Originally published in the 1930s. This comprehensive book will provide under one head and at a glance all that vast amount of essential information required by the ever increasing numbers of enthusiasts who wish to derive pleasure or profit by living off the land. The illustrated contents include advice on: Poultry - Vegetable Culture - Fruit Growing - Flower Culture - Holding and Farm - Pigs - Cattle - Sheep - Land - Rabbit Keeping - Bee Keeping - Organic Methods etc. Many of the earliest farming books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Ponds and water features have been popular in gardens for thousands of years. This book is aimed at anyone who is thinking of building a pond, anyone who has bought some of the materials but doesn't know how to start or anyone who has a pond and needs to know how to keep it at its best.The book starts with the basics of assessing the garden, checking the site, planning and preparation, tools and materials and electrical wiring and safety. With the basics established the authors introduce the many different types of pond and how they can be created, maintained and enhanced.From split-level ponds to wildlife ponds, plant and fish and adding sculptures, bird houses, stones and bridges, each subject is presented in a clear way with box features, lists and questions and answers. The final chapter looks at water features - a rock pool or stream for a large garden or a small wall mask or trough for a tiny back garden.

Professor Franklin Hiram King made important contributions in soil science -- soil physics and soil fertility in particular. This book, perhaps the first on sustainable organic agriculture, is of great interest today, when we are able to assess the truth of what King stated a hundred years ago. This edition is complete and unabridged.

'This is a clearly presented work, with accessible topic headings and plenty of good advice sprinkled with engaging personal anecdotes. The message at the book's heart is to adopt a greener way of being and to see oneself as part of nature, not removed from it. On this point it is exceptional, distinguishing itself from many of the green gardening books written in recent years.' The English Garden magazine 'Conversational, interesting, and personal ... it reaffirms the link between what we love to do and why we should be doing it with nature, the planet and our health in mind.' RHS The Garden magazine If you want a sustainable garden and a better relationship with nature, A Greener Life is the guide you need. Packed with inspirational images and practical tips, the book covers garden planning, organic composting and vegetable growing, as well as sustainable planting, rewilding and wildlife-attracting environments. Learn traditional gardening techniques like propagating and growing from cuttings to make your garden self-sustaining, and discover plants that attract hover flies, bees and butterflies. With Jack Wallington's warmth and expertise on every page, this is an ideal book for new gardeners seeking greener practices.

The healthier your plants, the happier you'll feel! A Beginner's Guide to House Plants teaches you how to bring your indoor spaces alive with lovely and easy-to-maintain plants -- and how to keep them healthy. It provides detailed instructions on how you can unleash the power of plants to energize and relax you, and how to promote well-being by greening your environment. In this book you'll find hundreds of useful tips, including: How to select the right plants for your spaces and lifestyle Practical advice on purchasing, potting and styling your plants How to care for many different types of plants--from succulents and ferns to exotics A mini field guide to over 60 popular plants you should know about And so much more! Cultivating house plants can be both creative and fun! Plant expert Ryusuke Sakaino provides tips on how to use colors, textures, patterns and shapes to create a lush living space, with one plant or many. His gorgeous photos will inspire you to add greenery to every room in your home and office. No longer just a pandemic hobby, plants deserve to be a permanent part of your lifestyle!

There is something uplifting about having butterflies in your flowerbeds, frogs in your water feature and birds in your bushes, and knowing they're there because of you. Rich in detail and accessible in style, Gardening for Wildlife is the crucial companion to novices and expert gardeners alike. Adrian Thomas dispels myths and offers new insights and ideas, helping everyone understand what to do so gardens, large or small, can become ideal homes for wildlife. Building on the success of the award-winning first edition, this expanded and updated edition reflects the latest research and developments in nature-friendly gardening. The book serves as an expert guide to the practical aspects of this rewarding pastime and educates readers about the ecological principles involved, while exploding commonly held misconceptions that often deter people from pursuing a kinder approach to gardening. Adrian Thomas provides a detailed guide to the many and varied species that can contribute to a natural and healthy garden. Practical sections help you create entire habitats, such as woodland and meadow gardens, in your garden. And the massively expanded catalogue of the top 500 best garden flowers, shrubs and trees for wildlife, now includes colour photos of every species. If you love wildlife and want to encourage more to visit your garden, this inspirational book will help you sow the seeds and reap the rewards.

Residences occupy a pivotal position in Japanese architecture. As an extension of the residential space, the Japanese courtyard garden is unique, featuring symbolic garden elements and designs that date back to centuries. This book is a collection of more than 30 residential courtyard design works interpreted for the modern-day home, sometimes extending beyond the traditional defines of a Japanese courtyard. It not only selects a wealth of pictures, which shows their visual beauty, but also provides technical drawings to reflect the design in better detail. The Japanese courtyard pursues the ultimate in being an area of calm, held in nature's embrace, where one may reflect and rest in quietude to contemplate the deeper meaning of life. And every rock arrangement, tree placement, element/nature symbolised, and even scenery framed is meticulously thought out to achieve this. This book seeks to inspire residential and landscape designers to behold nature within a home with fresh eyes and to let rest old methods as new connections and perceptions are sought, in order to build a different kind of residential space that draws on the essence of a Japanese courtyard.

William Robinson's revolutionary book, "The Wild Garden, " envisioned an authentically naturalistic approach to gardening that is more vital today than ever before. First published in 1870, "The Wild Garden" evolved through many editions and remained in print through the remainder of the author's lifetime (1838 1935). In the book, Robinson issued a forceful challenge to the prevailing style of the day, which relied upon tender plants arranged in rigidly geometrical designs. In sharp contrast, Robinson advocated for the use of hardy, locally adapted native and exotic plants arranged according to local growing conditions. Robinson's vision was inspired by his first-hand observations of natural habitats in Europe and North America, and he put his ideas into practice in his own garden at Gravetye Manor in West Sussex. "The Wild Garden" was ground-breaking and hugely influential in its day, and is stunningly relevant to twenty-first century gardeners and landscape stewards seeking to adopt sustainable design and management practices.
In addition to the complete original text and illustrations from the fifth edition of 1895, this expanded edition includes new chapters and 112 color photographs by award-winning photographer and landscape consultant Rick Darke. His new material places wild gardening in modern context, underscoring Robinson's importance in the evolution of ecological design and illustrating an inspiring diversity of contemporary wild gardens.
The potent combination presented here makes this new edition of a timeless classic an essential resource for all who wish to know how we have arrived at our present understanding of gardens and what opportunities lie ahead. As will be immediately clear to anyone who leafs through this book, Robinson's urgent message continues to resonate.
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A handy, accessible guide to creating your own paradise plot where you can forage throughout the year Anna Locke condenses years of hands-on experience to walk you through the skills and techniques you need to design and plant a delicious, useful, and thriving garden in town or country that is also a haven for wildlife as well as for humans. She encourages us to see our gardens as part of a bigger, local food strategy that can help to generate abundance, health and resilience. This book provides: An overview of organic gardening techniques-great for the beginner A basic, accessible guide to designing your garden Insights into how to plant guilds and choose what is right for your space Valuable information on how 'weeds' can become harvests A choice of nutritious, seasonal plants for any sized plot Techniques to grow maximum food with minimal work Practices that reconnect you with Nature and enhance well-being Money saving tips to make a forager's garden available to anyone! The Forager's Garden demonstrates one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways possible to grow and harvest food.

A journal with a perpetual diary, a manual of gardening to inform and inspire, packed with illustrations and an introduction by Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School Three quarters Charles's advice on how to grow great crops, one quarter writing space for each day. Use it year after year to make the best decisions, with your notes alongside Charles's suggestions, for future reference. Advice in the diary section is linked to each week of the season and takes you through the whole process, from clearing weeds, feeding soil and sowing to harvests and storing vegetables. * Advice on sowing and planting methods, plus raising plants at home * Best sowing dates - seeds neither fail in cold nor start too late * Advantages of no dig, saving time, giving fewer weeds and bigger crops * How to maintain control of weeds through timely mulching and hoeing * How to feed soil just once a year, for strong and healthy growth * When and how to make all the harvests, with advice on storing produce too.

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer was a pioneer of biodynamics in North America. This short but comprehensive book is a collection of three key articles introducing the concepts, principles and practice of the biodynamic method, as well as an overview of its early history. The book also includes a short biography of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer by Herbert H. Koepf.

Each title in this new do-it-yourself series presents over 20 projects to complete with clear, step-by-step color photographs throughout. Each book includes an easily-accessible materials list for each project as well as all necessary stencils, patterns and templates. Whether you decide to decorate an entire house or garden, or simply want to make a thoughtful hand-made gift, the In A Weekend Series has all the ideas you need.Look inside for a host of creative ideas for making planters and window boxes from scratch, as well as transforming and reviving articles from around the home.

Federal Twist is set on a ridge above the Delaware River in western New Jersey, USA. It is a naturalistic garden that has loose boundaries and integrates closely with the natural world that surrounds it. It has no utilitarian or leisure uses (no play areas, swimming pools or outdoor dining) and the site is not an obvious choice for a garden (heavy clay soil, poorly drained: quick death for any plants not ecologically suited to it). The physical garden, its plants and its features, is of course an appealing and pleasant place to be but Federal Twist's real charm and significance lie in its intangible aspects: its changing qualities and views, the moods and emotions it evokes, and its distinctive character and sense of place. Monty Don commented after his visit, "it made me rethink what a garden can be and do." This book charts the author's journey in making such a garden. How he made a conscious decision not to "improve the land", planted large, competitive plants into rough grass, experimented with seeding to develop sustainable plant communities. And how he worked with light to provoke certain moods and allowed the energy of the place, chance and randomness to have its say. Part experimental horticulturist and part philosopher, James Golden has written an important book for naturalistic and ecological gardeners and anyone interested in exploring the relationship between gardens, nature and ourselves.

Grow your own beautiful multilayered food forest in your own backyard. Pippa Chapman is an RHS trained gardener who designs, plants and maintains abundant, biodiverse, edible and beautiful forest gardens. Here she shares her practical tips for realistically transforming your own plot, whatever its size, and with limited time, money and resources. A forest garden doesn't have to be big; you can grow a productive edible paradise in pots and containers too. Pippa explains how to create multiple layers on a small-scale to maximise your growing area, using polycultures and guilds for healthy, low-maintenance food. She shares how to use perennials for structure and for year-round food, and how to incorporate flowers for beauty, wildlife and for the kitchen. Chapters on permaculture design and forest gardening give practical advice on how to plan and plant your own garden, with guilds and plant profiles to give real-life examples to help you get started. Useful tips on propagation and seed saving help keep plant costs low and a handy chapter on the soil-food web will help you understand your own soil and how to keep it healthy.

Ecological Golf Course Management is the most comprehensive work ever done on ecological turf management. It's a must-have for any golf course superintendent, sports field manager, or turf professional interested in reducing or eliminating chemical pesticide use.
Ecological Golf Course Management focuses on managing the health and welfare of all soil organisms from a single-celled bacterium to fully developed turf plants and connects the reader to the important and relevant interactions between them. It points out ways to exploit natural plant defense systems that have been largely ignored and to engage many of the powerful allies that live above and below ground.
Ecological Golf Course Management explores in detail the many aspects of:
* Biological and botanical pest control
* Plant stress management
* Compost production and use
* Natural disease suppressants
* Biological fertility management
* Soil, leaf tissue, and water analysis
* The ecological impact of conventional pesticides and cultural practices

An exploration of how plant behavior and adaptation offer valuable insights for human thriving. We know that plants are important. They maintain the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They nourish other living organisms and supply psychological benefits to humans as well, improving our moods and beautifying the landscape around us. But plants don't just passively provide. They also take action. Beronda L. Montgomery explores the vigorous, creative lives of organisms often treated as static and predictable. In fact, plants are masters of adaptation. They "know" what and who they are, and they use this knowledge to make a way in the world. Plants experience a kind of sensation that does not require eyes or ears. They distinguish kin, friend, and foe, and they are able to respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity of fight-or-flight. Plants are even capable of transformative behaviors that allow them to maximize their chances of survival in a dynamic and sometimes unfriendly environment. Lessons from Plants enters into the depth of botanic experience and shows how we might improve human society by better appreciating not just what plants give us but also how they achieve their own purposes. What would it mean to learn from these organisms, to become more aware of our environments and to adapt to our own worlds by calling on perception and awareness? Montgomery's meditative study puts before us a question with the power to reframe the way we live: What would a plant do?