Discover how to keep your garden in the best of health. Ideal for first-time gardeners, Grow Pests & Diseases contains everything you need to know to prevent and treat a wide range of plant pests, diseases, disorders, and more. Far more than a simple list of treatments, this book shows you how to keep plants in top condition, recognise the signs of ill-health, and decide whether or not intervention is needed, while the fully illustrated ailment directory is organised by symptom and plant type for quick and easy identification. Packed with practical, jargon-free know-how, this easy-to-use guide has everything you need to know to help your garden Grow.

Biochar, charcoal made from wood or another type of biomass, has become the new darling of organic gardeners, embraced for its outstanding abilities to enrich the soil and improve plant growth. Gardening with Biochar is the first comprehensive guide to understanding, making, and using it effectively in the home garden. In this highly accessible handbook, long-time garden writer Jeff Cox explains what biochar is and provides detailed instructions for how it can be made at home, along with specific guidelines for using it to enrich soil, prevent erosion, and enhance plant growth. Now widely available at garden centers, biochar is also being lauded for its ability to sequester carbon in the soil, making it good for the health of the planet, as well as the plants.

The American Midwest is an ideal place to grow a huge variety of vegetables, and there are plenty of healthful and economic benefits to having your own garden. Whether you have a traditional backyard space or several containers on a high-rise balcony, you can grow a season-long supply of tasty produce. Best-selling garden writer Laura Peters provides all you need to know to dig in: * Basics such as light, soil, exposure and frost tolerance * Almost infinite garden styles, including raised beds and limited space gardening * Preparing the garden and selecting which vegetables to grow where * Recommended varieties, including new, traditional, heirloom and unusual selections * Seasonal care, including mulching, weeding and watering * Tips throughout, including how to extend the growing season and what to do with your harvest * Organic approaches to management of pests and diseases * An appendix featuring companion plants and relationships * Helpful hardiness maps, and delicious colour photos throughout.

Did you know Avocados contain around 20 minerals and vitamins which are essential to good health? But a medium avocado contains more calories than a Mars bar? Who cares? They're delicious and can be used in everything from salad to soup. And make a fabulous face mask! Super Food: Avocado contains Feature spreads - covering the history of avocados, plus health benefits, how to use avocado to dye fabric and grow your own. Delicious food and drink recipes - from snacks, starters, mains and desserts. Enjoy a bacon and egg baked avocado with a mango, avocado and spinach smoothie for breakfast! Health and beauty recipes - make your hands beautiful with an avocado, olive oil and lemon treatment, or brighten dull skin with an avocado exfoliant. Food is super! There's all sorts of things you can do with fruit and veg - and not always what you'd expect. Whether it's cooking delicious dishes, looking after your teeth or making facepacks, there's all kinds of interesting, healthy uses for fruit and veg. Each book in the Super Foods series takes a look at one ingredient and shows a host of uses - both practical and delicious. The first books in the series are: Avocado, Cucumber, Pomegranate, Lemon, Beetroot and Coconut.

"Small is Bountiful" covers everything you need to start growing your own food, however small the space available to you. Whether you have never grown anything before or are a seasoned gardener looking for new ideas, you'll find both inspiration and practical tips on planting, harvesting and nurturing. Each chapter takes you through the different stages of how to get the very best from your garden: Big Ideas for Small Spaces looks at the space and site you have available for growing crops. Small Bites offers ideas for planting fast-growing crops such as leafy salads, edible flowers, and herbs, and Bigger Servings explains how to increase the yield of fruiting and root crops. Here you'll find favourites such as potatoes for the patio and a crate of cook's herbs. There is advice on choosing the right plants, planting ideas, and detailed care instructions, plus recipes and tips on how to store and preserve your bountiful harvest. The featured planting has been developed around planting 'recipes', based on how you would use the harvest in the kitchen - for example the container "A Taste of Italy" gives you a marvellous tomato and basil combination. With beautiful photography and clear instructional text, the 34 projects look as good as they taste.

Learn how to grow wild and exotic, medicinally important, sustainable, and deeply delicious mushrooms right at your own home, just as people throughout the world have been doing for centuries. Mushrooms are healthy, packed with vitamins and antioxidants; rich with flavor, an excellent source of the fifth flavor know as umami; and can be used medicinally in teas and tinctures. By growing your own, you can enjoy these benefits while also enriching your soil, speeding up your composting, and even suppressing weeds-though the biggest draw may be the magic of watching this unique form of life grow. Understanding how mushrooms grow is crucial to successfully cultivating them, and Mushroom Cultivation offers photo-illustrated instruction both on how mushrooms grow and how you can cultivate them yourself, with a focus on six types of mushroom-shiitake, oyster, wine cap, hericium, blewit, and agaricus. You'll learn how to: Grow mushrooms, step by step, in a variety of different mediums: logs, straw, wood chips and sawdust, and compost Troubleshoot problems, including identification, underwatering, overwatering, and insects Store, dry, and freeze your mushroom harvest Cook with mushrooms, including variety-specific cooking tips and 8 tasty recipes Find supplies and more information with the resources listed at the back of the book After reading Mushroom Cultivation, you'll discover that growing a mushroom is really no more difficult than growing a tomato. You just need a slightly different set of skills. Picking your own fresh mushrooms at the peak of their flavor and nutrition is within your reach with this comprehensive, step-by-step guide.

"No Time to Grow?" is an invaluable guide which shows how with good planning, organisation and a little patience, the smallest piece of ground can be worked to make a significant contribution to a healthy diet. The philosophy is always that it is better to give it a go and produce something than not try and to produce nothing. The author sets out to demonstrate ways of working and thinking to enable the production of a relatively large amount of fruit and vegetables with minimal time investment. Using organic principles throughout, the book takes the reader from some general principles of low effort gardening, through clearing the land the easy way, establishing a basic cropping plan, to expanding it and making that plan sustainable. It also includes suggestions on the easiest ways of growing a wide selection of vegetables and fruit. These sections are complemented with a brief review of poultry keeping and a selection of recipes to use some of the garden's produce. "No Time to Grow?" sets out to provide a unique approach to back yard food production viewing the activity as an integrated whole rather than a list of separate crops to produce.

A brief, invaluable guide to the art of growing vegetables around the year and saving money in the process. Vegetable Growing is a practical guide to frugal allotmenteering, including planning your plot, looking after the plants and practical tips for keeping your costs down, such as clever ways of making freebie alternatives to common growing tools. An additional handy section offers advice on which fruit and veg will save you the most money, as well as a season-by-season guide and ideas for boosting your savings with foraged and wild food. Written by Jonathan Stevens of the Real Men Sow blog, who recently embarked on a mission to find out how much he could save by growing his own fruit and vegetables on a half-sized allotment plot.

This fun-filled outdoor adventure handbook is packed with unique ideas to help kids discover the great outdoors and get closer to nature. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this pocket-sized guide teached kids about different habitats. This gorgeously illustrated handbook is bursting with fun activities, top tips and nature facts to help inspire kids to explore the amazing world around them. Learn how to choose a campsite. Grow your own daffodils. Learn how to navigate using the night sky. Each page is packed with original ideas to help kids discover and explore plants and wildlife, with exciting activities for different habitats.

Vegetables from your own farm to your own table We all love good food, and the fresher it is, the better! And what could be fresher than farm-to-table terms than vegetables you've grown at home? The new edition of Vegetable Gardening For Dummies puts you in touch with your roots in a thousands of years old farming tradition by demonstrating how easy it is to grow your own. And there's no need to buy a farm: all you need to become a successful cultivator of the land is this book and a small plot of soil in the yard, or a container set aside for some tasty natural edibles. Add water and some care, love, and attention--et voila! In a friendly, come-relax-in-my-garden style Charlie Nardozzi--leading horticultural writer and guest expert on shows such as Martha Stewart Living Radio--shares the nutritious results of a lifetime of vegetable-growing experience to delve into the nitty-gritty of micro-farming. It's not rocket science--quite the opposite--but you do need a bit of patience before you can reap your first glorious harvest. This book shows you how to master that, as you get down and dirty with the enjoyable work of building soil, starting seeds, controlling pests, and maintaining your garden. And as your early efforts turn to green shoots, you can dig deeper into information on special tips and tricks, as well as hundreds of vegetable varieties--many of which are beautiful to behold as well as tasty to eat! Plan out your garden Know your veggies, from tomatoes to chard Keep your plants happy and healthy Harvest, store, and preserve your crops Whether your thumb is a fertile green or you've never put plant-to-pot before, this book will bring out your inner farmer: you'll find everything required to transform your garden into a self-renewing larder--and complement every meal with a crisp, healthy, home-grown treat.

'A beautifully photographed guide for gardeners' - Daily Telegraph 'Nick offers solutions for every season' - Country Living 'A thought-provoking and beautifully written book' - Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener, Great Dixter In 365 Days of Colour in Your Garden BBC Gardeners' World presenter Nick Bailey shows you how to plant and manage your garden, whatever its size, to ensure year-round colour and interest. Initially explaining simple colour theory principles and how to apply them to your garden, the book goes on to highlight beautiful plants and planting combinations for every season no matter what type of garden you have. With chapters covering the longest flowering plants, pot recipes and gorgeous plants for difficult sites, along with a comprehensive seasonal directory, this book will inspire and delight both experienced gardeners and beginners alike.

Greens are highly nutritious, contributing essential vitamins and minerals to the diet, and they are particularly tasty if they are home-grown and eaten soon after harvesting. In this book, the main types of greens are described and illustrated, with useful information about the different varieties that can be grown, their history, cultivation requirements and cooking uses. There are step-by-step instructions for planting greens, as well as keeping them in tip-top condition by dealing with pests and diseases. A must for novices and experienced growers alike, the book is ideal for anyone who wants to experiment with new varieties.

This is a directory of varieties and how to cultivate them successfully. It is an illustrated gardener's guide to the different varieties of bulb vegetables, their history and cooking uses. It features step-by-step instructions for preparing the soil, sowing from seed and from sets, and harvesting and storing. It includes practical advice on cultivating a wide range of bulbs, including onions, shallots, garlic, spring onions and scallions, leeks, chives and Florence fennel. It contains helpful hints on how to avoid pests and diseases, and what to do when problems occur. Bulb vegetables have leaves that are adapted to store food reserves below or just above the ground, creating fleshy leaf bulbs. This book describes and illustrates all the main types, and includes useful information about the different varieties that can be grown and their cooking uses. There is practical advice for preparing the soil for new crops, making compost and growing bulb vegetables both from seed and from sets, as well as guidance on growing and caring for vegetables and how to harvest and store them. There are also suggestions for dealing with any pests and diseases.This handy book is suitable for novices and experienced gardeners alike.

There is nothing quite like growing your own strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries and currants to provide a reliable crop of the finest taste and quality. In this informative kitchen garden handbook, all the most popular soft fruits are illustrated, with useful information on their origins, growing habits, nutritional content and culinary uses. A techniques section explains how to train and support fruit bushes, pruning, sheltering plants from the weather and harvesting and storing crops. Whether you have a large kitchen garden, a small garden plot with some space in the borders, or room for a few containers, this book is a must for all fruit growers.

Welcome to modern matchmaking - for plants! All you need to do is be honest about what you can invest into your plant relationship (attentiveness, experience ... sunlight) and voila - The Modern Gardener will suggest the best matched plant partner for you. Nothing livens up a room, windowsill or small yard like the presence of leafy Swiss cheese plants, angular succulents, perennial peonies or your own little herb garden. And this comprehensive reference book starts by covering all the best types of plants and planting for every type of indoor room, patio and balcony - from decorative and beneficial, low maintenance or useful edible plants - you'll find everything you need to know about how to find the perfect plants for you and your lifestyle, and how help them to thrive. The second half of the book - the Personal Plant Selector - features an extensive directory of over 100 plants, in which you will be introduced to each species and their characteristics, benefits and needs, including quick facts on potting and repotting, correct care and more. This beautifully designed encyclopedia of plants also includes a comprehensive index and a cross-referencing system, to make it easy to find information quickly. It's the ultimate guide to your personal plant kingdom!

Root cellaring, as many people remember but only a few people still practice, is a way of using the earth's naturally cool, stable temperature to store perishable fruits and vegetables. Root cellaring, as Mike and Nancy Bubel explain here, is a no-cost, simple, low-technology, energy-saving way to keep the harvest fresh all year long.

In Root Cellaring, the Bubels tell how to successfully use this natural storage approach. It's the first book devoted entirely to the subject, and it covers the subject with a thoroughness that makes it the only book you'll ever need on root cellaring.

Root Cellaring will tell you:

* How to choose vegetable and fruit varieties that will store best

* Specific individual storage requirements for nearly 100 home garden crops

* How to use root cellars in the country, in the city, and in any environment

* How to build root cellars, indoors and out, big and small, plain and fancy

* Case histories -- reports on the root cellaring techniques and experiences of many households all over North America

Root cellaring need not be strictly a country concept. Though it's often thought of as an adjunct to a large garden, a root cellar can in fact considerably stretch the resources of a small garden, making it easy to grow late succession crops for storage instead of many rows for canning and freezing. Best of all, root cellars can easily fit anywhere. Not everyone can live in the country, but everyone can benefit from natural cold storage.

'An experienced horticulturist's monthly guide to gardening, with wise, clear and helpful advice on tackling the essential tasks and dealing with problems.' Gardens Illustrated One of the keys to happy gardening is knowing what to do and when for the best results. In this handy guide, experienced horticulturist Martyn Cox takes you through the gardening year, month by month, offering wise, clear and helpful advice on the essential tasks and how to avoid problems along the way. No matter the size of the plot, nor the expertise of the gardener, The Gardener's Yearbook is the perfect handbook to return to throughout the seasons, with tips including: - How to get your lawn into shape for the summer - When you should plant lilies, roses and sweet peas - How and when to harvest and store your fruit and vegetables - When to prepare containers for winter - How to fit a water butt and start a compost bin - An easy-to-follow crop planner Featuring specially commissioned linocuts by artist Heather Tempest-Elliott.

' How to Grow Plants from Seeds is a great little book - a hand-holding, step-by-step guide with clear pictures and instructions. It demystifies the process and covers flowers as well as vegetables and herbs. A most useful present for anyone wanting to get started on sowing seeds.' Country Living 'Whether you want to grow a cutting garden or a harvest of fresh produce, discover the basic rules for success.' The Garden How To Grow Plants From Seeds does away, once and for all, with the idea that there's something difficult about growing direct from seed. There's no need to rely on the professionals to raise seedlings for you: seeds are not only cheap to buy and environmentally friendly but, if you follow a few basic rules, they're also fantastically rewarding, not least because a single packet will usually leave you with plenty of spares to swap with fellow enthusiasts. Whether you're a novice or an experienced gardener, if you want to nurture an impressive cutting garden or aim to have a bounteous harvest of fruit and vegetables, here's what you need to know, presented in a straightforward and accessible way. You'll discover the basic rules for different seeds, their sowing preferences (Indoor, under cover or direct- to-plot? Surface-sow or cover up? Water or spray?), how long they take to germinate, and how to prick out, pot on and raise your infant plants to become sturdy, productive adults. The book opens with a basic primer showing how seeds work, to give every grower the best chance at success. This is followed by extensive chapters on raising food and flowers from seed with plenty of detailed plant profiles included, and finally there's a guide to collecting seeds from your plants and how to save and swap - so that you, too, can become a seed evangelist.

Make your garden flourish with these 300 easy and inexpensive gardening hacks to help your plants blossom-perfect for any green thumbs, first-time horticulturalists, or reluctant gardeners! Think you don't have a green thumb? Think again! No matter your gardening woes, Gardening Hacks has the solution. Perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you're starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection, you'll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow. Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like: -Saving your eggshells, which can serve as everything from an organic seed starter to a natural snail and slug repellent. -Adding a pinch of cinnamon to help prevent fungal diseases that might prevent your plants from maturing. -Using the newspaper to help deter weeds from sprouting. -Creating your own DIY seed packet catalog to help keep your seeds organized as your garden grows. -And many more! No matter the size of your garden-from a small herb collection to an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables to any indoor plant that needs some perking up-Gardening Hacks will make your plants flourish!

A guide to creating harmony between the vegetable garden and the wildlife who consider it part of their habitat, this book teaches readers to understand how the garden fits into that environment. It explains how to start with a healthy garden, how to create beneficial relationships through thoughtful planting, how to attract beneficial insects and pollinators, and how to purposefully create habitats for wildlife with strategies to help garden and wildlife peacefully coexist. Gardeners are just one book away from a more peaceful, stress-free vegetable garden.

In this practical and personal book, Gardeners' World presenter Adam Frost takes you through his process for getting the most out of a garden space whatever its size, whether it's a window box, a terrace with a few pots or a bigger space with dedicated veg plots and borders. Enjoying your garden is about more than just what you grow; it's also about why you grow it. As well as spending time outdoors, the meaning of a garden lies in what you bring inside, from vegetables and herbs to make a family meal to flowers and seedheads to decorate the house. Adam explores how his own garden has allowed him to enjoy the simple pleasures in life and create precious memories - whether it's coming down in the morning and seeing that single flower in a vase or teaching your kids how to make the runner bean chutney that reminds you of your nan. Adam's inspiring book will guide you through all you need to make your garden thrive, and to use it to develop your own traditions and meaningful moments.

Squashes and pumpkins come in many shapes, sizes and colours. This guide also covers other members of the gourd family, from marrows to courgettes and cucumbers. It lays out the different varieties and shows them in glorious full colour. Practical information is given on how to grow each type, as well as harvesting and cooking uses, making this a handy addition to any kitchen gardener's library.