Pruning is the number one anxiety of aspiring gardeners who want to train and stimulate their plants but fear they might kill them. Pruning now joins the hugely successful Collins Practical Gardener series to give you the best tips and techniques for pruning your entire garden, from roses and fruit trees to hedges and topiary plants.

Pruning retains a plant's shape, improves flowering and fruiting, and keeps foliage and stems healthy. This books guides you through the vast range of tools and equipment that can be used for different pruning tasks and gives you the full understanding of plants necessary for proper pruning.

General techniques are followed by a comprehensive A–Z directory of ornamental plants, plus hardy fruit trees, exotic and tender fruits and nuts, and soft fruits. Since the pruning methods required by different plants vary, the specific guidelines are invaluable.

A pruner's glossary enables quick reference and, since pruning is more than a once-or-twice-a-year job, the pruner's calendar is an essential reminder of your year-round schedule for keeping your plants at their best.

Packed with information, advice and practical tips this informative guide to pruning is the most attractive and down-to-earth reference of its kind.

Contents include:

• Assessing your garden

• Reasons for pruning

• Tools and equipment

• Understanding plants

• Pruning techniques

• Pruning roses

• Hedges and topiary

• Ornamental plant A–Z directory

• Pruning hardy fruit trees

• Pruning exotic and tender fruits and nuts

• Pruning soft fruits

• A pruner's glossary

• The pruner's year