Winner of the Best Book Award in the 2009 Garden Writers Association Media Awards Named an "Outstanding Title" in University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries, 2009 In this introduction to sustainable landscaping practices, Linda Chalker-Scott addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Chalker-Scott offers invaluable advice to gardeners gardeners who have wondered: Are native plants the best choice for sustainable landscaping? Should you avoid disturbing the root ball when planting? Are organic products better or safer than synthetic ones? What is the best way to control weeds-fabric or mulch? Does giving vitamins to plants stimulate growth? Are compost teas effective in controlling diseases? When is the best time to water in hot weather? If you pay more, do you get a higher-quality plant? How can you differentiate good advice from bad advice? The answers may surprise you. In her more than twenty years as a university researcher and educator in the field of plant physiology, Linda Chalker-Scott has discovered a number of so-called truths that originated in traditional agriculture and that have been applied to urban horticulture, in many cases damaging both plant and environmental health. The Informed Gardener is based on basic and applied research from university faculty and landscape professionals, originally published in peer-reviewed journals. After reading this book, you will: Understand your landscape or garden plants as components of a living system Save time (by not overdoing soil preparation, weeding, pruning, staking, or replacing plants that have died before their time) Save money (by avoiding worthless or harmful garden products, and producing healthier, longer-lived plants) Reduce use of fertilizers and pesticides Assess marketing claims objectively This book will be of interest to landscape architects, nursery and landscape professionals, urban foresters, arborists, certified professional horticulturists, and home gardeners. For more information go to: http://www.theinformedgardener.com

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again picks up where The Informed Gardener left off, using scientific literature to debunk a new set of common gardening myths. Once again, Linda Chalker-Scott investigates the science behind each myth, reminding us that urban and suburban landscapes are ecosystems requiring their own particular set of management practices. The Informed Gardener Blooms Again provides answers to questions such as: --* Does using drought-tolerant plants reduce water consumption?-* Is it more effective to spray fertilizers on the leaves of trees and shrubs than to apply it to the soil?-* Will cedar wood chips kill landscape plants?-* Should I use ladybugs in my garden as a form of pest control?-* Does aerobically brewed compost tea suppress disease?--Every year Chalker-Scott receives hundreds of e-mails from around the world on these and related topics. Her advice, based on more than twenty years of experience in the field of plant physiology, has helped home gardeners, landscape architects, and nursery and landscape professionals to develop scientifically based sustainable landscaping practices.--Linda Chalker-Scott is an urban horticulturist and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University. She is the author of The Informed Gardener, winner of the Best Book Prize from the Garden Writers Association. She is the editor and co-author of Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens, the Washington State editor of MasterGardener magazine, and author of the online column "Horticultural Myths." She has a new blog at gardenprofessors.com.--"Buy this book and I guarantee you'll save money. Linda Chalker-Scott prunes the advertising hype behind many garden additives -- Epsom salts, peat mulch, gypsum, water crystals, compost tea, and more. Her commonsense approach, heralding scientific rigor and challenging 'junk science' is a must read for every serious gardener." -Suzy Bales, author of Garden Bouquets and Beyond--"An essential tool in deciphering both eco-myths and advertising copy. It helped me to distinguish the greenwashing from the truly 'green.' And to be guided by actual research findings? What a concept One that advertising copy writers and eco-advocates alike don't want us to follow." -Susan Harris, author of Sustainable-Gardening.com and GardenRant.com--"Linda Chalker-Scott is a scientist with a mission -- evidence-based gardening. Happily she is also the most interesting, entertaining, knowledgeable, and useful garden writer I've come across. Home gardeners will learn practices that are more effective, safer, and -- believe me, this is no small thing -- cheaper." -Constance Casey, former New York City Parks Department gardener and regular gardening and natural history contributor to Slate.com---Praise for The Informed Gardener: --"A no-nonsense, no-hype, nothing-to-sell-but-the-truth voice that straddles an important line between hearsay gardening and scientific fact in ornamental horticulture." -Ketzel Levine--"This enjoyable book should find its way into the hands of almost every gardener. Highly recommended for public libraries with gardeners ready to tackle the literature, as well as academic and special libraries with interests in horticulture and gardening." -Library Journal--"A succinct and easy-to-navigate resource . . . Chalker-Scott's instructions are clear enough for even a first-time gardener to follow." -The Bloomsbury Review--"Chalker-Scott's approach is unique in that she speaks about gardening as a genuine expert-with academic credentials-who debunks numerous myths.... in a manner that is easy for us laypeople to understand and absorb...Her conclusions are good advice for all of us to follow." -Washington State Grange News--"In her first book she takes on common garden myths about fertilizer, mulch, transplanting, staking, compost tea, watering and many more potentially confusing topics. She skillfully debunks them with current research as well as her experience in extension horticulture." -Seattle Times--"An informative, helpful guide to sustainable landscaping, with valuable emphasis on cutting through many of the myths and misunderstandings that now surround this increasingly hot topic." -Seattle Post-Intelligencer--" Linda Chalker-Scott's] book does great service in helping the urban gardener move past common practices that hinder instead of help, looking to nature itself as the ultimate teacher of truths." -Cascadia Weekly--"Linda Chalker-Scott is gardening's version of television's MythBusters. Ok, so she isn't so keen on blowing things up, but she does use scientific research to explain why many traditional horticultural practices aren't suitable for urban landscapes." -Tacoma News Tribun

If you are one of those people who haven't got time to hang around waiting for your garden to mature, then this is the book for you. It offers stylish and desirable rapid results for the time-poor and is ideal for anyone starting to garden or tackling a long-neglected plot. Look inside for garden facelifts you can achieve in a couple of hours - or a weekend at most. Discover the designer tips that will win your garden first-in-show prize every time. Find speedy garden fixes for instant results as well as long-term pleasure. See how to add maximum drama with minimum effort. Find out which plants your garden needs to pack a punch. Learn the simplest ways to keep your garden looking good all year long. No matter whether your garden's cricket-pitch size or just a window box, these handy tips, quick fixes and pearls of wisdom are exactly what you need to make your plot the envy of your friends.

No-till - a method of growing crops and providing pasture without disturbing the soil - has become an important alternative to standard farming practices. In this comprehensive guide to successful no-till vegetable farming for aspiring and beginning farmers, author Daniel Mays, owner and manager of an organic no-till farm in Maine, outlines the environmental, social, and economic benefits of this system. The methods described are designed for implementation at the human scale, relying primarily on human power, with minimal use of machinery. The book presents streamlined planning and record-keeping tools as well as marketing strategies, and outlines community engagement programs like CSA, food justice initiatives, and on-farm education.

Why do so many people love gardening? What does your garden say about you? What is guerrilla gardening?

The Psychology of Gardening delves into the huge benefits that gardening can have on our health and emotional well-being, and how this could impact on the entire public health of a country. It also explores what our gardens can tell us about our personalities, how we can link gardening to mindfulness and restoration, and what motivates someone to become a professional gardener.

With gardening being an ever popular pastime, The Psychology of Gardening provides a fascinating insight into our relationships with our gardens.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction:

Why garden? Gardening facts and figures

Researching gardening and common themes

2. It’s my little bit of paradise

Identity and relationships

Home and place

3. Time stands still

‘Attention Restoration Theory’

‘Flow’ theory’

4. In touch with Nature

Evolutionary theories and Biophilia

Nature in control – the challenges

5. It keeps me sane

Gardening as therapy?

Nature and health?

6. Conclusions:

Review and reflection - summary

Greenfingers and expertise: ‘being’ or ‘becoming’ a gardener

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2005 im Fachbereich Landschaftsarchitektur, Landespflege, Gartenbau, Note: 1.5, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Diese Arbeit erlautert die Entstehung des islamischen Gartens unter den Einflussen anderer Gartentypen.

The colours, shapes, and scents of flowers are as ravishing to the senses as to the soul. But it's all too easy get things wrong: colours that clash, flowers that bloom at the wrong time, plants that fail to thrive. Enter The Ultimate Flower Gardener's Guide by expert gardener Jenny Rose Carey. She tells you exactly how to get started, how to combine plants for the most spectacular effects, and how to keep your garden going from year to year. Whether you're interested in dramatic color combinations, how best to use a favorite flower, or how to create a garden for a specific purpose, such as nourishing pollinators, you'll find the answers in this friendly, information-packed book. As Jenny herself says, "Don't be afraid - just have a go!"

A photographic celebration of British wildlife and the country way of life. A Year in the Country is a book about the beauty of the British countryside, featuring stunning photography from some of Britain's greatest wildlife photographers. The book will follow the changes in nature throughout the year and revel in the joy of the British countryside. Each season presents its own gifts to the nature lover: from the trumpeting of wild daffodils in spring to the hypnotic dive and twist of starlings gathering over roosting sites in autumn. The majesty of British wildlife is captured in stunning images that evoke a timeless country existence. Part celebration of nature, part nostalgia for a slower pace of life, this book will make a stunning gift. An escape from everyday life, A Year in the Country transports its audience to a world where the sun shines and the grass is always greener.

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.

An insider's guide to the world's greatest 'secret' gardens, green spaces, and pocket parks tucked away in cities around the globe

Cities everywhere are graced with charming but little-known, off-the-beaten-track gardens and green spaces, offering urbanites in the know a chance to immerse themselves in nature. These often small, well-kept secrets are not as grand as those on the tourist trail but are equally delightful and rewarding to visit, if you know where to find them. Green Escapes is the revelatory insider's guide to these secret gems. Each of them open to the public, the gardens range from pocket parks, courtyards, and rooftop terraces, to community gardens and more.

"Explains how your garden can be a thriving, balanced community that gives more to your landscape than it takes." --Douglas W. Tallamy, author of The Nature of Oaks and Nature's Best Hope The birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects that inhabit our yards and gardens are overwhelmingly on our side--they are not our enemies, but instead our allies. They pollinate our flowers and vegetable crops, and they keep pests in check. In Garden Allies, Frederique Lavoipierre shares fascinating portraits of these creatures, describing their life cycles and showing how they keep the garden's ecology in balance. Also included is helpful information on how to nurture and welcome these valuable creatures into your garden. With beautiful pen-and-ink drawings by Craig Latker, Garden Allies invites you to make friends with the creatures that fill your garden--the reward is a renewed sense of nature's beauty and a garden humming with life.

The 'Victoria Library for Gentlewomen', a series of books 'Under the Patronage of HM the Queen and HRH the Princess of Wales', edited by W. H. Davenport Adams (1828-91), provided information and advice on various topics for those who aspired to gentlewomanly status. Davenport Adams himself was a journalist and author of popular science and history works, but little is known of the two authors of this 1892 work. Edith L. Chamberlain was a minor novelist who had also published a book on the dialect of west Worcestershire, and Fanny Douglas worked with Davenport Adams on other titles in the series. This book follows the fashion of late nineteenth-century works (often by women) which combine descriptions of gardens and gardening with historical and literary references. It is unusual in that its final chapter describes ways for educated 'gentlewomen' to enter gardening as a profession - a radical suggestion for the period.

Turn the Louvre pyramid into a greenhouse! Design your own folly or maze! Green up a car park or experiment with topiary! Whether you have a garden or not, you can let your horticultural imagination run wild. Sam Piyasena's charming illustrations and Kendra Wilson's witty activity suggestions provide the inspiration. This fun book will delight lovers of gardens and green spaces of all ages.

A great must-have book packed full of brilliant tips and ideas from award-winning BBC radio gardening presenter and journalist, Steve Brookes. The book is a result of Steve's 30+ years as a professional horticulturalist and nearly 20 years as a gardening broadcaster and presenter. It is packed full of ideas for banishing slugs, snails, aphids, ants, cats, squirrels and countless other garden pests, plus many fun, money-saving and innovative tips for growing healthier plants in your garden. Steve has included many useful plant lists for different garden aspects and some brilliant recycling ideas that will really get you smiling. The book also forms the basis of Steve's 'The Greatest Gardening Tips in the World' live show, which he performs around the UK and on cruise ships across the world. Novice and experienced gardeners alike will find this a rewarding and enjoyable read, which they will refer to again and again!

Ernest Ballard (1870 1952) was a British horticulturalist who was noted as a breeder of Michaelmas daisies. In this book, which was first published in 1919, Ballard provides a richly detailed account documenting some of the more affecting moments in the British natural calendar. Written in a beautifully lyrical style, the text also contains 131 illustrative figures derived from photographs taken by the author. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in horticulture and botany."