Best-selling gardening author Barbara Pleasant makes organic vegetable gardening easy, fun, and rewarding with detailed planting and care designs for 24 beginner-friendly gardens to fit any site, whether it's a tiny side yard, a border, a trellis alongside the house, or a front yard. From exactly what plants (and how many) to buy, where and when to plant them, and how to care for each vegetable throughout the season, Pleasant encourages readers to start small, grow the food they love, and expand their plant selection as their skills develop. Specially tailored plans offer choices to fit a wide range of sites and food preferences, from the Front-Yard Food Supply to the Marinara Medley, Sweet Corn & Company, and High-Value Verticals.There's a plan and plant selection to fit every gardener's passion. Detailed plot plans show progressive stages for how each garden can be expanded gradually over the course of three years, ensuring that beginning gardeners will experience success and satisfaction without being overwhelmed by an over-ambitious plan at the start.

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.

The Ecological Farm is a breakthrough resource for ecological fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go beyond organic. Through a unique ecosystem-balancing approach focusing on reduced tillage, minimising farm and garden inputs and pest control, you’ll learn how to build higher soil quality and fertility by using fewer harmful inputs.   Farmer, consultant, and educator Helen Atthowe (along with her late husband, Carl Rosato) have decades of farming experience which is shared in this essential book. They guide readers on how to reduce or eliminate the use of outside inputs of fertiliser or pesticides – even those that are commonly used on certified organic orchards and market gardens. With clear, easy to action language and colour photography, charts, and graphs throughout, The Ecological Farm emphasizes the importance of managing the details of an entire growing system over the full life of an enterprise. The Ecological Farm features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. You’ll also learn how to: design a system that establishes a year-round root-in-soil system for microbial health strengthen the “immune system� of a farm or garden supply crop needs using only on-farm inputs such as cover crops and living mulch maximise the presence of beneficial insects and microbes minimise ecological impact in dealing with insect pest and disease problems The Ecological Farm makes complex, sometimes messy, ecological concepts and practices understandable to all growers, and makes healthy farming, in which nature is invited to participate, possible.

Together a pond and marginal plants add colour, interest and movement to a garden; they inspire and calm. This book offers clear and practical explanations of the easiest methods for successful maintenance and propagation of marginal plants and lists over 60 of the most readily available.

"An invaluable resource" Huw Richards If you want to grow your own food, become more self sufficient, zero waste or eco friendly, or even go fully off grid, Liz Zorab is the perfect guide to help you explore the world of green living and permaculture. Grounded is the story of her gardening journey: from bare field to bountiful feast; from poor soil to fertile abundance; from rookie errors to successful sustainability. Liz and her husband, Mr J, transformed a tired 0.8 acre field into a fertile homestead that provides 80% of their food and drink - with enough left over to stock a community veggie box scheme! An inspiring blend of practical tips and ideas with personal narrative and a good smattering of humour, Grounded will show you how to: ` Fill your garden without emptying your pocket ` Make the most of the space you have ` Be creative with resources ` Achieve more without exhausting yourself ` Become more resilient ` Enjoy the process as much as the results This is a tale of courage and imagination that will inspire you to grow your own productive paradise and live your dreams.

A beautiful and accessible seasonal guide to herbalism from the historic botanic garden. Discover the best times of the year for growing specific healing herbs and also when and how to forage for wild medicine, such as water mint, St John's Wort, hawthorn berries and rosehips. Recipes are included for how to use these herbs, along with folklore stories from herb wives and hedge witches, the meanings behind their names and the history of how these natural medicines were discovered. There are plenty of tips for how to create your own medicinal herb garden, even with just a few pots, along with a biodynamic guide for sowing, planting and harvesting. Including detailed hand-drawn line illustrations to help deepen your understanding, The Herb Almanac is the perfect gift for any nature lover. CONTENTS INCLUDES: Introduction Including using herbs as seasonally appropriate remedies and tonics, an overview of herbs in folklore, wild medicine, magic, superstition, ritual, tradition and literature and herbs in religion and floriography (the language of flowers) Gathering and Using Herbs Including safe, legal and successful foraging, a brief introduction to growing your own herbs and preparing, drying and preserving herbs Witches' Brews: Poisonous Plants Including an overview of herbs with interesting stories that cannot be easily used, e.g. wormwood, hemlock and mandrake Herb Encyclopedia Including detailed information on over 50 different herbs

In 'The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden', Roy Diblik shares his unique approach to growing perennials so that readers can reap the benefits of a beautiful garden with minimal maintenance. He lays out fifty self-sustaining perennial communities on a grid, which can be implemented in a variety of sites and different scales. Each segment only requires up to 25 minutes of maintenance every 2 weeks. The 'Know-Maintenance' approach develops gardeners' knowledge of how their plants will interact and gives them a greater understanding of their site and soil. This will allow them to create a spectacular planting display using the huge range of colours and forms offered by perennials.

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are a major source of vital nutrients, but centuries of intensive agriculture have depleted our soils to historic lows. As a result, the broccoli you consume today may have less than half of the vitamins and minerals that the equivalent serving would have contained a hundred years ago. This is a matter for serious concern, since poor nutrition has been linked to myriad health problems including cancer, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For optimum health we must increase the nutrient density of our foods to the levels enjoyed by previous generations.

To grow produce of the highest nutritional quality the essential minerals lacking in our soil must be replaced, but this re-mineralization calls for far more attention to detail than the simple addition of composted manure or NPK fertilizers. "The Intelligent Gardener" demystifies the process while simultaneously debunking much of the false and misleading information perpetuated by both the conventional and organic agricultural movements. In doing so, it conclusively establishes the link between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy people.

This practical step-by-step guide and the accompanying customizable web-based spreadsheets go beyond organic and are essential tools for any serious gardener who cares about the quality of the produce they grow.

Steve Solomon is the author of several landmark gardening books including "Gardening When it Counts" and "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades." The founder of the Territorial Seed Company, he has been growing most of his family's food for over thirty-five years.

MAKE YOURS A HYGGE HOME THIS CHRISTMAS - AS SEEN ON THIS MORNING 'Such a beautiful book with so many suggestions for how we can get back to happiness. Just looking at it makes me happy' Holly Willoughby A gorgeous guide to the Danish art of creating a cosy, happy home from the internationally bestselling author, Meik Wiking. Our homes should be a place of comfort, a place to feel safe when we shut the door. Somewhere to be ourselves, to unwind and create special memories. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this beautiful new book from Meik Wiking shares how to turn your home into a sanctuary and live like the happiest people in the world. With simple tips based on new research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, this book reveals what makes a happy home tick. No matter how much space you have or what your budget is, Meik shows how you can use colour, light and space to create your happy place and celebrate cosiness the Danish way. Get your copy of the latest book from the author of THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE now! 'I love it, I love it, I love it. Just reading this makes you more content' Chris Evans

Gardening in Summer Dry Climates is the definitive guide for gardeners who want a lush, colourful garden that will thrive in a summer-dry climate - an area defined by wet winters and dry summers. This hardworking book teaches gardeners how plants adapt to the climate and how to design for summer drought and winter wet. Information includes details about topography and climate, advice for gardening in the age of wildfire, and suggestions for embracing wildness and change. An A-to-Z of plants includes a colour photograph, details on each plant's origin, water and drainage needs, and notes on sun and shade. Lists of plants for special places and conditions are especially valuable for trips to the garden centre.

Covering everything from basic plant care and re-potting, to plants suited to pets and propagating, this book will inspire you to create your own indoor rainforest.

At the core of the book are profiles of 22 tropical indoor plants, organised from the most low-maintenance species through to exotic varieties requiring more care. In addition, the book offers styling advice on how to decorate different rooms in your home with plants, as well as suggestions on pots and planters to give your interior spaces more personality.

Interspersed throughout the book are interviews with plant people from around the world, who reveal the creative ways in which they've incorporated amazing collections of tropical plants into their lives and homes.

Creating a tropical oasis in the city really can be this simple and fun!

Learn everything there is to know about cacti and succulent care in this newly updated, easy-to-use volume! Jam-packed with insight on more than 200 types of succulents and cacti, each plant profile contains gorgeous photography, botanical and common names, must-know advice, and more. Also included are simple, step-by-step instructions on choosing the right plants and helping them thrive, plus tips on how to propagate succulents and cacti, repotting, grooming, and pest control. This updated edition features all new photography, a new garden profile, updates to scientific names of original plants based on current standards, 70 new cacti species, and 20 new succulent species. Author and award-winning researcher Gideon F. Smith previously served as president for the International Organization of Succulent Plant Study and has published over 500 scientific and popular papers on the taxonomy, biology, and evolution of succulent plants.

Proven Winners is America's #1 plant brand. They search the world to bring gardeners the healthiest and most beautiful annuals, perennials, and shrubs. And now they bring their expert plant knowledge and creative design ideas to their first book, The Proven WinnersGarden Book. This definitive guide starts with lessons on how to prepare a space, tips on choosing the right design, and a primer on buying the right plants. Twelve garden plans are included that provide home owners with simple design ideas for a welcoming entryway, a garden that attracts birds and butterflies, a fragrant flower garden, and more. There are an additional 25 container recipes that add colour and curb appeal to gardens of all sizes. The Proven Winners Garden Book is an essential resource for anyone new to gardening and everyone looking for trusted advice.

"Hilton Carter's love for plants is infectious... His lush and exuberant displays are inspiring reminders that plants can be so much more than neat little containers on a window sill." Grace Bonney, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Design*Sponge Take a tour through Hilton's own apartment and other lush spaces, filled with a huge array of thriving plants, and learn all you need to know to create your own urban jungle. As the owner of over 200 plants, Hilton feels strongly about the role of plants in one's home - not just for the beauty they add, but for health benefits as well: 'having plants in your home not only adds life, but changes the airflow throughout. It's also a key design element when styling your place. For me, it wasn't about just having greenery, but having the right variety of greenery. I like to see the different textures of foliage all grouped together. You take a fiddle leaf fig and sandwich it between a birds of paradise and a monstera and.... yes!' You will be armed with the know-how you need to care for your plants, where to place them, how to propagate, how to find the right pot, and much more, and most importantly, how to arrange them so that they look their best. Combine sizes and leaf shapes to stunning effect, grow your own succulents from leaf cuttings, create your own air plant display, and more.

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.