"At a time when most garden writing was lethally dull and as impersonal as a committee report, Henry Mitchell was the great exception. He was often funny. He was always passionate, for his loves were many. He was endlessly quotable, whether he was telling his faithful readers that marigolds should be used as sparingly as ultimatums, or reminding them that to go from winter to summer you have to pass March".

But Mitchell was more than a master essayist. He was a great teacher. As one reviewer said of his book, One Man's Garden, "it reflects a zest for gardening and provides more useful advice than you could find in a dozen how-to books".

This all-new collection of his columns will be greeted with delight by the legions of Henry Mitchell fans -- and will make new fans among those who are so new to gardening that they haven't yet made the pleasure of his acquaintance.