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Books > Gardening > Specialized gardening methods > Natural & wild gardening
Plan Your Landscape or Garden to Help Beloved Backyard Visitors The
presence of birds, bees, and butterflies suggests a healthy,
earth-friendly place. These most welcome guests also bring joy to
those who appreciate watching them. Now, you can turn your yard
into a perfect habitat that attracts them and, more importantly,
helps them thrive. Professional nature photographer and botanist
George Oxford Miller provides all the information you need in this
must-have guide for Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, west
Texas, and Utah. Learn how to landscape and create pollinator
gardens with native plants, including succulents. The book begins
with an in-depth introduction to native pollinators and to birds.
It's followed by a "field guide" section to more than 100 native
plants that are widely available to utilize, are easy to care for,
and provide great benefit to birds, bees, and butterflies. The
species are organized by level of sunlight needed and then by plant
types. Each species includes full-color photographs and information
about hardiness zones, what they are most likely to attract, soil
requirements, light levels, and George's notes. As an added bonus,
you'll make use of blooming charts, tips on attracting specific
species, and more! Plus, the invaluable garden plans and projects
show you just what to do and can be customized to suit your own
specific interests. Plan, plant, and grow your beautiful garden,
with native plants that benefit your favorite creatures to watch
and enjoy.
The passion and urgency that inspired WWI and WWII Victory Gardens
is needed today to meet another threat to our food supply and our
environment-the steep decline of pollinators. The Pollinator
Victory Garden offers practical solutions for winning the war
against the demise of these essential animals. Pollinators are
critical to our food supply and responsible for the pollination of
the vast majority of all flowering plants on our planet.
Pollinators include not just bees, but many different types of
animals, including insects and mammals. Beetles, bats, birds,
butterflies, moths, flies, and wasps can be pollinators. But, many
pollinators are in trouble, and the reality is that most of our
landscapes have little to offer them. Our residential and
commercial landscapes are filled with vast green pollinator
deserts, better known as lawns. These monotonous green expanses are
ecological wastelands for bees and other pollinators. With The
Pollinator Victory Garden, you can give pollinators a fighting
chance. Learn how to transition your landscape into a pollinator
haven by creating a habitat that includes pollinator nutrition,
larval host plants for butterflies and moths, and areas for egg
laying, nesting, sheltering, overwintering, resting, and warming.
Find a wealth of information to support pollinators while improving
the environment around you: * The importance of pollinators and the
specific threats to their survival* How to provide food for
pollinators using native perennials, trees, and shrubs that bloom
in succession* Detailed profiles of the major pollinator types and
how to attract and support each one* Tips for creating and growing
a Pollinator Victory Garden, including site assessment, planning,
and planting goals* Project ideas like pollinator islands, enriched
landscape edges, revamped foundation plantings, meadowscapes, and
other pollinator-friendly lawn alternatives The time is right for a
new gardening movement. Every yard, community garden, rooftop,
porch, patio, commercial, and municipal landscape can help to win
the war against pollinator decline with The Pollinator Victory
Garden.
Forest gardens are much in the news as an exemplary form of
resilient, sustainable, small-scale agriculture and plenty has been
written about them already. But little has been written about the
role of those who 'look after' them. A forest garden is edible,
fertile, abundant and beautiful because it functions as an
ecosystem. The forest gardener is an integral part of this
ecosystem - which raises the question of what exactly the forest
gardener should be trying to do. This book answers that question.
At the heart of a forest garden is the unique relationship between
the garden and the gardener. The 'garden of equal delights' after
which this book is named is Anni Kelsey's forest garden high on a
wet and windy Welsh hillside. Rejecting control and a regimen of
planned interventions in favour of a more intimate, knowing and
connected relationship with her garden, Anni describes how she
learned to garden as an intrinsic - and equal - part of the
ecosystem. She uses her years of experience to formulate and
explain in very practical terms a set of principles that other
forest gardeners can follow in their own preferred way. So this is
a challenging and inspiring story for experienced, new and would-be
forest gardeners and for anyone with a love of nature and a longing
to engage with it on a deeper level. A forest garden is a different
garden which needs to be gardened differently by a different
gardener.
Turn your outdoor space into a sanctuary for nature and join the
rewilding movement today! Introducing Wild Your Garden, a practical
guide to rewilding your outdoor space, with advice, inspiration and
step-by-step projects brought to you by Gardeners' World and
Springwatch guests The Butterfly Brothers. We all have the
potential to make the world a little greener, and Wild Your Garden
shows you how to create a garden that can help boost local
biodiversity. You don't need specialist knowledge or acres of land.
If you have any outdoor space, you can make a difference to local
wildlife, and reduce your carbon footprint, too! So what are you
waiting for? Dive straight in to discover: -Practical illustrated
step-by-step projects for all level of gardeners -Tips and advice
to adjust to the principles of wild gardening -Inspiration for
rewilding your garden space and encourage local biodiversity to
thrive Whether you wish to transform a paved-over yard into a lush
oasis, create refuges to welcome and support native species, or
turn a high-maintenance lawn into a nectar-rich mini-meadow to
attract bees and butterflies, this great gardening book has
something for everyone to discover. The Butterfly Brothers are
expert landscape gardeners specializing in wildlife-attracting
projects of all sizes across the UK. Having worked closely with
Chris Packham, Alan Titchmarsh and even Sir David Attenborough,
they will show you how to easily support wildlife and reap all the
benefits Mother Nature has to offer, no matter the shape and size
of your garden. In fact, Alan Titchmark once said: "It's up to
every single one of us to do our bit for wildlife, however small
our gardens, and The Butterfly Brothers know just how that can be
achieved." Did you know that the concept of rewilding is being
increasingly seen as a viable tool in the fight against rising C02
emissions? So let's all work together to do our part for the
planet! Whether it's plummeting pollinator numbers, building bird
boxes or crafting a woodland wonderland, this gardening guide is
jam-packed with top tips and tricks for wilding your garden and
becoming one with nature! The ideal gardening gift for the nature
lover in your life, those looking to take steps to reconnect with
nature, or those who wish to protect local wildlife from the
comfort of home!
An indispensable and lavishly illustrated guide to creating a
garden that attracts and sustains butterflies Butterfly gardening
creates habitats that support butterflies, connecting us with some
of the most beautiful creatures in the natural world and bringing
new levels of excitement and joy to gardening. In this engaging and
accessible guide, lavishly illustrated with more than two hundred
color photographs and maps, accomplished butterfly gardener Jane
Hurwitz presents essential information on how to choose and
cultivate plants that will attract a range of butterflies to your
garden and help sustain all the stages of their life cycles. An
indispensable resource for aspiring and experienced butterfly
gardeners alike, Butterfly Gardening is the most gardener-friendly
source on the subject, covering all the practical details needed to
create a vibrant garden habitat that fosters butterflies. It tells
you which plants support which butterflies, depending on where you
live; it describes what different butterflies require in the garden
over the course of their lives; and it shows you how to become a
butterfly watcher as well as a butterfly gardener. While
predominantly recommending regionally native plants, the book
includes information on non-native plants. It also features
informative interviews with experienced butterfly gardeners from
across the United States. These gardeners share a wealth of
information on plants and practices to draw butterflies to all
kinds of gardens--from small suburban gardens to community plots
and larger expanses. Whether you are a gardener who wants to see
more butterflies in your garden, a butterfly enthusiast who wants
to bring that passion to the garden, or someone who simply wants to
make their garden or yard friendlier to Monarchs or other
butterflies, this is a must-have guide. An essential guide for
aspiring and experienced butterfly gardeners Encourages readers to
rethink gardening choices to support butterflies and other
pollinators in their gardens and communities Introduces gardeners
to butterfly watching Includes regional lists of plant species that
are time-proven to help sustain butterflies and their caterpillars
Features informative interviews with expert butterfly gardeners
from across the United States
'A beautifully photographed guide for gardeners' - Daily Telegraph
'Nick offers solutions for every season' - Country Living 'A
thought-provoking and beautifully written book' - Fergus Garrett,
Head Gardener, Great Dixter In 365 Days of Colour in Your Garden
BBC Gardeners' World presenter Nick Bailey shows you how to plant
and manage your garden, whatever its size, to ensure year-round
colour and interest. Initially explaining simple colour theory
principles and how to apply them to your garden, the book goes on
to highlight beautiful plants and planting combinations for every
season no matter what type of garden you have. With chapters
covering the longest flowering plants, pot recipes and gorgeous
plants for difficult sites, along with a comprehensive seasonal
directory, this book will inspire and delight both experienced
gardeners and beginners alike.
A companion volume to Attracting Birds to Your Garden, the focus of this guide extends to other ‘wildlife’, such as butterfl ies, dragonfl ies, bugs of all sorts, frogs, lizards and geckoes, and small mammals such as mongooses, genets and hedgehogs.
The book reveals how to plant a garden that attracts indigenous ‘wildlife’, depending on where in the country you live, creating nesting and breeding opportunities, and shows how to maintain such a garden. Along with practical suggestions and tips, this handy guide offers: the principles of gardening for wildlife; how to plan a garden and build a pond and wetland; tips on how to set up or enhance an existing garden; recommended plants that will fl ourish in local conditions, and; info about the many creatures that frequent a wildlife-friendly garden.
Colourful, engaging and packed with information, Gardening with Nature will have broad appeal and is priced to sell.
Plan Your Landscape or Garden to Help Beloved Backyard Visitors The
presence of birds, bees, and butterflies suggests a healthy,
earth-friendly place. These most welcome guests also bring joy to
those who appreciate watching them. Now, you can turn your yard
into a perfect habitat that attracts them and, more importantly,
helps them thrive. Acclaimed author and expert entomologist Jaret
C. Daniels provides all the information you need in this must-have
guide for northern Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Learn how
to landscape and create pollinator gardens with native plants. The
book begins with an in-depth introduction to native pollinators and
to birds. It's followed by a "field guide" section to more than 100
native plants that are widely available to utilize, are easy to
care for, and provide great benefit to birds, bees, and
butterflies. The species are organized by level of sunlight needed
and then by plant types. Each species includes full-color
photographs and information about hardiness zones, what they are
most likely to attract, soil requirements, light levels, and
Jaret's notes. As an added bonus, you'll make use of blooming
charts, tips on attracting specific species, and more! Plus, the
invaluable garden plans and projects show you just what to do and
can be customized to suit your own specific interests. Plan, plant,
and grow your beautiful garden, with native plants that benefit
your favorite creatures to watch and enjoy.
This title is ideal for people who wish to attract birds to their
gardens, whether to aid the bird population or purely for pleasure.
The reference tables throughout identify the food and plants that
attract specific birds. It is from UK authors who have a
long-shared interest in wildlife, conservation and ecology. The
most regular contact many people have with wildlife is the pleasure
of watching birds in the garden. Readers can increase the
attraction of their garden for birds by supplementing the food,
shelter, roosting and nesting sites that are available. Hazel and
Pamela Johnson show the most effective means of ensuring that birds
will flourish and also detail the principles of sympathetic
gardening, discussing how best to enhance local habitats, whether
in cities, suburbs, a village or rural setting. Even patios and
balconies can be attractive and useful to birds and the authors
share their experience of this, devoting a chapter to the
particular concerns of small gardens. They also cover:
constructing, siting and maintaining ponds; cultivating annuals,
biennials, perennials and aquatic plants; organic gardening and
conservation issues; avoiding potential hazards; and, breeding and
feeding habits.
There are many examples of British wildflowers that we routinely
use in our gardens and still more that could be used if we knew
just a little more about them. Divided according to their natural
habitats, the book features almost 200 different wild plants and
photographs of each. Each habitat is introduced with practical
information and tips, along with inspirational planting plans that
show you how to combine plants creatively for maximum effect. All
the essential facts, such as height, habitat, care and propagation
are provided, to enable you to site plants successfully.
Stinging nettles are, for many of us, nothing more than persistent
weeds with a painful sting. But apart from having an important role
in the web of life, nettles are an incredibly useful plant to
mankind. They have been put to myriad uses by our ancestors, and
many of these are still valid today. Already stinging nettle
products are growing in popularity in the field of alternative
medicine, as their wide range of health benefits becomes better
known. This unique book explores the diverse uses of this
fascinating plant - in the garden and the kitchen, for their
medical and fibrous properties and so on. It is packed with
practical suggestions, as well as a guide to the botany of stinging
nettles, and how to collect and store them. For example, you will
discover how to use nettles to: make a liquid plant fertiliser brew
an unusual beer make a dandruff treatment protect beehives flavour
an omelette make friendship bracelets repel flies naturally make
green or yellow fabric dyes keep yourself warm in the winter and
much more ... The many health benefits of taking nettles in various
forms include relief from: hay fever and other allergies; acne and
other skin conditions; arthritis and rheumatism; asthma; stress;
high blood pressure; depression; enlarged prostate gland. The book
also features Digital Nettle Art
One tree, in one garden. Can it really make a difference? In RHS
The Tree in My Garden, award-winning wildlife author Kate Bradbury
reveals the amazing effect planting a single tree in your garden
can have - and dares to imagine what would happen if every gardener
up and down the country did the same. Combining practical gardening
advice, eye-opening scientific research, reflections on the
cultural importance of different species, and evocative accounts of
how vital trees are for countless different forms of wildlife, this
book will leave you in no doubt that every garden needs a tree!
This terrific tree book features a directory of 50 key species,
each one beautifully illustrated by Lucille Clerc and packed with
information about each tree's appearance, care needs, and the
wildlife it supports - to help you choose the best tree for your
own garden, or learn more about the trees you may already have.
Dive into the pages of this tree identification book to discover: -
50 illustrated profiles of a wide range of trees suitable for
different gardens and preferences - Eye-opening accounts of the
importance of trees for our planet, our wildlife, and ourselves -
Essential practical information to help readers choose, plant,
prune, and care for their tree - Ideas for making your own leaf
mould and ways to get involved in community planting projects -
Stunning illustrations by Lucille Clerc that convey the beauty and
the mystery of trees This book is perfect for anyone wanting to
attract more wildlife to their garden! So whether you're an
environmentalist intent on reducing your carbon footprint, a
budding gardener looking to choose the best tree for your outdoor
space or you're simply seeking a guide about the natural history of
the trees in your garden, RHS The Tree In My Garden is something
the whole family can explore, discover and love. No garden should
be without a tree. Plant one, watch it grow - and become part of
something bigger!
Humans and the world around us have been governed by the waxing and
waning of the moon since the planet came into being. Over the
centuries different civilisations have embraced these natural
cycles, and so lunar gardening has been around for as long as man
has pulled food from the soil; once practised by the Incas and
Native Americans, this tried and trusted method has been largely
forgotten. John Harris, head gardener at Tresillian Estate in
Cornwall, has been using Moon Gardening for over forty years. The
methods he uses can be implemented anywhere, you do not need fancy
tools, expensive seeds or substantial acreage, but instead, given
time, patience and care, the results can be breath-taking. This is
gardening at its most natural and organic. The Natural Gardener
charts John's story from a rudderless young lad in a Cornish
village to being charged with the salvation of the long-neglected
gardens at Tresillian. As he shares how to follow these simple
principles, he imparts his abundance of horticultural knowledge
from years spent working in harmony with the soil, providing a
timely link back to nature and the reassuring regularity of the
seasons.
Weeds are wild plants that have survived in the face of centuries
of hostility. Many gardeners who are unfamiliar with the
versatility of weeds think of them as a nuisance. They can be good,
bad, dangerous or beautiful. Above all, they are tough. This
essential guide explores the virtues of good weeds, including how
they can protect soil and add to soil fertility; act as companion
plants in gardens; provide food for farm livestock; support wild
life; provide herbal remedies for minor ailments; yield vegetable
dyes and finally, give us weed cuisine: nutritious food and drink
for free.
A practical guide to creating a beautiful native wildflower meadow
or a colourful area of cornfield annuals, in even the smallest of
gardens.
Learn how to: * Attract particular species by choosing the right
foods, plants, trees, water sources, and nesting materials * Create
a garden, region by region, that will be an oasis for birds and
butterflies * Instantly recognize, and attract, those birds you are
most likely to see-including the top birds found nationally as well
as in Eastern and Western locations * Identify species by field
marks, plumage, and more * Make your yard the hummingbird capital
of the neighborhood * Fend off predators and other uninvited
backyard guests
Inspired by the idea of doing something positive for their local
environment, Yvette Verner and her husband Mike bought a small
field close to their home in the south of England. With the
bountiful assistance of nature they created a flower meadow which
attracts a rich variety of wildlife, including badgers, deer and a
multitude of birds and butterflies. In this book Yvette tells the
story of their meadow: how they designed the layout, selected and
planted wild flowers, trees and hedges and spent many absorbing
hours wildlife-watching. Meadows such as theirs support large
populations of plants, insects, birds and other animals, and are
extremely important in maintaining the ecological diversity of our
countryside. Many meadow species that farmers and gardeners
consider to be weeds are host to other forms of wildlife: the
modest oxeye daisy alone supports over twenty species of insect!
"The meadow is still flourishing and each year is delightful and
different. It is particularly wonderful to see our four
grandchildren enjoying it so much." - Mike Verner, Yvette's husband
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