
Price £16.99
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