Illustrated Practical Guide to Water & Rock Gardening

This book offers everything you need to know to design, construct and plant up a rock or water garden with directories of suitable plants and how to grow them. It includes inspirational plans of full-scale water and rock gardens, such as a slate rock pool, a rock stream, a cobble fountain, a raised pool and a wildlife pond. It features over 600 photographs including stunning examples of gardens, step-by-step sequences and plant portraits. It offers practical guidance on construction materials and techniques, an easy-to-use directory of water and rock plants, care and maintenance, and a guide to buying and introducing fish. Water is a welcome element in any garden, having the power to both soothe and excite. Combined with rock, it brings a whole new dimension to garden design. This book explains how to create beautiful rock pools, ponds, gravel gardens, wildlife pools and bog gardens, and shows how to use bridges, decking, stepping stones, islands and lighting. A plant directory provides information on waterlilies, deep-water aquatics, oxygenating and free-floating plants, as well as trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, ferns and alpines. Whether your dream is a simple rock-edged pool or a cobble fountain, this book is perfect for both beginners and ambitious gardeners.