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 Well-Tended Perennial Garden has proven to be one of the most useful tools a gardener can have. Gardeners everywhere have benefited from its trusty advice, reassuring tone, and helpful illustrations. Now this completely revised third edition introduces a new generation of gardeners to Tracy DiSabato-Aust's proven techniques. Along with thorough details on the essential practices of perennial care, the new edition includes new species and cultivars, on-trend garden design advice, and new photographs and illustrations. There is also an increased focus on native plants and gardening for wildlife.

From the best-selling, award winning author of No Dig Organic Home and Garden, Stephanie Hafferty offers a pathway to low cost, zero waste and as plastic free living as possible. She shows you the advantages and pleasures of cooking seasonally and making organic products for you and your family's health and happiness. Learn how to be resourceful, creative and inspired by what is seasonal and close to hand for a 100% organic home. Make your own: *Main meals, sides, soups and salads *Store cupboard ingredients like flavoured salts, vinegars, herb mixes, essences *Drinks (including cordials, teas and liqueurs) *Soaps, balms, cleansers, toothpaste and much more!

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.

Gardening can be frustratingly shrouded in secrecy. Fickle plants make seemingly spontaneous decisions to bloom or bust, seeds sprout magically in the blink of an eye, and deep-rooted mysteries unfold underground and out of sight. Understanding basic botany is like unlocking a horticultural code; fortunately learning a little science can reveal the secrets of the botanical universe and shed some light on what's really going on in your garden.
"Practical Botany for Gardeners" provides an elegant and accessible introduction to the world of botany. It presents the essentials that every gardener needs to know, connecting explanations of scientific facts with useful gardening tips. Flip to the roots section and you'll not only learn how different types of roots support a plant but also find that adding fungi to soil aids growth. The pruning section both defines "lateral buds" and explains how far back on a shoot to cut in order to propagate them.
The book breaks down key areas and terminology with easy-to-navigate chapters arranged by theme, such as plant types, plant parts, inner workings, and external factors. "Great Botanists" and "Botany in Action" boxes delve deeper into the fascinating byways of plant science. This multifaceted book also includes two hundred botanical illustrations and basic diagrams that hearken to the classic roots of botany.
Part handbook, part reference, "Practical Botany for Gardeners" is a beautifully captivating read. It's a must for garden lovers and backyard botanists who want to grow and nurture their own plant knowledge.

This title features: over 50 glorious gifts and ideas to create from the natural produce grown in your own garden; how to create a wonderful variety of practical and ornamental garden items, both for your garden and as gifts for fellow enthusiasts; over 50 ideas, gifts and projects, illustrated step by step with beautiful photographs; create lovely decorative items like customized garden furniture and containers, painted pots, a decoupage seed box, and a lavender and herb garland. Try making useful tools and accessories such as a gardener's first aid kit, citronella candles, hand-painted plant labels and fruit-picking bags. It includes a seasonal checklist of activities, and planting practicalities such as growing from seed and potting on, to keep you busy in the potting shed through the year. This book takes its inspiration from the potting shed, the practical refuge that provides the perfect space in which to enjoy the potential of your garden. Here are dozens of projects to make, from decorated gift boxes and themed plant baskets to all manner of ornamental garden accessories. Ideas include items that you'll be tempted to keep for yourself, as well as for gifts any gardener would be delighted to receive, such as candle holders, a plant theatre, and a potted Mediterranean herb garden. All the projects are shown with easy-to-follow instructions. With over 350 glorious photographs by well-known, award-winning photographer, Michelle Garrett, this book captures and celebrates the creative spirit of gardening.

This story has its roots in the life of George Owen Millum, who at the turn of the 19th century was the head gardener at Maytham Hall in Kent, the home of Frances Hodgson Burnett, long celebrated for her timeless classic The Secret Garden. The garden in the story was based upon that at Maytham Hall, and George Millum was the model for Ben Weatherstaff, Frances Hodgson Burnett's fictional gardener. George's son, George Charles Millum, who like his father was born in the gardener's cottage at Maytham, also grew up to be a country house gardener - hence the title of this book, written and compiled by his own son with detailed extracts from his diaries.

Gardening in Texas is not for the faint of heart or weak-willed. Given the remarkable variety of soils, climate ranges, and the potential for stifling heat, humidity, and drought, the dedication of so many gardening enthusiasts speaks to the powerful hold plants have over people. Living and gardening in Central Texas since 1969, Bill Scheick has celebrated successes and analyzed failures; techniques and plants that worked in one yard did not necessarily work in another just a few miles away. In Adventures of Texas Gardening, Scheick shares, through personal accounts as well as stories from fellow gardeners, big gardening efforts-transforming an entire backyard, dealing with unruly pets and marauding wildlife, and fostering vanishing bees. Attention is also given to challenges like soil erosion and yard contamination. With a firm understanding of horticulture and a good dose of humor, Scheick offers beginning and experienced gardeners a resource for inspiration, information, and commiseration as they pursue their own gardening adventures in Texas.

Best practices for the eight most profitable crops: tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens, lettuce, herbs, and microgreens "Mefferd's book fills a gaping void in the literature for market growers. I highly recommend it to anyone growing in greenhouses, or who aspires to."- Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm Whether growing in a heated greenhouse or unheated hoophouse, this book offers a decision-making framework for how to best manage crops Today only a few dozen large-scale producers dominate the greenhouse produce market. Why? Because they know and employ best practices for the most profitable crops. The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook levels the playing field by revealing these practices so that all growers-large and small-can maximize the potential of their protected growing space. Whether growing in a heated greenhouse or unheated hoophouse, this book offers a decision-making framework for how to best manage crops that goes beyond a list of simple do's and don'ts. Author Andrew Mefferd spent years consulting for growers using protected agriculture in a wide variety of climates, soils, and conditions. The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook brings his experience and expertise to bear in an in-depth guide that will help readers make their investment in greenhouse space worthwhile. Every year, more growers are turning to protected culture to deal with unpredictable weather and to meet out-of-season demand for local food, but many end up spinning their wheels, wasting time and money on unprofitable crops grown in ways that don't make the most of their precious greenhouse space. In The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook comprehensive chapters include: Protected Growing Structures and their features Heating, Cooling, Lighting, and Irrigation Plant Basics Propagation, Pruning, and Trellising Grafting And Much More! Mefferd's book is full of techniques and strategies that can help farms stay profitable, satisfy customers, and become an integral part of re-localizing our food system. From seed to sale, The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook is the indispensable resource for protected growing.

Learn all the secrets for creating fertile, productive soil anywhere. With more than 300 detailed illustrations and at-a-glance charts, Secrets to Great Soil solves all your soil problems and gives you techniques for year-round soil building.

InSecrets to Great Soil you'll find:

* The basics of soil pH and nutrients

* Quick methods for making compost

* Instructions for using organic mulches, soil amendments, and fertilizers

* Ways to customize your soil for a variety of vegetables, flowers, fruits, trees, shrubs, and lawns