The Sceptical Gardener

Book excerpt: How are birds linked to house prices? How can a gardener improve the flavour of their vegetables? Do wildflowers really thrive in poor soil? In this collection of articles from The Telegraph, biologist and gardening columnist Ken Thompson takes a scientific look at some of the greater – and lesser – questions faced by gardeners everywhere in a bid to sort the genuine wisdom from the hokum. What is the ideal temperature for a compost heap? What do bees do that improves strawberries? Why are gardeners in literature always such dummies? This is an expert's gardening miscellany, aimed at making you not necessarily a better gardener, but probably a far more thoughtful one.