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  Kerrie John-The garden design Co January 18, 2009 at 8:44pm

  Can't say that any of the books I have inspire me, probably because I know exactly what there content is (after turning to them for so many years for inspiration).
  
  My bookshelves are burdened with tombs but the two books which sit beside me at the drawing board are:
  
  The RHS book of plants, (the bible of plants and mine is now in three separate sections held together with gaffer tape).
  
  The prince amongst books, and the one that I always refer to is, Graham Stuart Thomas - 'Perennial Garden Plants'. (ISBN 0 46086057 8) It has seen me though college and it is still a great source of information. I also have his 'Ornamental Shrubs, climbers and bamboos'. Not as good as there is no height and spread in the information.
  
  Hate to advertise, bu† Notcutts do a good publication too for a fiver!
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  Cat Fereday January 18, 2009 at 11:21pm

  Hi Ofer,
  
  We like the RHS books best, particularly "Practical Gardening Techniques" which even tells you how to dig properly!
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  pete January 20, 2009 at 10:33pm

  Above all others I'd keep is Christopher Lloyd's The Well Tempered Garden. Some books I still use are Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix' large format books for identification - Shrubs; Perennials; Trees; Wild Flowers, there's loads of them -Vegetables, Conservatory Plants, Wild Food, there's even one on fish. And for pruning - George Brown's The Pruning of Trees Shrubs and Conifers. Ones I read recently - Jack Hargreaves' two books - Out of Town, and, The Old Country, which are both warming and a bit sad. One to read to your children Ofer - The Velveteen Rabbit. And if we're talking education and relaxation you could do worse than watching a DVD of 'The Victorian Kitchen Garden' - which is where it all started! (ok, so I forgot Culpability Brown)
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  Sefton Paine January 21, 2009 at 6:31am

  For identifying plants - I have many and it really depends what kind of format you like but as for gardening methods - RHS Gardening (which usually retails at £30 at most bookshops but you should be able to get a good deal after Xmas).
  I would say that if you purchase from the following publishers, you shouldn't go wrong: Readers Digest, Collins and Dorling Kindersley (Who publish many of the RHS backed titles)