Helen Yemm Simon & Schuster, £12.99 (ebook £6.99).

IF you want a typical gardening book with lots of pretty photographs and planting plans, don’t choose this book.

If, however, you want a book that’s easy to understand, clearly set out, with a bit of good humour thrown in, then this could be your perfect horticultural companion. This updated follow-up to Helen Yemm’s Gardening In Your Nightie is packed full of all the basics you think you should know but were afraid to ask.

The whole book is down to earth (excuse the pun!) and aimed at those who think they’d enjoy gardening if they just knew a little bit more about it.

8/10