Griselda Kerr has drawn on over 20 years of gardening knowledge and experience to create the book that she wishes she had had access to when, as a complete beginner, she started to revive the “dismal looking” plants in her garden—an indispensable, practical guide to how and when to look after more than 700 garden plants.

No coffee table book this, it is designed for constant quick reference, to be used, perhaps as a stand-in for a knowledgeable friend, for advice on specific plants. Look up each plant in a specially formatted index spread across the year and a page reference will take you to a short, clearly written entry on what to do in a particular month—whether to clip, deadhead or divide, cut right down, feed, mulch or leave well alone. Each of these gardening techniques is also explained in a comprehensive glossary.

The Apprehensive Gardener is an attractive, durable, easy-to-use guide to plant care which will be referred to over and over again and will stand the test of time.

Griselda Kerr, who trained in horticulture and garden design at the English Gardening School, Broomfield College and Brooksby College, is a gardener, lecturer and columnist who describes herself as ‘always thinking about plants.’ Her vibrant garden in Derbyshire is regularly open to the public and frequently features on Instagram. Follow Griselda Kerr on Instagram @griselda.kerr