The introductory section provides information on many useful subjects for the home gardener, including identification sections on garden pests, diseases and weeds, advice on fertilising, mulching and planting specific types of plants and propagating, pruning and selecting the most appropriate plants for your garden areas. Diagrams and photographs are included to offer visual assistance with gardening techniques, the identification of plants and solving of garden problems.

The large A-Z plant listing contains 500 pages with references to over 4500 species. These have been selected to represent a balance of classic, popular and new plants to suit the home garden. Photographs of species and varieties accompany each entry. There is a general description of the plant and its most popular species, identification details and useful information on its cultivation and ideal climate.

The reference section will help you to find plants which are suited to different conditions – coastal, shade, damp, cool climate, wind, hot summer, fire, drought and poor soil. There are also listings of plants by popular flower colours to make it easy to plan a colourful garden.