The Well-Tempered Garden

Christopher Lloyd

Editions

Review

First published in 1970, this volume must be considered the high point of Christopher Lloyd's long career as a gardener and writer, and he himself considers it to be of outstanding importance in his literary output (no shrinking violet, he!).

This is no less than a survey of every aspect of gardening from how to dig a hole on page 1 (the bigger the better, incidentally) to choosing the correct mulberry tree (you need to get the right sex, apparently) on page 465.

In between comes a wealth of gardening lore, sound advice about plants (from Abelia to Zinnia) and encouragement without any trace of condescension. - review by Stewart Grimshaw