What are the best ways to defeat rising damp, combat yellowing cotton and fix noisy water pipes? How often should you pick your herbs to keep them bushy and healthy? Full of invaluable and easy-to-follow advice for indoors and out, "The Home Book" has all the answers for you. "The Home Book" provides simple techniques for cleaning, maintaining and repairing your home. Save money using "The Home Book's" own recipes for dishwasher, window and toilet cleaners, and follow the invaluable stain removal tips - did you know you can get rid of lipstick stains with kerosene and use milk when removing ink on cotton? Other handy hints are great for the environment as well as your budget, such as replacing regular light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent ones, and running your fridge between 3 C and 5 C to reduce electricity costs. Tips on growing herbs, container gardening, making your own straw compost and tending a worm garden will guarantee you get the best out of your outdoor space, whether it's a garden, backyard or apartment balcony. Every home, no matter how big or small, will benefit from this book that is packed with clever ideas, practical information and helpful hints, "The Home Book" is an indispensible DIY manual. Key points: includes hundreds of projects for around the home and garden to keep it clean and functioning; all clever tips that you wish you had learnt from your grandparents; covers a broad range of household tips, from cleaning, stain removal and do-it-yourself repairs to basic vehicle maintenance; and, includes all the need-to-know information on how to grow a healthy and sustainable garden, both for houses and apartments; includes environmentally-aware green options.

Andy McIndoe is one of the world's foremost woody plant experts. In Shrubs, he gives home gardeners the information and advice they need to pick the right shrub for every and condition. Shrubs are the perfect plant - they are low-maintenance, there is a variety for nearly every need, and they are widely available at garden centers and nurseries. And with this handy guide, McIndoe makes it easier than ever for gardeners to decide which shrubs to add to their space. The book includes shrubs challenging growing conditions, shrubs for restricted planting spaces, and shrubs chosen for their desirable characteristics, including hardiness in shade, difficult soil, and harsh conditions. Plant profiles include complete growing information, color photographs, and recommended companion plants.

#1 - The Best Country and Rural Living Books* #1 - 15 Best Homesteading Books for Beginners in 2021** For more than 50 years, this homesteading classic is the essential book of basic skills and country wisdom for living off the land, being prepared, and doing it yourself. Keep your family healthy, safe, and independent--no matter what's going on in the world. From homesteaders to urban farmers, and everyone in between, there is a desire for a simpler way of life: a healthier, greener, more self-sustaining, and holistic approach that allows you to survive and thrive-even in uncertain times. With its origins in the back-to-the-land movement of the late 1960s, Carla Emery's landmark book has grown into a comprehensive guide to living a self-sustaining lifestyle. Learn how to live independently in this comprehensive guide, including how to: * Can, dry, and preserve food * Plan your garden * Grow your own food * Make 20-minute cheese * Make your own natural skincare products * Bake bread * Cook on a wood stove * Learn beekeeping * Raise chickens, goats, and pigs * Create natural skincare products * Make organic bug spray * Treat your family with homemade remedies * Make fruit leather * Forage for wild food * Spin wool into yarn * Mill your own flour * Tap a maple tree And more! Basic, thorough, and reliable, this book deserves a place in urban and rural homes alike. This 50th anniversary edition includes updated resources. * Bookscrolling ** OutdoorHappens

The Little Book of Little Gardens is an artistic demonstration and playful collection of the internationally acclaimed 'Pot Hole Gardener'. The UK's Sun newspaper described the popular and creative East London figure as the "Banksy of guerilla gardening." This collection of his best work is brought to life using the backdrop of a world mega-city urban environment transformed into this inspirational and photographic book titled The Little Book of Little Gardens. The Pot Hole Gardeners' journey from pot hole to pot hole provides unexpected scene's that brightens the lives of passers-by. As you take the journey with him, your imagination will wander in these themed yet informal gardens that use wonderful props and colourful seasonal flowers. The use of empty miniature benches and chairs inspires and questions the reader to ask - who uses them and why? What are the hidden messages or issues portrayed behind these small yet brilliant pop-up gardens? This must-have gift edition will take readers on a photographic journey down some of London's most iconic locations turning dirty into beautiful, crappy into happy; and doom into bloom.

This fully updated second edition of the best-selling Weeds of the Northeast provides lavish illustrations for ready identification of more than 500 common and economically important weeds in the Northeast and in the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. This new edition covers the region south to North Carolina, north to Maine and southern Canada, and west to Wisconsin. This practical guide includes descriptions and photos of floral and vegetative characteristics, giving anyone who works with plants the ability to identify weeds before they flower. A broadened range and prevalence of important weeds in the Northeast, as well as the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic United States Standardized species descriptions with a wealth of information in a condensed and comprehensive format-more than 200 new species accounts Easy identification through a dichotomous key, detailed descriptions, and images Comparison tables make it easy to differentiate between many closely related and similar species Weeds of the Northeast is a comprehensive reference book for those aspects of weed biology and ecology important to weed management. It will serve home gardeners and landscape managers as well as pest management specialists and allergists.

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."

More and more Florida residents are deciding to replace highly fertilized, over-watered, pesticide-dependent lawns with native plants. They want to reduce their carbon footprints; save time, water, and money; and attract birds and butterflies. But where to begin? This illustrated guide helps readers get started creating new outdoor spaces that are both sustainable and beautiful. Taking the common 1/3-acre lot as an example, Ginny Stibolt and Marjorie Shropshire provide a sample layout for a basic native plant landscape. They use a grid system that allows gardeners to work on their yards in small sections instead of trying to revamp the entire landscape at once. And they break down the process into individual steps, making it manageable even for beginners. The first step is assessing your property and choosing which plants to keep and which to remove. Next, the book discusses how to handle rainwater, introduce trees, install a butterfly garden, use native plants as screening, make an outdoor ""room"" for entertaining, build wild areas into the landscape, and plan a smart maintenance program that relies on certain plants to keep boundaries neat and incorporates natural weed control. By following these methods, anyone can convert all or part of their yard into a more natural area without using pesticides or artificial fertilizers, which will save money and help support wildlife. Complete with detailed diagrams and lists of suggested plants for each step, this guide will help readers set up an environmentally-friendly habitat and give them the time and peace of mind to enjoy it.

Self Sufficiency begins in the home. It doesn't mean jumping ship and moving to a remote island, living off grid on a diet of pulses. Carl and Kal argue that it's about becoming less reliant on the weekly trip to the supermarket and more about making do. The A-Z of Practical Self Sufficiency is a guide to help you take those first daunting steps to a more rewarding and fulfilling lifestyle. It covers a wide range of topics, from A-Z; from helping you make your money go further (B= Budge Plans, bartering), to learning basic DIY skills (D) and looking at ways to produce a wide selection of crops whatever the size of your garden to but a few topics covered. With money saving tips on gardening, cooking, energy saving and even night schooling, this book strives to empower you with tried and tested methods and practices to help you along the way.

Spring, summer, autumn, and winter: wherever you are, the seasons come and go, bringing changes both welcome and unexpected. Japanese by birth, but transplanted to Europe in adulthood, Miki Sakamoto has spent a lifetime tending her garden and reflecting on its mysteries. Why do primulas bloom in snow? Do the trees really 'talk' to one another? What are the blackbirds saying today? And is there a mindful way to deal with an aphid infestation? From rising early to walk barefoot on the grass each morning, to afternoons and evenings spent sipping tea in her gazebo or watching fireflies as she recalls her childhood in Japan, in Zen in the Garden Sakamoto shares observations from a life spent in contemplation - and cultivation - of nature. She shows us that you can create Zen in your life, wherever you live and whatever form your outdoor space takes.

H. Rider Haggard (1856 1925) is best known as the successful writer of adventure stories with exotic backgrounds such as King Solomon's Mines. However, he also served on a number of royal commissions, and in managing his wife's Norfolk estate became a recognised expert on agricultural matters. His A Farmer's Year (1898, also reissued in this series), recounts the work of the farm, together with observations on rural life and the state of agriculture in general. In 1905 he published this work, a diary of his garden in 1903. After an introductory chapter (with a plan) describing the the garden, orchard and glasshouses, and the staff he employed, the diary begins, relating the tasks and experiences of the year, from spraying against red spider mite in January to decorating the house with greenery on Christmas Eve. This beautifully written book reveals the horticultural taste and practice of the Edwardian era.

This is a concise calendar of practical tasks, covering all aspects of flower, kitchen and greenhouse gardening throughout all four seasons of the year. You can master a range of new gardening skills, with simple, illustrated step-by-step instructions. It includes suggestions for creative projects, as well as essential tasks to keep your garden looking good. It features a useful glossary of terms, and quick reference charts indicating what to do when in the garden. This practical handbook takes the guesswork out of knowing what to do when in the garden, right through the year. It gives advice on preparing the ground, sowing, planting and caring for plants, and harvesting fruit and vegetables, from early spring to late summer and into winter. Basic maintenance tasks are included, together with brilliant ideas for creative projects such as planting up a pretty hanging basket, making the most of summer bulbs in a mixed border, and which plants will extend the season. Illustrated with step-by-step techniques and packed with expert gardening tips, this book is an essential companion for every garden enthusiast.

Only one thing is standing between you and a fabulous lawn: It's called Lawn Care For Dummies. If you want a spiffy and well-coifed lawn (and not the overgrown, unruly one that people comment on when they pass by your house), you'll find everything you need to know to help you make your lawn the most dazzling spectacle on the block.

Let authors Lance Walheim and the gardening experts at the National Gardening Association treat you and your yard to a megadose of lawn care information. In Lawn Care For Dummies, Walheim and the NGA give you the dirt on all the essentials, including how to

• Design a low-maintenance or a high-maintenance lawn
• Evaluate the pros and cons of planting a lawn from seed or starting one from sod
• Discover how often you need to water your lawn without under-watering it or waterlogging it
• Choose a mower that's right for your grass type
• Deal effectively with wicked weeds and pesky insects
• Create alternative lawns, such as ground cover plants, decks, and patios

Lawn Care For Dummies also features a beautiful color insert with photos illustrating the various types of lawns found in yards across the world.

A privileged tour of a lavish estate in Greenwich featuring an abundance of garden experiences - formal boxwood and undulating hornbeam hedges, dense woodland, reflecting pools, arbors and follies - and a ferme ornee offering organic produce to the community. Sleepy Cat Farm is the vision of one man, Fred Landman, who acquired the handsome Georgian Revival house and grounds in 1994. Deeply committed to the concept of harmony between house and garden, he has dedicated himself to the landscape to create a garden of which the house could be proud. Collaborating with Greenwich architect Charles Hilton and noted landscape architect Charles J. Stick and drawing inspiration from travels in Europe and Asia, Landman has done just that. The landscape unfolds in a series of garden rooms and pavilions, pathways and pools, statuary and staircases, trees, shrubs and flowerbeds, hillsides and vistas that change daily, monthly, almost minute by minute, as the visitor explores this undulating landscape of surprises, intrigue and unexpected beauty. Names were given to the various aspects: The Golden Path, the Grotto, The Iris Garden, the Spirit Walk, the Perennial Long Border Garden, the Pebble Terrace, the Woodland Walk. Buildings and follies were added, also with storybook names--the Celestial Pavilion, the Barn, the Limonaia, the Chinese Pavilion, the Cat Maze and Arbor. Down the hill from the main house is an working organic farm that supplies produce to the community, a project of Landman's wife, Seen Lippert, a professional chef who worked with Alice Waters in California before moving East. Landman and Lippert are committed to sharing the beauty that they have created. They are generous in opening the property for charitable events and tours of gardeners and horticultural enthusiasts, particularly through the Open Days program of the Garden Conservancy. As Landman says, One of my greatest joys is when other people come here and get to experience what I experience every day. The most important thing is that they leave happy.

There was a time when garden designer Cleve West questioned the importance of his role as a garden designer. Two things changed his mind: designing a garden for a hospital and adopting a vegan lifestyle. Cleve's transition to veganism was a profound and varied learning experience. He learned more about nutrition than when he studied it as part of a sports science degree. He learned a great deal about propaganda in the food industry and how, contrary to what he'd been led to believe, the cows and chickens in the dairy industry are far from 'happy'. He learned that animal agriculture is a leading cause of climate change and a whole range of environmental catastrophes. He found that many illnesses have their origins in the consumption of animal products. He learned that a plant-based diet can alleviate some of these illnesses and sometimes even reverse them. He learned that a drive towards a plant-based diet could offset many of the environmental aspects of animal agriculture and make a positive transition to a more sustainable future. Everything started falling into place. It was all about plants. Suddenly, his role as a garden designer didn't seem so trivial after all. The Garden of Vegan charts Cleve's journey from its tentative beginnings to an understanding of the restorative power of gardens and a realization that some of the most destructive aspects of the Anthropocene can be mitigated or even fixed by plants.

'A wonderfully uplifting holistic book with many practical tips' - Mark Lane, BBC Gardener's World presenter and landscape gardener 'A delightful introduction for those wanting to learn ... how to reap the benefits that plants and gardens can have on our own health and wellbeing' - Sally Petitt, Head of Horticulture, Cambridge University Botanic Garden --- Getting outside, our hands in the earth, watching plants bud then burst into bloom: the slow pleasures of gardening are an age-old tonic for the soul. From sowing seeds to deadheading flowers, growing your own potatoes to welcoming feathered friends into your own garden, discover the joy to be found in every moment of gardening by slowing down, observing nature and planning ahead for the seasons. Happiest when surrounded by plants, Ellen Mary is passionate advocate for the benefits of nature for wellbeing, spreading the word through The Plant Based Podcast and her regular talks. The Joy of Gardening includes: * Understanding your soil * How to sow seeds and care for young plants * Tips for recycling and reducing waste in your garden * How to encourage wildlife into your garden * Harvesting and cooking with fresh produce * Choosing and planting trees for both small and larger gardens * And much, much more!

There has been a resurgence of community gardening over the past decade with a wide range of actors seeking to get involved, from health agencies aiming to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to radical social movements searching for symbols of non-capitalist ways of relating and occupying space. Community gardens have become a focal point for local activism in which people are working to contribute to food security, question the erosion of public space, conserve and improve urban environments, develop technologies of sustainable food production, foster community engagement and create neighbourhood solidarity. Drawing on in-depth case studies and social movement theory, Claire Nettle provides a new empirical and theoretical understanding of community gardening as a site of collective social action. This provides not only a more nuanced and complete understanding of community gardening, but also highlights its potential challenges to notions of activism, community, democracy and culture.

Creating beautiful botanical paintings has never been easier with these template outlines and art-quality watercolour paper. Perfect for absolute beginners in botanical art, the ready-to-use outlines allow you to focus on the painting and avoid the accuracy of composition drawings. Each outline includes a finished painting by artist Rachel Padder-Smith and a recommended colour palette, so all you have to worry about is enjoying the process! Included are step-by-step tutorials on all the essential tips and techniques you need to know, from painting different parts of the flower and shiny surfaces to perfecting the fine veins on leaves, as well as advice on how to correctly capture light. Rachel's stunning illustrations also include fruit and vegetables, so whether you're a lover of autumn leaves, spring daffodils, or even an onion or two, she has you covered. This detailed and visual art book is the perfect start for anyone looking to take up botanical art, refresh their skills, or simply appreciate the beauty of nature.

CBD and other cannabis-based products are widely available and popular, with the number of dispensaries increasing exponentially every month. But not all products are equal in terms of quality. The best rule of thumb to know the grower or, even better, grow a small quantity of the plant in the home garden and make your own medicines. This beginner-friendly guide, written by a herbalist who specializes in every aspect of making and using cannabis medicine, teaches how to grow healthy cannabis plants outdoors for personal use, and make your own customized remedies for addressing a range of common ailments and chronic conditions. With step-by-step photography taken in her own garden, author Tammi Sweet, shows the growing phases of the plant and details techniques for planting, caring for, harvesting, drying, and curing the plant. A complete how-to guide to medicine-making shows the reader how easy it is to make potent, safe, and affordable whole-plant tinctures, salves, edibles, and oils.

Every garden presents problems of one kind or another. It is inevitably windy, lacking in privacy too shady, badly drained, too large, too small or hopelessly overgrown. "Garden Rescue" is written to help gardeners to develop, reclaim or maintain their gardens more successfully, not only be surmounting problems, but often by turning them to advantage. Originally published as "Your Problem Garden" and revised and updated, this classic book seeks to explain not just the 'how' of the gardening, but the 'why' as well. Rather than trotting out cliched solutions, Richard Bisgrove helps the reader to understand the unique challenges posed by their gardens in order to come up with a tailor-made rescue package. Climate, soil character, planning and maintenance are all discussed, and there is a useful chapter devoted to recovering a garden that is in a poor state of repair.

Why did Marcel Proust have bonsai beside his bed? What was Jane Austen doing, coveting an apricot? How was Friedrich Nietzsche inspired by his 'thought tree'?

In Philosophy in the Garden, Damon Young explores one of literature's most intimate relationships: authors and their gardens. For some, the garden provided a retreat from workaday labour; for others, solitude's quiet counsel. For all, it played a philosophical role: giving their ideas a new life.

Philosophy in the Garden reveals the profound thoughts discovered in parks, backyards, and pot-plants. It does not provide tips for mowing overgrown cooch grass, or mulching a dry Japanese maple. It is a philosophical companion to the garden's labours and joys.

Medicinal plants and plant-derived medicine are widely used in traditional cultures all over the world and they are becoming increasingly popular in modern society as natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. As more and more natural remedies are being commercialised, there is a need for a user-friendly reference guide to the plants and their products. The book gives the reader a bird's eye view of more than 350 of the best known medicinal plants of the world and their uses, in a compact, colourful and scientifically accurate reference text. It provides quick answers to the most obvious questions: Where does this plant originate? What does it look like? In which culture is it traditionally used? What is it used for? Which chemical compounds does it contain? How safe is it? What is known about its pharmacological activity? What evidence is there that it is effective? The authors also provide short overviews of the various health conditions for which medicinal plants are used and the active compounds (secondary metabolites) found in the plants and their modes of actions. This new edition has an additional 30 plant species, many new and improved photographs and the text has been fully updated to reflect the latest regulatory status of each plant.

This is a practical gardener's guide for animal lovers, including planting advice, designs and 90 step-by-step projects, with 1700 photographs. Turn your garden into a wildlife haven by growing the right plants to encourage beneficial insects, aquatic life, birds and animals. It includes illustrated directories of over 200 plant species, from annuals to climbers, with practical advice on cultivation and uses, plus 80 of the most common garden bird species, with identification illustrations and natural history information on distribution, size, distinguishing characteristics, behaviour, nesting, eggs and feeding habits. It includes practical step-by-step projects that show you how to make all kinds of birdhouses, bird tables, birdbaths, wildlife stacks and more. It features all the basic gardening techniques such as plant propagation, soil preparation, composting and general maintenance. Itis illustrated throughout with over 1700 practical colour artworks and photographs. One of the most enjoyable aspects of creating and maintaining a garden lies in the feeling of closeness to nature. Now, with this new book box set, you can encourage hidden birds, animal and insects to proliferate in your very own back garden. These two books, written by award-winning gardening experts, give clear advice on how to create a range of wildlife gardens, showing how adopting a few simple methods will produce a dazzling display of colour while helping native animal species. There are suggestions for the best flowers, shrubs, hedges and trees to attract birds, including a design for a garden border that will provide food throughout the seasons. Comprehensive directories explore over 200 beautiful garden plants, plus over 80 of the most common birds, insects and animals, from woodland and countryside locations to town and city environments. With its helpful practical advice and over 1700 photographs and illustrations, this is the ideal source book for gardeners, bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.