The way we currently produce our food is damaging both to ourselves and our planet: we need to create gardens, woodlands and farms which are in harmony with nature. Though all natural ecosystems provide excellent examples to follow, Plants For a Future specifically focuses on edible species, suggesting a wide variety of easily grown perennials and self-seeding annuals which produce delicious and healthy food. Describing edible and other useful plants, both native to Britain and Europe, and from other temperate areas around the world, Plants For a Future includes those suitable for: the ornamental garden, the lawn, shady areas, ponds, walls, hedges, agroforestry and conservation. It offers alternative methods of growing these plants in ways that are in harmony with the local environment and can help to improve the overall health of the planet. In his thoroughly useful book, Ken Fern shares his experiments and successes in growing herbs, vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees. Packed with information, personal anecdotes and detailed appendices and indexes, this pioneering book takes gardening, conservation and ecology into a new dimension.

If you want a vibrant, chemical-free vegetable garden, companion planting is the solution. Did you know tomatoes produce a natural insecticide that can help protect carrots against pests? Or that planting mint near lettuce can repel slugs? Every gardener knows that the key to an abundant harvest in their vegetable garden is controlling pests and disease, while still maintaining a healthy growing environment. But it is possible to have a healthy, thriving vegetable garden without using dangerous chemicals? It is, as long as you know how to pair up the right plants. Organic gardeners have known for years that planting the right plants together is the key to minimizing pests, improving soil quality, and increasing the yield of their gardens, and almost any vegetable you can grow likely has a beneficial companion. Companion planting is the ideal way to avoid using chemicals, while still increasing the efficiency of your garden. Expert organic gardener Brian Lowell will teach you how to use plants to create a beautiful, vibrant vegetable garden that will be free of toxic chemicals. Here's what you'll find inside: Handy companion planting pairings for all of the most common garden vegetables Practical, simple photography and colorful illustrations for dozens of beneficial planting configurations Expert advice from a master gardener that is specifically designed for beginners Loads of troubleshooting tips for fixing common issues with companion-planted gardens Tips for setting up the perfect vegetable garden, including practical advice on watering, soil management, troubleshooting, and more

Beans are easy to grow, easy to cook, delicious, nourishing and beneficial for us and the planet. Growing your own beans not only helps you build healthy soil in your garden, it also provides you with a nutrient-rich diet. Beans can play a role in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer - they are good sources of protein, fibre, folate, iron and potassium - and they can reduce your carbon footprint and food miles as well! This fascinating book brings together Susan Young's 10 years of experimentation with multiple varieties of beans. She clearly explains how to sow, grow, harvest, dry, store and cook them, and shares her six 'must grow' varieties. Go on a tasty culinary journey around the world and discover a range of colourful and historic beans, from the pink 'Fagiolo di Lamon' of Italy to the black and white 'Bosnian Pole' bean. Learn which varieties are best for eating fresh from the pod and those that are best for drying and storing for later use. Beans offer year-round nutritious meals, and dried beans can be the star of the show with their fabulous diversity of flavours, colours and textures.

Zero-Waste Gardening is your essential go-to guide to growing your own food for maximum taste and minimum waste. Organic gardening expert, Ben Raskin, shares over 60 unique planning-for-yield guides for key crops. Work out how to make the most of the green space you have got, what to grow easily in it, and how much you will harvest seasonally for zero waste. Learn about the roots of organic gardening, and unearth how to plant waste-free for any size plot, from balcony containers to 5-metre-square yards. Peppered with root-to-stalk cooking techniques, and edibility tips including which crops you can eat straight away, this is a plot-to-plate handbook for everyone with a green-thumb. Perfect for new and experienced growers, zero-food waste followers, city gardeners, and the ecologically minded, this is the only gardening book you will ever need!

My Unicorn Garden is bursting with crafts and activities perfect for children. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this amazing book is packed with fun things to make and do both indoors and outdoors. It's time to get your green-hooves ready with your favourite unicorn friends! Paint a unicorn plant pot Create fantastic flower pressings Make your own mini unicorn garden Discover the wonderful secrets of gardening with magical, mythical unicorns! These unicorns are off on a garden tour to learn all about plants, wildlife and top gardening tips. The unicorns can't wait to start exploring - and you can join them! This book is packed with fun facts and activities, so you can become a gardening expert, too. Step-by-step gardening activities - perfect for families to enjoy the garden together Easy-to-follow instructions for growing your own plants Colouring in, spot-the-difference, and make your own daisy chain and winter wreath!

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!

"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.

Kweek dit self is ’n alsomvattende gids vol praktiese riglyne wat jou sal leer hoe om jou tuin (groot of klein) ten volle te benut, hetsy met tradisionele of alternatiewe tuinbou metodes. Die inhoud is nie beperk tot alledaagse en bekende spesies nie, daar word metodes aangebied om ongewone en moderne variasies van elke tipe plant te kweek. Elke plant word op ’n geordende en logiese manier volledig bespreek, met besondere verwysing na die vereistes vir die voorbereiding van die grond, verdeling van die plante, die kweking, asook die oes en berging daarvan. ’n Lekker bonus is die bykomende wenke hoe om plante in houers te kweek, die geskikste plante vir verskillende spasies, hoe om peste te bekamp, plantmaats, en die beste wapens in die oorlog teen siektes en ander probleme. Met die oog op die haastige leser wat nie onnodige opleeswerk wil doen vóór besluitneming nie, is daar ’n gebruiksvriendelike opsomming van elke spesie en bykomende interessante inligting op so ’n manier saamgestel dat dit ’n plesier is om daarna vollediger inligting te bekom.

Easy and effective remedies are explained in a clear and practical way; step-by-step photographs show how to store water when it rains using water butts, containers and ponds, and how to conserve water used in the home. Practical advice is given on using compost to conserve water, and on lawn treatments. Special treatments and planting methods are covered in detail and help is given on grouping plants, correct watering and drought resistant plants. This is a book for all gardeners. It is superbly illustrated throughout and it contains all you need to know about creating a perfect garden when there is a water shortage.

Close-up photos of plump apricots, juicy mangoes, crisp lettuce ... these are familiar to us all through cookery books and garden guides. But seeing fruit and vegetables as detailed art, viewed through eighteenth-century eyes, is something very different - and more interesting. Thanks to intrepid explorers and plant-hunters, Britain and the rest of Europe have long enjoyed a wide and wonderful array of fruit and vegetables. Some wealthy households even created orangeries and glasshouses for tender exotics and special pits in which to raise pineapples, while tomatoes, sweetcorn and runner beans from the New World expanded the culinary repertoire. This wealth of choice attracted interest beyond the kitchen and garden. In the 1730s, a prosperous Bavarian apothecary produced the first volume of a comprehensive A to Z of all available plants, meticulously documented, and lavishly illustrated by botanical artists. 'A Cornucopia of Fruit & Vegetables' is a glimpse into his world. It features exquisite illustrations of the edible plants in his historic treasury, allowing us to enjoy the sight of swan-necked gourds and horned lemons, smile at silkworms hovering over mulberries and delight at the quirkiness of 'strawberry spinach' ... a delicious medley of garden produce and exotics that will capture the imagination of gardeners and art-lovers alike.

My Rainbow Unicorn Garden is bursting with crafts and activities perfect for children. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this amazing book is packed with fun things to make and do both indoors and outdoors. It's time to get your green-hooves ready with your favourite rainbow unicorn friends! Grow flowers and vegetables, from sunflowers to pumpkins Create sweet-smelling petal jars to give your room a lovely fragrance Make your own mini rainbow unicorn garden Discover the wonderful secrets of gardening with creative, colourful unicorns! These unicorns are off on a garden tour to learn all about plants, wildlife and top gardening tips. The unicorns can't wait to start exploring - and you can join them! This book is packed with fun facts and activities, so you can become a gardening expert, too. Step-by-step gardening activities - perfect for families to enjoy the garden together Easy-to-follow instructions for growing your own plants Colouring in, spot-the-difference, and make your own paper rose wreath!

Charles Dowding draws on his years of experience, to show how easy it is to start a new vegetable garden. Any plot - whether a building site, overgrown with weeds or unwanted lawn - can be turned into a beautiful and productive vegetable area. Charles's no-nonsense and straightforward advice is the perfect starting point for the beginner or experienced gardener. The book takes you step-by-step through: * Planning and early stages * Clearing the ground * Mulch - what, why, how? * Minimizing digging * Sowing and planting across the seasons * Growing in polytunnels and greenhouses It is filled with labour-saving ideas and the techniques that Charles uses to garden so successfully and is illustrated throughout with photos and tales from Charles's first year in his new vegetable garden.

No dig organic gardening saves time and work. It requires an annual dressing of compost to help accelerate the improvement in soil structure and leads to higher fertility and less weeds. No dig experts, Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty, explain how to set up a no dig garden. They describe how to: Make compost, enrich soil, harvest and prepare food and make natural beauty and clean ing products and garden preparations. These approaches work as well in small spaces as in large gardens. The Authors' combined experience gives you ways of growing, preparing and storing the plants you grow for many uses, including delicious vegetable feasts and many recipes and ideas for increasing self reliance, saving money, living sustainably and enjoying the pleasure of growing your own food, year round. Charles' advice is distilled from 35 years of growing vegetables intensively and efficiently; he is the acknowledged no dig guru and salad expert both in the UK and internationally. Stephanie, a kitchen gardener, grows in her small, productive home garden and allotment, and creates no dig gardens for restaurants and private estates.She presents truly delicious seasonal recipes, made from the vegetables anyone can grow. She also explains how to use common plants you can grow and forage for to make handmade preparation for the home and garden.

It takes just a few dollars and a few days for you to start enjoying fresh, healthy produce grown indoors in your own home. Imagine serving a home-cooked meal highlighted with beet, arugula, and broccoli microgreens grown right in your kitchen, accompanied by sauteed winecap mushrooms grown in a box of sawdust in your basement. If you have never tasted microgreens, all you really need to do is envision all the flavor of an entire vegetable plant concentrated into a single tantalizing seedling. If you respond to the notion of nourishing your guests with amazing, fresh, organic produce that you've grown in your own house, condo, apartment, basement, or sunny downtown office, then you'll love exploring the expansive new world of growing and eating that can be discovered with the help of "Indoor Kitchen Gardening." Inside, author and Bossy Acres CSA co-owner Elizabeth Millard teaches you how to grow microgreens, sprouts, herbs, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and more-- all "inside" your own home, where you won't have to worry about seasonal changes or weather conditions. Filled with mouthwatering photography and more than 200 pages of Do-It-Yourself in-home gardening information and projects, "Indoor Kitchen Gardening" is your gateway to this exciting new growing method--not just for garnishes or relishes, but wholesome, nutritious, organic edibles that will satisfy your appetite as much as your palate.

Throughout history flowers have been an integral part of human survival and culture - as food, for medicine, to express feelings, as symbols, to commemorate and celebrate, and to decorate. Their shapes, colours, scents and textures have always attracted us, as they do animals and insects. Flowers are used as luxury spices (saffron), and as colouring and flavouring agents - marigolds fed to chickens make eggs more yellow and lavender was Elizabeth I's favourite flavour of jam. Flowers are full of symbolic meaning: violets represent modesty, daises purity and daffodils unrequited love. And they have always played an important role in culture through myths and legends, literature and the decorative arts. This delightful new book brings together 100 of the world's flowers to tell their remarkable stories. Each flower is richly illustrated in colour and accompanied by facts about each species and what role it has played in our culture and history.

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.

"Shady plants deserve ambassadors like Susanna: someone who can view a dim corner as an opportunity rather than obstacle." -- Matt Collins, Head Gardener at the Garden Museum Work with the light, grow plants and flowers, bring dark corners to life. This handbook will tell you everything you need to know to make the most of shady garden spaces. Whether your whole garden, courtyard or balcony is cast in shade, or you simply have a window box on a shadowy sill, Shade will inspire you to transform the space with lush and interesting planting that looks good (and is beloved by wildlife) all year round. Rather than a gardener's "problem", an area of shade can open up a whole new world of plants to explore, from delicate flowers and interesting foliage, to handsome trees and vibrant bulbs. Shade includes top tips on tackling all sorts of shady areas, a directory of plants to dip into and pro advice on achieving year-round colour and structure. It's time to bring those dark corners to life! This title is from the Bloom Gardener's Guide series, complete and comprehensive gardening handbooks. Bloom is an award-winning independent print magazine for gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers, and winner of the Garden Publication of the Year at the Garden Media Awards 2021. Other titles in this series include Cut Flowers and Pots.

"Cel grows her beautiful flowers with art and soul." -- Shane Connolly, floral designer and author Prepare the ground, sow seed, nurture, harvest and fill your home with beautiful flowers. Growing flowers can bring colour and life to the garden, and also give you an abundance of sustainable floral material to use at home. This handbook shows you how to plan a cutting garden, grow the perfect plants for the vase and nurture them so they thrive from season to season. Whether you have a few pots or a dedicated patch, you can grow beautiful blooms and learn how to cut, condition and arrange them for garden-gathered floral designs all year round, all without the carbon footprint of most shop-bought flowers! Cut Flowers includes a directory of flowers, bulbs and foliage to grow, plus pro advice on creating dreamy designs. This title is from the Bloom Gardener's Guide series, complete and comprehensive gardening handbooks. Bloom is an award-winning independent print magazine for gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers, and winner of the Garden Publication of the Year at the Garden Media Awards 2021. Other titles in this series include Shade and Pots.

Modern Dried Flowers is a contemporary guide to the sustainable art of preserving and styling stems. Versatile, chic, environmentally mindful, affordable and low maintenance - there are many reasons to love dried flowers. Whether for weddings and special events or simply to bring a touch of ethereal charm to your home, these timeless, reimagined arrangements can bring a room to life. Modern Dried Flowers offers nature-led inspiration and step-by-step instructions to gain all of the basic skills, tools and techniques necessary to grow, cut, dry and style your stems to perfection. Author and celebrated florist Angela Maynard is a founding leader of the classic craft's revival, and here she reveals her secrets and dispenses expert advice so that you too can master the art of everlasting beauty and wow-worthy decor, no matter what your style. In this practical and visually stunning guide, you will find: 20 beautifully photographed projects, from wearable keepsakes to majestic seasonal centrepieces; Tips to get creative with the leftover materials; A handy index of suitable flowers which outlines characteristics, symbols and best combinations. Play with texture and colour, discover unusual blooms and botanicals, and create something truly original that lasts a lifetime.