Proven Winners is America's #1 plant brand. They search the world to bring gardeners the healthiest and most beautiful annuals, perennials, and shrubs. And now they bring their expert plant knowledge and creative design ideas to their first book, The Proven WinnersGarden Book. This definitive guide starts with lessons on how to prepare a space, tips on choosing the right design, and a primer on buying the right plants. Twelve garden plans are included that provide home owners with simple design ideas for a welcoming entryway, a garden that attracts birds and butterflies, a fragrant flower garden, and more. There are an additional 25 container recipes that add colour and curb appeal to gardens of all sizes. The Proven Winners Garden Book is an essential resource for anyone new to gardening and everyone looking for trusted advice.

A comprehensive, single source of information on the plants and animals that live alongside us. This updated edition features new material on climate change, recycling and wild spaces in gardens. This friendly handbook is full of practical advice on attracting wildlife to your garden and encouraging creatures to stick around. A helpful introductory section includes expert tips on green gardening, seasonal planting, how to deal with garden predators and how to get children involved in gardening. A DIY chapter, with a step-by-step guide on creating projects for your garden - from building nest, bat and hedgehog boxes to making your own pond - is also included. From foxes to finches and from lizards to ladybirds, colour photographs illustrate almost 400 garden species, including mammals, birds, insects, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, flowers, trees, shrubs and fungi, while the comprehensive text explains everything you need to cultivate a haven for nature.

"By harnessing the power of plants to grow more plants, my garden - which at the outset was always intended to be organic - quietly became vegan by stealth. Realising I had crafted a vibrant, nature-filled and no-dig garden from scratch, and was able to sustain it without lifting a forkful of manure, or any of the other grisly by-products (dried blood, bonemeal) of the animal-exploiting meat, dairy, poultry and fishery industries, filled me with an unexpected buzz. That same buzz has taken my growing, as well as my thinking about how what I do in my garden affects our natural world, way beyond just organic gardening. My vegan-organic gardening journey delights and surprises and teaches me something new each day, and I know of no better way to bring beauty and abundance into our beleaguered, changing world." Our natural living world is undergoing profound change, with implications for every living thing on earth. To meet this challenge we must rethink many aspects of our everyday lives, including the way in which we cultivate our gardens. This book explains a mindful, gentle, yet powerful way of gardening that is in harmony with nature. Vegan gardening builds on the spirit and philosophy of organic gardening - but goes way beyond it. We discover how our garden (or backyard) is actually a living, dynamic ecosystem in its own right, and how wildlife, in all its guises, is crucial to creating a healthy ecological balance. Climate-friendly gardening is explored with examples of how to take practical steps to reduce our 'gardening footprint'. Peat composts deplete the world of non-renewable resources, but there are effective (and easy) alternatives and solutions for flourishing plants. Pests only need to be contained, not killed - and beneficial wildlife can be encouraged.The no-dig approach is better for the soil and the plants - as well as your back! The concept of a vegan-organic, closed-loop garden, self-sufficient in everything it needs - from soil-building compost to plant supports - is shown in action.

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!

Merlin, Gandalf, Voldemort--these well-known sorcerers from popular culture are famed for their amazing spells and spectacular magical powers. In ancient times, however, a wizard was actually a freelance intellectual whose main stock in trade was good advice, supported by a thorough education in agriculture, navigation, political and military science, languages, commerce, mathematics, medicine, and the natural sciences--in essence, the true Renaissance man.

John Michael Greer proposes a modern mage for uncertain times; one who possesses a startling array of practical skills gleaned from the appropriate tech and organic gardening movements forged in the energy crisis of the 1970s. From the basic concepts of ecology to a plethora of practical techniques such as composting, green manure, low-tech food preservation and storage, small-scale chicken and rabbit raising, solar water heating, alternative energy sources, and more, "Green Wizardry" is a comprehensive manual for today's wizard-in-training.

Providing a solid practical introduction to the entire appropriate tech toolkit, this book is a must-read for anyone concerned about decreasing our dependence on an overloaded industrial system and, in a world of serious energy shortages and economic troubles, making life a great deal less traumatic and more livable.

John Michael Greer is a scholar of ecological history and an internationally renowned Peak Oil theorist whose blog "The Archdruid Report" has become one of the most widely cited online resources dealing with the future of industrial society. He is the author of more than thirty books, including "The Wealth of Nature" and "The Long Descent."

Written by one of Japan's foremost experts, The Ultimate Bonsai Handbook provides a complete overview of every aspect of bonsai gardening. Over 1,000 photos demonstrate each step involved in raising and caring for 70 types of bonsai, supporting the book's "learn by imitation and observation" approach. This detailed book will serve as a timeless reference to cultivating pines, maples, flowering and fruit bearing trees and many other varieties. This practical, comprehensive bonsai guide includes information about: Types of bonsai and how to choose them Basic tree shapes and how to display them Tools, soils, and containers Transplanting, root trimming, watering and fertilizing Propagation, pruning, wiring and support And much more!

Plant is a stylish, practical, modern guide to the world of house plants by the Guardian houseplant columnist, Gynelle Leon. House plants can change a home in an instant. A flash of colour, a calming influence, they are adaptable, affordable and - if you know how - easy to care for. In Plant, horticultural expert and author of Prick, Gynelle Leon, gives you all the knowledge you need to help your plants thrive. Featuring: - A plant gallery showcasing some of the very best house plants - A chapter of styling ideas to inspire you to show your plants and their best - A care guide with all you need to know to help your plants thrive

First published in 1977, this book--from one of America's most famous and prolific agricultural writers--became an almost instant classic among homestead gardeners and small farmers. Now fully updated and available once more, Small-Scale Grain Raising offers a entirely new generation of readers the best introduction to a wide range of both common and lesser-known specialty grains and related field crops, from corn, wheat, and rye to buckwheat, millet, rice, spelt, flax, and even beans and sunflowers.

More and more Americans are seeking out locally grown foods, yet one of the real stumbling blocks to their efforts has been finding local sources for grains, which are grown mainly on large, distant corporate farms. At the same time, commodity prices for grains--and the products made from them--have skyrocketed due to rising energy costs and increased demand. In this book, Gene Logsdon proves that anyone who has access to a large garden or small farm can (and should) think outside the agribusiness box and learn to grow healthy whole grains or beans--the base of our culinary food pyramid--alongside their fruits and vegetables.

Starting from the simple but revolutionary concept of the garden "pancake patch," Logsdon opens up our eyes to a whole world of plants that we wrongly assume only the agricultural "big boys" can grow. He succinctly covers all the basics, from planting and dealing with pests, weeds, and diseases to harvesting, processing, storing, and using whole grains. There are even a few recipes sprinkled throughout, along with more than a little wit and wisdom.

Never has there been a better time, or a more receptive audience, for this book. Localvores, serious home gardeners, CSA farmers, and whole-foods advocates--in fact, all people who value fresh, high-quality foods--will find a field full of information and ideas in this once and future classic.

This attractive, practical guide explains how to transform backyard gardens into living ecosystems that are not only enjoyable retreats for humans, but also thriving sanctuaries for wildlife. Beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs, this book provides easy-to-follow recommendations for providing food, cover, and water for birds, bees, butterflies, and other small animals. Emphasizing individual creativity over conventional design, Bauer asks us to consider the intricate relationships between plants and wildlife and our changing role as steward, rather than manipulator, of these relationships.
In an engaging narrative that endorses simple and inexpensive methods of wildlife habitat gardening, Nancy Bauer discusses practices such as recycling plant waste on site, using permeable pathways, growing regionally appropriate plants, and avoiding chemical fertilizers and insecticides. She suggests ways of attracting pollinators through planting choices and offers ideas for building water sources and shelters for wildlife. A plant resource guide, tips for propagating plants, seasonal plants for hummingbirds, and host plants for butterflies round out "The California Wildlife Habitat Garden," making it an indispensable primer for those about to embark on creating their own biologically diverse, environmentally friendly garden.

Twenty years ago, Dan Pearson was invited to make a garden at the 240-hectare Tokachi Millennium Forest in Hokkaido, Japan. Part of the intention was to entice city dwellers to reconnect with nature and improve land that had been lost to intensive agriculture and this was achieved along with much more. By tuning into the physical and cultural essence of the place and applying a light touch in terms of cultivation, this world-class designer created a remarkable place which has its heart in Japan's long-held respect for nature and its head in contemporary ecological planting design. The bold, uplifting sweep of the Meadow Garden mixes garden plants with natives while the undulating landforms of the Earth Garden bring sculptural connection with the mountains beyond. Under the skilful custodianship of Midori Shintani, the garden has evolved beautifully to reflect principles that lie at the heart of Japanese culture: observation of seasonal changes, practical tasks carried out with care and an awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things. This beautiful, instructive book allows us all to experience something of the Tokachi effect, gain expert insights into how to plant gardens that feel right for their location, and reconnect with the land and wildlife that surround us.

This step-by-step guide will answer all of your questions about how to create beautiful gardens designed to welcome beneficial pollinators across the South. Combining up-to-date scientific information with artful design strategies, Danesha Seth Carley and Anne M. Spafford teach gardeners of all levels to plan, plant, and maintain successful pollinator gardens at home and in shared community sites. Everyday gardeners, along with farmers, scientists, and policy makers, share serious concerns about ongoing declines in pollinator populations, and here Spafford and Carley deliver great news: every thoughtfully designed garden, no matter how small, can play a huge role in providing the habitat, nourishment, and nesting places so needed by pollinators. This book explains all you need to be a pollinator champion. Covers USDA hardiness zones 6, 7, 8, and 9, including twelve southern states; Explains what makes pollinators happy-bees, for sure, and many others, great and small; Brings science and art together in gardens of all types, including urban, food, container, community, school, and large-scale gardens; Provides step-by-step instructions, from choosing locations, preparing soil and garden beds, selecting the best plants, designing, landscaping, and sustaining your garden through the seasons, and much more; Richly illustrated with photographs, design plans, and handy charts and lists.

For anyone already practicing, or turning to, biodynamic gardening and farming methods, numerous detailed questions arise, such as: * How do you make and use the key preparations, such as horn manure and horn silica? * How do you develop living, fertile soil? * Which treatments are best for controlling weeds, pests and disease? This manual, fully illustrated with explanatory diagrams and photographs, provides the answers. The book covers * all aspects of making and using biodynamic preparations and composts * managing the health of plants * controlling weeds and pests * working with cosmic rhythms * combatting common diseases such as mildew * working with seeds, pastes and root dips * care of fruit trees and vines This second edition also has extensive new chapters on large-scale farming, including livestock and cereal cultivation, and vegetable farming. The whole book has also been completely revised and updated. Although the technical aspects of biodynamic growing are exhaustively covered, the author also considers the human qualities necessary for this kind of agriculture to succeed. This is an invaluable guide for all biodynamic growers to have to hand daily.

Consumer interest in tea has grown rapidly in recent years and continues to climb. Worldwide there are 25,000 cups of tea consumed every second - more than billion cups per day! For tea drinkers interested in the freshest flavour, growing the leaves at home is the ideal solution. Lucky for them, tea is not an exotic, hard-to-grow crop - it can be successfully grown anywhere that camellias can be grown. In Grow Your Own Tea, readers will learn how to cultivate, harvest, and process this venerable crop. Parks and Wolcott share details on how to get started; describe cultivation, long-term maintenance, and harvesting; show how to grow tea plants in containers; and describe how to process and store harvested tea leaves. Grow Your Own Tea includes information on how to produce white, green, oolong, and black teas.

In one affordable polytunnel, kitchen-garden guru Joyce Russell shows you how to grow vegetables easily, organically and abundantly so that you have something to eat every month of the year. Whether you are a beginner or more experienced, this comprehensive, practical, month-by-month guide to polytunnel gardening has got everything you need, telling you exactly what to do and when to do it, in order to grow the best fruit and vegetables all-year-round. From preparing the site to making a hotbed, from composts and organic feeds to identifying and coping with pests, plus information on how to get the best from each crop and month-to-month planting plans for year-round growing, The Polytunnel Book provides a wealth of practical tips and techniques as well as celebrating what can be achieved. Illustrated with 300 stunning colour photographs, this practical guide to polytunnels hand guides you through each month of the year, ensuring the best results all year round.