The gardener's companion By Mary Moody ISBN 186436520X, published in 2001 by New Holland Publishers, b&w with colour plates, hard cover, 580 pages Price $A59.95 plus $A10 postage within Australia, overseas postage please request a quote

In The gardener's companion, popular Australian gardening personality Mary Moody shares her love of gardening in a delightful and informal manner. The ultimate reference book for every gardener's bookshelf.

It features:

• nearly 600 pages of useful tips, ideas and interesting anecdotes to inspire every gardener and improve every garden;
• a collection of Mary's favourite plants, with relevant cultivation notes - plants that she knows from personal experience will delight everyone with their performance;
• invaluable charts with important information for growing a variety of plants throughout Australia;
• over 140 beautiful line illustrations

Mary's many years of practical experience, together with her knowledge of ecologically beneficial practices, will be of invaluable assistance to gardeners wishing to create a sustainable and easy-care garden. This approach to gardening is of particular use to first time gardeners while those more experienced will find many helpful tips and refreshing insights to update their gardening practices.

About the author

Mary Moody came to gardening in her late twenties when, with her husband and young children, she moved to the semi-rural beauty of the Blue Mountains to attempt self-sufficiency. Over a period of twenty years she taught herself basic gardening skills with a large vegetable, herb and fruit garden, later expanding into the cultivation of heritage roses, perennials and alpines. She has written more than twenty books on gardening, and for the past eight years has been a weekly presenter on the ABC's popular television program Gardening Australia. Every year Mary leads treks into mountainous regions of the world observing and photographing flora in the wild.