Knowing what to prune, when and how is a vital skill for any gardener. Pruning is essential for many plants, not just to improve their appearance, but also for their health and vigour. This book is a detailed encyclopedia of the art, and science, of pruning. It describes, with A to Z thoroughness, how to prune the plants of Northern Europe and the United States - hedges, shrubs, trees and fruit. It also covers other aspects of pruning from the basic physiology of a plant's response to pruning to the tools involved, from topiary to the legal aspects of pruning. Every pruning technique is explained in full and clearly illustrated with step-by-step drawings and examples of correctly pruned plants are shown in full colour.