|
Books > Gardening > Specialized gardening methods > General
The Shady Lady's Guide to Northeast Shade Gardening is a crash
course in the essentials of shade gardening, helping gardeners take
advantage of the potential in shadow. Within this expanded second
edition, Amy Ziffer identifies best practices, best plants, and
best information for the greater Northeast. Placed in a broader
context of ecology, Ziffer promotes gardening as the act of
focusing the natural world rather than manipulating it. She
categorizes shade plants based on their function in the garden and
describes how to cultivate them with a high likelihood of success
and a minimum of failure and frustration. Ziffer introduces the
concept of "backbone plants," which should make up 75 to 80 percent
of a shade garden, and discusses soils, fertilization, maintenance,
animal browsing, and much more, providing clear and concise advice
on what to do and what not to do. This edition of The Shady Lady's
Guide to Northeast Shade Gardening includes an expanded illustrated
plant gallery with over forty new photos, an updated taxonomic
classification of the plants, and a candid discussion of the future
effects of climate change.
Creative gardening with indigenous plants, now in its second
edition, is an invaluable handbook for South African gardeners. In
this comprehensive guide the authors set out to popularise the use
of indigenous South African plants in gardens, parks, on roadsides
and anywhere where previously exotic plants were preferred. This
book covers more than 300 plants, all illustrated by stunning
photographs in full colour showing the whole plant as well as
selected features such as flowers, fruit, leaves and bark. The text
comprises a description of each plant, its usages - including
medicinal uses and snippets of folklore - and advice on
cultivation. Introductory chapters cover topics such as propagating
plants from seeds and cuttings, gardening in the different climate
regions, and using indigenous plants to attract birds and insects
to the garden. Taking a very practical approach, using symbols,
distribution maps, plant size and flower colour, the authors lead
the reader to the correct plant to choose for the application,
whether this be tree, shrub, annual, perennial, climber or
water-loving plant. This all-inclusive book is a must for
gardeners, horticulturists, landscape designers and anyone involved
in the South African nursery industry.
Grow up! If you have limited outdoor space and would like to grow
your food, this practical illustrated guide will help you transform
previously plant-free zones into thriving, beneficial and utterly
beautiful food-growing areas. Using special containers, either
bought or home-made, as well as conventional methods such as
containers on a roof or growing plants up walls, you can grow a
wide range of edible crops - and grab a salad for lunch without
getting your feet wet. This book includes: * Creating edible roof
gardens * Planning and growing crops on green roofs, including on
sheds * Using a wide variety of containers, e.g. ladder allotments
and growing frames, with details of how to make them * Making the
most of wall boxes and hanging baskets * A directory of plants
suitable for vertical growing - fruit, flowers and herbs as well as
vegetables - with advice on how to cultivate them. Whether you have
an apartment with just a wall, windowsill, balcony or small flat
roof; a school with nothing but a tarmac playground; or just a
paved courtyard in your community centre, this book will get you
started on a new way of growing.
Discover how to create a weed-free, sustainable, abundant garden
with the no-till gardening method! The no-dig or no-till gardening
method is an easy and climate-smart technique that is gaining in
popularity and revolutionizing the gardening world. This book
teaches you everything you need to start and care for a kitchen
garden without any digging, watering, or weeding. Too good to be
true? Find out for yourself! No-dig gardening is better for the
environment, easier on your back, and yields abundant vegetables,
herbs, and flowers. Learn everything you need to get started! Layer
your garden properly (the lasagna method) Choose the right cover
materials When to plant seedlings and when to direct sow How to
compost Learn about permaculture techniques Attract the good
insects and repel the unwanted ones Recognize common plant diseases
Chock-full of practical tips and designed with gorgeous photos
throughout, this is your guide to a healthy, eco-friendly, abundant
garden.
Regenerative practices for the farm, garden, orchard, forest, and
landscape Mycorrhizal fungi have been waiting a long time for
people to recognize just how important they are to the making of
dynamic soils. These microscopic organisms partner with the root
systems of approximately 95 percent of the plants on Earth, and
they sequester carbon in much more meaningful ways than human
"carbon offsets" will ever achieve. Pick up a handful of old-growth
forest soil and you are holding 26 miles of threadlike fungal
mycelia, if it could be stretched it out in a straight line. Most
of these soil fungi are mycorrhizal, supporting plant health in
elegant and sophisticated ways. The boost to green immune function
in plants and community-wide networking turns out to be the true
basis of ecosystem resiliency. A profound intelligence exists in
the underground nutrient exchange between fungi and plant roots,
which in turn determines the nutrient density of the foods we grow
and eat. Exploring the science of symbiotic fungi in layman's
terms, holistic farmer Michael Phillips (author of The Holistic
Orchard and The Apple Grower) sets the stage for practical
applications across the landscape. The real impetus behind no-till
farming, gardening with mulches, cover cropping, digging with
broadforks, shallow cultivation, forest-edge orcharding, and
everything related to permaculture is to help the plants and fungi
to prosper . . . which means we prosper as well. Building soil
structure and fertility that lasts for ages results only once we
comprehend the nondisturbance principle. As the author says, "What
a grower understands, a grower will do." Mycorrhizal Planet abounds
with insights into "fungal consciousness" and offers practical,
regenerative techniques that are pertinent to gardeners,
landscapers, orchardists, foresters, and farmers. Michael's fungal
acumen will resonate with everyone who is fascinated with the
unseen workings of nature and concerned about maintaining and
restoring the health of our soils, our climate, and the quality of
life on Earth for generations to come.
Plant, soil, moss, twine--that's all you need to create the
exciting form of bonsai known as koke (moss) dama (ball). Moss Ball
Bonsai provides all the information you need to make these
self-contained gardens, using different types of plants--from
flowering trees and ferns to grasses and cacti. A sampling of 100
different kokedama shows how even the most common of house plants
can shine in this appealing no-pot environment, while a section on
mosses acquaints you with the many tones and textures of this
versatile plant family. With this bonsai guide, you will learn how
to: Create and maintain a healthy home for your miniature garden's
root system Use inexpensive house plants and cuttings as the basis
of your kokedama Make beautiful (and quirky) group plantings within
a single project Find, collect and propagate moss And more! Whether
resting on a pottery dish or suspended in the air, these little
indoor gardens are a wonderful way to add a touch of artistry and
greenery to your home or work space.
This beautiful guide to indoor plants is a comprehensive compendium
of succulents, cacti, flowering and foliage plants, with detailed
instructions on how to care for each, alongside stunning full-page
watercolour illustrations of each plant. Whether you are looking to
cultivate an entire indoor garden, or simply wish to know more
about your single cactus, you can be sure to find the right
information for you amongst the more than seventy plants in this
stylish guide. And the best bit? All the plants are easy to
maintain so even the most timid of gardeners can enjoy turning
their hand to this green-fingered pastime. Driven by the beautiful
artwork of the phenomenally talented Maaike Koster, alongside
insightful text from Emma Sibley, co-founder of London Terrariums,
each entry offers a concise but complete guide to these plants,
telling you their origins, how to care for them and where in your
home they will thrive. Each plant is rendered in considered detail,
taking up a full double page spread, with half of this space
allotted to the illustration, facing a paragraph on the plant
itself, care tips and any information about fellow species. The
accessible text and simple instructions make this book just as well
suited to those with no gardening experience as to those with years
of practice. These plants can be grown in any in-door space and are
easy to maintain, so you no longer need a large garden or hours of
free time to maintain a vibrant collection of greenery in your
home. These plants add interest, tranquility and colour to every
corner of our lives, so embark on a verdant adventure with this
beautiful and comprehensive guide!
|
Happy Orchid
(Hardcover)
Sara Rittershausen
|
R452
R384
Discovery Miles 3 840
Save R68 (15%)
|
Ships in 10 - 15 working days
|
|
In this age of high technology, GM foods and industrial farming,
many people are looking for an alternative way to live, that
honours and respects the natural world. The Druid Garden mines the
deep seem of gardening through the ages and alternative modern
developments, to bring the reader a method of gardening that is
truly in touch with the Earth. Drawing on the knowledge of the
Druids and other ancient cultures, Luke Eastwood has created a
practical guide to organic and natural methods that are proven to
work. Advice for the total beginner, through to the experienced,
ties together Druidic wisdom with the best of gardening knowledge.
Part of this book is a handy alphabetical guide to trees, shrubs
and herbaceous plants, giving a wealth of information on history
and folklore, as well as practical details on plant care and
growing from seed. This book is invaluable to anyone serious about
organic gardening or those simply interested in how things were
done in former ages, Celtic Europe in particular.
Among the oldest plants on earth, mosses are a gardener's dream -
they provide a lush backdrop in almost any setting and are easy to
keep healthy with regular maintenance. In The Magical World of Moss
Gardening, moss enthusiast Annie Martin shows you how to create a
green and sustainable solution to that difficult shady spot in your
garden.
With a revolutionary new "Climate Battery" design for near-net-zero
heating and cooling By the turn of the nineteenth century,
thousands of acres of glass houses surrounded large American
cities, becoming a commonplace symbol of the market garden and
nursery trades. But the possibilities of the indoor garden to
transform our homes and our lives remain largely unrealized. In
this groundbreaking book, Jerome Osentowski, one of North America's
most accomplished permaculture designers, presents a wholly new
approach to a very old horticultural subject. In The Forest Garden
Greenhouse, he shows how bringing the forest garden indoors is not
only possible, but doable on unlikely terrain and in cold climates,
using near-net-zero technology. Different from other books on
greenhouse design and management, this book advocates for an indoor
agriculture using permaculture design concepts-integration,
multi-functions, perennials, and polycultures-that take season
extension into new and important territory. Osentowski, director
and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute
(CRMPI), farms at 7,200 feet on a steep, rocky hillside in
Colorado, incorporating deep, holistic permaculture design with
practical common sense. It is at this site, high on a mountaintop,
where Osentowski (along with architect and design partner Michael
Thompson) has been designing and building revolutionary greenhouses
that utilize passive and active solar technology via what they call
the "climate battery"-a subterranean air-circulation system that
takes the hot, moist, ambient air from the greenhouse during the
day, stores it in the soil, and discharges it at night-that can
offer tropical and Mediterranean climates at similarly high
altitudes and in cold climates (and everywhere else). Osentowski's
greenhouse designs, which can range from the backyard homesteader
to commercial greenhouses, are completely ecological and use a
simple design that traps hot and cold air and regulates it for best
possible use. The book is part case study of the amazing
greenhouses at CRMPI and part how-to primer for anyone interested
in a more integrated model for growing food and medicine in a
greenhouse. With detailed design drawings, photos, and profiles of
successful greenhouse projects on all scales, this inspirational
manual will considerably change the conversation about greenhouse
design.
Aquaponics is a revolutionary system for growing plants by
fertilizing them with the waste water from fish in a sustainable
closed system. A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics,
aquaponic gardening is an amazingly productive way to grow organic
vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruits, while providing the added
benefits of fresh fish as a safe, healthy source of protein. On a
larger scale, it is a key solution to mitigating food insecurity,
climate change, groundwater pollution, and the impacts of
overfishing on our oceans.
"Aquaponic Gardening "is the definitive do-it-yourself home
manual, focused on giving you all the tools you need to create your
own aquaponic system and enjoy healthy, safe, fresh, and delicious
food all year round. Starting with an overview of the theory,
benefits, and potential of aquaponics, the book goes on to
explain:
- System location considerations and hardware components
- The living elements--fish, plants, bacteria, and worms
- Putting it all together--starting and maintaining a healthy
system
Aquaponics systems are completely organic. They are four to six
times more productive and use ninety percent less water than
conventional gardens. Other advantages include no weeds, fewer
pests, and no watering, fertilizing, bending, digging, or heavy
lifting--in fact, there really is no downside Anyone interested in
taking the next step towards self-sufficiency will be fascinated by
this practical, accessible, and well-illustrated guide.
Sylvia Bernstein is the president and founder of The Aquaponic
Source. An internationally recognized expert on aquaponic
gardening, Sylvia speaks, writes, and blogs extensively about this
revolutionary technique.
Anyone who raises livestock or keeps horses must deal with manure.
This Storey BASICS(R) guide shows you how to make this process
manageable, useful, and even profitable. Organic dairy farmer and
soil scientist Mark Kopecky explains the fundamentals of storing,
composting, and spreading manure; the nutritional content of manure
from various animals; and how to handle, transport, and market
manure for additional income. You'll soon discover that your farm's
waste may be its biggest asset.
Have you just joined the cactus craze? Do you want to know how to
make your little bundle of spikes thrive, flower and breed? This
quirky pocket-sized book is your essential guide to pleasing your
prickly pet. Your cactus may be surviving, but is it happy? There's
so much more to these little green plants than just keeping them
alive. Happy Cactus gets right to the point with practical advice
from potting to propagating. Unearth the secrets of different cacti
and succulents, with profiles on more than 105 popular varieties -
from the cute, flowering pincushion cactus to the wacky prickly
pear, discover what makes your plant unique and how it might behave
when treated with a little bit of love. Find out where to put it,
when to water it, what to feed it, what to look out for and how to
encourage its distinctive traits, from flower stalks to fast
growth. Flick through inspirational features to help you create a
show-stopping cactus display. Whether you're a young urbanite
seeking a stylish houseplant for your flat but struggling to keep
more temperamental plants alive, or a green-fingered cactus
enthusiast determined to get your precious plant to grow and flower
this year, Happy Cactus is here to answer all your questions.
As readers and critics around the country agree, any new book by
the renowned garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence is like finding a
buried treasure. "A Rock Garden in the South" will not disappoint.
Released posthumously, this book is not only a welcome addition to
the Lawrence canon, but fills an important gap in the garden
literature on the middle South.
Lawrence, in her usual exquisite prose, deals with the full range
of rock gardening topics in this work. She addresses the unique
problem of cultivating rock gardens in the South, where the growing
season is prolonged and humidity and heat are not conducive to such
planting. She describes her own experiences in making a rock
garden, with excellent advice on placing stones, constructing
steps, ordering plants, and making cuttings.
At the same time, what she writes about here is in large part of
interest to gardeners everywhere and for gardens with or without
rocks. As always, she thoroughly discusses the plants she has
tried--recommending bulbs and other perennials of all sorts,
annuals, and woody plants--with poetic descriptions of the plants
themselves as well as specific and useful cultural advice. "A Rock
Garden in the South" includes an encyclopedia of plants
alphabetized by genus and species and divided into two parts: wood
and non-woody plants.
|
You may like...
Tuinvetplante
Gideon F. Smith, Ben-Erik Van Wyk
Hardcover
R510
R465
Discovery Miles 4 650
|