Richard Bird has been gardening since childhood and maintains an extensive kitchen garden where his passion for fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit is very evident. He has contributed to many publications and has been magazine editor for Focus on Plants, The Hardy Plant, Alpine Gardening and the Alpine Garden Society's magazine, Bulletin. He is also a full-time author on gardening and plants and has written nearly 30 books on subjects as diverse as alpines and rock gardens, lilies, perennials, organic gardening and window boxes.