Today's gardener has literally hundreds of bamboos, grasses and palms from which to choose. These versatile, easy-to-maintain plants incapsulate a huge range of textures, forms, sizes, colours and flowering times - meaning there is something suitable for every garden in every climate. "The Bamboo, Grass & Palm Specialist" goes back to basics, first describing what bamboos, grasses and palms are and detailing their many uses. It then moves on to cover buying tips, planting information, cultivation, propagation and displays - whether readers want to create a Japanese-style bamboo garden or make a simple focal point out of ornamental grasses in a terracotta pot. Invaluable A-Z lists of the most useful and easily grown plants are also included. Packed with invaluable information and presented in a clear, accessible format, "The Bamboo, Grass & Palm Specialist" is an essential handbook for anyone keen to make bamboos, grasses and palms a feature of their garden.
David Squire has worked for many years as a gardening writer and editor. He has contributed to numerous gardening magazines and is the author (or co-author) of more than 80 gardening and plant-related books. His books include four titles in the new Home Gardener's Specialist Guide series (Fox Chapel Publishing) plus The Scented Garden (Orion) which won the “Quill and Trowel Award” of the Garden Writers of America. David trained as a horticulturist at the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and at the Royal Horticultural Society, where he was awarded the Wisley Diploma in Horticulture. He was awarded an N.K. Gould Memorial Prize for his collection of herbarium specimens of native British plants. In 2005, this collection of plants was accepted by the Booth Museum of Natural History to become library and museum exhibits. He has a passionate interest in the uses of native plants, whether for eating and survival, or for their historical roles in medicine, folklore and customs.