Ever wanted to grow your own food but don't have the time, the space, or even know where to start? Alice Holden, one of Britain's most pioneering female growers, has spent her life outdoors working on small and large scales - from kitchen gardens to commercial farms. In Do Grow, she'll help optimise the space and time available to you - even if it's just a window box and 10 minutes a week - with simple-to-follow guidance, plus advice on: - The basics for your gardening tool kit - How to make your own compost - Common garden pests to watch out for - How to keep your soil fertile With delicious recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and others that Alice has worked with over the years, Do Grow is an accessible and inviting guide to growing, harvesting, and preparing farm-to-table meals from your very own edible garden.

Ground covers are widely thought of as utilitarian - we turn to them when we have a problem that needs a solution. How fast will it fill an area? Can we put it into the tight spaces between pavers? How much foot traffic can it withstand? Yet these plants also offer a diverse range of beautiful and intriguing options with a variety of colours, textures, and forms. They can unify a landscape, knit together plantings and hardscape, and add extra layers of beauty, dynamism, and surprise. As a replacement for lawns, they can reduce our use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, carbon-based fuels, and transform a yard into a diverse landscape of habitat and food for native insects, birds, and other wildlife. In this meticulously researched reference, nurseryman Gary Lewis profiles more than 4000 ground covers that can perform these roles with aplomb. No matter what kinds of conditions you're facing - shade, dry soil, heavy clay, excess moisture - there's a ground cover that will thrive and beautify your garden. Comprehensive, practical, and copiously illustrated, this indispensable volume belongs on the shelf of every designer, landscape architect, and serious gardener.

Allotment Gardening For Dummies is a lively, hands-on guide to getting the most out of your allotment. Whether you're interested in eating fresh, saving money, getting exercise or enjoying wholesome family fun, this is the guide for you. The step-by-step advice takes you through all the stages in the process, from securing an allotment and preparing your plot, to choosing what to grow and enjoying the benefits of abundant fresh food and a sociable and healthy hobby. With over 50 handy line drawings, plus information on how to grow organic and advice on storing and cooking the food you grow, this guide really does have it all! Allotment Gardening For Dummies includes: Part 1: Getting to Grips with Allotment Gardening Chapter 1: What Are Allotments All About? Chapter 2: Getting hold of an Allotment Chapter 3: Getting Started Part 2: Preparing for Allotment Success Chapter 4: Deciding What to Grow, When Chapter 5: Preparing Your Plot Chapter 6: Keeping Your Soil Healthy Chapter 7: Keeping Your Plants Healthy Chapter 8: Growing Organic Part 3: Growing a Few of Your Favourite Vegetables Chapter 9: Going Underground Chapter 10: The Staples Chapter 11: Growing Leafy Greens Chapter 12: Planting Peas, Beans and Other Pods Chapter 13: Growing More Exotic Veg Part 4: Extending Your Allotment Repetoire Chapter 14: Growing Wholesome Herbs Chapter 15: Growing Fruitful Fruit Chapter 16: Nurturing Flowers on an Allotment Part 5: Getting the Most Out of Your Allotment Chapter 17: Involving Children Around the Allotment Chapter 18: Hobnobbing with Allotment Society Chapter 19: Growing Giant Veg Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter Chapter 20: Ten Common Accidents and How to Prevent Them Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Revive a Flagging Allotment

The healthier your plants, the happier you'll feel! A Beginner's Guide to House Plants teaches you how to bring your indoor spaces alive with lovely and easy-to-maintain plants -- and how to keep them healthy. It provides detailed instructions on how you can unleash the power of plants to energize and relax you, and how to promote well-being by greening your environment. In this book you'll find hundreds of useful tips, including: How to select the right plants for your spaces and lifestyle Practical advice on purchasing, potting and styling your plants How to care for many different types of plants--from succulents and ferns to exotics A mini field guide to over 60 popular plants you should know about And so much more! Cultivating house plants can be both creative and fun! Plant expert Ryusuke Sakaino provides tips on how to use colors, textures, patterns and shapes to create a lush living space, with one plant or many. His gorgeous photos will inspire you to add greenery to every room in your home and office. No longer just a pandemic hobby, plants deserve to be a permanent part of your lifestyle!

Growing vegetables requires regionally specific information what to plant, when to plant it, and when to harvest are based on climate, weather, and first frost. The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast tackles this need head on, with regionally specific growing information written by local gardening expert, Ira Wallace. This region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 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 book also includes a comprehensive gardening primer and an A to Z of edibles a detailed, invaluable source for the region s tried-and-tested varieties."

A full-color illustrated guide to the natural history of plants with medicinal properties Of the nearly 400,000 plants that have evolved on Earth, around seven percent of them have been used in traditional herbal medicine or as local remedies. More recently, scientific studies have revealed how plants may be sources of important medicines, often in the form of single isolated compounds. Plants That Cure explores these critical compounds and the plants that produce them. This richly illustrated book, filled with color photographs and diagrams, is organized by body system, which feeds into a discussion of the compounds and plants employed for particular conditions, including heart and circulatory problems, fatigue and dementia, nausea and indigestion, respiratory infections, arthritis and joint movement, eye conditions, reproductive issues, and types of cancer. This detailed book examines the mechanisms of action for these plants and also explains how some of their chemical compounds contribute to the functioning and survival of the plants themselves. Essential for herbalists, botanists, and anyone interested in natural remedies and drug discovery, Plants That Cure is the indispensable resource for understanding how medicinal plants work. Provides an authoritative natural history of the most important medicinal plants Features hundreds of color photos and illustrations Explores the roles of plants in different systems of traditional medicine throughout the world Looks at specific body systems and the phytochemical compounds used to treat or alleviate systemic conditions, from heart ailments and respiratory infections to reproductive issues

A beautifully illustrated and unique history of the rose-the "queen of flowers"-in art, medicine, cuisine, and more "From noted rosarian Peter Kukielski comes this unique and handsome book that traces the many ways that roses have captured human imagination throughout the history of civilization."-Meghan Shinn, Horticulture "I would recommend Rosa as a gift for anyone who loves flowers, although once purchased you would find it hard to pass on!"-Judith Blacklock, Flora Magazine Few flowers have quite the same allure or as significant a place in history as the rose. A symbol of love, power, royalty, beauty, and joy, the rose has played many roles, both literal and symbolic, in poetry, art, literature, music, fashion, medicine, perfume, decoration, cuisine, and more. In this beautifully illustrated guide, award-winning horticulturist Peter E. Kukielski and his coauthor, Charles Phillips, tell the fascinating and many-layered history of this "queen of flowers." The book explores many stories from the long association of roses with human societies, from their first cultivation-likely in China some five thousand years ago-to their modern genetic cultivars. It shows how roses have been prominent across time and many cultures, including ancient Greece and Rome, Christianity, Islam, and Sufism. The book, with more than 140 color illustrations, offers a unique look at the essential contributions that roses have made throughout human history.

In Uplift Cinema, Allyson Nadia Field recovers the significant yet forgotten legacy of African American filmmaking in the 1910s. Like the racial uplift project, this cinema emphasized economic self-sufficiency, education, and respectability as the keys to African American progress. Field discusses films made at the Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes to promote education, as well as the controversial The New Era, which was an antiracist response to D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation. She also shows how Black filmmakers in New York and Chicago engaged with uplift through the promotion of Black modernity. Uplift cinema developed not just as a response to onscreen racism, but constituted an original engagement with the new medium that has had a deep and lasting significance for African American cinema. Although none of these films survived, Field's examination of archival film ephemera presents a method for studying lost films that opens up new frontiers for exploring early film culture.

In this book, Sharon Amos explains how to design and create a beautiful garden for little or no money, offering tips on bartering for clippings, getting a bargain at garage sales or neighbourhood fairs, digging up suckers or adapting wild species and controlling them in a garden environment. She provides a comprehensive directory of 80 plants including detailed advice on where and how to grow a wide variety of garden favourites, from snowdrops to poppies. With beautiful illustrations, Plants for Free is the perfect gift book for cultivating your garden on a budget of next-to-nothing.

An easy-to-follow gardening guide to help you encourage different types of wildlife into your garden. If you want to attract more bees, birds, frogs and hedgehogs into your garden, look no further than Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything. Kate Bradbury offers tips on feeding your neighbourhood wildlife and explains how you can create the perfect habitats for species you'd like to welcome into your garden. With handy charts tailored to the needs of every size and style of garden, this easy-to-use book also includes practical projects such as making bee hotels or creating wildlife ponds, compost corners and wildflower meadows, as well as fact files for the UK's most common garden species. Everyone can garden with wildlife in mind, and in this practical new guide, Kate has teamed up with the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you discover how you can make your garden, balcony, doorstep or patio a haven for garden wildlife.

"Wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated, and everything you need to know to get more productivity out of your food garden." --Joe Lamp'l, creator and executive producer, Growing a Greener World Discover how to get more out of your growing space with succession planting--carefully planned, continuous seed sowing--and provide a steady stream of fresh food from early spring through late fall. Drawing inspiration from succession in natural landscapes, Meg McAndrews Cowden teaches you how to implement lessons from these dynamic systems in your home garden. You'll learn how to layer succession across your perennial and annual crops; maximize the early growing season; determine the sequence to plant and replant in summer; and incorporate annual and perennial flowers to benefit wildlife and ensure efficient pollination. You'll also find detailed, seasonal sowing charts to inform your garden planning, so you can grow more anywhere, regardless of your climate. Plant Grow Harvest Repeat will inspire you to create an even more productive, beautiful, and enjoyable garden across the seasons--every vegetable gardener's dream.

As readers and critics around the country agree, any new book by the renowned garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence is like finding a buried treasure. "A Rock Garden in the South" will not disappoint. Released posthumously, this book is not only a welcome addition to the Lawrence canon, but fills an important gap in the garden literature on the middle South.
Lawrence, in her usual exquisite prose, deals with the full range of rock gardening topics in this work. She addresses the unique problem of cultivating rock gardens in the South, where the growing season is prolonged and humidity and heat are not conducive to such planting. She describes her own experiences in making a rock garden, with excellent advice on placing stones, constructing steps, ordering plants, and making cuttings.
At the same time, what she writes about here is in large part of interest to gardeners everywhere and for gardens with or without rocks. As always, she thoroughly discusses the plants she has tried--recommending bulbs and other perennials of all sorts, annuals, and woody plants--with poetic descriptions of the plants themselves as well as specific and useful cultural advice. "A Rock Garden in the South" includes an encyclopedia of plants alphabetized by genus and species and divided into two parts: wood and non-woody plants.

No matter how small your space, green-fingered Sam Corfield (aka The Hairy Horticulturist) shows you how simple it is to grow your own edible garden. Covering over 50 roots, shoots, flowers, leaves and fruits, he'll guide you through his foolproof three-step method of sow-grow-gather, while providing useful tips and tricks along the way. Showcasing delicious vegetables, fruits and herbs that anyone can easily grow at home, Sam will also introduce you to some more unusual and colourful veggies (like purple carrots, rainbow radishes and cucamelons!) to show just how exciting growing-your-own can be. Whether you have a small garden, balcony or windowsill, Sow Grow Gather will demystify the growing process, explain useful gardening equipment and reveal how to fit different containers and pots into every corner of your space. With beautiful photography and advice on which plants will suit your plot, as well as how to care for them, you'll go from veg-patch beginner to edible-garden-expert in no time, and have fun during the process.

*** 'So you know you want to start gardening but you have no idea where to begin? ... Simon Akeroyd gives step-by-step guidance on everything from creating a cactus collection to growing fruit in hanging baskets. The book turns what is often a daunting task into bite-size steps that can often be done in an afternoon.' George Hudson, Evening Standard, favourite garden publications of the year Aimed at first-time gardeners, those in rented accommodation or anyone with limited outdoor space, this book teaches how to take stock of an environment and start a garden. With ideas for gardens, patio spaces, courtyards, balconies and interiors, these 50 easy-to-adopt ideas provide the steps to success for even the most inexperienced gardeners. Contents include: - Create a floral display with bulbs that last all year - Grow pet-friendly plants - Create a vegetable harvest in pots - Add height in flat spaces - Make a mow-free lawn - Hang plants around your home

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE GARDEN MEDIA AWARDS, INSPIRATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR** The lotus, lily, sunflower, opium poppy, rose, tulip and orchid: seven flowers, each with its own story full of surprises and secrets, each affecting the world around us in subtle yet powerful ways. But what is the nature of their power and how did it develop? Why have these particular plants become the focus of gardens, literature and art? In order to find the answers, author and horticultural historian Jennifer Potter tracks this septet of flowers across the globe as she examines the influence they have had on civilizations through the ages. These are both histories and detective stories, full of incident and unexpected revelations. Here are the flowers of life and death; of purity and passion; of greed, envy and virtue; of hope and consolation; of the beauty that drives men wild. All seven demonstrate the enduring ability of flowers to speak metaphorically - if we could only decode what they have to say.

Go beneath the soil with this hand-drawn guide! This book is sure to become your go-to reference for all things bonsai. Beautifully illustrated with details and views a camera simply can't show, Introduction to Bonsai offers a unique and insightful look at these mini ecosystems. This complete guide contains all the information you need to create and maintain your own bonsai: Handy monthly bonsai maintenance schedules detail proper watering, pruning, wiring, transplanting and other upkeep activities throughout the year Leaves, fruits, flowers, and processes are presented up-close to help make growing and upkeep as successful and simple as possible Diagrams show where, how much, and in what direction pruning, wiring, watering and other maintenance should be performed Clear, detailed illustrations of every part of the bonsai ensure that you'll see everything you need to see, exactly as you need to see it--making this a great resource for collectors and enthusiasts at all levels Learn the specific ways to care for more than 40 types of popular bonsai trees, including: Flowering Bonsai--cherry blossom, dogwood, azalea and lilac Fruiting Bonsai--crab apple, persimmon, Chinese quince and burning bush Coniferous and Deciduous Bonsai--maple, Japanese beech, black pine and salt cedar Prepared by the editors of Japan's popular Bonsai Sekai (Bonsai World) magazine,this handbook is designed to make care and maintenance easy for bonsai beginners--from seeds to root systems and from basic watering to your first transplant.

A one-stop treasure trove from the experts at RHS that covers every aspect of gardening! Dreaming of having the perfect garden? Does it have a vegetable patch? Classic borders or flowers to attract wildlife? A picturesque garden for all to marvel at is achievable with this gardening guide giving you the vital tools to achieve whatever you desire for your dream garden. Delve into this concise and practical guide to find all the gardening ideas and advice you need to create a spectacular, thriving garden. Here's what you'll find inside: - A comprehensive guide covering everything from growing in containers to planting a garden from scratch - Fully illustrated with detailed step-by-steps and inspirational gardening ideas - Detailed beginner's guide to garden design, including step-by-step instructions for simple hard landscaping such as building a raised bed, creating a pond, or laying a patio - Covers all aspects of planting styles, including "recipes" to make the most of different types of plants - Easy-to-follow guides on how to water, feed, prune and propagate your garden - Advice on problem-solving and controlling weeds and pests - A chapter full of Plant Chooser galleries to help you grow the right plant in the right place at the right time Learn how to plan, sow, plant, and protect your garden throughout the year with expert tips and techniques that will see your garden flourish. Discover how to design with plants by using colour and texture to create inspirational displays, and keep them at their best with jargon-free guides to pruning and preventing pests and diseases. Undertake a new endeavour of DIY landscaping projects, which include laying your own patio or lawn, or building a raised bed ready for you to grow your own fruit and vegetables. Choose from a catalogue of hundreds of different ornamental plants to find varieties that will thrive in your garden's climate and provide seasonal interest throughout the year. The Complete Gardener's Manual is the perfect all-around practical book for gardening beginners, also for those looking for a step up from a beginners' gardening book.

Growing plants from seeds isn't difficult; it just takes a little know-how. Now, gardeners of any experience level can get a jump on the growing season with this concise, straightforward guide. Expert gardener Barbara Ellis provides the basic information that you need and teaches you foolproof starting techniques for a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

This beautifully illustrated mini field guide is packed with information on the most common herbs from around the world. Many of these plants grow wild in Britain and other parts of Europe, and can also be cultivated in gardens. The guide additionally includes exotic but commonly used species such as Vanilla, Cloves, Cinnamon and Star-anise. More than 180 herbs are included, all of which are illustrated with superb full-colour artworks that show details of the flowers and leaves, roots and bark where applicable, and growth habit of each plant. A concise written account covering culinary, medicinal and other uses, size, description, habitat and distribution appears on the same page. The easy-to-follow layouts and superb artworks aid quick and accurate identification, making this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet packed with essential information. To protect it against the elements in the field, the book is wrapped in a durable plastic wallet. Also included is a fold-out insert with at-a-glance illustrations showing herbs grouped by colour. Renowned natural history artists Christine Hart-Davis, Bridgette James and David Sutton painted the illustrations.

No image of the Mediterranean is complete without flowering climbers covering the walls, brilliant oleanders lining the roads and colourful shrubs in gardens. However, such plants can now be enjoyed far beyond the Mediterranean. With sections on both general care and specific plants, Garden Plants for the Mediterranean Climates will help you choose and grow the most attractive and colourful plants associated with the region, and to create a beautiful garden suited to your needs. It gives an introduction to the Mediterranean climate and points to consider when planning a garden and also covers advice on watering and soil care. Hallmarks of a Mediterranean garden including palms, pots and containers, climbing plants and pergolas, as well as ideas on which plant to use where are discussed. There is an A-Z of over 1,000 plants supported by 500 colour photographs. New in paperback for 2006. Foreword by Hugh Johnson.