The site is a terraced paradise on a hillside in Vermont that would otherwise be overlooked by conventional farmers as unworthy farmland. Falk's wide array of fruit trees, rice paddies(relatively unheard of in the Northeast), ducks, nuts, and earth-inspired buildings is a hopeful image for the future of regenerative agriculture and modern homesteading.The book covers nearly every strategy Falk and his team have been testing at the Whole Systems Research Farm over the past decade, as well as experiments from other sites Falk has designed through his off-farm consulting business. The book includes detailed information on earthworks; gravity-fed water systems; species composition; the site-design process; site management; fuelwood hedge production and processing; human health and nutrient-dense production strategies; rapid topsoil formation and remineralization; agroforestry/silvopasture/grazing; ecosystem services, especially regarding flood mitigation; fertility management; human labor and social-systems aspects; tools/equipment/appropriate technology; and much more, complete with gorgeous photography and detailed design drawings."The Resilient Homestead" is more than just a book of tricks and techniques for regenerative site development, but offers actual working results in living within complex farm-ecosystems based on research from the "great thinkers" in permaculture, and presents a viable home-scale model for an intentional food-producing ecosystem in cold climates, and beyond. Inspiring to would-be homesteaders everywhere, but especially for those who find themselves with "unlikely" farming land, Falk is an inspiration in what can be done by imitating natural systems, and making the most of what we have by re-imagining what's possible. A gorgeous case study for the homestead of the future.

    Every single human society that has relied on annual crops for staple foods has collapsed. Restoration Agriculture explains how we can have all of the benefits of natural, perennial ecosystems and create agricultural systems that imitate nature in form and function while still providing for our food, building, fuel and many other needs - in your own backyard, farm or ranch. This book, based on real-world practices, presents an alternative to the agriculture system of eradication and offers exciting hope for our future.

    Her characters—Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, and all the rest—exist in a charmed world filled with flowers and gardens. In Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, bestselling author Marta McDowell explores the origins of Beatrix Potter’s love of gardening and plants and shows how this passion came to be reflected in her work. The book begins with a gardener’s biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her. Next, follow Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview of what is blooming that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler’s guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter’s gardens today.

    Increasingly disillusioned by mainstream medicine's mechanistic approach to healing and fascinated by the farming revolution that is changing the way we think about our relationship to the earth, Miller left her medical office and traveled to seven innovative family farms around the country, on a quest to discover the hidden connections between how we care for our bodies and how we grow our food. Farmacology, the remarkable book that emerged from her travels, offers us a compelling new vision for sustainable health and healing—and a wealth of farm-to-body lessons with immense value in our daily lives.Miller begins her journey with a pilgrimage to the Kentucky homestead of renowned author and farming visionary Wendell Berry. Over the course of the following year, she travels to a biodynamic farm in Washington state, a ranch in the Ozarks, two chicken farms in Arkansas, a winery in California, a community garden in the Bronx, and finally an aromatic herb farm back in Washington. While learning from forward-thinking farmers, Miller explores such compelling questions as: What can rejuvenating depleted soil teach us about rejuvenating ourselves? How can a grazing system on a ranch offer valuable insights into raising resilient children? What can two laying-hen farms teach us about stress management? How do vineyard pest-management strategies reveal a radically new approach to cancer care? What are the unexpected ways that urban agriculture can transform the health of a community? How can an aromatic herb farm unlock the secret to sustainable beauty?Throughout, Miller seeks out the perspectives of noted biomedical scientists and artfully weaves in their insights and research, along with stories from her own medical practice. The result is a profound new approach to healing, combined with practical advice for how to treat disease and maintain wellness.

    They're bringing back an American tradition: raising their own backyard chickens for eggs and companionship. And they care about the quality of life of their chickens. Fresh Eggs Daily is an authoritative, accessible guide to coops, nesting boxes, runs, breeding, feed, and natural health care with time-tested remedies.  The author promotes the benefits of keeping chickens happy and well-occupied, and in optimal health, free of chemicals and antibiotics. She emphasizes the therapeutic value of herbs and natural supplements to maintaining a healthy environment for your chickens. Includes many "recipes" and  8 easy DIY projects for the coop and run. Full color photos throughout. The USDA's new study of urban chicken raising sees a 400% increase in backyard chickens over the next 5 years, driven by younger adults.

    With Planting, designers and home gardeners can recreate these plant-rich, beautiful gardens that support biodiversity and nourish the human spirit.An intimate knowledge of plants is essential to the success of modern landscape design, and Planting shares Oudolf’s considerable understanding of plant ecology, explaining how plants behave in different situations, what goes on underground, and which species make good neighbors. Extensive plant charts and planting plans will help you choose plants for their structure, color, and texture. A detailed directory shares details like each plant’s life expectancy, the persistence of its seedheads, and its propensity to self-seed.

    This is allied to an account of the garden and its development, and the creation and development of the key areas of the garden. A wonderful selection of full-colour contemporary photographs, archive photographs, illustrated maps and planting plans take the reader through the various garden ‘rooms’, including the Italian Garden, the  Millstone garden, the Orchard, the Vegetable Garden, the Terrace, the Walled Garden, the Fishpond Garden and the Greenhouses and Conservatories. Throughout there are quotations from Virginia and Leonard’s diaries, giving a vivid account of their plans for, views on and activities in the garden.

    What to plant, when to plant it, and when to harvest are unique decisions based on climate, weather, and first and last frost."The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening: Pacific Northwest" is a growing guide that truly understands the unique eccentricities of the Northwest growing calendar. The month-by-month format makes it perfect for beginners and accessible to everyone -- you can start gardening the month you pick it up. Starting in January? The guide will show you how to make a seed order, plan crop rotations and succession plantings, and plant a crop of microgreens. No time to start until July? You can start planting beets, carrots, chard, kale, parsnips. And spinach for an early fall harvest.Features an A-Z section that profiles the 50 vegetables, fruits, and herbs that grow best in the region and provides basic care and maintenance for each. Introductory material provides valuable information on gardening basics and garden planning.

    In Teaming with Nutrients, Jeff Lowenfels explains the basics of plant nutrition from an organic gardener’s perspective. In his trademark down-to-earth, style, Lowenfels explains the role of both macronutrients and micronutrients and shows gardeners how to provide these essentials through organic, easy-to-follow techniques. Along the way, Lowenfels provides easy-to-grasp lessons in the biology, chemistry, and botany needed to understand how nutrients get into  the plant and what they do once they’re inside.

    Monthly planting guides show exactly what you can do in the garden from January through December. The skill sets go beyond the basics with tutorials on seed saving, worm bins, and more. This must-have book is for gardeners in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

    For easy navigation, the book is divided into thematic changes - covering everything from Plant Parts to Plant Pests - and further subdivided into useful headings, such as 'Seed Sowing' and 'Pruning'. In addition, feature spreads profile the remarkable individuals who have collected, studied and illustrated the plants that we grow today, and 'Botany in Action' boxes provide instantly accessible practical tips and advice.Aided by this book, every gardener - and every garden - will benefit from unlocking the wealth of information that lies within the intriguing world of botanical science.

    The women behind Studio Choo have created a flower-arranging bible for today's aesthetic, filled with an array of stunning, easy-to-find flowers and hundreds of step-by-step photos.The 125 arrangements run the gamut of styles and techniques: some are wild and some are structured; some are time-intensive and some are astonishingly simple. Each one is paired with a "flower recipe'; ingredients lists specify the type and quantity of blooms needed; clear instructions detail each step; and 400 photos show how to place every stem. Readers will learn how to work with a single variety of flower to great effect, and to create vases overflowing with layered blooms. To top it off, the book is packed with ideas for unexpected vessels, seasonal buying guides, a source directory, a flower care primer, and all the design techniques readers need to know.

    Fickle plants make seemingly spontaneous decisions to bloom or bust, seeds sprout magically in the blink of an eye, and deep-rooted mysteries unfold underground and out of sight. Understanding basic botany is like unlocking a horticultural code; fortunately learning a little science can reveal the secrets of the botanical universe and shed some light on what’s really going on in your garden.Practical Botany for Gardeners provides an elegant and accessible introduction to the world of botany. It presents the essentials that every gardener needs to know, connecting explanations of scientific facts with useful gardening tips. Flip to the roots section and you’ll not only learn how different types of roots support a plant but also find that adding fungi to soil aids growth. The pruning section both defines “lateral buds” and explains how far back on a shoot to cut in order to propagate them.The book breaks down key areas and terminology with easy-to-navigate chapters arranged by theme, such as plant types, plant parts, inner workings, and external factors. “Great Botanists” and “Botany in Action” boxes delve deeper into the fascinating byways of plant science. This multifaceted book also includes two hundred botanical illustrations and basic diagrams that hearken to the classic roots of botany.Part handbook, part reference, Practical Botany for Gardeners is a beautifully captivating read. It’s a must for garden lovers and backyard botanists who want to grow and nurture their own plant knowledge.

    Here's what you'll find inside: - Features RHS award-winning varieties of shrubs, hydrangeas, peonies, perennials, roses and many other popular and widely available garden plants- Showcases garden plants for every garden style, as well as flowering plants for year-round colour and problem-solving drought-tolerant plants- "Plant focus" spreads showcase the range of varieties of favourite garden plants, such as roses- Introduction with practical "how-to" gardening advice makes plant care and garden design easy and shows you the best plants for sun and shadePlanning a garden has never been more simple! Whether your garden is stuck in shade or scorching in the sun, this gardening guide advises on the best plants for 30 types of locations, and what to plant and where to plant it for special effects. Plus, a section on fragrant or colourful plants helps you create a fabulous outdoor idyll.Solve your garden problems with simple steps to assess your site and soil and then use the at-a-glance classification guide and photos to choose from over 3000 plants. From creating stylish beds or borders, this indispensable guide to planting is packed with useful gardening tips and inspirational planting "recipes" that will show you how to landscape your garden like a pro. RHS What Plant Where Encyclopedia is an essential gardening reference book for every gardener, and a great gardening gift for green-fingered friends and family.

    Marcus wants nothing more than to indulge in drink, drugs and women.But when he meets the plot-holders on the Butterfly Lane allotments--Sophia, a charming, but troubled, woman in the midst of a spiritual crisis; Alex, his fiery, Greek neighbour, who covets both Marcus’s plot and a mysterious book that belonged to his grandfather; and Benjamin, a shadowy recluse--the reason for his inheritance becomes clear.

    Straw Bale Gardens teaches gardening in a way that isn’t only new but is thoroughly innovative and revolutionary to home gardening. It solves every impediment today’s home gardeners face: bad soil, weeds, a short growing season, watering problems, limited garden space, and even physical difficulty working at ground level. Developed and pioneered by author and garden expert Joel Karsten, straw bale gardens create their own growing medium and heat source so you can get an earlier start. It couldn’t be simpler or more effective: all you need is a few bales of straw, some fertilizer, and some seeds or plants, and you can create a weedless vegetable garden anywhere—even in your driveway.Karsten’s step-by-step guide offers all the information you need to make your own straw bale garden today. In this lushly photographed volume, Karsten shares all of the secrets he has developed over years of teaching eager students the miracle of straw bale gardening. You’ll learn how to locate and choose straw bales, then how to condition and plant them for the earliest possible start. You’ll master Karsten’s methods for combating plant pests and maximizing space by applying the principles of vertical gardening to his straw bales. Whether it’s seedlings or seeds, veggies or flowers, there is practically no limit to the plant varieties that will prosper in a straw bale garden—and with Karsten’s breakthrough gardening guide, you can do it all yourself.

    A growing number of market gardeners are emerging to feed our appetite for organic, regional produce. But most of the available resources on food production are aimed at the backyard or hobby gardener who wants to supplement their family's diet with a few homegrown fruits and vegetables. Targeted at serious growers in every climate zone, Sustainable Market Farming is a comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres.Informed by the author's extensive experience growing a wide variety of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to feed the approximately one hundred members of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia, this practical guide provides:Detailed profiles of a full range of crops, addressing sowing, cultivation, rotation, succession, common pests and diseases, and harvest and storageInformation about new, efficient techniques, season extension, and disease resistant varietiesFarm-specific business skills to help ensure a successful, profitable enterpriseWhether you are a beginning market grower or an established enterprise seeking to improve your skills, Sustainable Market Farming is an invaluable resource and a timely book for the maturing local agriculture movement.Pam Dawling is a contributing editor with Growing for Market magazine. An avid vegetable grower, she has been farming as a member of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia for over twenty years, where she helps grow food for around one hundred people on three and a half acres, and provides training in sustainable vegetable production.

    With in-depth discussions of allergies, colony hierarchy, bee behavior, and more, this approachably informative guide bursts with enthusiastic encouragement. Keep your own bees, and enjoy the sweet buzz.

    The hitch? You’re not likely to find it at your local garden center. You’re going to have to create it yourself.But don’t worry—it isn’t hard. After all, gardeners have been doing it for centuries, simply by saving seeds of the varieties that tasted or performed best. But you’ll get even better results by following the advice in Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener. You’ll learn how to set achievable goals in your breeding program; the ins and outs of genetics; how to pick the best parent plants; how to cross-pollinate; the best techniques to use for popular vegetables and flowers; and how to harvest and store seeds.In no time at all, you’ll be producing a tomato perfect for your palette, a pepper with just the right amount of heat, or a more fragrant rose!

    Step-by-step projects, including a cake-stand centerpiece, special-occasion bouquets, a vertical garden, and a succulent topiary sphere, will inspire you to express your individual style.

    Her profiles, on the insects that fight pests and the best plants for attracting them, offer clear, practical tips.” —Martha Stewart Living Say goodbye to common pests like spider mites, aphids, and leafhoppers just by planting a beautiful garden full of the right flowers and herbs! In Attracting Beneficial Bugs, organic gardening expert Jessica Walliser provides an accessible guide to selecting, placing, and caring for plants that will invite beneficial insects into your garden to do the dirty work of pest control for you. You’ll learn which plants lure in pest-eating predators and how to design a beautiful garden that provides for these beneficial bugs throughout the year.

    With the help of more than 200 beautiful color photos and drawings, permaculture designer and avid grower Michael Judd takes the reader on a step-by-step process to transform a sea of grass into a flourishing edible landscape that pleases the eye as well as the taste buds. With personality and humor, he translates the complexities of permaculture design into simple self-build projects, providing full details on the evolving design process, material identification, and costs.Chapters cover:Food Forests Raised-Bed Gardens Mushroom Cultivation Easy to Grow Fruits Herb Spirals Huglekultur Beds Earthen Ovens, and more . . . The book's colorful pages are filled with practical designs that Judd has created and built over years of workshops, homesteading, and running an edible landscaping business. The book's designs can be easily grafted to the micro-habits of the urban landscape, scaled up to the acreage of homesteads, or adapted to already flourishing landscapes. Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist is a tool to spark and inform the imagination of anyone with a desire to turn their landscape into a luscious and productive edible paradise.

    But like any other kind of gardening, growing edibles is not a one-size-fits-all pursuit: in order to be successful, you’ll need to know not only which plants grow well in your state or region, but also how to grow them with careful methods and a schedule that caters specifically to your local microclimate. Fortunately for you, Carolinas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening is written exclusively for gardeners who want to grow edibles in North or South Carolina. Author Katie Elzer-Peters, the seasoned Carolinas gardener responsible for our bestselling Beginner’s Illustrated Guide to Gardening (2012), equips you with all the information you need to design your edible garden, tend the soil, maintain your plants throughout their life cycles, and—most importantly—harvest the delicious foods they produce. So whether you live in the Research Triangle, the Sandhills, the Outer Banks, or anywhere else in the Carolinas, you’ll discover the best fruit and vegetable plants for your garden in this beautiful step-by-step how-to guide . . . and they’ll be on your table before you know it.

    Auntie is proud of her flower garden, and Erin likes to be with her among the flowers. One day Erin finds a funny kind of “worm” in the garden and calls Auntie over to see it. They call it Mr. Clown because of his colorful stripes. To learn what it is, they study and discover what kind of caterpillar it is and watch it’s progress in Auntie’s garden. Erin learns a valuable lesson in nature.

    This new edition includes dozens of color photographs, new hive management techniques, and an updated version of "Lazutin hive" plans. Additional coverage includes:Keeping bees naturally without interfering in their livesStarting an apiary for free by attracting local bee swarmsBuilding low-maintenance hives that mimic how bees live in natureKeeping colonies healthy and strong without any drugs, sugar, or gimmickryHelping bees to overwinter successfully even in harsh climatesEnhancing local nectar plant resourcesProducing truly natural honey without robbing the beesReversing the global bee decline... right in your backyard! Keeping Bees with a Smile is an invaluable resource for apiculture beginners and professionals alike, complete with plans for making bee-friendly, well-insulated horizontal hives with extra-deep frames, plus other fascinating beekeeping advice you won't find anywhere else.

    But when we really look closely at a flower, whole new worlds of beauty and intricacy emerge. Seeing Flowers is a visual feast that gloriously highlights 343 popular garden flowers. Using a unique photo process that includes stitching together large macro photographs, Robert Llewellyn reveals details that few have ever seen: the amazing architecture of stamens and pistils; the subtle shadings on a petal; the secret recesses of nectar tubes. Teri Dunn Chace’s lyrical and illuminating essays complement these images and offer insights on each flower, by exploring its distinguishing characteristics and sharing fascinating tidbits, tales, and lore. Together, Llewellyn and Chace give the reader a deeper appreciation of how and why flowers have become so deeply embedded in human culture. Whether you’re a nature lover, a gardener, a photography buff, or someone who simply responds to the timeless beauty and variety of the floral world, Seeing Flowers will be a source of enduring delight.

    In this book, rose expert Paul Zimmerman debunks common rose myths and outdated care instructions, and instead imparts practical rose care advice in a fun and accessible voice. Readers will find helpful suggestions for choosing roses based on landscape need, tips on what to look for when buying roses, new techniques for the best way to plant roses, and sensible time-saving methods to maintain their roses throughout the year. Aimed at gardeners who want the beauty of roses without the fuss, this book offers an approach that is more accessible and environmentally friendly than competing volumes—and no other book in the current market focuses exclusively on modern roses and getting the most out of them.

    He has perfected the perfect way for anyone to have a garden without weeding, bending over, or using chemicals. If you follow his step by step methods and suggestions you will be assured to grow a beautiful and productive garden this year, even if you have never gardened before. The best part is that if the soil in your backyard is less than productive it doesn't matter at all. If you have sunlight and water, you will have a great garden this year. From the Arctic Circle in Northern Alaska to the heat of the desert in Saudi Arabia, people are using this method, and having great success. The booklet is full color with 78 pages, and has a perfect bind booklet binding.

    And there is a vast world of varieties that goes beyond the common grocery store offerings of Red Delicious and Granny Smith. With names like American Beauty, Carter’s Blue, and Fallawater, and flavors ranging from sweet to tart, this treasure trove of unique apples is ripe for discovery. There is no better guide through this tasty world than Tom Burford, whose family has grown apples in the Blue Ridge Mountains since 1715. The book is brimming with beautiful portraits of heirloom and modern apples of merit, each accompanied by distinguishing characteristics and common uses. As the view broadens to the orchard, you will find information on planting, pruning, grafting, and more. The exploration of the apple culminates with an overview of the fruit’s transformative capabilities when pressed, fermented, cooked, or dried. Beyond the polished and predictable grocery store display of Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, a feast of beautiful and uniquely flavored North American varieties awaits the curious.

    Barbara is the author of The Garden Primer, and Eliot wrote the bible for organic gardening, The New Organic Grower. Today they are the face of the locavore movement, working through their extraordinary Four Season Farm in Maine. And now they’ve written the book on how to grow what you eat, and cook what you grow.The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook is two books in one. It’s a complete four-season cookbook with 120 recipes from Barbara, a master cook as well as master gardener, who shows how to maximize the fruits—and vegetables—of your labors, from Stuffed Squash Blossom Fritters to Red Thai Curry with Fall Vegetables to Hazelnut Torte with Summer Berries.And it’s a step-by-step garden guide that works no matter how big or small your plot, with easy-to-follow instructions and plans for different gardens. It covers size of the garden, nourishing the soil, planning ahead, and the importance of rotating crops—yes, even in your backyard. And, at the core, individual instructions on the crops, from the hardy and healthful cabbage family to fourteen essential culinary herbs.Eating doesn’t get any more local than your own backyard.

    This 5th edition has been entirely updated, expanded, and colorfully redesigned with a new emphasis on organic gardening and using native plants. This latest edition reaffirms River Oaks Garden Club's commitment to preserving the environment, promoting sustainability, and planting with a purpose.

    Ideal for first-time foragers, this book features 70 edible weeds, flowers, mushrooms, and ornamental plants typically found in urban and suburban neighborhoods. Full-color photographs make identification easy, while tips on common plant locations, pesticides, pollution, and dangerous flora make foraging as safe and simple as stepping into your own backyard.

    As the seasons turn, everyone has a part to play in making the garden flourish. From choosing and planting seeds in the spring to releasing butterflies in the summer to harvesting in the fall to protecting the beds for the winter. Even the wiggling worms have a job to do in the compost pile! On special afternoons and weekends, neighborhood folks gather to help out and savor the bounty (fresh toppings for homemade pizza, anyone?). Part celebration, part simple how-to, this close-up look at a vibrant garden and its enthusiastic gardeners is blooming with photos that will have readers ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

    Whether youʼre a well-practiced green thumb or a gardening novice, with others or solo, Fearless Food Gardening will ensure your experience goes smoothly and deliciously, with its monthly, easy-to-follow, and handily illustrated tutorial on gardening all year round in Chicago. Since 2010, Peterson Garden Project has taught thousands of people how to grow their own food. Fearless Food Gardening delivers all of the educational programming and know-how from their community gardening experience in a format that is easy to read, understand, and apply. "Grewbie" gardeners (growing newbies) from southern Wisconsin to northwest Indiana will find the book equally relevant and helpful. With its conversational style, practical charts, illustrations, and nifty tips, Fearless Food Gardening is packed with all the info youʼd need to know whether youʼre brand new at urban gardening or an old hat. As the book goes through the months, it answers vital questions such as what to plant, when to plant, how to build a raised bed, where to position the garden, what plants offer the biggest value, and how to protect against cold weather. Fearless Food Gardening also includes recipes throughout the year, chock full of ideas for how to utilize your garden-fresh provisions. From root vegetable salad and marinara sauce to zucchini bread and edamame hummus, Fearless Food Gardening brings the farm-to-table ethos into your own home

    Department of Agriculture.

    Noel Kingsbury tells the tale through engaging narrative history and plant portraits that highlight more than 200 varieties. Jo Whitworth's revealing photography reveals a side of the daffodil rarely seen. Plant lovers will relish the stories and gardeners will cherish the cultivation notes, plant descriptions, and recommendations. Daffodil offers a year-round opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a spring garden and is a must-have gift book for gardeners.

    For this book he has visited indigenous and traditional farmers in the Gobi Desert, the Arabian Peninsula, the Sahara Desert, and Andalusia, as well as the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Painted deserts of North America, to learn firsthand their techniques and designs aimed at reducing heat and drought stress on orchards, fields, and dooryard gardens. This practical book also includes colorful "parables from the field" that exemplify how desert farmers think about increasing the carrying capacity and resilience of the lands and waters they steward. It is replete with detailed descriptions and diagrams of how to implement these desert-adapted practices in your own backyard, orchard, or farm.This unique book is useful not only for farmers and permaculturists in the arid reaches of the Southwest or other desert regions. Its techniques and prophetic vision for achieving food security in the face of climate change may well need to be implemented across most of North America over the next half-century, and are already applicable in most of the semiarid West, Great Plains, and the U.S. Southwest and adjacent regions of Mexico.

    If you are going to truly try and attain a little more self-sufficiency (and save some money at the same time), think about what you can store to get you through the leaner months. Alys takes you through all the different ways of preserving - bottling, drying, fermenting, freezing, pickling, using sugar - with delicious recipes that make the most of your produce. This book is a must for anyone that wants to store and preserve their garden bounty.

    Gardening for the Birds shows you how.With the right native plants, arranged to mimic natural ecosystems, you will provide birds with food, water, shelter, and nesting places. Instead of just visiting your garden to snack, birds will call it home.With hundreds of native plants, extensive seasonal bloom and fruiting charts, and the techniques for creating a balanced ecosystem, this book helps you turn any space—from a small, urban terrace to a large suburban yard—into a home for a fascinating variety of birds. Close-up profiles of birds from across all regions of North America teach you their nesting, breeding, and feeding habits.Birding and gardening are natural companions: let this rich compendium help you make your garden a sanctuary for the local bird population and yourself!

    Or maybe it's stunning during the full bloom of summer, but falls apart the rest of the year. Maybe it's crowded, sparse or it just doesn't resonate with you, and you have no idea why or what to do about it. Don't despair! Acclaimed garden designer and best-selling author Rebecca Sweet offers simple strategies for transforming blah spaces into breathtaking places. Garden transformations don't always require an expensive overhaul by a team of professionals. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective, and a new way to look at your garden. You'll learn how to identify problem areas with your current plantings (such as clashing colors, lack of flow or 'one-of-each-itis') and how to inject new life using artful combinations of color, texture, shape and form. You'll learn how to break down traditional garden design principles into easy-to-understand and, more importantly, easy-to-implement solutions. Inspirational photographs highlight and reinforce real-life situations, helping you not only to identify what has gone wrong with your garden, but how to fix the problem. All the while transforming your garden into a rich and layered tapestry.

    The 53 elegant arrangements featured in Japanese Ikebana for Every Season are perfect for special occasions--Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, birthday, anniversary--or any event that calls for a flower bouquet.The key to good Ikebana arrangements is to understand a few very simple principles--like the idea of mitate, seeing old things with new eyes--and to learn a few easy techniques to stabilize and support plants inside a vase or container. Using common flowers and plants from the garden, a nearby field or forest, or the local florist, anyone can easily create these lovely Ikebana in just a few minutes.Authors Rie Imai and Yuji Ueno explain how to select flowers and containers from things that are already around--and then turn them into something special. The basic instructions in the book cover a wide range of styles that encourage readers to use their own creativity rather than copying traditional and highly technical Ikebana design concepts.No matter what time of year it is and regardless of your taste or budget--the arrangements in this book will lend a touch of Japanese elegance to your home.

    With the help of gorgeous photography and in-depth instructions, author Melinda Myers will teach you how to plant, prune, water, control pests, and continually care for your personal outdoor oasis. A helpful icon key highlights each featured plant’s benefits, along with its particular sun and shade requirements. Featured plant categories discuss annuals, bulbs, edibles, ferns and groundcovers, ornamental grasses, perennials, roses, shrubs, trees, turfgrasses, and vines. Each plant is showcased with specific advice on how, when, and where to plant; growing tips, such as watering requirements; and descriptions of routine care. Alongside these “nitty-gritty” aspects of planting and growing, Myers shares her inspiration for garden design, the various ways you can beautifully incorporate plants into your landscape, and her favorite cultivars and species. Even better, she provides twelve full months of when-to advice for each plant category, allowing you to successfully enjoy this peaceful pastime all year round. With proven, practical instructions adapted specially for the Midwestern climate, Midwest Gardener’s Handbook is your ticket to successful planting in America’s Heartland.

    It's Ruth Stout as you've never seen her before - rebel, nonconformist, Socialist, and sometimes (in the garden) nudist!

    Monthly planting guides show exactly what you can do in the garden from January through December. The skill sets go beyond the basics with tutorials on seed saving, worm bins, and more.  For home gardeners in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, eastern Washington and Oregon, northern Nevada, and the southernmost parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

    Comprehensive to the core, this book is different from other gardening guidebooks because it's written exclusively for gardeners who live in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington, D.C. Subjects covered include plant selection and when-to gardening maintenance information. Planting and growing information for edibles is also included, along with plant selections for the most common plant categories.As an important component in the CSP Gardener's Handbook series, this an all-inclusive gardener's reference book offers plant information as well as the critical when-to-do-it information. Additionally, the book covers ornamental landscape and edible plants, as well as monthly when-to tips. It is the undisputed handbook for gardening in the Mid-Atlantic. Some chapters include:Introduction to GardeningAnnualsPerennials & Ornamental GrassesBulbs, Corms, Tubers and RhizomesHerbs & VegetablesGroundcoversLawn GrassesShrubsTreesVines

    Foliage comes in a mind-boggling variety of color, shape and growth habit. But which plants complement each other to add style and energy to a garden or patio setting? Fine Foliage gives the home gardener 60+ examples of plant combinations that work for every purpose, whether in sun or shade, path or meadow, porch or poolside. Each plant combination is introduced with full page on-site photograph and a "Why This Works" text, accompanied by individual close-up photos and quick-tip info about care, site, soil, zone and season: a complete "recipe" that even a beginner gardener can follow. Fine Foliage brings elegant, expert design and style to the garden and patio. Full color photographs throughout. Includes an index.

    This toxic legacy impacts the environment, our health, our watersheds, and land that could otherwise be used to grow healthy local food and medicines. Conventional clean-up techniques employed by government and industry are tremendously expensive and resource-intensive and can cause further damage. More and more communities find themselves increasingly unable to rely on those companies and governments who created the problems to step in and provide solutions.Earth Repair describes a host of powerful grassroots bioremediation techniques, including:Microbial remediation—using microorganisms to break down and bind contaminantsPhytoremediation—using plants to extract, bind, and transform toxinsMycoremediation—using fungi to clean up contaminated soil and waterPacked with valuable, firsthand information from visionaries in the field, Earth Repair empowers communities and individuals to take action and heal contaminated and damaged land. Encompassing everything from remediating and regenerating abandoned city lots for urban farmers and gardeners to recovering from environmental disasters and industrial catastrophes such as oil spills and nuclear fallout, this fertile toolbox is essential reading for anyone who wishes to transform environmental despair into constructive action.Leila Darwish is a community organizer, urban gardener, and permaculture designer with a focus on using grassroots bioremediation to address environmental justice issues in communities struggling with toxic contamination of their land and drinking water.

    Month by month Terry give us:An overview of the plotThings to do this monthWhat to watch out forKey crops for the monthProgress reports on all the standard vegTop variety tipsMain tasks for the monthAllotment TalesWith all the charm that shone through My Life on a Hillside Allotment, Terry takes the gardening reader by the hand and leads them through the gardening year. He is the perfect companion, giving technical help, quick tips, reassurance, and plenty of entertainment along the way.

    Why save seeds when you can buy them so cheap? Not only does seed saving allow you to grow a diverse, organic array of fruits and vegetables, it also offers an opportunity to work closely with nature and be even more hands-on with the food you grow, cook, and eat. Supported by research from the global conservation organizations Arche Noah and Pro Specie Rara, The Manual of Seed Saving features information on how to maximize seed quality and yield for crop plants like asparagus, carrots, corn, rhubarb, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. Plant profiles include critical information on pollination, isolation distances, cultivation, harvest, storage, and pests and diseases.

    Aside from being a good hobby, growing herbs can certainly help you save more money.A Beginner’s Guide to Patio and Kitchen Herb Gardens will teach you the following topics and more:- Reasons to Grow Herbs at Home- Essential Things to Get Started With Growing Herbs at Home- Best Soil Mixes for Herbs in Containers- 21 Herbs You Can Grow at Home - Common Mistakes in Growing Herbs- Insect and Pest Control in Your Herb Garden- Harvesting and Preserving Home Grown HerbsEnjoy the experience of having your own herb garden!

    Deb has taken her twenty-five-plus years as a professional medicinal plant gardener and her life-time love of the earth and the plant people, and come up with something very special.This is a must-have book for anyone interested in gardening or the plant people. I promise you this book will be well read, well worn, and well loved. --Karyn Sanders, Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine"Deb Soule is overflowing with the healing wisdom of the plant world distilled through many years of study, experience and observation. Her reverence and respect for nature and deep intuitive capacities are evident in every page of this book. What a gift! --Robert Karp, Director of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Assocoation"Way beyond food, flowers, or medicine .... here is gardening as the mindful rhythm in harmony with all living souls." --C.R. Lawn, FEDCO Seeds"Herbalist Deb Soule offers the reader a beautifully written, heart-centered gardening book that reads as much like a prayer as it does a practical guide for all gardeners, new and experienced; sure to awaken and inspire one to explore creative ways of tending the rich life held in a well-loved garden. The author shares wisdom gleaned through years of cultivating not only soil and plants, but also her research and work with the pollinators, biodynamic practices and favorite tools used in growing simple herbal remedies to nourish the gardener as they heal the Earth. Honoring traditions, ancestors and the sacredness of carrying on the work of the wise herbalists that came before us, Deb reminds us of the blessing of being called to this work!" --Kate Gilday, Herbalist, Woodland Essence"The reader will find this book endowed with glorious offerings of rich nectar. It makes me want to go out and turn the compost pile." --Richo Ceck, Horizon HerbsContentsA gardener's Notebook Biodynamics: Agriculture i Service of the Earth and Humanity Living in Harmony with the Seasons Energetic and Elemental Associations of Plant Parts Growing, Harvesting, and Using Medicinal Herbs

    With this book you can turn the tiniest space into a productive and attractive plot, using the best varieties and techniques. Follow 30 tried-and-tested container recipes for top tasting crop combinations such as tomato with basil, fruit salads and cut-and-come-again vegetables. Discover the essential techniques that every container-gardener should know and use the crop directory to find out the best way to grow more than 60 vegetables, fruit, salads, herbs and edible flowers.

    

    Avoid bland, pesticide-tainted produce flown in from the other side of the world and start growing your own with this reassuring guide, complete with a glossary of gardening terms and a picture gallery of common weeds. "Allotment Handbook" takes you through 10 steps to preparing your plot and teaches you need to know techniques such as sowing, plating, feeding, mulching, watering and weeding. Armed with the basics, you'll learn how to grow over 70 types of fruit and vegetable crops. You'll also find easy projects such as making a simple compost bin and planting a fruit tree and tips to attract wildlife along with simple, delicious ways to enjoy your produce. A handy troubleshooting section covers identifying and dealing with weeds, pests, and diseases. Whether you prefer to start small with a few herbs and veg staples or you are more ambitious and intend to feed your whole family all year round, "Allotment Handbook" will show you how.

    In this exchange of personal letters two of Britain's leading gardeners - Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto - share their successes and failures, and learn from each other's experiences in their two very different gardens.

    Very little is known about The Green Florilegium. Neither signed nor dated, it is generally attributed to the German painter Hans Simon Holtzbecker and originates from the library at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, on the border of Germany and Denmark. The album now resides at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. Recently the book was painstakingly restored, allowing the delicate illustrations to come to new life in their original colors. This beautiful volume reproduces the original work of 178 botanical illustrations in its entirety. It also includes an introductory essay and captions with basic information on each flower. Published for the first time, this lovely book is a must-have for lovers of botanical illustration and a sublime example of the art of conservation.

    In Reeser Manley and Marjorie Peronto’s view, the plots of land on which we live are not our “yards” but our gardens—extensions of the surrounding natural world—and we, as gardeners, are caretakers of that world. They advocate gardening in tune with nature— avoiding pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and invasive plants, while creating a garden that enhances local biodiversity. The New England Gardener’s Year will guide you to a garden of great beauty and bountiful harvests.

    The authors stress the importance of smart garden design and combining the right plants to promote the natural symbiosis that occurs within plant communities. Native plants also play an important role in creating fire-resistant landscapes, and this new book has cutting-edge information on this crucial topic, refuting the myth that natives are more fire-prone than nonnatives. With its unique combination of proven techniques, environmental wisdom, and inspiring design advice, this is an essential resource for all California gardeners who want to create a beautiful, ecologically appropriate, and resource-conserving home landscape.

    

    It applies ecological principles to designing gardens, farms, community projects, even entire human settlements. The standard seventy-two-hour Permaculture Design (PDC) course is taught all over the world to farmers, gardeners, design professionals, and world changers who want to practically create a healthier, more equitable planet. Rosemary Morrow offers evidence for permaculture's effectiveness and describes each unit of the PDC's curriculum. This fully revised and updated edition contains a wealth of technical information for teaching permaculture design and includes new findings in emerging disciplines such as regenerative agriculture. Earth User's Guide to Teaching Permaculture is of key relevance to teachers and students of architecture, landscape design, ecology, and other disciplines like geography, regenerative agriculture, agro-ecology, and agroforestry, as well as permaculture design. It leads the reader step by step through a recommended course structure, providing a flexible approach that encourages the adaptation of the materials for specific bioregional and cultural conditions. With advice on teaching aids, topics for class discussion, extensive reading lists, and tips on teaching adults, this book is bound to be an invaluable friend to the experienced and novice teacher alike.

    Market Farming Success identifies the key areas that usually trip up beginners--and shows how to avoid those obstacles. This book will help the aspiring or beginning farmer advance quickly and confidently through the inevitable learning curve of starting a new business. Written by the editor of Growing for Market, a respected trade journal for market farmers, Market Farming Success condenses decades of growing experience from every part of the United States and Canada. It focuses on the factors that are common to market gardeners everywhere and offers professional advice that includes: - How much you'll need to spend to start a market farming business; - How much you can expect to earn; - Which crops bring in the most money--and whether you should grow them; - The essential tools and equipment you will need; - The best places to sell your products; - How to keep records to maximize profits and minimize taxes; - Tricks of the trade that will make you more efficient in the greenhouse, field, and market. This new Chelsea Green edition of a 2006 classic is greatly updated and expanded, and includes full-color photos, charts, and graphs, plus many inspiring and instructive profiles of successful market-farming pioneers.

    The reader is introduced to stories of the wild foraging traditions of indigenous people in all continents. It is of interest to both traditional vegetable and even ornamental gardeners, as well as anyone interested in permaculture, forest gardening, foraging, slow-food, gourmet cooking and ethnobotany. “Stephen Barstow presents fascinating and useful information about his top 80 perennial leafy vegetables including lots of historical references, his and others’ recipe ideas, along with photos and more. Many of these are easily grown and can be ornamental as well as great edibles. This will be a really useful book helping extend the range of food plants for gardeners.” Martin Crawford

    Helpful appendices aid gardeners in taking photographs of the butterflies they attract, in locating sources for seeds and plants, and in finding organizations and other instructive publications for additional information about these beautiful and beneficial insects.As the popularity of butterfly gardening continues to increase, gardeners of all skill levels will find Butterfly Gardening for Texas an invaluable source of guidance and inspiration.

    Welty published many of her best-known works in the 1940s: A Curtain of Green, The Wide Net, The Robber Bridegroom, Delta Wedding, and The Golden Apples. During this period, she also wrote hundreds of letters to two friends who shared her love of gardening. One friend, Diarmuid Russell, was her literary agent in New York; the other, John Robinson, was a high school classmate and an aspiring writer who served in the Army in WWII, and he was long the focus of Welty's affection.Welty's lyrical, witty, and poignant discussions of gardening and nature are delightful in themselves; they are also figurative expressions of Welty's views of her writing and her friendships. Taken together with thirty-five illustrations, they form a poetic narrative of their own, chronicling artistic and psychic developments that were underway before Welty was fully conscious of them. By 1949 her art, like her friendships, had evolved in ways that she would never have predicted in 1940. Tell about Night Flowers not only lets readers glimpse Welty in her garden; it also reveals a brilliant and generous mind responding to the public events, people, art, and natural landscapes Welty encountered at home and on her travels during the 1940s. This book enhances our understanding of the life, landscape, and art of a major American writer.

    But aside from their purely practical uses, trees are appreciated for their beauty and have long served as important elements in designed landscapes. Tree Gardens is the first book to focus on what author Gina Crandell calls the "largest living architectural structures"—masses of trees that form expressive spaces on sites all over the world. Each case study—from the grand park at Versailles, to New York City's 9/11 Memorial Forest—explains how the scale, context, species, and spacing of trees on a particular site establish its expressive structure. Featuring engaging text and beautiful images, this much-needed book combines useful how-to aspects of tree planting with theoretical discourse on tree garden design and will be an important resource for students, landscape architects, and horticulturists alike.

    Wolff’s pots—some small and perfect for a sunny windowsill, others massive and just right for a favorite outdoor spot—are widely considered to be the epitome of gardenware. Their classical proportions, simple decoration, and the marks of Wolff’s hands all combine to make plants look their best. His pots possess an honesty and liveliness that machine-made flowerpots lack. Wolff is probably the best-known potter working in the United States today. In gardening circles, he is a highly revered horticultural icon; gardeners flock to his lectures and demonstrations. His work also appeals to lovers of design and fine arts: visit the personal gardens of landscape designers, and you will see Guy Wolff pots. Step inside the gates of estate gardens, and you will see Guy Wolff pots. Yet he is a potter’s potter. He’s a big ware thrower, a skill few have today. He thinks deeply about what he calls the architecture of pots and the importance of handmade objects in our lives. Whether you are a longtime collector of Wolff’s pots, anxious to buy your first one, or simply intrigued by the beauty and practicality of hand-crafted goods in our fast-paced era, you’ll want to add this richly illustrated book to your library.

    An experienced grower, Klaus Laitenberger shows how to use the heat and shelter of a greenhouse or polytunnel to maximise crop production and supply tasty, healthy food throughout the year. He gives full details of sowing, planting, spacing and harvesting for all our best-loved herbs and vegetables, as well as introducing exotic newcomers such as pepino and yacon.

    A user's guide for dismantling modern civilization.

    But like any other kind of gardening, growing edibles is not a one-size-fits-all pursuit: in order to be successful, you’ll need to know not only which plants grow well in your state or region, but also how to grow them with careful methods and a schedule that caters specifically to your local microclimate. Fortunately for you, Southern Fruit & Vegetable Gardening is written exclusively for gardeners who want to grow edibles in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, or Tennessee. Author Katie Elzer-Peters, the master gardener responsible for our bestselling Beginner’s Illustrated Guide to Gardening (2012), equips you with all the information you need to design your edible garden, tend the soil, maintain your plants throughout their life cycles, and—most importantly—harvest the delicious foods they produce. So whether you live in the Ozarks, in the Delta, on the Cumberland Plateau, or anywhere else in the Southern United States, you’ll discover the best fruit and vegetable plants for your garden in this beautiful step-by-step how-to guide . . . and they’ll be on your table before you know it.

    For more than half a century, Robert Sanford Martin's How to Prune Fruit Trees has been the go-to guide for pruners of all levels of expertise. As one reviewer noted, "This book simplifies what other books complicate. It has a small amount of text paired with line drawings that help break pruning tasks down into something you can easily understand." Martin has judiciously pruned his words to make his advice as clear and simple as possible. His guidance in the art of cutting back and thinning out has been responsible for the preservation of countless healthy trees and orchards. Maximize your fruit production-whether you are growing apples, almonds, plums, pomegranates, or any of over 40 varieties of fruit trees discussed in this book-by making the right cut every time.In this enhanced edition, additional information from H. H. Thomas's Pruning Made Easy explores the treatment of roots, side shoots, sub-laterals, standards, cordon trees, and other aspects of plant care. Well illustrated and clear, this book will become your indispensable guide for year-round pruning success and should have a place in the library of both seasoned and amateur gardeners.

    In addition to learning how to diagnose a plant problem through clear visual keys, you will also learn the most effective organic solutions for every problem. Detailed plant portraits include information on growth, season, planting techniques, and temperature, light, and soil requirements. The 37 plants profiles cover everything from almonds to watermelons.

    The Garden at Stonefields reveals the triumphs and trials of designing and building this extraordinary house and garden – Paul's most challenging and personal project yet. Photographed by Paul's long-time collaborator Simon Griffiths, the stunning photos reveal the evolution of the site from conception to completion, and capture the unique beauty of each area of the garden. The book also features extracts from Paul's personal diary, an intimate and compelling account of dealing with drought, bushfires and the threat of mining in contemporary rural Australia.

    It reflects modern best-practice gardening at the American Horticultural Society, the leading US gardening authority. All techniques are shown clearly and simply with step-by-step instructions for every gardener to follow. It contains more than 2,000 clear and concise color illustrations supported by over 1,000 beautiful color photos. This book includes steps for planning, pruning, propagating, feeding and watering; covers all plants including trees, flowers and shrubs, climbers, lawns, vegetables, fruit and herbs; shows how to create water features and patios and add lighting and includes organic techniques, recycling and how to treat pests and diseases. There are also chapters on container gardening, growing under glass, garden tools and equipment, and everyday garden maintenance, as well as on landscaping and construction work. The wealth of practical information makes this book an essential purchase for both professional and amateur gardener.

    She shares what they've learned about energy self-sufficiency, water self-sufficiency, and food self-sufficiency for themselves and their goats and chickens too. Included are copies of their homestead master plan plus revisions, homegrown vitamins and minerals for goats, and several of Leigh's favorite homestead recipes.

    But like any other kind of gardening, growing edibles is not a one-size-fits-all pursuit: in order to be successful, you’ll need to know not only which plants grow well in your state or region, but also how to grow them with careful methods and a schedule that caters specifically to your local microclimate. Fortunately for you, Midwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening is written exclusively for gardeners who want to grow edibles in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. Author Katie Elzer-Peters, the master gardener responsible for our bestselling Beginner’s Illustrated Guide to Gardening (2012), equips you with all the information you need to design your edible garden, tend the soil, maintain your plants throughout their life cycles, and—most importantly—harvest the delicious foods they produce. So whether you live in the Badlands, the Dells, the Quad Cities, or anywhere else in the Midwestern United States, you’ll discover the best fruit and vegetable plants for your garden in this beautiful step-by-step how-to guide . . . and they’ll be on your table before you know it.

    Chickens are back! More-relaxed suburban and urban ordinances on raising and housing chickens, plus the desire for homeowners to become more self-sufficient as "backyard homesteaders," has led to renewed interest across the country in keeping chickens.Chickens for the Backyard Homesteader is packed with tips, strategies, and advice that gives readers the confidence to look after their hens and avoid common problems.

    Learn from an acknowledged expert in the field of wild foods how to source mushrooms through foraging, shopping, and growing, and get a thorough overview of the common types of wild and cultivated fungi. Gain insight into the medicinal and cultural uses of mushrooms, and reap the health benefits of simple, unprocessed food.Delicious recipes for basic pantry preparations, soups, salads, meats, seafood, and vegetable dishes, all featuring mushrooms, include: Truffle Potato Croquettes; Mushroom Pate; Porcini Naan; Semolina Mushroom Cake; Beef Tenderloin and Oyster Mushroom Carpaccio; Curried Mushroom and Coconut Bisque. The Deerholme Mushroom Book is every chef's essential guide to edible mushrooms.

    These great tasting nutritional powerhouses are cropping up in gourmet restaurants and trendy farmers markets everywhere. This comprehensive resource explains everything readers need to know to grow microgreens at home, inexpensively and easily. It provides extensive instructions for selecting seeds and soil, along with guidance on proper temperature, light, and ventilation.

    Included are keys, descriptions and illustrations for over 130 of the region's species of ferns and fern relatives: - True Ferns in 19 families and 36 genera, including 'typical' ferns such as members of the Wood Fern, Sensitive Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Cliff Fern and Spleenwort Families, plus families now considered part of the true fern group - the Horsetail (Equisetum) and Adder's-tongue Families (moonworts, grapeferns). - Fern Relatives in 3 families and 8 genera, including members of the Clubmoss, Quillwort and Spike-moss Families.Features- Introduction to fern terminology, structure and life-cycle - Illustrated keys to each family, genus and species - Arranged alphabetically by family - Species fully described and illustrated with line drawings and b/w photographs to show the frond (leaf) and important reproductive parts such as the sorus and indusium, and other diagnostic details such as vascular bundles in the stipe (leaf stalk) and close-ups of the pinna (leaf divisions) - North American and northeast region distribution maps for each species.

    Horses bring farmers back to the roots of what it means to work the land and present a viable model for a small farm that lasts, while offering enjoyment for the whole family. This is the first book of its kind, offering wisdom and techniques for using horse power on the small farm or homestead, from longtime horse farmer Stephen Leslie."The New Horse-Powered Farm" sets the stage for incorporating draft power on the farm by presenting tips on getting started with horses, care of the work horse, different horse-training systems, and the merits of different draft breeds. The novice teamster is introduced to the basic tools of horse-drawn tillage and cultivation used for profitable horse-powered farming, with a spotlight on whole-farm management, as well as information on haying with horses, raising small grains, managing the woodlot, farm education, agritourism, and more.Incorporated throughout are profiles of more than a half-dozen farms that epitomize some exciting new trends in agriculture and highlight the new and old horse-drawn equipment used for profitable market gardening, including contributions directly from the farmers about what works and what doesn't. The novice teamster is introduced to the specifics of horse-drawn tillage and cultivation of the market garden, and using horses in the woodland. Recent studies on the economics of horse-powered market gardening and a comparison between horse-, human-, and tractor-powered systems have been included to help round out the picture. The resources section lists contact info for teamster schools, books, draft-animal publications, annual events, equipment manufacturers, parts and repairs, and more. A must-have for any farmer, homesteader, or teamster seeking to work with draft power in a closed-loop farming system.

    A stunning gift edition combining the best of COMMON GROUND and COMMON TABLE.Janice Marriott and Virginia Pawsey went to Gisborne Girls' High together and met again after thirty years at a school reunion. they rekindled their friendship and began writing, discovering in the process a shared passion for gardening and cooking - despite having lived very different lives. In their first book, COMMON GROUND, they wrote about their very different gardens and lives. In their eagerly received second book, COMMON tABLE, their wise and witty letters traced a seasonal journey through their kitchens. Now the best of both books is brought together in a wonderful gift edition, COMMON LIVES. their correspondence tells the stories of their lives, their gardens, their kitchens as well as their loves and their losses. Beautifully written, their letters are funny, poignant, clever and perceptive, as two wise women provide a delightful insight into a wonderful friendship. Accompanied by stunning photographs, this is a perfect gift to share.

    Now a leader in the sustainable food movement, Nolan shares her story in From the Ground Up, helping us understand the benefits of organic gardening—for the environment, our health, our wallets, our families, and our communities. The great news, as Nolan shows us, is that it has never been easier to grow the vegetables we eat, whether on our rooftops, in our backyards, in our school yards, or on our fire escapes.  From the Ground Up chronicles Nolan’s journey as she returned seventeen years later, disillusioned with communal life, to her parents’ suburban home on the North Shore as a single mother with few marketable skills. Her mother suggested she plant a vegetable garden in their yard, and it grew so abundantly that she established a small business planting organic gardens in suburban yards. She was then asked to create an organic farm for children at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, and she soon began installing gardens around the city—on a restaurant’s rooftop, in school yards, and for nonprofit organizations. Not only did she realize that practically anyone anywhere could grow vegetables on a small scale but she learned a greater lesson as well: rather than turn her back on mainstream society, she could make a difference in the world. The answer she was searching for was no further than her own backyard.     In this moving and inspiring account, which combines her fascinating personal journey with the knowledge she gained along the way, Nolan helps us understand the importance of planting and eating organically—both for our health and for the environment—and provides practical tips for growing our food. With the message that we can create utopias in our very own backyards and rooftops, From the Ground Up can inspire each of us to reassess our relationship to the food we eat.Praise for From the Ground Up  “One of the most intelligent, surprising and impressive garden memoirs I’ve read in a long time . . . radiant with hope and love.”—The New York Times Book Review“The joy of From the Ground Up is not Nolan’s own happy ending but rather the illuminating way she applies her vision to practical problems. . . . The hardest memoir to write is the one that is honest but not self-obsessed; Nolan accomplishes this with clarity and poise.”—Jane Smiley, Harper’s“[A] rare and improbable thing: a gripping gardening memoir . . . [Nolan’s] voice is an honest and reassuring one.”—Chicago Reader“[A] refreshing narrative . . . From the Ground Up triumphs the backyard micro-garden as it imparts lessons from Nolan’s life about family. . . . The book is a good read for foodies and lovers of a good story alike, and an inspiration to garden wherever you can find space.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star“From the Ground Up resonates powerfully with me, as a gardener, and inspires me to ‘double dig’ my garden bed. But even readers who keep their fingernails clean will benefit from this beautiful story and powerful message.”—Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden

    This book tells how, in the British Isles, it flourished to an extraordinary degree. Following the historical method in Tom Turner's books on Asian gardens (2010) and European gardens (2011), it uses almost 1000 colour photographs, plans and style diagrams to provide a word and image history of garden design. Individual chapters cover the Celtic, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic, Arts and Crafts, Modern and Postmodern periods. Additional information about the gardens in the book is available on the Gardenvisit.com website, which the author edits 　http: //www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/br...

    I, is a compilation of his articles first published in the Macon County Chronicle and is influenced by countless years of organic and biodynamic farming. Comparable to curling up with your old Mother Earth News magazines, this book covers it all. Homesteading self-sufficiency through the year, from seeds to harvest, and everything that can happen along the way. You will enjoy reading and re-reading this book of old-time wisdom from the Barefoot Farmer.Coree White Entwistle comments, “The Barefoot Farmer takes each reader on a tour of the farm, its seasons, its work, and its wonderful produce (including a few home-style recipes). Charming drawings of important biodynamic herbs open each chapter, and most essays are accented with more original artwork (by Linda Johnson) , drawn from the Long Hungry Creek Farm. Read it cover to cover, use it as a garden inspiration and reference, or just open it at random to get a taste of Tennessee homestead goodness, wherever you are.Harvey C. Lisle comments, “As you read the pages of this book you can picture yourself on a farm teeming with life. The farm, the experiences related to the farm and the food produced on the farm will all bring pleasures most people are not privileged to have. It is still true that it is the land which sustains us and Jeff deals with this subject beautifully.”

    The year takes its shape from the seasons of nature and the feasts and festivals of the Christian year. Each informs and illuminates the other in this loving celebration of nature's gifts and neighbourly friendship. Literature, poetry, spirituality and memory all merge to create an exquisite series of stories of our times.

    From the cutting-edge naturalistic planting design of the Sheffield School to the scientific imagery of Througham Court, this stunning guide surveys a wide spectrum of garden styles;some are challenging or thought-provoking, while others reflect the sensuously romantic tradition of English planting design, which has also been moving ahead in interesting ways. The New English Garden presents all that is most interesting about garden-making in England in the twenty-first century, beautifully illustrated by Andrew Lawson’s photography of some of England’s most famous gardens, from Prince Charles’s garden at Highgrove,Christopher Llyod’s garden at Great Dixter and Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s garden at Gresgarth right up to the Olympic Park in 2012.

    Monthly planting guides show exactly what you can do in the garden from January through December. The skill sets go beyond the basics with tutorials on seed saving, worm bins, and more. This must-have book is for gardeners in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The southernmost parts of Ontario, New Brunswick, Novia Scotia, and Quebec are also included.

    Many people are concerned about exposure to pesticides in food and the environment, but at the same time gardeners feel they can’t get a good crop (or any crop at all) unless they spray their plants with “laboratory-synthesized materials.” While in certain situations the use of a pesticide may be the only cost- and labor-effective solution, in most cases there are less-toxic alternatives.In this revision of the 1995 original, the authors provide updated information on the control of all pests (insects and diseases) that can afflict lawns, food and ornamental gardens, and shade trees. For each pest, treatments are offered ranging from indirect strategies (such as pruning), through direct physical and biological controls, to least-toxic chemical controls. Easy-to-access finding guides make it a snap to find out what’s bugging your plant.

    To Eat was, unfortunately, fated to be their last collaboration: They were at work on this book when Winterrowd passed away in 2010.      To Eat is a celebration of their life together, a tribute to the garden they both loved and to the man who spent his life reveling in the fruits—literal and metaphorical—of his labor. As Eck and Winterrowd move through the seasons, considering the edible plants and vegetables appropriate to each, what shines through above all is their connection to the land and to each other. This is a celebration of life and the life cycle, of eating seasonally, of cultivating a meal from the ground up. It’s about abundance and also scarcity; about living in harmony with the world and accepting its offerings.      Informative, funny, and, above all, tenderly moving, To Eat is a fitting capstone to a profound partnership.

    Offering expert tips on selecting the right site, choosing the best cultivars, designing and maintaining a sustainable orchard, and efficiently harvesting fruit, Barney also helps you develop a viable business plan, acquire necessary organic certifications, and identify niche markets for your products.

    The three pillars of health are exercise, good food, and sleep. Living to an old age without the miserable and debilitating symptoms of morbidity and disease depends on adequate quality sleep. This is on top of just the miserable fatigue and other side effects that can happen the next day or throughout the entire week from one night’s poor sleep. %65 of you (probably more because you’re here reading this) will have some kind of sleep difficulties tonight. It is one of the barely talked about pandemics across Western culture, especially in the United States. We are a people dependent on coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, and sleep pills to get us up and going in the morning and then to force our bodies to submit to rest, and the unfortunate fact is that every one of these disrupts our body’s natural ability to maintain quality sleep (and yes, including sleep pills, these are especially destructive to quality self-sustained sleep!), on top of their other side effects. Luckily there are many effective and healthy options to help get your sleep in order, be it for a single night of sleep trouble, or sustained chronic insomnia and all without actually damaging your natural sleep cycle, or other side effects. Here we will discuss the natural herbs and essential oils that you can use to support healthy and satisfying slumber, including directly tackling stress and overall fatigue.Elizabeth Summers has been working with herbs and natural medicine for over twenty years, starting by working with friends and family and eventually branching out into the community and the world of medicine out of a profound need to help people. We live in a sick world, and her written work is one way to try to spread the simple but profound health inherent in nature to those who need it. Elizabeth has written on dozens of natural and homeopathic topics, from acute injuries and disease, to diet, pregnancy, and simply trying to thrive in a world of plenty that unfortunately usually leads to dysfunction instead of health. Look for her many other natural remedies pieces here on Amazon!

    Author Melinda Myers shares her extensive gardening knowledge, highlighting her top picks for plants that will thrive in (or in spite of) Michigan’s tough winters and other unique growing conditions, guaranteeing success for the Michigan gardener and home landscaper. From soil and water to fertilization and pest management, Michigan Getting Started Garden Guide addresses all the gardening topics of concern to Michigan gardeners. Featured plant categories discuss annuals, bulbs, ferns and groundcovers, ornamental grasses, perennials, roses, shrubs, trees, turfgrasses, and vines. Each plant is showcased with detailed photography; specific advice on how, when, and where to plant; growing tips, such as watering requirements; and descriptions of routine care. Alongside these “nitty-gritty” aspects of planting and growing, Myers shares her inspiration for garden design, the various ways you can beautifully incorporate plants into your landscape, and her favorite cultivars and species. With proven, practical instructions presented through gorgeous imagery and adapted specially for the Michigan climate, Michigan Getting Started Garden Guide is your ticket to successful planting in the Great Lake State.

    In the 21st century this may seem like stating the obvious but in 1958 it was a more surprising notion. The strength of this book is that it proves the point.Starting as a gardening journalist then gaining a reputation as a lecturer, Margery caught the attention of more gardeners, and made a more lasting impact, with her first book, We Made a Garden. Having completed the tribute to her late husband, in this, her second book, she set out in detail how to achieve her aim of a garden that looks good all the year round.This is a confident Margery Fish, making her own garden in her own way and writing about it with natural enthusiasm to help gardeners break away from the traditional idea of empty and desolate gardens in winter. In particular she focuses on the plants themselves, highlighting those that can be relied upon to flower in winter, on evergreen foliage plants that fill the garden with long-term interest, and on plants with unusually long seasons of colour.Recognising that the period from autumn through to the bulbs of spring is the most difficult time for most gardeners planning an all-the-year garden, Margery highlights hellebores and hardy cyclamen, plants which in the 1950s were not considered particularly significant. Through her persuasive prose, based as ever on her own experiences at East Lambrook Manor, she raises them to the first rank. She also stirred interest in heathers as winter flowers, in peat gardening, and her infectious delight in collecting plants, like hellebores and the old hose- in-hose primroses, still delights us.And all the while, her own appreciation of the way her plants grew and her understanding of how to encourage them to give their best adds fundamental horticultural wisdom to her natural enthusiasm for the plants themselves. This is a book that changed the way we garden.

    Fine Gardening Beds and Borders offers easy planting solutions for creating gardens that add color and texture, help zone a property, and offer maximum impact for minimum investment of time and money. Whether the goal is as ambitious as a front yard makeover or as simple as a little spruce-up around the mailbox, Beds and Borders is packed with eye-catching garden designs, advice on choosing the best plants, and strategies for keeping plants healthy and lush all season long.

    

    Led by founding principals Douglas Reed and Gary Hilderbrand, the firm is widely recognized for rigorously conceived and carefully executed projects that merge the particular native qualities of a site with recognizably contemporary design expression. Their work embodies a deep embrace of modernism, a devotion to intellectual traditions in their field and a rich engagement of horticulture and ecological systems. The book examines a range of 40 public and private commissions in cities and rural settings, including institutional campuses, residences and urban regeneration projects such as the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University; Bennington College, Bennington, VT; Duke University, Durham, NC; Poetry Foundation, Chicago; Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City, MO; Clyfford Still Museum, Denver; Dallas Museum of Art; Phoenix Art Museum; and the redevelopment of portions of the South Boston waterfront. An introduction by Hilderbrand and Reed reflects on the firm's 20-year evolution, and essays by noted scholars develop themes that recur in the work. The book opens with an extensive photographic essay by Millicent Harvey and concludes with 60 full-page plans. Internationally renowned landscape architect Peter Walker contributes a preface. Elegantly designed and beautifully produced, Visible Invisible is ideal for landscape architects, architects, preservationists, landscape photographers, and anyone who appreciates truly beautiful books.--William S. Saunders "Landscape Architecture Magazine"

    This is because from factories, cars, power plants, and endless other sources, we live in a polluted world. Heavy metals, carbons and other particulate matter, noxious chemicals, and other hazardous compounds. It isn’t just our air either, but our cleaners and detergents, our hygiene products, and even our food! We live in a toxic world, and while for most of us in the Western world we may not notice too much, or think it may seem overly dramatic, but these toxins are the slow burning elements that contribute to most of our cancers, auto-immune and other disease, Alzheimer’s, birth defects, and others, not to mention the just overall decrease in health and vibrancy. The fact is, with so many toxins, the body has to constantly work to keep them from spilling over and it wears down not just the liver, but so many other organs.So what can we do to help stop this toxicity, other than moving to a remote village in whole different continent? The first step should of course being to try to use less toxic soaps, cleaners, and the most natural and whole foods as possible. There also exist many natural herbs and methods to help safely eliminate the toxins, or help the liver in its job of detoxifying. In this text we will address some of the most effective and safe options for detoxing, helping get rid of this terrible drag on health and vitality so that you have the chance to fully thrive.Elizabeth Summers has been working with herbs and natural medicine for over twenty years, starting by working with friends and family and eventually branching out into the community and the world of medicine out of a profound need to help people. We live in a sick world, and her written work is one way to try to spread the simple but profound health inherent in nature to those who need it. Elizabeth has written on dozens of natural and homeopathic topics, from acute injuries and disease, to diet, pregnancy, and simply trying to thrive in a world of plenty that unfortunately usually leads to dysfunction instead of health. Look for her many other natural remedies pieces here on Amazon!

    Toaster pastry spiders, Chinese dragon caterpillars, mummies hanging from a peach tree, and mushrooms that send dogs rolling in orgasmic ecstasy are just a few of the wonders we've discovered in our own back yard.Explore the creatures living right under your nose through photos and stories, facts and legends. Take a walk on the wild side in your own back yard. Be in the moment and forget the bustle of the busy world. Take a few minutes out of your week to bask in nature's bounty. Marvel at Mother Nature's artistry and originality. Be as a child again and you might find that there's no place like home.

    

    Offering expert tips on choosing a growing site, soil fertility, companion planting, irrigation, organic farming techniques, dealing with pests, and harvesting, Stewart also helps you design a business plan, manage employees, and find niche markets for your produce.