From agaves to ice plants, and from sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulent plants bring beauty, versatility, and intrigue to perennial gardens in every hardiness zone. No longer relegated to desert climates, succulents offer extraordinary color, texture, durability, and ease of care. It's no wonder succulents are some of the hottest plants to capture the attention of enthusiastic growers in all zones. Hardy Succulents gives gardeners everything they need to know to select, grow, and maintain these dazzling, low-fuss plants. With step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, creative ideas for use, and stunning photographs from acclaimed garden photographer Saxon Holt, this book is as beautiful as it is practical - one that will appeal to novices and experienced gardeners alike. Gwen Kelaidis, an avid horticulturist and garden designer, provides a comprehensive overview of these unusual beauties, including tips for purchasing, planting, weeding, and dividing. She encourages gardeners to consider the plants when searching for autumn color and explains how succulents can solve common, and confounding, garden problems. Presented alongside Holt's captivating, cover-to-cover images, her insights are sure to inspire growers of all levels and climates. Readers will delight in succulents' unexpected colors - bronzes, grays, greens, and blues - as well as their distinct shapes. The first book dedicated to bringing succulents to every North American hardiness zone, "Hardy Succulents" holds intriguing possibilities for gardeners looking for dramatic ways to make bold statements.

Through telling the story of the White House Kitchen Garden, Obama explores how increased access to healthful, affordable food can improve health for families across America with ideas on how to create community and urban gardens.

The invaluable resource for home food gardeners
Ed Smith's W-O-R-D system has helped countless gardeners grow an abundance of vegetables and herbs. And those tomatoes and zucchini and basil and cucumbers have nourished countless families, neighbors, and friends with delicious, fresh produce. "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" is essential reading for locavores in every corner of North America

EVERYTHING YOU LOVED about the first edition of "The Vegetable Gardener s Bible" is still here: friendly, accessible language; full-color photography; comprehensive vegetable specific information in the A-to-Z section; ahead-of-its-time commitment to organic methods; and much more.
Now, Ed Smith is back with a 10th Anniversary Edition for the next generation of vegetable gardeners. New to this edition is coverage of 15 additional vegetables, including an expanded section on salad greens and more European and Asian vegetables. Readers will also find growing information on more fruits and herbs, new cultivar photographs in many vegetable entries, and a much-requested section on extending the season into the winter months. No matter how cold the climate, growers can bring herbs indoors and keep hardy greens alive in cold frames or hoop houses.
The impulse to grow vegetables is even stronger in 2009 than it was in 2000, when Storey published "The Vegetable Gardener s Bible." The financial and environmental costs of fossil fuels raise urgent questions: How far should we be shipping food? What are the health costs of petroleum-based pesticides and herbicides? Do we have to rely on megafarms that use gasoline-powered machinery to grow and harvest crops? With every difficult question, more people think, Maybe I should grow a few vegetables of my own. This book will continue to answer all their vegetable gardening questions.

Praise for the First Edition:
"In every small town, there is a vegetable garden that people go out of the way to walk past. Smith is the guy who grew that garden." Verlyn Klinkenborg, "The New York Times Book Review
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"An abundance of photographs . . . visually bolster the techniques described, while frequent subheads, sidebars, and information-packed photo captions make the layout user-friendly . . . Smith s] book is thorough and infused with practical wisdom and a dry Vermont humor that should endear him to readers." "Publisher's Weekly
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"Smith . . . clearly explains everything novice and experienced gardeners need to know to grow vegetables and herbs. . . . " "Library Journal
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"this book will answer all your questions as well as put you on the path to an abundant harvest. As a bonus, anecdotes and stories make this informative book fun to read." - "New York Newsday""

There are plants everywhere! Plants are very important to life on Earth. They clean our air, give us food and much more. But what are they, exactly?

Most conifer guides available for the Pacific Northwest focus on native species observed in the wild. Native and Ornamental Conifers in the Pacific Northwest presents an integrated perspective for understanding and identifying conifers in any landscape where native and ornamental species grow alongside each other. It is suitable for landscape designers, horticulturalists, arborists, gardeners, environmental scientists, and botanists. Based on her experiences teaching workshops on conifer identification and cultivation, Elizabeth Price has developed Jargon-free photographic charts, which allow for side-by-side comparison of conifer features and guide the reader to species identification. The charts are detailed enough for specialists yet accessible to amateurs. The book includes extensive material on the characteristics, botany, and natural history of conifer plant families, genera, and species, all illustrated with original photographs. Research across many disciplines is blended with direct observation and personal experience, creating a book that goes beyond identification and is both rigorous and engaging.

Comprehensive, profusely illustrated archive by two of the world's foremost collectors of pictorial symbols-and devoted flower enthusiasts. Their pictures, rendered from rare illustrations, extend from ancient Chinese lotus buds to a basket of flowers in a nineteenth-century Valentine silhouette. The symbolic meaning of every known species-from absinth to zinnia-is summarized in a table. A visual treat for flower lovers, this essential sourcebook, with its permission-free artwork, will be of value to artists and designers, folklore enthusiasts, as well as botanical and gardening specialists. Over 200 black-and-white designs and illustrations.

Symbolic meanings for:
Acacia Rod of Aaron Bo Tree Mistletoe
Passionflowe Edelweiss Heliotrope Tears of Job
Laurel Olive Tree Black Poplar Apple of Sodom
Barnacle Tree Houseleek Ice Plant Mandrake

. . . and many other botanical varieties.

Determining which family a plant belongs to is a crucial horticultural skill. Organizing plants by family provides a framework for thinking about plant characteristics and for arranging thousands of plant names in a coherent and predictive pattern. This is especially important now, as advances in DNA analysis have recently altered much of the world of botanical taxonomy. In Temperate Garden Plant Families, Peter Goldblatt and John C. Manning teach readers how to identify the most horticulturally important temperate plant families. Introductory information includes an overview of family classification, plant nomenclature, and plant morphology. The comprehensive A-Z of plants includes profiles that include information on the number of species and genera, plant form, flowers, fruit, and a short description. Each profile is illustrated with colour photographs and botanical illustrations. This comprehensive identification guide is for botany and horticultural professionals, nurserymen, advanced gardeners, and students of botany and horticulture.

This book features the best plants for spring, summer, autumn and winter displays, with over 300 photographs. You can make the best of your garden throughout the year by planting seasonal flowers, trees and shrubs. Inspirational displays include flower beds and borders, ponds, window boxes, hanging baskets and tubs. It shows you how to choose suitable plants for every situation - from berried shrubs to twiggy hedges and floral climbers - and how to display them effectively. Vibrant and stunning photographs capture the beauty of delicate spring bulbs, fiery summer annuals, pretty autumn seedheads and verdant winter trees and grasses. It features a wide range of garden styles - from traditional country cottage to formal and contemporary. It features an at-a-glance calendar of key gardening jobs to do during and after each season. From the long-awaited first buds of spring and the riotous displays of summer, to the rich hues of autumn and the structural quality of the winter landscape, your garden can mirror the changing seasons and the wonderful variety of plants available. Season by season, this book takes an inspirational look at bulbs, annuals, perennials, climbers, shrubs and trees, with full descriptions, flowering times, tips on the best growing conditions and hardiness notes. Ideas are presented for pretty window boxes, hanging baskets, tubs, and eye-catching beds and borders. There are also useful lists of jobs that should be done during each season to ensure your garden stays looking its best. With a wealth of practical advice and over 300 photographs, this book is sure to inspire all year round.

This is best-selling author Ed Smith's complete guide to growing a bounty of vegetables in small spaces and without land. This is a completely updated and expanded edition of "Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers", now including conventional containers of all sizes, from window boxes to tubs. "The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible" provides information on growing everyone's favourite vegetables in all kinds of containers. And Ed Smith delivers his wealth of container gardening knowledge in the friendly, accessible style that his readers love. He explains how to choose the rights plants, select appropriate containers and tools, provide balanced nutrition, care for plants throughout the growing season, control pests without chemicals, and much more. He even includes plans for small-space container gardens that urban and suburban gardeners will love.

One of the most exciting aspects of gardening is growing your own plants from scratch. In this definitive guide, Alan Titchmarsh shows how simple it is to propagate plants by following a few basic techniques. Learn how to produce a flourishing garden filled with ornamental and edible plants, at very little expense. * Demystified, down-to-earth approach to propagation * Easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step diagrams * A-Z directory with recommended propagation techniques for each plant * Key tips on taking cuttings, sowing seed, layering and division * Guidance on promoting growth of young plants

In this classic 1960s gardening book, Margery Fish's advice and enthusiasm for horticulture has stood the test of time and remains a go-to book for green-thumbed gardeners today. She guides the reader through techniques for creating and maintaining a cottage garden with humour and ease, perfect for both beginners and experienced gardeners.In her imaginative adaption of the traditional cottage garden style that she saw disappearing around her, she brought together old-fashioned plants and contemporary plants in the same vein. Today's mixed borders are a direct descendant of the style Margery Fish created at East Lambrook Manor in Somerset, now once again open to the public.Cottage Garden Flowers covers plants that grow easily and naturally in British soil, including easy, adaptable bulbs, perennials and shrubs, such as Astrantia, columbines, daffodils, daisies, Dianthus, foxgloves, hollyhocks, Japonica, old roses, Phlox, Primula, or Virburnum. No longer in danger of being forgotten, these traditional flowering plants have now res-established their place at the heart of garden design. Graham Rice, the widely published gardening author and the former London Evening Standard gardening correspondent, has reviewed the plant names in the original text, providing a plant name section at the back of the book. This allows readers to identify current plants from the old Latin names within the text.

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.

Many of us want to increase our self-sufficiency, but few have access to the ideal five sunny, gently sloping acres of rich, loamy, well-drained soil. Jenni Blackmore presents a highly entertaining, personal account of how permaculture can be practiced in adverse conditions, allowing anyone to learn to live more sustainably in a less-than-perfect world. With a rallying cry of "If we can do it, you can too," she distills the wisdom of twenty years of trial and error into a valuable teaching tool. The perfect antidote to dense, high-level technical manuals, Permaculture for the Rest of Us presents the fundamental principles of this sometimes confusing concept in a humorous, reader-friendly way. Each chapter focuses on a specific method or technique, interspersing straightforward explanations with the author's own experiences. Learn how to successfully retrofit even the smallest homestead using skills such as: No-till vs. till gardening, composting, and soil-building Natural pest control and integrating small livestock Basic greenhouse construction Harvesting, preservation, and more Ideal for urban dreamers, suburbanites and country-dwellers alike, this inspirational and instructional "encouragement manual" is packed with vibrant photographs documenting the author's journey from adversity to abundance. Jenni Blackmore is a farmer, artist, writer and certified Permaculture Design Consultant who built her house on a rocky, windswept island off the coast of Nova Scotia almost twenty-five years ago and has been stumbling along the road to self-sufficient living ever since. A successful micro-farmer, she produces most of her family's meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables, in spite of often-challenging conditions.

Make your home your happy place with house plants. Bring the outside in. This gorgeous guide features over 80 indoor plants that will turn your house into a happy, healthy, healing home. Discover plants that will clean the air you breathe, help you get a good night's sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, help you get well soon, boost your brain power and bring greater joy and wellbeing into your life. From cacti and succulents to ferns and palms; flowering plants and foliage - find the perfect house plants for your living room, bathroom, bedroom and even your workspace. Bring the joy of the outdoors in and harness the natural healing power of plants. Features: Over 80 plants and their wellbeing benefits, A guide to choosing your plants and pots, Essential care instructions (indoor plants are so easy to look after!), and Simple propagation techniques to share your plants with friends

Revised and updated, this pocket-sized planting guide shows you how to plant a garden that stays in bloom throughout the year. RHS What Plant When will help you to be the envy of your neighbours by teaching you how to keep your garden looking good during every season. With colour photographs and at-a-glance information on over 1,000 plants, the experts at the RHS give you the best options for each month, from radiant spring bulbs to shrubs with bright winter berries - all in a compact format. Choose from over 1,000 fully illustrated plants, divided into six seasonal sections and grouped according to colour for at-a-glance accessibility. With colour photographs and in-depth information, as well as advice on the latest trends, you'll know exactly when to plant your favourite flowers for best results with this handy planting guide.