Amazon Review
We've had the appetiser in the form of the BBC TV series: now here's the meat. The Ground Force Weekend Workbook makes no attempt to be the only gardening book you'll ever need, but it's certainly an excellent primer. Written with the novice in mind, its emphasis throughout is on planning, forethought and efficiency. The early chapters especially will save the unwary from hours if not days of wasted effort, while fiendish shortcuts enliven the homily. "To see how many plants you might need in a certain part of a border," says one, "use balloons tied to short canes. It gives a remarkably good idea of density." (Not to mention scaring the life out of the neighbours, one might add.)

The book carries Alan Titchmarsh's name; not surprisingly, while the excellent garden plans are his, Titchmarsh's involvement is more editorial than creative. The no-nonsense text is by a chap called Steve Bradley, who has done a splendid job of packing the potted wisdom of the Ground Force team--plantswoman Charlie Dimmock, landscaper Tommy Walsh and Titchmarsh himself-- into a single handy volume. A comprehensive index makes up for the over-egged page layouts, full of QuarkXPressed oval text boxes with titles like "Tommy's Tip For Top Results".

So unthreatening as to be a bit utilitarian, the Ground Force Weekend Workbook makes every feature of gardening seem easy. A chapter towards the end entitled "Basic Electricity" may, of course, be taking things a little far ... --Simon Ings