One of the most popular and successful gardening writers of the Victorian era, Shirley Hibberd (1825–90) was editor of three bestselling gardening magazines. He was highly influential – one of the first to highlight issues such as environmental conservation, water recycling and cruelty to animals – and he helped to establish what is now the vast consumer industry of amateur gardening. First published in 1871, this is one of many books he wrote on the subject, intended as a 'handy guide' for the creation of attractive flower gardens. In it Hibberd offers advice on such topics as bedding plants, border flowers, rockeries, and annual and biennial plants. He also presents methods for managing various types of garden, such as subtropical, alpine and rose gardens. Highly detailed and extensively illustrated, this book remains useful and relevant to both amateur enthusiasts and seasoned horticulturists.