People who have the privilege of owning and tending a piece of land or garden earn with that privilege a significant responsibility.

People who have the privilege of owning and tending a piece of land or garden earn with that privilege a significant responsibility. They are, after all, custodians of the environment not only for themselves, and their enjoyment, but also for the generations of people, animals and organisms that follow. Through their gardening practices they have a direct and powerful impact on the future state of the environment. They are garden guardians and this title is dedicated to those who want to ensure that their gardening legacy is a healthy one. However, even garden heroes battle with pests on a daily basis. Our gardens are full of organisms just waiting to feast on ripening fruit, strip the new growth from prized shrubs or inflict long-awaited flower buds with unsightly mould. This title is designed to inform gardeners about the many environmentally-responsible options available to them - cultivation techniques, biological controls, beneficial predators, choice of host plants, and relatively non-toxic organic or natural pesticides. Large chemical producers often carry 'green' pesticides in their range but seem to be doing very little about reducing the output of some of the most noxious chemicals to be found on earth. Indeed some pesticides sold in South Africa are still based on active ingredients that are banned in many other countries. The garden guardian's guide provides background on the various poisons and potions that can be found in garden sheds throughout South Africa and contains guidelines on how to handle them. Pesticides are often odourless and colourless, and their effects may be silent and irreversible. Often gardeners aren't willing, or equipped, to handle these chemicals with the care that they require. How often are gardeners seen applying pesticides without the appropriate protective clothing, in poor weather conditions, at the wrong time of day and too often in the wrong quantity? Perhaps we are all guilty of being a bit too nonchalant. Ultimately this title provides a wealth of information so that people can make their own choices. Some readers will never use pesticides in their gardens again while others will have new respect for the power and effects of pesticides in the garden and environment. Hopefully no one will be unmoved to adjust their garden care practices, and perhaps the producers will be pressed to provide permanent facilities and systems for safe disposal of the pesticides they create.