An internationally renowned herbalist, teacher, and certified organic grower, Hartung has filled this indispensable reference with a wide range of information gathered from her 30 years of studying and working hands-on with these amazing plants. Homegrown Herbs is a step-by-step primer for gardeners of every level. It includes in-depth profiles of 101 cultivars, including information on seed selection, planting, maintenance and care, harvesting, drying, and uses in the kitchen, home pharmacy, crafting, and body care. Hartung supports these profiles with an array of herb garden designs, illustrations, and at-a-glance charts. Sensational four-color photographs by Saxon Holt bring the information to life, and an introduction by renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar highlights the importance of the book to both individuals and the planet as a whole. Packed with valuable information, Homegrown Herbs is much more than an encyclopedia of herbs—Hartung shares her passionate and compelling vision for a world that is filled with greater abundance, pleasure, joy, and compassion. With Hartung as a guide, readers will find that growing herbs is more than simply a practical act; it is also an inspired one that brings beauty, flavor, and healing to the everyday... and to the world at large.

    It often seems to require some know-how our parents didn't pass on, or a special tool. Happily, Kaufmann Mercantile has both, and in this comprehensive field guide, they share their expertise on a huge range of topics, from frying an egg, tying a tie, or brewing coffee to things the inner utilitarian in all of us aspires to do, like splitting wood, building a fire, growing our own food, or making our own soap. Fifty how-tos are organized into five sections: Kitchen, Outdoors, Home, Garden, and Grooming. Written in clear detail and extensively illustrated, The Kaufmann Mercantile Guide teaches us what we ought to know how to do, as well as what we'd like to. Supplemental sidebars feature the best tool for the job, whether a dibber for planting, the best rawhideand- ash snowshoes, or flammable smoking bags for making authentic BBQ. This book is a must-have reference tool for living well in the twenty-first century.

    Worms are the latest (as well as, of course, perhaps the oldest!) trend in earth-friendly gardening, and in this handy guide, the authors of DEAD SNAILS LEAVE NO TRAILS demystify the world of worm wrangling, with everything you need to know to build your own worm bin, make your garden worm-friendly, pamper your soil, and much much more.

    Martin's approach is revolutionary—picture brilliant spring bulbs by the bed, lush perennials brought in from the garden, quirky succulents in the kitchen, even flowering vines and small trees growing beside an easy chair. Martin brings an evangelist's zeal to the task of convincing homeowners that indoor plants aren't just a luxury—they're a necessity. In addition to design flair, houseplants clean indoor air, which can be up to ten times more polluted. Along with loads of visual inspiration, readers will learn how to make unusual selections, where to best position plants in the home, and valuable tips on watering, feeding, grooming, pruning, and troubleshooting, season by season.

    A delightful, fun, and endlessly creative new trend is sweeping the gardening world: miniature gardening! With your imagination as the only limit to this infinitely customizable technique, miniature gardening showcases your individuality. Once you've learned how to design, create, and grow tiny plant combinations successfully, you'll be able to let your creativity loose indoors and out. In Miniature Gardens, gardening expert Katie Elzer-Peters demonstrates the latest in plant options and designs through her gorgeous color photography and laser-focused Do-It-Yourself advice. Plenty of great tips and idea-generating information on small-scale furnishings are included as well. Where other books on this popular subject offer run-of-the-mill images and only limited how-to information, Miniature Gardens gives you a thorough and beautiful window into this tiny world, from fairy gardening to dish gardening, terrariums, and even a miniature water garden project. From cute home tabletop designs to elaborate mini-villages and everything in between, miniature gardening is a pastime that can be enjoyed by hobbyists and families of all ages and in all sizes of living space. With Miniature Gardens, you're just a lightning strike of inspiration away from bringing to life the endless creations unique to your own imagination.

    How important is composting? Is seed saving really worth it? Focusing on sustainable, organic growing practices and plants, The Backyard Gardener is a comprehensive handbook that will help get them started. Kelly Orzel covers everything from soil selection to growing and harvesting. Sidebars such as "garden center survival tips" offer useful advice to help readers build their confidence and know-how. This guide also features photographs of beautiful plant bed designs, propagation techniques, and much more.

    Learn how to -Grow self-seeding vegetables -Build raised garden beds using step-by-step instructions -Collect water from rain and snow -Make your own laundry detergent -Find wild vegetables for everyday eating Discover these tricks and more from the author of The Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency and Backyard Winter Gardening. You can be a living example of independence for the rising generation, and avoid grocery store prices while you’re at it. Whether you’re growing an organic family garden or running a no-nonsense household, More Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency is a must-have guide to becoming truly self-reliant for you and your family.

    At the same time, she can't shake the fact that she is the daughter of two back-to-the-land hippies who taught her to love nature and eat vegetables. Ambivalent about repeating her parents' disastrous mistakes, yet drawn to the idea of backyard self-sufficiency, Carpenter decided that it might be possible to have it both ways: a homegrown vegetable plot as well as museums, bars, concerts, and a twenty-four-hour convenience mart mere minutes away. Especially when she moved to a ramshackle house in inner city Oakland and discovered a weed-choked, garbage-strewn abandoned lot next door. She closed her eyes and pictured heirloom tomatoes, a beehive, and a chicken coop.What started out as a few egg-laying chickens led to turkeys, geese, and ducks. Soon, some rabbits joined the fun, then two three-hundred-pound pigs. And no, these charming and eccentric animals weren't pets; she was a farmer, not a zookeeper. Novella was raising these animals for dinner. Novella Carpenter's corner of downtown Oakland is populated by unforgettable characters. Lana (anal spelled backward, she reminds us) runs a speakeasy across the street and refuses to hurt even a fly, let alone condone raising turkeys for Thanksgiving. Bobby, the homeless man who collects cars and car parts just outside the farm, is an invaluable neighborhood concierge. The turkeys, Harold and Maude, tend to escape on a daily basis to cavort with the prostitutes hanging around just off the highway nearby. Every day on this strange and beautiful farm, urban meets rural in the most surprising ways.For anyone who has ever grown herbs on their windowsill, tomatoes on their fire escape, or obsessed over the offerings at the local farmers' market, Carpenter's story will capture your heart. And if you've ever considered leaving it all behind to become a farmer outside the city limits, or looked at the abandoned lot next door with a gleam in your eye, consider this both a cautionary tale and a full-throated call to action. Farm City is an unforgettably charming memoir, full of hilarious moments, fascinating farmers' tips, and a great deal of heart. It is also a moving meditation on urban life versus the natural world and what we have given up to live the way we do.(jacket)

    Eaten alone, as a salad, or added to soups, entrees, sandwiches, burgers, or anything else, these tiny greens of nutrition will enhance everyday food and life!Only a small amount of space is needed to grow microgreens—a porch, patio, deck, or balcony, indoors or outdoors, will do. This allows anyone to easily incorporate microgreens into their daily meals, and the greens' nutritional potency make them a must-eat in a healthy diet, any time of the year!

    It is more powerful than any other." - Dr. Richard Schulze, Medical Herbalist from herbdoc.com.Hats off to you! You've just plunged into a wealth of information that hardly any professional doctors have a clue about. Get ready to relish in the brilliance of the kitchen miracle that surgeons shun and doctors disgrace.A sea of unknown, unrevealed information awaits you. This book will act as your guide, so that you will soon be able to harness the full power of cayenne - the herb I once took for granted, and the herb that I now owe my health.Everyone out there seems to be promoting good health. Well, that's great. Good health is something that needs to be promoted. You need herbs, not drugs. You need nature, not synthetics. You need to use the proven, natural, side-affect-free healers that the earth is full of, not the clear, cold liquids that scientists processed through a test tube.If I had the time, I'd drive from house to house, shaking people out of their beds and telling them to wake up to the miracles of cayenne. But I can't, so I've got the next best thing.This report, which I've been compiling for a while, is brimming with the fiery brilliance of cayenne and all that I've found out about it.For example, cayenne has been known to cure 17 big diseases. It has been known to stop a heart attack in a matter of minutes. It can sharpen your vision better than the most powerful contact lenses available. It can expand your arteries like anything, giving the blood room to really flow and travel everywhere, from your arms (giving you strength) to your brain (giving you better brainpower). It can cure arthritis and much, much more.If your heart can't pump enough blood to a certain area, take cayenne pepper.Because if you're on prescription medications, you could take up to a year (or more!) to heal. But if you take cayenne, you could cut it down to a month or two.Did you know that if you take garlic in the right proportions, you can bring your blood pressure back to normal in three months?Well, if you add cayenne, you could cut that down to three days.Cayenne can unclog your kidneys and your sinuses, allow you to breathe freely and restore broken, bleeding gums to normal. Cayenne, in short, is a kitchen miracle.I owe my health to cayenne. I hope that by reading this report, you soon will too.To your health,Sharon Daniels

    This plant-by-plant guide includes profiles of more than 765 tasty varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and nuts. In addition to expert advice on selecting suitable plants and growing, harvesting, and storing them, this invaluable resource includes more than 100 tried-and-true organic remedies that fight off diseases and pests. Get out in your vegetable garden and discover how easy and fun it is to grow your own healthy food.

     Popular food blogger and doyenne of canning, Marisa McClellan, is using small batches and inventive flavors to make preserving easy enough for any novice to tackle. If you grew up eating home-preserved jams and pickles, or even if you're new to putting up, you'll find recipes to savor. Sample any of the 100 seasonal recipes:In the spring: Apricot Jam and Rhubarb SyrupIn the summer: Blueberry Butter and Peach SalsaIn the fall: Dilly Beans and Spicy Pickled CauliflowerIn the winter: Three-Citrus Marmalade and Cranberry KetchupMarisa's confident, practical voice answers questions and quells any fears of accidental canning mistakes, and the book is written for cooks of any skill level. Stories of wild blackberry jam and California Meyer lemon marmalade from McClellan's childhood make for a read as pleasurable as it is delicious; her home-canned food-learned from generations of the original "foodies"-feeds the soul as well as the body.

    Learn to build your bed, select the right plants, and so much more. Simple guides will have even the greenest gardeners serving up freshly picked vegetables in no time.Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners includes: Raised-bed gardening 101—From constructing a planting box to mixing and maintaining soil, step-by-step instructions make getting started easy. From greenhouse to green thumb—Help your garden thrive with detailed suggestions for crop rotation, partner planting, and seed starting. Perfect picks—Full profiles—plus growing and harvesting tips—for 30 popular and beginner-friendly plants make choosing the right ones for your garden a cinch. Take your gardening to the next level with Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners.

    This second edition of her definitive illustrated guide adds 40 percent new material, with more coverage of different kinds of trees, shrubs, and ground covers and how to prune them for health and aesthetics. The book is organized around the most common types of plants found in Northwest gardens: evergreen and deciduous shrubs; bamboos and tea roses; rhododendrons, camellia and other tree-like shrubs; hedge plants like boxwood and heather; clematis, wisteria and all those vines; and detailed information on trees by species from dogwoods to weeping cherries. In her trademark witty style, Turnbull also addresses tools, landscape renovation, and design errors. Included too are her amusing Ten Commandments for gardeners, which feature such treasures as "Thou shalt not weed-whip the trunk of thy tree, nor bash it with thine mower, nor leave anything tied on thy tree or the branches of thy tree, as is done in the land of the philistines."

    There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.