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.

Green Home explains how to 'green up' your life with an array of houseplants, and has been a bestseller in author Anders Royneberg's home country of Norway. Living with plants can enliven and enrich your surroundings, promoting feelings of relaxation and well-being. But where to start with curating that vital indoor collection? Green Home features all the green plants Anders has collected in his own apartment of 50 square meters - over 100 plants - and how this inspires him towards greener, more balanced living. With a guide to houseplant types, hints and tips on how to get your plants to thrive and also on how to integrate them into your home decor scheme, it's a plant book with added personality.

This illustrated workbook accompanies the Arborists' Knots for Climbing & Rigging DVD set . You can earn two CEUs* by completing the workbook test answer sheets, returning them to ISA for grading, and receiving a score of 80% or greater. [*These CEUs may be submitted only once during the life of your certification.]

You had one job: watering your new plant. But it's been a week and it's already dying. Fear not! This helpful guide is here to show you how to rescue your plants. Follow the survival tips outlined in this book and you'll be on your way to having your home brimming with green life. It's absolutely possible not to assassinate your houseplant - all you need is this book! From identifying exactly what's in the pot, to helping it flourish and grow, this is your guide to creating an oasis of happy, flourishing houseplants. With over 50 different types of popular houseplants, this book summarises what type of care your plants do (or don't) need. Find out which types of plant will thrive in your living space. You'll also discover how to keep a cactus alive, where to hang air plants, and how to repot succulents. Understand how much light, water, heat, and humidity your plant needs, whatever your horticulture woes, this book will explain and fix it. Yellowed leaves, drooping leaves, dried leaves, learn to spot the danger signs and how to take the proper action to rescue your sick plant. Packed with helpful tips, pictures, and information panels, How Not to Kill Your Houseplantwill equip you with the skills necessary to raise a healthy plant. Give Your Plants a Chance! If you're horticulturally challenged and can't keep a house plant alive to save your life, then this book is for you! This practical guide to raising indoor plants equips you with the know-how you need to care for your plants. Inside the pages of this comprehensive gardening book, you'll discover: - Tips on watering and feeding plants. - Advice on how to choose the perfect house plants for your unique space and needs. - Helpful survival tips and simple ways not to kill your plants. - Everything you need to know about lighting for house plants, from natural to artificial lighting sources. - Learn to spot the danger signs in unhealthy indoor plants and the effective techniques on how to rescue them.

Want to get home-grown spices in the middle of winter? Eat fresh vegetables in the spring? Sow in the summer to harvest in the fall? Lena Israelsson's book, Year-Round Edible Gardening, is a practical guide for those who want to extend their growing season. And double, perhaps triple, their harvest. Growing year-round is possible, and this book can teach you the best methods to do it the right way. Year-Round Edible Gardening includes inspiring and expert tips on which vegetables, herbs, and spices suit the different seasons. Certain plants can even be harvested in the middle of winter if handled correctly. Others, like microgreens, herbs, and hydroculture, can create the perfect indoor gardens. This book will teach readers to know the difference between cold and hot weather plants, which growing methods are best suited for different plants, and when to plant and harvest. They'll learn about sowing; coverage with plastic, glass, or fiber weaves; and fertilization-creating a fruitful and fertile soil is the linchpin of all cultivation and one of the book's most important parts.

A veritable illuminated manuscript cataloging the A to Z of nature's everyday wonders to create the perfect gift book. More than a master's-eye view of nature, and infinitely more than a simple illustrated A to Z book, A Garden of Ordinary Miracles catalogues the breathtaking beauty and variety of flowers in full bloom, in glorious hand-drawn illustrations. Anyone who loves nature will be instantly transported to an alphabetical landscape where everything from azaleas and zinnias bloom all year long. Each overgrown spread bursts with gorgeously rendered full-color and pen-and-ink representations of flora (and fauna) whose names begin with a particular letter. Prance through P, overrun by peonies and poppies, or wander around W's wisteria and water lilies. With so much to look at and enjoy on each page, readers will be enchanted and entranced by the intricately detailed and whimsical nature of Zakanitch's art. Packaged as the ultimate gift for adults, gardeners, or those sitting at their knee, this garden book is nothing short of a miracle.

From algae to organic gardening, earthworms to water features, this is an alphabetically arranged guide to maintaining the typical South African garden. Learn more about essentials like feeding and pruning, how to conserve water, sow seed and care for plants both indoors and out; and enjoy the whimsical or esoteric aspects of gardening, with companion plants, gardening by the light of the moon and the links between plants and the signs of the zodiac. The title is filled with a host of environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional garden care practices, together with an experienced horticulturist's tips on how to achieve and maintain a garden to be proud of. Whether you live near the sea or in the dry interior, garden on a farm or in a tiny space there will be valuable information relevant to the needs of your garden space.

Much more than a how-to flower gardening book (though you will learn how to), Garden Maker is for those who want to grow beautiful things that reflect the glory and majesty of the Creator and bring a little bit of heaven down to earth. From the beginning God made a garden, so it's no surprise if you feel closer to Him with your hands in the dirt and the sun on your back. There is something profoundly soul-satisfying about creating and cultivating beauty. If you long to experience more splendor in your life, you can grow some of your very own. Join kindred spirit Christie Purifoy as she helps you unearth the simple delights of growing garden flowers, from preparing and planning to creating beautiful bouquets and other arrangements. Lavishly photographed and lovingly written, this all-seasons guide invites you to discover the innumerable joys and wonders to be found in the flower garden.

The lavender book is a guide to the lavender types and varieties suitable to local conditions and is intended to get you outdoors and growing your own lavender without further ado. This title offers instruction on propagating, planting, nurturing and harvesting lavender. Also included in this collection of lavender wisdom is a treasure trove of original recipes and craft ideas. Recipes follow in a format and are interwoven with useful hints and tips. The use of lavender medicinally, in aromatherapy and as an insect repellant will appeal to the growing body of concerned people who aspire to a more natural organic way of life.

Gardening experts Georgia Tasker and Tom MacCubbin offer foolproof advice on gardening within the diverse landscape of Florida. The "Florida Getting Started Garden Guide" features region-specific advice on planting, growing, and caring for more than 150 of Florida's top ornamental and native plants. From flowers and grasses to trees and tropical plants, this step-by-step guide includes useful information for the novice and experienced gardener alike. With gorgeous full-color photos of each plant, this book will increase the enjoyment and satisfaction of any gardener hoping to learn about--and master--the natural environment of Florida.

This is an informative reference book designed to provide ready, simple answers to all the basic questions about plants. It takes an illuminating, engaging look at the science and stories behind the plants we encounter everyday.

Learn how to grow and dry flowers, plants and herbs to createdried floral arrangements that will breathe fresh life and style into your home without breaking the bank!In this contemporary reimagining of a timeless craft, Ann Lindsay Mitchell guides you through the method of drying flowers in three achievable steps: growing, drying and arranging. This excellent source of practical advice is explored through an encyclopaedic list of flowers and foliage with specific information on how to grow, cut and dry them to best effect. From coffee table posies and large arrangements to hand tied-gift bunches and wedding bouquets, beautiful photography accompanies guidance to creating arrangements with your newly dried flowers. Filled with delicate watercolour illustrations alongside stunning photography of both simple and elaborate floral arrangements, Forever Flowers is an exceptional guide to growing, drying and arranging. Suitable for both experienced professionals and hopeful newcomers to the art of drying flowers, the information in the book is an invaluable resource for all to reference and return to. Anyone can create everlasting arrangements for friends, home or occasions that can be cherished for years to come.

In this book, pioneering nurseryman Olivier Filippi offers low-level planting designs that are eco-friendly and so beautiful they redefine the conventional distinction between lawn and plant borders. Inspired by the wild plant communities of Europe, the Middle East, and the USA, these rigorously trialled plant combinations can be used on terraces, paths, gravel beds and flower borders, as well as on areas that are traditionally laid to lawn. With a plant directory that lists over 200 tough but beautiful dry garden plants and Filippi's innovative maintenance techniques, this is the perfect companion to his first book The Dry Gardening Handbook and will delight all dry garden owners.

Support and protect the natural world with tips from expert gardener Joe Swift.

With around 16 million UK gardens covering a larger area than all our nature reserves, you could say our largest nature reserve is one big garden! In this practical guide, Joe shows you how to support and protect our rich and varied wildlife habitats.

Joe's no-nonsense approach covers everything you need to know about doing your bit for wildlife. Learn how to manage soil and carefully select plants to create rich and varied habitats, from tall trees down to tiny, spring-flowering bulbs. In this book, Joe demonstrates how to manage your outdoor space sensitively, and debunks the common misconception that 'wildlife-friendly gardens' have to be unkempt.

From bug hotels to pollinators, he also shares his ideas on fun and innovative projects to help kids, as the future custodians of our planet, engage with nature. Joe Swift is an author, TV presenter and garden designer. He makes regular appearances on BBC's Gardener's World and the RHS Flower Shows

Bring trees to life like you've never seen before as The Tree Book invites you on an enchanting and illustrated journey into the astonishingly diverse growth of woodland wildlife in the world around us. Trees have been a part of human history from the very beginning. Used for shelter, tools, fuel, and food, they also help supply the atmosphere with oxygen and form astonishingly diverse ecosystems, as well as some of the world's most beautiful landscapes. Now the intricate world of leafy woodlands and abundant rainforests is revealed in this extensive visual guide to trees, exploring their key scientific traits and their ecological importance, as well as their enduring significance in human history and culture. From ancient oaks and great redwoods to lush banyans and imposing kapoks, The Tree Book reveals the anatomy, behaviours, and beauty of these incredible plants and habitats in detail. A must-have volume for budding botanists, this divine nature book showcases the rich diversity of trees, combining bewildering facts about spindles, spruces and more, with dazzling landscape photography of the endless species of trees found in forests and woodland all around the globe. Explore this fascinating book on trees to discover: -A historical overview of the cultural influence of trees and their ecological importance -Striking photography to accompany the profound explanations of tree biology and behaviour -A clear and comprehensible guide to ecology from both a historical and scientific point of view. With recent media coverage on climate change highlighting the global importance of our woodlands and rainforests, there's no better time than right now to immerse yourself in this extensive horticultural handbook for an illuminating blend of the science, culture, and history of trees dating back to the beginning of time. Let DK plant the seed of curiosity with this fantastic forest book, and watch as it blossoms into a life-long love of ecology, proving the ideal gift for naturalists or those with a soft-spot for nature photography. Combining natural history and a scientific overview with a wider look at the history, uses, symbolism, and mythology of trees, this book is a new kind of guide to these fascinating organisms.

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.

In The New Southern Garden Cookbook, Sheri Castle aims to make "what's in season" the answer to "what's for dinner?" This timely cookbook, with dishes for omnivores and vegetarians alike, celebrates and promotes delicious, healthful homemade meals centered on the diverse array of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown in the South, and in most of the rest of the nation as well. Increased attention to the health benefits and environmental advantages of eating locally, Castle notes, is inspiring Americans to partake of the garden by raising their own kitchen plots, visiting area farmers' markets and pick-your-own farms, and signing up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes from local growers. The New Southern Garden Cookbook offers over 300 brightly flavored recipes that will inspire beginning and experienced cooks, southern or otherwise, to take advantage of seasonal delights. Castle has organized the cookbook alphabetically by type of vegetable or fruit, building on the premise that when cooking with fresh produce, the ingredient, not the recipe, is the wiser starting point. While some dishes are inspired by traditional southern recipes, many reveal the goodness of gardens in new, contemporary ways. Peppered with tips, hints, and great stories, these pages make for good food and a good read.

Learn about the incredible range of useful shrubs for many different situations, large and small. World renown expert, Martin Crawford, includes common fruit bushes like currants and gooseberries, and many other less-known shrubs with edible fruits, nuts, leaves, or other parts. He takes us on a journey into the world of exotic spice trees, shrubs with medicinal parts, and plants that fix nitrogen to help fertilise other plants. All these can be grown in temperate climates, diversifying our diets, enabling us to design beautiful, productive gardens, as well as showing us how we can integrate agroforestry into our smallholdings and farms to create new income streams. Despite increasingly urgent calls from scientists, the not-fit-for-purpose economic and political systems we live in cannot be relied upon to implement the carbon emission reductions needed. This where we come into it: Whether we are farmer, gardener or plant dabbler, by planting shrubby plants that sequester carbon, we can minimise our carbon footprint and ideally live a carbon-negative life. On a broadscale, perennial and woody species are the way forward to reduce carbon emissions in agriculture. Woody crops sequester carbon in their biomass, but can also be grown in systems which allow for sequestration of large amounts of carbon into the soil.