With updated production techniques for home and commercial cultivation, detailed growth parameters for 31 mushroom species, a trouble-shooting guide, and handy gardening tips, this revised and updated handbook will make your mycological landscapes the envy of the neighborhood.

    A witty and informative guide for amateur gardeners shares economical, time-saving advice on how to create a beautiful backyard garden, covering everything from garden design to planting bulbs and pruning trees.

    These botanical heirlooms, such as flowering almond, blackberry lily, and night-blooming cereus, usually can't be found in neighborhood garden centers; about the only way to obtain a passalong plant is to beg a cutting from the fortunate gardener who has one. In this lively and sometimes irreverent book (don't miss the chapter on yard art), Steve Bender and Felder Rushing describe 117 such plants, giving particulars on hardiness, size, uses in the garden, and horticultural requirements. They present this information in the informal, chatty, and sometimes humorous manner that your next-door neighbor might use when giving you a cutting of her treasured Confederate rose. And, of course, because they are discussing passalong plants, they note the best method of sharing each plant with other gardeners. Because you might not spy a banana shrub or sweet pea in your neighborhood, the authors list mail-order sources for the heirloom plants described. They also give tips on how to organize your own plant swap. Although the authors live in and write about the South, many of the plants they discuss will grow elsewhere. from the book Amid the clamor of press releases touting the newest, improved versions of this bulb or that perennial, what keeps people interested in old-fashioned plants? Nostalgia, for one thing. It's hard not to feel a special fondness for that Confederate rose, night-blooming cereus, or alstroemeria lovingly tended by your grandmother when you were a child. Such heirloom plants evoke memories of your first garden, of relatives and neighbors that have since passed on, of prized bushes you accidentally annihilated with your bicycle. Recall the time you first received a particular plant, and you'll recall the person who gave it to you.

    When Stein realized what her intensive efforts at making a garden had done, she set out to "ungarden". Her book interweaves an account of her efforts with an explanation of the ecology of gardens. Illustrations.

    Greenthumbs plows ahead with this indispensable guide to creating a garden appropriate to your home, without driving yourself up a tree. Filled with practical instruction, this book will change the way readers think about home landscaping--and it will never again be boring! Two-color throughout.

    Through Ryan's artistry, the garden--at any time of the year--becomes more than a collection of plants. He brings memories and experiences into the creation of a garden to make it truly unique. Ryan's designs will inspire readers to create their own unforgettable gardens--gardens that reflect their personalities as Ryan's garden reflects his.

    This complete guide to understanding and improving the soil shows how to begin the process with easy-to-find organic materials. Includes testing soil, making compost, what plants to grow where, container gardening, how to tailor soil to fit the needs of individual plants, and much more. 75 illustrations.

    A profusely illustrated, gracefully written social history of the florist, from its Victorian heyday to present-day Britain.

    Based on the author's many years of experience, The Perelandra Garden Workbook is filled with practical techniques, fresh perspectives on traditional organic gardening methods, and an infectious sense of joy and humor. Interspersed throughout this book are many direct communications from the different levels of nature intelligence. Each reveal universal natural law and a cosmic wisdom applicable not only to gardens dug in soil, but to every garden planted in the larger soil of life experience. Truly, a book for everyone seeking to connect into the larger picture of life.

    There are many garden writers, but few whose work can be considered to have the status of literature. There is only one who has achieved this at the same time as delivering horticultural information which enlightens even the most erudite of planstmen, and that is Christopher Lloyd. His prose is exciting; his knowledge is vast; his ideas are provocative, and what is the true test of a writer who has transcended his medium, he makes you laugh out loud.

    The fourth edition is larger than the previous edition and I expect that a future edition will be even larger. The learning process of a plantsman is a life-long endeavor and I will continue to discover new plants in my travels. The idea for this text started developing when I was a student in a herbaceous plants course at the University of Illinois. At that time, I realized that there was no one text that included identification characteristics and the ornamental and cultural features necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the subject. This idea was further reinforced when I became an instructor of herbaceous plants at Kansas State University. I found it impossible to recommend any one book for student use because each had its advantages and disadvantages. This text provides the student, the professional, and the home gardener with illustrations and concise treatment of plant information. I have had an opportunity to travel extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Great Britain. Information gained in these travels has been incorporated in this expanded fourth edition. There are over 1 20 new plant descriptions and now a total of 384 color photos. Wildflowers and herbs are two examples of plant groups where coverage has been expanded. Since the printing of the third edition of the Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, I have received many helpful suggestions of how this text could be enhanced. I am indebted to those individuals who took time to contact me with their suggestions. I have assimilated their comments and incorporated them in the fourth edition. The art work for the fourth edition was done by Lynda Chandler.

    Written by experts and endorsed by the American Horticultural Society, this is truly the most comprehensive gardening reference available.

    Today, greenhouses and sunrooms are real living spaces where gardeners spend as much time with a book and a cup of coffee as they do with a watering can and a pair of pruning shears. In this fully revised edition of a best-selling classic, veteran gardener Shane Smith embraces this new "lifestyle" approach to greenhouse gardening. Through lively writing that balances wit with commonsense advice, Smith draws on his more than 20 years' experience to cover everything you need to know to establish a charming and productive greenhouse.“Exceptionally comprehensive . . . a joy to read.”—Hobby Greenhouse Association

    Full-color photographs.

    Shows how to get started, how to feed the soil instead of poisoning it and how to make compost. Answers all questions on handling weeds, insect pests and diseases with healthy, effective controls.

    With a well-balanced presentation of theory and practice this textbook sets the standard for teaching floral design techniques. Topics covered include the principles and mechanics of flower arranging, basic flower anatomy, as well as arrangement styles for a variety of special occasions. Updated to reflect the latest concepts and practices, this new second edition will place students at the forefront of floral design.

    Exploring plants and flowers as the raw material of the gardener's talent, she examines the relationship between ideas and the availability of certain plants. She also discusses how diverse garden designs reflect different ages and cultures, describing how, in Renaissance Europe, new bulbs and tubers were valued (and used) like works of art, and how the horticultural jewels of the New World were produced by designers backed by enormous wealth. Filled with color & b&w prints, illustrations, & photographs. 10" x 10".

    Highlights of this new edition include seven new garden designs by well-known landscape artists from around the country; over 75 new encyclopedia entries, with hundreds of new plants added; and three new chapters: Perennial Flower Finder, Perennial Combinations, and Growing with the Design. The result is a winning mix of information and inspiration-and beautiful color photographs-to take one's dream garden from concept to reality.

    This guide tells you everything you need to know, including recommendations for which ones to grow and botanical descriptions of the most popular types. The authors are pepper experts and offer all of their tips and techniques for choosing good seed, starting your plants out right, and planting your garden with companion plants that are good to eat with peppers - such as tomatoes, onions, corn, basil, oregano, and garlic.Easy step-by-step instructions, a list of seed sources, and a glossary of terms will help the gardening novice, and there are full details on harvesting the pods; drying and roasting peppers; and making festive ristras (hanging strands of red peppers). Whether you are an avid gardener or a chile pepper lover wanting to grow your favorites, The Pepper Garden will be your guide to successful pepper gardening.

    It covers Portugal, Spain, France, Corsica, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, the Balkans, Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco - in all over 2500 plant species are described. Introductory chapters cover the general ecology and climate of the region, and describe the structure of the book and how to use it. Illustrated by renowned botanical artist Marjorie Blamey, and written by leading field botanist Christopher Grey-Wilson, this field guide will enable anyone to identify the wild plants found in this lovely and diverse region.

    An information-packed guide designed to help gardeners escape the dismal, colorless days of winter and the pervasive all-green days of summer. 68 illus. 10 color photos.

    Featuring landscape styles derived from woodlands and meadows, the Natural Gardening guide includes articles on organic methods of pest and disease control and gardens to attract birds and butterflies.

    Not only are the true poppies, genus Papaver, covered, but all the other members of the poppy family as well, including Glaucium, Dendromecon, Eschscholzia, Arctomecon, Argemone, Canbya, the plumed poppies Macleaya, Meconopsis, Roemeria, and many more. Grey-Wilson concentrates primarily on species and forms in cultivation, together with those species of striking or particular interest that are not present in cultivation but fully deserve to be introduced. For this new edition, the author included much new information about recent discoveries in the wild, as well as new cultivars introduced since Poppies was first published. There are general chapters on the family, cultivation, and classification, and a key to the genera. The individual genera, grouped into their respective subfamilies, are dealt with in detail, as are their more specialized cultivation requirements. Important synonyms have been included to avoid confusion or ambiguity. Botanical authorities are given for all recognized species and synonyms. This work will be very welcome to committed gardeners and horticulturists as a much-needed-and profusely illustrated-source of practical and botanical information.

    Includes sections on history and lore, cultivation, and designing rose gardens.

    For the home gardener, few pursuits can be more rewarding than growing this perenially popular plant: The potato proffers a prodigious harvest - one 20-foot-square plot can yield over 400 pounds of spuds! Besides providing tasty tubers, however, potato plants will also add beauty to any plot with their lush, dark green leaves and lovely white flowers. For both beginning and experienced gardeners it's the perfect addition to a vegetable garden. More than a growing manual, The Potato Garden is the ultimate guide to potato culture. Chapter One serves up the history of the potato and is heaped with tuber trivia, such as the spud's South American origins, its voyage to Europe, and subsequent success on supper tables around the world. Later chapters offer invaluable hands-on information on how to create a potato plot that will thrive from early summer through late autumn, and include step-by-step instructions on selecting and preparing a planting site; preparing seed potatoes and slips; planting, watering, and feeding; pest prevention and control; harvesting; and storage. Alternative planting methods, such as deep mulch, specialized potato binds, and even ornamental containers, complete the range of cultivation options. And, since all of the growing methods are organic, potato planters can avoid harmful pesticides and enjoy a healthy and delicious harvest. The centerpiece of The Potato Garden is the Potato Portfolio packed with complete portraits of over 200 potatoes - virtually every variety that will grow in an American garden! From pint-size Peruvians to bulky ldahos, from mellow to tangy to fruity-tasting tubers, each spud encompasses a spectacular spectrum. Here are 'Fenton Blue,' an heirloom variety from Maine with purple skin and appealing blue flesh; 'Cherries Jubilee,' a tasty new variety that is irresistibly rosy outside and delicately pa

    Osler looks at her own horticultural stirrings and shares her musings about human life in the garden, touching on a diverse but seductive selection of subjects. 85 woodcuts.

    Not a how-to but an elegant prose description of plant and color combinations, highlighted by more than 300 spectacular full-color photographs of Great Dixter--Lloyd's home and gardens in Sussex, England.

    The fruits and fruit trees of America are described in Andrew Downing's 1847 comprehensive guide.

    This book describes a new way of using perennials in parks and gardens based on ecological rather then purely aesthetic principles. It demonstrates how attention to ecological needs of herbaceous perennials can result in low maintenance plantings in parks and other public spaces. The entire field of ornamental perennials is described with the main emphasis upon the ecological nature of the plant rather than the usual height, flowering sense and colour descriptions. Most of the current perennials available from nurseries are categorised according to the conditions in which they are most likely to thrive in the face of competition from other plants and weeds. These lists in particular are an indispensable work of reference for any gardener or landscape architect interested in the use of perennials. This is a translation of the classic fourth edition of the German book Die Stauden und ihre Lebensbereiche published in 1991.

    From the life history and propagation, to the explanation of predators and parasites, the author shares his personal experiences with this non-aggressive bee. You will find all the information you need to capture and raise these docile bees at home.

    From a bare field and a tumbledown house, over ten years she has constructed an idyll. Plants grow in a dense profusion of scent and colour; in every corner of the garden successive waves of flowers and foliage come into play according to the seasons of the year. She tells the story, with easy-to-follow planting plans and hints and tips, of how, with the aid of her three cats and her husband as part-time help, she has created one of the most magical gardens in England.

    Gardeners who grow flowers for creating floral displays will find the author's recommendations on optimal stages of harvest invaluable.

    

    A definitive, beutifully illustrated history of and reference guide to the world's most popular flower, by two of the world's favorite and most respected gardening experts.

    In this delightful pop-up book the flower fairies dance and play with their flowers as they illustrate scenes from spring, summer, autumn and winter.

    65 illustrations.

    

    It also helps the circulation, thins the blood and aids recovery from colds and fevers. This book describes how to use ginger as a health remedy, and explores its history and mythology.

    Each book, covering more than two hundred varieties of plants, supplies botanical and common names, a description of foliage and blooms, a listing of the most favorable garden zones, and most popular uses.

    Joan Morgan is probably the only person alive to have tasted and annotated every known apple variety in Britain (and many others), and her scholarship, knowledge and evident love of apples shine through these pages. Beginning with a fascinating history of apple-growing from earliest times, she describes the multiplication of varieties which culminated in the golden age of apples as a dessert fruit in the 19th century. There is a practical section on growing apples and eating them - the characteristics of different varieties, growing, training and pruning, pest protection, serving and cooking. And finally there is a complete annotated directory of the National Apple Collection at Brogdale, the largest of its kind in the world. Also included are useful lists of apple collections throughout the world, and of nurserymen supplying individual varieties. The book is illustrated by 36 magnificent colour paintings by Elizabeth Dowle, specially commissioned for this book, as well as numerous other illustrations in line and halftone.

    From soil composition and garden design and maintenance to plant selection for city plots and for yards containing natural woodland, Shade Gardens offers practical, straightforward counsel that will prove invaluable to the shade gardener.

    The book helps the reader in identifying plants, find detailed information about growing conditions for each plants and gives input on good garden layout ideas.

    An experienced shade gardener herself, Taylor tells you how to:

    

    

    From tiny Johnny-jump-ups to velvety violas, these multihued blossoms have inspired artists, textile designers, and even cooks, and stationery, keepsakes, and embroidered linens have immortalized the flower that means "thoughts of you." Now Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead, gardening and herb experts extraordinaire, offer A Potpourri of Pansies, a beautifully illustrated tribute to their very favorite flower.Pansies are among the easiest flowers to cultivate, both indoors and out, and because they are simple to dry, they can be used in myriad decorative ways, such as fragrant potpourris or embellished candles. Chris and Emelie showcase the versatile pansy with recipes, gardening hints, simple bouquets, and trivia and lore. Pansy lovers will rejoice in this gorgeous celebration of a perennially popular flower.

    

    A guide to creating unique varieties of vegetables through select breeding presents basic genetic information in easy-to-understand terms and step-by-step instructions.

    This highly entertaining reference book presents the popular lore, social history, and practical uses of nearly seven hundred native flowers.

    560 roses in detail and contains over 160 magnificent colour photographs. It provides cultivation and pruning advice for each main grouping of roses. The book was written by a rose breeder and commercial grower of vast experience and is available in a handy pocket- sized format.

    Now comes a complete guide to growing flowers and creating spectacular arrangements, for every season and every region. Features more than 250 full-color photographs.

    

    First published in 1966, this book remains an indispensable classic of botany and horticulture, the only such work on bamboos in any Western language.

    Demonstrates how primitive cultures of the past and rural communities of today depend on the garden for its spiritual and medicinal properties.

    Now, the Landscape Restoration Handbook: Second Edition substantially widens the scope of the original work. Approximately 250 pages larger than the first edition, new and expanded chapters offer guidance on: Development of natural landscaping and ecological restoration programsEducation, regional planning, and increased biological diversityEcological communities species listingsScientific and common plant names associated with ecological communitiesNurseries that propagate and sell native plants throughout the United StatesNaturalization has proven to be a "win-win" situation all around. Monetary costs that landowners are saving on maintenance and chemicals also translates to environmental benefits for the greater community.Landscape and golf course architects, urban planners, horticulturists, golf course superintendents and consultants have already put the Landscape Restoration Handbook to the test. Let the Second Edition bring you up-to-date on the numerous benefits of naturalization.