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!

Although urban allotment gardening dates back to the nineteenth century, it has recently undergone a renaissance of interest and popularity. This is the result of greater concern over urban greenspace, food security and quality of life. This book presents a comprehensive, research-based overview of the various features, benefits and values associated with urban allotment gardening in Europe. The book is based on a European COST Action project, which brings together researchers and practitioners from all over Europe for the first detailed exploration of the subject on a continent-wide scale. It assesses the policy, planning and design aspects, as well as the social and ecological benefits of urban allotment gardening. Through an examination of the wide range of different traditions and practices across Europe, it brings together the most recent research to discuss the latest evolutions of urban allotment gardening and to help raise awareness and fill knowledge gaps. The book provides a multidisciplinary perspective, including insights from horticulture and soil science, ecology, sociology, urban geography, landscape, planning and design. The themes are underpinned by case studies from a number of European countries which supply a wide range of examples to illustrate different key issues.

Perennial vegetables are a joy to grow. Whereas traditional vegetable plots are largely made up of short-lived, annual vegetable plants, perennials are edible plants that live longer than three years. Grown as permaculture plants, they take up less of your time and effort than annual vegetables do. Martin Crawford's book outlines the benefits of growing perennial vegetables: Perennials provide crops throughout the year, so there's always something that can be used in the kitchen. You avoid the hungry gap between the end of the winter harvest and the start of the summer harvest of annual vegetables. Perennial vegetables are less work. Once planted, they stay in the ground for many years. They are the classic plants for no-dig gardeners. Unlike annual vegetables, perennial vegetables cover and protect the soil all year round. This maintains the structure of the soil and helps everything growing in it. Humous levels build up and nutrients don't wash out of soil. (Cultivating the soil for annuals exposes this humous to air on the surface, causing the carbon to be released as carbon dioxide.) Mycorrhizal fungi, critical for storing carbon within the soil, are preserved. (They are killed when soil is constantly dug for annual vegetables.) Perennial plants contain higher levels of mineral nutrients than annuals because perennial vegetables have larger, permanent root systems, capable of using space more efficiently, and they take up more nutrients. How to grow perennial vegetables gives comprehensive advice on all types of perennial vegetable, from ground-cover plants and coppiced trees to plants for bog gardens and edible woodland plants: In Part One Martin Crawford outlines why we should grow perennials. He then explains where and how to grow them in perennial polycultures, in forest garden or aquatic garden settings. He outlines how to propagate them, how to look after them for maximum health and how to harvest them. Part Two is a plant-by-plant reference of over 100 perennial edibles in detail, from familiar ones like rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), horseradish and asparagus to less common ones such as skirret, nodding onions, red chicory, Babbington's leek, scorzonera, sea kale and wild rocket. With beautiful colour photographs and illustrations and plenty of cooking tips throughout, this book offers inspiration and information for all gardeners, whether experienced or beginner.

Straw bale gardening is an inexpensive, low-maintenance way to grow a bounty of food in a small space. All you need is a bale of straw, some fertilizer, and your favorite vegetable seeds! Craig LeHoullier's step-by-step instructions show you how to do everything from sourcing the straw and setting up your bale to planting, dealing with weeds and pests, and harvesting.

All gardeners and farmers should be plant breeders, says author Carol Deppe. Developing new vegetable varieties doesn't require a specialized education, a lot of land, or even a lot of time. It can be done on any scale. It's enjoyable. It's deeply rewarding. You can get useful new varieties much faster than you might suppose. And you can eat your mistakes.

Authoritative and easy-to-understand, Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving is the only guide to plant breeding and seed saving for the serious home gardener and the small-scale farmer or commercial grower. Discover:

how to breed for a wide range of different traits (flavor, size, shape, or color; cold or heat tolerance; pest and disease resistance; and regional adaptation)

how to save seed and maintain varieties

how to conduct your own variety trials and other farm- or garden-based research

how to breed for performance under organic or sustainable growing methods

In this one-size-fits-all world of multinational seed companies, plant patents, and biotech monopolies, more and more gardeners and farmers are recognizing that they need to "take back their seeds." They need to save more of their own seed, grow and maintain the best traditional and regional varieties, and develop more of their own unique new varieties. Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving shows the way, and offers an exciting introduction to a whole new gardening adventure.

Save money and eat fresh with this hands-on guide to home-growing Growing you own produce is the only way to enjoy delicious, garden-fresh fruit and veg all year round. This practical manual gives you the lowdown on everything from finding the right tools and choosing which plants to grow, to nurturing your crops and bringing in your first harvest. The easy-to-follow advice will help you get started straight away and become a confident and successful kitchen gardener. * Get going with growing - discover which plants are best for you and how to make the most of your outdoor space * Prepare your plot - learn how to set up and maintain healthy beds for your fruit and vegetables * Grow tasty veg - choose your favourite veggies from asparagus and broccoli to courgettes, sweet corn and many more * Grow your own fruit salad - get quick results from fast-growing berries and learn to nurture slow-growing tree fruit and exotic greenhouse produce

'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.

The Complete Book of Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit is a comprehensive guide to selecting, cultivating, harvesting and cooking your own fresh produce at home. The coverage is phenomenal - from the care of asparagus through the seasons to the huge number of apples that can be grown in even the smallest spaces. The book combines lavish illustration with an accessible layout and details the cultivation, companion planting, pests and diseases and culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses for each variety. It is a real must-have for every gardener or cook.

With over 300 recipe ideas and many wonderful stories from the fruit garden, Tender: Volume II - A cook's guide to the fruit garden is the definitive guide to cooking with fruit from the presenter of BBC One's Simple Cooking. 'When I dug up my lawn to grow my own vegetables and herbs I planted fruit too. A handful of small trees - plum, apple and pear - some raspberry, blackberry and currant bushes and even strawberries in pots suddenly joined my patch of potatoes, beans and peas. These fruits became the backbone of my home baking, the stars in my cakes and pastries and even inspired the odd pot of jam. More than this, I started to use them in new ways too, from a weekday supper of pork chops with cider and apples to a Chinese Sunday roast with spiced plum sauce. The hot family puddings and fruit ices we had always loved so much suddenly took on a delicious new significance.' With over 300 recipe ideas and many wonderful stories from the fruit garden, Tender: Volume II - A cook's guide to the fruit garden is the definitive guide to cooking with fruit from the presenter of BBC One's Simple Cooking.

Recent nationwide recalls of spinach due to E. coli contamination and peanut butter due to Salmonella, make the emerging development of "active" and "intelligent" packaging crucial for consumer safety and quality assurance. Now that it is possible to make packaging that can detect and inform consumers of contamination, as well as prevent or reduce the growth of human foodborne pathogens, the food packaging and safety industry needs a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-science and future directions of this widely important field. Drawing on the research of a diverse group of scientists and pioneers in the field, Intelligent and Active Packaging for Fruits and Vegetables explores the new technology and applications used to bring fresh, safe, nutritious produce to the consumer. It explains Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and its use in packaging fruits and vegetables, as well as, fish and meat. It includes variations and advances on MAP such as high vapor-permeable films, and demonstrates modeling techniques to assist in the prediction and selection of packaging type. The book contains a chapter on the trends, opportunities, and challenges of RFID temperature monitoring in food packaging. It also considers the interaction between container and food product, as well as the use of non-toxic insect repellent plastics. There is a chapter on the regulatory implications of the use of nanotechnology in food packaging. Finally, the book discusses consumer perception, the specific needs of developing countries, and current implementation inEurope. Explaining the very latest in packaging technology and opening areas for future research, Intelligent and Active Packaging for Fruits andVegetables provides an excellent knowledge base from which to revolutionize the delivery of safe and nutritious food.

While tomatoes continue to be one of the most widely grown plants, the production and distribution of tomato fruits have been changing worldwide. Smaller, flavorful tomatoes are becoming more popular than beefsteak tomatoes, greenhouse-grown tomatoes have entered the marketplace, and home gardeners are using the Internet to obtain information for growing tomatoes. Encompassing these changes, Tomato Plant Culture: In the Field, Greenhouse, and Home Garden, Second Edition clearly presents the characteristics, nutritional information, environmental requirements, and production aspects of tomato plants and fruits. Authored by one of the foremost experts in hydroponics, the book outlines the history of the tomato plant and fruit and delves into the author's personal experiences with tomato plant cultivation. It discusses the characteristics and composition of the plant as well as seedling and seed production. The author elucidates the physical features of the fruit and the mineral nutrition of the plant. He also examines the physical and chemical characteristics of soils most desirable for plant growth, makes fertilizer recommendations, and explores the factors involved in greenhouse tomato production. In addition, the book looks at ways to identify and control plant diseases and insect pests. With scientific data, trivia, and troubleshooting advice, this technical yet accessible book enables scientists, commercial growers, and home gardeners to cultivate a successful crop of tomatoes.

The ideal, easy-to-use resource for growing healthy, resilient, low-maintenance trees, shrubs, vines and other fruiting plants from around the world - perfect for farmers, gardeners and landscapers at every scale. Illustrated with more than 200 colour photographs and covering 50 productive edible crops - from Arctic kiwi to jujebe, medlar to heartnut - this is the go-to guide for growers interested in creating diversity in their growing spaces. Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts is a one-stop compendium of the most productive, edible fruit-and nut-bearing crops that push the boundaries of what can survive winters in cold-temperate growing regions. While most nurseries and guidebooks feature plants that are riddled with pest problems (such as apples and peaches), veteran growers and founders of the Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano, focus on both common and unfamiliar fruits that have few, if any, pest or disease problems and an overall higher level of resilience. Inside Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts you'll find: Taste profiles for all fifty hardy fruits and nuts, with notes on harvesting and uses Plant descriptions and natural histories Recommended cultivars, both new and classic Propagation methods for increasing plants Nut profiles including almonds, chestnuts, walnuts and pecans Fertilisation needs and soil/site requirements And much more! With beautiful and instructive colour photographs throughout, the book is also full of concise, clearly written botanical and cultural information based on the authors' years of growing experience. The fifty fruits and nuts featured provide a nice balance of the familiar and the exotic: from almonds and pecans to more unexpected fruits like maypop and Himalayan chocolate berry. Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts gives adventurous gardeners all they need to get growing. Both experienced and novice gardeners who are interested in creating a sustainable landscape with a greater diversity of plant life - while also providing healthy foods - will find this book an invaluable resource.

In the multifaceted world of gardening, the same questions arise time and time again. Organised season-by-season, this book promises to answer the 1000 most-asked questions that can frustrate all gardeners alike. Drawing on her years of experience in gardening, former panellist and researcher for the BBC's Gardeners Question Time Daphne Ledward has answered them all. From knowing how to identify your soil type, the finer points of pruning and propagation, and seeds versus seedlings; to the thorny problems of dealing with chronic pests and diseases, and finding plants for difficult places, this book is the answer to all of the most frequently asked gardening questions. Get the most out of your garden, big or small, and discover answers to common issues such as: - what type of soil is best for your garden - how to select the best plants, vegetables and herbs according to your space - how to get your plants through a difficult winter - how to best care for your plants, be it bulbs, roses, vegetables or even your lawn - how to make your own compost