With space ever more difficult and expensive to come by in our cities today, people are starting to realise how that plot out the back – or that balcony, or that rooftop – should be seen as an extra room in its own right. A space that with a little effort and the right know-how can be transformed into a lush, green oasis of calm: a space to relax away from hectic city life; a space to entertain friends; where kids can play safely; where you can explore your creative side, recover the link with nature and bring the pace of life in the country to the town. Matt knows the difficulties of an urban garden – limited space, limited time, limited cash – and the book is crammed full with creative design and planting ideas developed from his professional experience working in London. An extensive directory recommends plants that thrive in urban conditions and identifies those it is best not to waste your money on. There are chapters on maximising space through the use of different levels, heights and 'rooms'; combating noise, pollution and eyesores; using trees for instant architecture and privacy; and achieving the 'gardenless' garden with window boxes, pots and trellises. The book will also show you that it's not just the farmers who can go organic, with tips throughout on chemical-free gardening and a section on growing a 'kitchen' garden which brings the allotment to the back door. The City Gardener takes a refreshing attitude towards gardening that will be sure to energise a new generation of green-fingered city dwellers: chuck out the rule book, don't worry about monster earthworks and building expensive 'features' – just get to know and love the things that really matter in a garden: the plants!
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From Amazon
Would-be celebrity gardeners are popping up all over the place now that gardening is the new whatever-the-last-thing-was. You can spot them by the look-at-me TV series and the accompanying book. Among the latest hopefuls in search of an unoccupied niche is The City Gardener, Matt James, whose outstanding characteristic as a gardener is that he lacks a garden. Disarmingly, he confesses at the outset that his personal garden real estate is limited to a small balcony. But of course this is the whole point. City gardening has always been about making do with what little you've got, about ameliorating minimal and unsympathetic spaces and sour, bricky soil (if you're lucky). Matt James goes about his business with the enthusiasm of the first-time author. A Preamble Round the Garden lays out the basic premises--gardening must really be about pleasure or it's not about anything; and throw away the rule book--and he's off. The body of the book is crammed (literally--the designer has opted for a crowded layout and an annoyingly hard to read typeface) with advice on adapting awkward spaces, choosing and placing plants, hiding unwanted features, and so on. It concludes with profiles of a selection of plants chosen for their suitability in the town garden. The many photographs feature the photogenic James quite intensively, sometimes gardening (obviously in somebody else's garden), sometimes sitting around looking shyly at the camera. There's probably nothing here that you won't find in other gardening books, but urban gardeners will relish a book that addresses with energy and conviction precisely the challenges they face. --Robin Davidson
From Booklist
Host of The City Gardener, a British TV series, James lives in a London high-rise and he gardens on his balcony. His attractive book is intended to help beginners create gardens in small spaces. James writes that it is important first to evaluate the amount of sun and shade the site will get, then to work with the proper soil mixture. He offers advice on choosing the correct design and surface materials, on privacy and screening, on making use of levels, on picking garden furniture, and on creating a sense of tranquility. He recommends a variety of annuals and perennials and describes their colors, scents, and shapes, and demonstrates how some can be grown in pots and hanging baskets. Another fine feature: lovely color photographs appear throughout this helpful book. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Ronnie
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was very happy with this product. The shipping was reasonable and it arrived in a timely manner. The book had alot of good ideas.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The City Gardner - a book of Inspiration
Aug 18 2005
By David Eric Nikielski
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I started watching Matt James on HGTV by accident one Saturday and became fixated on an Englishman who ran around creating gardens for all his friends & their friends as well. When I saw he had two books out I decided on getting one. Was this to help my garden grow better or start a new garden? Neither. I live in an apartment so gardening is out of the question, but he is such a talented man who made me want to go outside my 1st floor apartment rip out their plantings and do my own garden landscaping, because Matt James is that good and that talented. Everytime I see his show I love the garden he does for the client. This book gives you almost an secret insight to all that is good, bad & ugly in the world of gardening. It takes his background and knowledge and gives you the tools to create your own little garden no matter how big your space is, no matter your budget and no matter how much time you have. I believe Matt sees the world better off in Mother Natures colors and we should all do our part on helping make it more beautiful. Get the book and Matt will help you find joy in gardening even if your not inclinded to ever be one.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great book for small spaces.
Mar 3 2005
By S. Hebbron
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This book evovled from a TV series in the UK. Matt James, the author is a gardener who specialises in constructing interesting and functional small urban garden spaces.
He really encourages you to think about what you want from your space in terms of both design and planting. He considers notions like tranquility, entertainment, screening, wildlife encouragement. He will ask you to consider planting and it's effects both short term, seasonally and long term (it made me rethink what a wrongly placed silver birch might be doing to my foundations!) A sound little book, I would urge to get hold of the TV series if you can, to bring his ideas to life. Great for any City dwellers seeking greenery.
He really encourages you to think about what you want from your space in terms of both design and planting. He considers notions like tranquility, entertainment, screening, wildlife encouragement. He will ask you to consider planting and it's effects both short term, seasonally and long term (it made me rethink what a wrongly placed silver birch might be doing to my foundations!) A sound little book, I would urge to get hold of the TV series if you can, to bring his ideas to life. Great for any City dwellers seeking greenery.
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Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
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