*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2021* 'A wholly original, semi-autobiographical book on how to live, how to be calm and content with only a little, in a quietly humming garden' Daily Mail Beautifully illustrated, Seed to Dust is a reflective and restorative account of a life lived in harmony with nature. Marc Hamer has nurtured the same twelve acres of garden for decades. It's rarely visited so he is the only person who fully knows its secrets. But it's not his garden, and his relationship with its owner is at once distant and curiously intimate. In Seed to Dust, Marc takes us month-by-month through his experiences both working in the garden and outside it. We encounter new plants and wildlife, gardening folklore and the joys of manual work; we learn, too, about Marc's path from homelessness to family contentment, and the cycles of change that run through both the garden's life and our own. 'An absorbing combination of memoir, gardening folklore and natural history' Country Life 'Life-affirming... Absorbing' Sue Stuart-Smith, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Well-Gardened Mind

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.

Did you know that plants and plant products can be used to improve people's cognitive, physical, psychological, and social functioning? Well, they can, and Horticulture as Therapy is the book to show you how If you are already familiar with the healing potential of horticultural therapy, or even practice horticultural therapy, this book will help you enrich your knowledge and skills and revitalize your practice. You will learn how horticultural therapy can be used with different populations in a variety of settings, what resources are available, effective treatment strategies, and the concepts behind horticultural treatment. The first comprehensive text on the practice of horticulture as therapy, this one-of-a-kind book will enable the profession to educate future horticultural therapists with fundamental knowledge and skills as they embark on careers as practitioners, researchers, and educators. You come to understand the relationship between people and plants more deeply as you learn about: vocational, social, and therapeutic programs in horticulture special populations including children, older adults, those who exhibit criminal behavior, and those with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health disorders, or traumatic brain injury use of horticultural therapy in botanical gardening and community settings adaptive gardening techniques applied research documentation and assessment in horticultural practice Horticulture as Therapy establishes, integrates, and communicates a foundation of knowledge for horticultural therapists, other therapists, horticulturists, students, research scientists, gardeners, and others interested in this special and unique kind of therapy. By reading Horticulture as Therapy, you will see how you can make a difference in the health and well-being of so many people, today and tomorrow. Translated into Greek

A beautifully illustrated devotional book that looks at what we can learn about God from tending our gardens. Richard Littledale invites you to push open the garden gate and join him as he discovers the joy of gardening. A reluctant gardener, Richard took up 'project garden' to help combat the loneliness of bereavement, only to find that the physical transformation of his garden mirrored a real change in himself too. Follow Richard's journey through 52 tales and uncover what gardening can teach us about patience, humility, hope, fruitfulness and the abiding goodness of God. Beautifully illustrated throughout, each tale includes a gardening story, a biblical reflection and a prayer. Whether you are an enthusiastic beginner or naturally green-fingered, this gentle and encouraging book reveals inspirational thoughts about life and God from the perspective of the gardener. Content Benefits: This beautifully illustrated gift book, containing 52 devotions, explores truths that we can learn about life, ourselves and God from tending our gardens. Each tale has a gardening story, a Bible verse and reflection and a chance to pause and pray Each gardening tale is written in a conversational and accessible voice Beautiful line drawings appear throughout the book adding visual appeal Encourages even reluctant gardeners to see the joy gardening can bring Helps gardeners see the link between the natural world and God Enables keen gardeners to see God in their work Explores the link between gardens and faith Enables you to spend time listening to God in nature Ideal resource for quiet times or devotional times Encourages those who are bereaved to take up gardening as 'ecotherapy' to help deal with grief Ideal inspirational gift for any green-fingered gardener Suitable for those just starting out or seasoned gardeners Hardback cover and internal illustrations make this a perfect gift for anyone who loves gardening Perfect gift for birthdays, celebrations, and more Binding - Hardback Pages - 368 Publisher - Authentic Media

Every new gardener has to start somewhere - and the process can be intimidating. Knowing when and what to plant, how to care for the plants once they're in the ground, and how to keep pests and diseases away is a lot to take on. Luckly, Daryl Beyers - an expert from the New York Botanical Garden - has written what will be a go-to resource for decades to come. The New Gardener's Handbook is a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of gardening, based on the introductory gardening class that Beyers teaches at NYBG. Readers will learn about soil, plant selection, propagation, planting and mulching, watering and feeding, pruning, and weeds, pests, and diseases. The information applies to both ornamental and edible plants. Featuring inspiring photography and helpful illustrations, The New Gardener's Handbook gives home gardeners a foundation upon which they can grow, and encourages them to apply the lessons they've learned in an intuitive, natural way.

Food gardening is becoming increasingly popular, as people look for new ways to live more sustainably and minimize harm to the environment. This book addresses the most pressing challenges facing food gardening in the 21st century - worldwide changes in climate, the environment, natural resources, and communities - and the basic biological, ecological and social concepts which influence our understanding. Examples throughout the text demonstrate how gardeners can use these theories to their advantage.

This book motivates gardeners to adopt a completely different mindset: instead of growing foreign plants and killing perceived pests, gardeners can benefit from planting indigenous vegetation with the object of actually attracting insects and other garden wildlife. It illustrates how easy it is to work with nature instead of against it. Not just another gardening book, it encourages gardeners to help preserve and restore our fast-disappearing natural heritage. In this way they can contribute to conservation right on their own doorsteps, while deriving great pleasure in the process. Virtually every aspect of environmentally-friendly gardening is covered, making it a complete “how to” guide and debunking some long-held myths. Winner of a University of KwaZulu-Natal book prize, the first edition was out of print for several years after all 15 000 copies had been sold. This new edition, which covers the eastern and northern parts of the country, is a greatly improved version of the much acclaimed original. Besides being expanded to 320 pages with much more information, it has nearly 100 colour pictures and almost twice as many black and white illustrations. The same lighthearted and entertaining style has been retained and technical terms have been avoided, thus making it an easy read. The book is enhanced by delightful humorous drawings that emphasise points made in the text. A must for all nature-loving gardeners, the large amount of information is almost encyclopedic and will also be more than useful to conservationists and anyone with an interest in the natural sciences.