Adrian Bloom explains how to make the best use of conifers in any garden landscape, large or small, and provides a directory of over 200 of the best cultivars.

First looking closely at their attributes - colour and texture, flowers and cones - Bloom reveals their wide diversity. He describes and illustrates how conifers can be used in the garden, to provide balance and structure, and year-round visual interest and colour - in the form of features, hedges or topiary, planted with heathers, other shrubs and ornamental grasses; or as ground cover; and in different situations such as troughs, screen beds, and rock and alpine gardens. All the practical tips needed for success are provided.