If you have ever waged war against local squirrels to prevent them from ransacking your garden, you will know that they are wily beasts who can find loopholes in the most cunning of defences.  Capable of remarkable feats of tightrope walking and problem - solving, they are formidable enemies indeed - and that's not to mention the many other pests who can torment the optimistic gardener, from slugs and snails to moles and deer and from bugs and weevils to fungus and blight... Anne Wareham has compiled a brisk, but comprehensive guide to recommended anti - pest stratagems, including ingenious tricks to keep squirrels from eating all the seed when the feeders fail, and when to tie your sunflowers on to the shed roof. Admitting that some pests can't be beaten, the book also advises when you should grow a different plant rather than prolonging the fight. And her range of garden foes extends beyond the natural world, with advice on how to resist fatuous horticultural trends and ignore 'people of unlike mind'. This is by an honest book of advice which will be appreciated by amateur and professional gardeners alike.