The worldwide trend towards smaller houses and spaces and apartment type homes has inspired and demanded a new approach in gardening. This is due predominantly to the freedom of expression in the styling and use of outdoor spaces, the approach to hard landscaping and the use of plant material most suited to the environment, house or garden design and style.

The trend is to introduce hard landscaping and plant material natural to the local area, gravel as a substitute for lawn in small spaces, a sense of fun and the unexpected in the use of plants or accessories. This is what makes gardening a pleasure and one of the finest creative arts there is.

Keith Kirsten, world-renowned horticulturist, shares his vast local and international experience and knowledge with his readers in this book on small gardens – from the initial design, the preparation, the hard landscaping elements, container gardening, water, maintenance, garden chores for every month of the year, food and herb gardening, to lists of plants suitable for smaller spaces.

Breathtakingly beautiful photos not only illustrate the information, but are artworks in their own right providing a pool of inspirational ideas.

'Garden Wisdom' is an inspiring mix of practical advice, traditional garden lore, and eco-friendly ideas compiled to help you make the most of your garden. This book tells you everything you need to know about the preparation, cultivation, and maintenance of a garden, be it large or small, lawn or terrace, or even just a windowbox, and provides indispensable advice both for fair-weather gardeners and for those who garden at every opportunity, whatever the weather. The book is divided into four broad sections: earth, air, water and plant alchemy. Earth covers everything from newfangled ways of making compost to tips for ageing terracotta, and examines pest control techniques, both ancient and modern. The section on Air deals with topics as varied as plants that thrive in shade, how to create an old-fashioned hot bed greenhouse and how best to store garden produce. Water consists of ways of preserving what is fast becoming our most precious resource and how to use it effectively in the garden. Finally, plant alchemy begins with the art of companion planting - where one species appears to protect another against attack or disease.

A story about dirt--and about sun, water, work, elation, and defeat. And about the sublime pleasure of having a little piece of French land all to oneself to till.
Richard Goodman saw the ad in the paper: "SOUTHERN FRANCE: Stone house in Village near Nimes/Avignon/Uzes. 4 BR, 2 baths, fireplace, books, desk, bikes. Perfect for writing, painting, exploring & experiencing la France profonde. $450 mo. plus utilities." And, with his girlfriend, he left New York City to spend a year in Southern France.
The village was small--no shops, no gas station, no post office, only a cafe and a school. St. Sebastien de Caisson was home to farmers and vintners. Every evening Goodman watched the villagers congregate and longed to be a part of their camaraderie. But they weren't interested in him: he was just another American, come to visit and soon to leave. So Goodman laced up his work boots and ventured out into the vineyards to work among them. He met them first as a hired worker, and then as a farmer of his own small plot of land.
French Dirt is a love story between a man and his garden. It's about plowing, planting, watering, and tending. It's about cabbage, tomatoes, parsley, and eggplant. Most of all, it's about the growing friendship between an American outsider and a close-knit community of French farmers.
"There's a genuine sweetness about the way the cucumbers and tomatoes bridge the divide of nationality."--The New York Times Book Review
"One of the most charming, perceptive and subtle books ever written about the French by an American."--San Francisco Chronicle"

Combining the popular subjects of aromatherapy and gardening, Julia Lawless promotes the aromatic garden as a means to health, well-being, and pleasure. This book details the history of the scented garden, starting with the Persian palaces 2,500 years ago, and links this with the present-day appreciation of essential oils and their healing powers. Focusing on some of the most memorable fragrant gardens, past and present, then moving on to a discussion of specific plants and their uses, The Essential Aromatherapy Garden guides you through every stage of creating your own aromatic paradise. Featured gardens, including the author's former Gloucestershire garden and the Chelsea Physic Garden, provide inspiration and examples of the benefits that aromatic gardens afford. Accessible, practical advice helps you to achieve the reality-whether it's a tiny, fragrant border, a hanging basket, or a formal rose garden. With chapters including 'An aromatherapy and Perfumery Border,' 'Herbs for Health and Cooking,' 'Planning an Aromatherapy Garden,' and 'Secrets of the Still Room,' the author offers invaluable advice on all aspects of your garden - ensuing that both the enthusiast and the aspiring gardener are catered for. Plant portraits, covering over 50 of the most essential aromatherapy plants from acasia to violet, guide you through the practicalities of cultivation, gardening, recommended varieties, and range of uses. There are plenty of ideas and tips here to transform your aromatic plants into effective recipe ingredients.

If you're a fan of both knitting and crocheting, then Tunisian crochet is for you Tunisian crochet is a needlework technique that borrows elements from both knitting and crocheting and is often referred to as "Afghan crochet" or "Afghan stitch." A special hook called an Afghan hook is used for this method of crochet.
"First Time Tunisian Crochet" is an informative crochet booklet that teaches different stitches, from easy (Tunisian simple stitch) to intermediate (seed stitch, knit stitch, and purl stitch) to experienced (rib stitch, clusters stitch, cable stitch). The booklet includes five fun projects: a throw, bag, wristlet, blanket, and vest.

Knit slippers for someone, and you'll keep their toes warm. Give the slippers googly eyes, floppy ears, or a prehensile tail, and you will give them and everyone they meet something to giggle about. Do you know someone who could use beyond-cute slippers that resemble their favorite animal, cartoon character, or fantasy figure? "Fun and Fantastical Slippers to Knit" adds a little fun to indoor footwear. They transport us back to those carefree days of childhood when playing dress-up and make-believe occupied hours of our time. Babies to tweens, teens and even hipsters are all rockin' their crazy-zaney and unique slippers. The twenty knit slippers and socks in this book are designed in sizes to fit baby to adult and can be knit on straight needles or in-the-round Imagine pacing the floor in Yeti feet or gazing over your big yellow duck feet at the nightly news. Designed by author Mary Scott Huff, these slippers are every bit as adorable, and quirky as her fantastical hats

Gardening can be frustratingly shrouded in secrecy. Fickle plants make seemingly spontaneous decisions to bloom or bust, seeds sprout magically in the blink of an eye, and deep-rooted mysteries unfold underground and out of sight. Understanding basic botany is like unlocking a horticultural code; fortunately learning a little science can reveal the secrets of the botanical universe and shed some light on what's really going on in your garden.
"Practical Botany for Gardeners" provides an elegant and accessible introduction to the world of botany. It presents the essentials that every gardener needs to know, connecting explanations of scientific facts with useful gardening tips. Flip to the roots section and you'll not only learn how different types of roots support a plant but also find that adding fungi to soil aids growth. The pruning section both defines "lateral buds" and explains how far back on a shoot to cut in order to propagate them.
The book breaks down key areas and terminology with easy-to-navigate chapters arranged by theme, such as plant types, plant parts, inner workings, and external factors. "Great Botanists" and "Botany in Action" boxes delve deeper into the fascinating byways of plant science. This multifaceted book also includes two hundred botanical illustrations and basic diagrams that hearken to the classic roots of botany.
Part handbook, part reference, "Practical Botany for Gardeners" is a beautifully captivating read. It's a must for garden lovers and backyard botanists who want to grow and nurture their own plant knowledge.

For more than a decade, Helen has been fielding letters from anxious readers, and this is a new compilation of the myriad queries she has received and answered over that time. Her weekly 'Thorny Problems' column is light-hearted but essentially practical, and it has earned her a devoted audience who love her no-nonsense approach. She delights in demystifying the gardening process, and has a pragmatic style that appeals to experienced gardeners as well as the uninitiated. With advice on everything from pruning clematis to dealing with unwanted garden visitors, in 'More Thorny Problems' Helen takes you on a journey through the year and helps you negotiate your way through a whole range of gardening dilemmas.

Two self-proclaimed "crotchety old horticulture professors," Ed O'Rourke and Leon Standifer share an immense love of gardening, a vast knowledge of all things horticultural, and a hearty sense of humor. In Gardening in the Humid South, they combine all of these traits to provide a practical and entertaining guide to gardening in the region they know best, the humid subtropics of the lower South.

In chapters with titles like "Bulbs and Things That Act Like Bulbs" and "Weeds: Telling Good Guys from Bad Guys," Ed and Leon offer friendly how-to advice on a broad array of issues, including choosing and preparing a cultivation site, raising fruit, growing in containers, using fertilizer, and preparing for cold weather.

Regardless of your gardening style, Ed and Leon can help. Are you a weekend warrior who enjoys leisurely Saturday mornings in the yard? Ed and Leon will show you ways to improve your garden while cutting back on your total effort. Is your yard large enough to keep you busy all day, every day? Ed and Leon know some short cuts that you probably haven't tried. Are you an apartment gardener with only a window sill and a few old pots to cultivate? Ed and Leon have some tips just for you. Even armchair gardeners will delight in living vicariously through the agricultural antics of these witty and wise old hands.

In Gardening in the Humid South, two old friends share their contagious enthusiasm for their avocation and show that despite the hard work, gardening is, above all, fun.

A publication that contributes to the recording and understanding of a significant aspect of South Africa's cultural heritage. It is a title about human creativity. Not the creativity of the plastic arts, or of music, but rather that of the poet, the wordsmith. The title gives an overview of the history of the Nguni cattle and their economic, social, political and spiritual importance to the Zulu people, both past and present. It examines the vital role played by cattle and cattle-related imagery in the oral tradition of the Zulu people – in Zulu poetry, tales, proverbs and riddles. The colour and pattern of a hide or the shape of a pair of horns, is metaphorically linked to the names of animals, birds, plants and the everyday objects familiar to pastoralists in nature.

Gardening is now the favorite outdoor leisure activity in America. More and more homeowners now realize the health benefits derived from gardening and the increase in their home's property value.

The trend in gardening books is to regional titles, because they provide credible information on the plants that perform well in specific regions. Gardeners want information they can use successfully in their own gardens.

The popular gardening team of Dan Gill and Dr. Joe White offers the "Louisiana Gardener's Guide - Revised Edition," They recommend specific varieties well-suited for Louisiana and provide advice on how to plant, how to grow and how to care for the state's top-performing plants.

Conventional wisdom says to garden from the bottom up, turning over the soil every spring until your back aches. Ironically, this does such a good job aerating that gardeners spend the rest of the season pulling weeds and replacing the suddenly energized (and easily used up) nutrients. Mother nature, on the other hand, gardens from the top down-layering undisturbed soil with leaves and other organic materials. In following this example and synthesizing the work of other perceptive gardeners, Lee Reich presents a compelling new system called weedless gardening.
"The Weedless Garden" is good for plants and it's good for people. It protects the soil, contributes to plant health, reduces water needs, cuts down on a gardener's labor, encourages earthworms and, of course, mitigates weed problems by keeping the seeds dormant. Four basic tenets form the system's backbone-minimize soil disruption; protect soil surface; avoid soil compaction; use drip irrigation-and the way to get there is simple. For a new bed or established garden, layering is key, and the perfect material to use is also among the most common-newspaper. Add organic mulch and compost on top, and plants are growing in rich, self-generating humus. From vegetable gardening to flower gardens to planting trees, shrubs, and vines, "The Weedless Garden" works everywhere-allowing the gardener to work quite a bit less.

For courses in Greenhouse Management. Based on the author's life-long practical experiences both in the industry and in research, Greenhouse Operation and Management, Seventh Edition, offers students a state-of-the-art guide to the operation of commercial flower and vegetable greenhouses. The text presents coverage in the order in which decision-making concerns occur for a person entering the greenhouse business. Exceptionally comprehensive, yet accessible, it provides detailed, step-by-step instructions in layman's terms for ALL aspects of the business-from the physical facilities, to the day-to-day operations, to business management and marketing.

Soft cover (Flexibound); full colour and laminated

Gardening, the most practised hobby in the world, survived through time and became a way of life for dedicated gardeners. Enthusiastic gardeners in South Africa are faced with unique challenges in all of the country's regions.

The way we garden - month by month covers each of the climatic regions in our country. Its contents include monthly gardening activities for each region as discussed in 'Regular tasks for the month', handy hints on various gardening aspects, the 'Ant' shares its wisdom, practical discussions on topics like compost making, pruning, nourishment and control of pests and diseases are some of the 'Topic of the month' content and a 'Plant of the month' closes each monthly chapter. There is also space for the gardener to write down pleasurable memories, notes and reminders.

The way we garden also provides more information on the influence of the moon's position in relation to aspects like soil moisture level, best planting time and consequently best growth of plants. The relation of earth elements to star signs and its influence on gardening is informative and gardeners can enjoy a tongue in cheek zodiac personality description of themselves.

For most people, creating a garden, or caring for and nurturing a garden, is of far greater significance than just gardening itself. Modern-day gardens tend to be more personalised as an expression of individual lifestyle choices. However, with so much information available on the broad subject of gardening and what to plant, it's not surprising that many garden lovers feel intimidated and choose the route of blissful ignorance, while all the time wishing there had been an accessible way of knowing how to do it right the first time.

In this concise and systematic publication, the authors have pooled their cumulative knowledge and wisdom of their own practical experience, as well as their respective, proven teaching methods, into a book which will help the beginner and even the more knowledgeable gardener to navigate his or her way through the process of creating a successful garden. The illustrations are visually stunning, and in their own right present a veritable treasury of inspirational ideas.

Most importantly, Making Sense of Garden Design (Sinvolle Tuinontwerp) it is a companion to help you create or recreate your garden. It offers practical exercises and hints, and is a practical, interactive reference and guide to the fundamental topics relating to planning and creating your own garden, including the basic steps in developing a long-term master plan; important considerations such as appropriate choices of styles and plants, water consumption, labour-saving techniques, and security, all shared within a local, South African context, which will also contribute to building confidence and pride in the development and evolution of a uniquely South African gardening style.

A comprehensive and sumptuous survey that celebrates the beauty and appeal of flowers throughout art, history, and culture The latest installment in the bestselling Explorer Series takes readers on a journey across continents and cultures to discover the endless ways artists and image-makers have employed floral motifs throughout history. Showcasing the diversity of blooms from all over the world, Flower spans a wide range of styles and media - from art, botanical illustrations, and sculptures to floral arrangements, film stills, and textiles - and follows a visually stunning sequence with works, regardless of period, thoughtfully paired to allow interesting and revealing juxtapositions between them.

Hierdie titel bevat 'n magdom tyd- en kostebesparingsidees om 'n pragtige en funksionele tuin te skep sonder dat dit 'n fortuin kos. Daar is 'n uitgebreide lys waterbesparende plante en waterbesparingswenke, 'n menigte voorstelle vir herwinning, en volledige inligting oor die natuur se eie verdedigingsmeganismes en hoe jy geld kan spaar deur snyblomme in jou tuin te kweek.

Just moved in and don't know what to do with a messy garden or bleak-looking balcony? Want to stake your claim on a little corner of a shared garden? No gardening experience whatsoever? Fix Your Garden is the perfect solution. Packed with tips and tricks to get your green fingers going straight away, this beautifully illustrated little book will help you make the most of your outdoor space, even if you've only got a tiny windowbox. Aimed at the first-time homeowner or renter with little or no gardening know-how, it contains a wealth of information on how to make your garden grow and your balcony bloom, from early analysis of the soil to find out which plants will do best, to fixing that weed-covered wilderness of a backyard you've inherited and starting to grow your own fruit and veg. With tips on garden design and how to conquer common pests and diseases, this is a crash course in getting your outdoor space sorted, and also contains information on houseplants so you can bring a little bit of the outdoors in. Word count: 15,000

For over four decades, John Coykendall's passion has been preserving the farm heritage of a small community in rural southeastern Louisiana. A Tennessee native and longtime master gardener at Blackberry Farm, Coykendall has become a celebrity in a growing movement that places a premium on farm-to-table cuisine with locally sourced, organic, and heirloom foods and flavors. While his work takes him around the world searching for seeds and the cultural knowledge of how to grow them, what inspires him most is his annual pilgrimage to Louisiana. Drawn to the Washington Parish area as a college student, Coykendall forged long-lasting friendships with local farmers and gardeners. Over the decades, he has recorded oral histories, recipes, tall tales, agricultural knowledge, and wisdom from generations past in more than eighty illustrated and handwritten journals. At the same time, he has unearthed and safeguarded rare varieties of food crops once grown in the area, then handed them back to the community. In Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seeds and Stories, Coykendall shares a wealth of materials collected in his journals, ensuring they are passed on to future generations. organised by season, the book offers a narrative chronicle of Coykendall's visits to Washington Parish since 1973. He highlights staple crops, agricultural practices, and favourite recipes from the families and friends who have hosted him. Accompanied by a rich selection of drawings, journal pages, and photographs, along with over forty recipes, Preserving Our Roots chronicles Coykendall's passion for recording foods and narratives that capture the rhythms of daily life on farms, in kitchens, and across generations.