Diarmuid Gavin is passionate about beautiful garden design. He knows that making your outdoor space work for you can change the way you feel about your home and improve the quality of your life.

In this dip-in and dip-out book packed with diagrams, plans, pictures and stunning photography, Diarmuid Gavin demonstrates how to approach garden design and planting so that your neglected outdoor space becomes a unique, beautiful and useful outdoor room. Both inspiring and educational, it offers practical advice and solutions for your garden project.

Starting with getting to know your garden, Diarmuid takes you through how to make some simple but important observations, such as when and where the sun rests in your site, examining what your soil is like, what your needs are and finding inspiration for your theme. When you have your outline plan, you will be armed with your list of requirements and your list of desires – what you’d love to have and what you need to do to achieve it.
As well as his golden rules for the design process and advice on everything from finding style inspiration to sustainable gardening, Diarmuid recommends choices for garden-sized trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, grasses, ferns and bamboos, along with climbers that will dress your arbours and walls all year round.

About The Extra Room, Diarmuid says: ‘My aim is for you to take note of what you have, consider what you’d love and show you steps towards achieving the Eden of your dreams. The most important thing is relax, take your time and enjoy. Gardens are ultimately about cultivation – growing something. The basics are easy and the rewards can be everlasting.

Discover how to plan and express your own garden design. Choose plants with confidence. Create a unique outdoor room. Love your garden.