The aim of this book is to describe some aspects of the chemistry and chemical ecology which are found in the garden. In the garden there are numerous interactions between plants, the soil and with other organisms in which chemistry plays a central mediating role. The discussion concerns several of the chemically and ecologically interesting compounds that are produced by common ornamental garden plants and vegetables and by the predators that attack them. Many chemists are amateur gardeners and this book is directed at them as well as those with a general interest in the scientific processes involved in the garden.

Gardeners from Key West to Lake Okeechobee and on up the coasts know that gardening advice for the rest of the country just doesn't apply here. South Florida is unique, and The Art of South Florida Gardening is uniquely intended for South Florida gardeners, who have depended on the solid advice in this book since the first edition came out more than a decade ago. Now it has been updated with more helpful facts, tips, and advice for the conservation-conscious gardener of the 21st century, while maintaining the practical, easygoing attitude South Florida gardeners have found so comforting over the years. This book still makes gardening in South Florida inviting and fun, whether you are an old hand or have just moved hereand even if you have never before considered getting your hands dirty. Harold's warm, wise voice is always encouraging and enthusiastic, and Coralee's lively engaging prose will have you reading as much for pleasure as for its valuable information.

This all inclusive book explains the history behind our nation's selection of its flowers and trees. The stories are rich with political intrigues, legends, deception, botanical history, war and conquest, and humor, which makes each state's adoption a unique tale. For over a century, each state has adopted a flower and tree as symbols for its state and its people; in fact, some states have chosen several representatives. All state trees, except Hawaii's, are native to the state they represent. However, that is not the case with the state flowers as many of them are from other parts of the world. Whether legislators adopted them for the importance to their state's history, economy, or natives rare or common within the state, these symbols are highly honored by Americans. But, if the legislator's choices were simple, there would not be a need for this book, as their selections were extremely colorful as the flowers and grand as the trees.

Pocket Guide Fynbos features over 300 of the most spectacular and commonly seen species
from South Africa’s renowned floral kingdom – all in one handy, easy-to-use guide.

The species are presented in detail, with each entry featuring:

• succinct descriptions of the plant and its habitat, comparisons with similar species
• and fl owering times
• full-colour photographs and distribution maps
• floral key, using symbols to denote main identifying features
• interesting facts about species.

Permaculture is an approach to sustainable living that is spreading throughout the world. Working entirely in harmony with nature, The Permaculture Garden shows you how to turn a bare plot into a beautiful and productive garden. Learn how to plan your garden for easy access and minimum labour; save time and effort digging and weeding; recycle materials to save money; plan crop successions for year-round harvests; save energy and harvest water; and garden without chemicals by building up your soil and planting in beneficial communities. Full of practical ideas for structures, children's areas and garden designs, this perennial classic, first published in 1994, is guaranteed to inspire, inform and entertain.

A handbook of greenhouse culture, excluding the fully heated greenhouse, but including frames and greenhouses with some heating apparatus. A book of modern technique and illustrating plants which can now be grown without heat or with moderate heat. A chapter is included on cheap greenhouse construction, with costs. Contents Include: Greenhouses Old and New Hard-Wooded Plants Climbing Plants Miscellaneous Plants for the Cold House Greenhouse Plants from Shed The Diseases of Plants under Glass Bulb Plants and Ferns On the Cost of the Various Types of Greenhouse Mentioned in Chapter 1 Keywords: Greenhouse Plants Climbing Plants Greenhouse Culture Greenhouse Construction Greenhouses Miscellaneous Moderate Heat Glass Bulb Heating Apparatus Ferns Shed Diseases

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

A testament to the influential nature of educational and community gardening programs for teens Part engaging conversation, part comprehensive fieldwork, Growing a Life demonstrates just how influential educational and community gardening programs can be for young teens. Follow author Illene Pevec as she travels from rural Colorado to inner city New York, agrarian New Mexico to Oakland, California, in order to study youth gardening and the benefits it contributes to at-risk teen lives. Extensive research, supplemented by beautifully candid interviews with students, illustrate the life altering physical and mental benefits that mentored gardening programs can provide. Giving readers the opportunity to examine the largely unexplored topic of urban gardening, the programs discussed present models for future educational and community based gardens. Each destination brings with it an abundance of programs geared toward educating teens by giving them the tools they will need in order to have fruitful futures. With an emphasis on positive psychology, Growing a Life delves into the minds of underprivileged teens and what gardening means to them.

Take a stroll through the garden of a self-confessed hortimaniac. Gardening is Marie Harrison's avocation, passion...some might say, obsession. In her personal, witty style (she refers to her husband as Amiable Spouse, or A.S. for short), Marie divulges her own tried-and-true ways of gardening along the coasts of the southeast United States. Marie covers perennials, flowers grown from bulbs, herbs, shrubs and small trees, vines, edible flowers, and herbs for flower borders. A section of full-color photos captures these beautiful plants and flowers in all their vibrant glory. Charming pen-and-ink illustrations are sprinkled throughout the text. Marie discusses the edible and medicinal properties of various plants (there's even a quick or two ), as well as coastal considerations such as salt tolerance; environmental issues such as pesticide use, beneficial insects, and exotic invasives; and gardening for birds and butterflies. She also offers her musings on the seasons in Florida and how she spends her time in the garden during each phase of the year. Whether you're seasoned gardener like Marie or a tentative beginner just starting out with a windowsill herb garden, this delightful book will make you appreciate the dirt under your fingernails.

This delightful collection of wisdom, insight and humor, from Diane Ackerman to Emile Zola, captures the essence of the world's most popular hobby. Here are over four hundred quotations -- not only one-line zingers but stanzas of verse and full paragraphs of narrative -- on the endless fascination of gardening. The great gardening writers of past and present are amply represented, but these varied selections also range the entirety of recorded literature, from the Bible and the tenth-century Japanese diarist Sei Shonagon through Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Walt Whitman, and even Prince Charles.

For anyone who counts their hours in the soil as their most valued, "The Quotable Gardener" is the ideal gift -- an invaluable inspiration during the gardening months, and a treasured companion during the long, desperate winter.

What could be better than watching the natural world out your window or on your television? Going out and experiencing it firsthand. In these fifty essays, acclaimed nature and science writer Sy Montgomery takes her readers on a season-by-season tour of the wilderness that is often as close as the backyard. Sy invites -- almost dares -- readers to follow her and form hands-on relationships with the plants, animals, birds, and even the insects that share space with people. These essays, most of which originally appeared in Sy's Boston Globe column Nature Journal, are by turns enlightening, entertaining, sometimes amusing, and always absorbing and informative. Filled with natural history and lore, the essays urge readers to appreciate what they find around them.

Part of a gardening series which offers expert advice and tips on plant care in both the home and the garden, this book deals with colour for the balcony. Illustrated throughout with colour step-by-step photographs, this series covers everything from fertilizing to maintaining a garden pond.