NEW EDITION 2018. Extend the life of your plants, trees and shrubs with this authoritative and comprehensive gardening manual. It covers all the standard propagation techniques including sowing seed; taking cuttings; dividing; growing suckers and offsets; layering; how to create extra bulbs, tubers and corms; and grafting two plants together. An A-Z directory lists all the key plants for propagating, describing each plant's size, colour and shape, and how and when to propagate them to get the best results. Plants propagate themselves naturally in the wild, using all kinds of ingenious techniques. This practical book explains the most effective techniques for propagating 375 different types of plants. The book begins with growing plants from seed, covering everything from lettuces and chillies to sunflowers and sweet peas. Next, there are instructions on taking cuttings from established plants to give you exact copies of the parent plant at minimal cost. Dividing plants, layering and grafting methods all follow and all are explained with step-by-step instructions and photographs. The directory of plants includes growing tips for each individual species.There is also advice about propagation equipment from secateurs and garden knives to bio-degradable pots and cold frames, as well as how to improve your soil and make compost. Beautifully illustrated with over 1100 clear and informative photographs and illustrations.

Bring butterflies back is a follow-up to the much acclaimed bring nature back to your garden by the same authors. It is unique in being the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information on all indigenous South African butterfly larval food-plants. The book emphasises the contribution people can make to nature by actually providing food for caterpillars, giving practical examples. It includes a chapter with the Latin and common names of all our approximately 670 butterfly species. There is an intriguing further chapter on bizarre butterfly lifestyles: few people know, for example, that some butterfly larvae are carnivorous and abuse the hospitality of ants which host them, by eating their unsuspecting offspring. Most useful are descriptions of over 500 plants selected by our butterflies themselves. All known indigenous larval food-plants are included.

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.

This is an exciting introduction to the global seed-swapping and grassroots gardening movement, exploring how we can rewild the world around us with beautiful wildflowers. As seedbombing and seed swapping become even more popular, passionate seed activist Josie Jeffrey presents an invaluable handbook to the practices, explaining how we can fill the world around us with beautiful wildflower blooms, as well as why we should care about our plant heritage. With an invaluable directory of all the best common seeds to save and swap, alongside essential seedbomb recipes to transform concrete oases into colourful wildlife havens, this timely handbook provides all the tools you need to start your very own green revolution. Endorsed by Kew, the Soil Association, Seedy Sunday UK, Dr Vandana Shiva, Satish Kumar and The Heritage Seed Library, these practices will transform any space into a riot of colour, and at the same time help enrich the environment around where they are growing. With essential husbandry and harvesting techniques and a step-by-step guide to creating your own seedbank, this is an empowering call-to-action every environmentalist or gardener will dig into.

Seasonal bakes and tips on growing your own produce by former The Great British Bake Off contestant, Michelle Evans-Fecci Former Bake Off contestant Michelle was known on the show for her flavoursome, colourful bakes and for championing seasonal, locally sourced and homegrown produce. Whether it's a simple loaf for breakfast or a striking showstopper cake for a celebration, she loves using seasonal food to create tasty recipes for the whole family to enjoy. The Seasonal Baker is a collection of recipes straight from Michelle's kitchen to yours - from quick-and-easy bakes to others that are a bit more challenging - with an emphasis on special events such as Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Inside you will find delicious, vibrant recipes such as: - Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding - Truffle, Rosemary and Garlic Focaccia - Smokey Pulled Pork Sausage Rolls - Butternut Squash, Feta, Maple and Pecan Cups - Vanilla, Rhubarb and Raspberry Celebration Cake Michelle grew up on a farm and learned from a young age how to grow vegetables and the basics of cooking and baking. She now lives in the beautiful seaside town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire with her husband Ben, their teenage son Alfie, little whippet Rosie, and two cheeky hens. As a family they love to be out in the garden where they grow a lot of the fruit, vegetables and herbs that Michelle uses in her everyday cooking. The book shows just how easy and rewarding it is to grow your own produce. As well as delicious bakes for all abilities, The Seasonal Baker contains hints and tips on ways of being thrifty with food. There is something for everyone, from what to plant, when to plant it and when to harvest - whether you have access to a plant pot, window box, balcony, raised bed or garden veg patch with intuitive, creative photos to help.

In Teaming with Microbes, Jeff Lowenfels revealed the fascinating facts around the soil food web, all the tiny organisms that live in soil and aid a plants growth. In Teaming with Nutrients, he explored how those organisms aid in the uptake of nutrients. And in Teaming with Fungi, he detailed the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi - the most important organism living in the soil. In his new book Teaming with Bacteria, Lowenfels digs into the new science behind how endophytic bacteria supply nutrients to a large array of plants and explains, in accessible language, how this information applies to home gardeners, small-scale farmers, and cannabis growers. Based on cutting-edge science that will help gardeners increase plant health and productivity, Teaming with Bacteria is a must-have addition to every organic gardener's library.

Everything you need to know about bonsai care, maintenance, design, and arrangement. With clear explanations of bonsai and what it is, these 101 easy-to-grasp tips have everything you need to get the results you want. Build knowledge and confidence with this must-have pocket guide, filled with the essentials you're looking for including pointers and advice on cultivating bonsai plants. Create a sense of balance and serenity in your home with these beautiful miniature trees and bring the ancient practice into the 21st century. Using a step-by-step approach, 101 Essential Tips: Bonsai explains design and style principles, which containers to use, how to cultivate a bonsai plant and more. Learn about the different suitable species, from Japanese red maple to Scots pine, find out how to prune, reshape with wiring, implement Saikei and rock planting, and develop a watering routine to keep your living art healthy. Whether you want to build on your basic skills or become an expert, 101 Essential Tips: Bonsai is right for you. This pocket guide is chock-full of information to guide you, inspire you, and give you the knowledge and confidence you're looking for.

If you want a vibrant, chemical-free vegetable garden, companion planting is the solution. Did you know tomatoes produce a natural insecticide that can help protect carrots against pests? Or that planting mint near lettuce can repel slugs? Every gardener knows that the key to an abundant harvest in their vegetable garden is controlling pests and disease, while still maintaining a healthy growing environment. But it is possible to have a healthy, thriving vegetable garden without using dangerous chemicals? It is, as long as you know how to pair up the right plants. Organic gardeners have known for years that planting the right plants together is the key to minimizing pests, improving soil quality, and increasing the yield of their gardens, and almost any vegetable you can grow likely has a beneficial companion. Companion planting is the ideal way to avoid using chemicals, while still increasing the efficiency of your garden. Expert organic gardener Brian Lowell will teach you how to use plants to create a beautiful, vibrant vegetable garden that will be free of toxic chemicals. Here's what you'll find inside: Handy companion planting pairings for all of the most common garden vegetables Practical, simple photography and colorful illustrations for dozens of beneficial planting configurations Expert advice from a master gardener that is specifically designed for beginners Loads of troubleshooting tips for fixing common issues with companion-planted gardens Tips for setting up the perfect vegetable garden, including practical advice on watering, soil management, troubleshooting, and more

This book brings together the best advice for cultivating fruit trees, berries and shrubs using biodynamic methods, with the aim of harvesting healthy fruit free of pesticides. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer discusses the principles of tree biology before describing the measures that can be taken to develop a pest-free orchard without the use of chemicals, including soil preparation, the selection of trees for planting, issues of transplanting and pruning, the application of pastes, green cover crops, and pest control. Michael Maltas ran fruit tree experiments on his biodynamic farm in Missouri for four years. The results are recorded in a highly practical annual spraying schedule for orchards, which is reproduced in this book. A month-by-month calendar gives information on specific methods and controls, based on Maltas's extensive experience. This is an invaluable book with practical advice on all aspects of planning and maintaining a healthy orchard. This is a thoroughly revised and updated combined edition of 'Biodynamic Treatment of Fruit Trees, Berries and Shrubs' by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer and 'Orchard Pest Management and Spray Schedule' by Michael Maltas. Published in association with the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association of North America.

In this beautifully illustrated guide, best-selling author Sally Coulthard demonstrates how to transform your living and working spaces into places that put you in touch with nature. Eight inspiring chapters cover key elements for the 'biophilic home', including materials, views, colour and natural light. Each section explores the links between home, health and happiness, drawing on environmental research and neuroscience while making practical suggestions for bringing the natural world into your home. Bring nature indoors with flowers and plants, rediscover the innate pleasure of real fires and fresh air, and learn how to improve your mood and sleep patterns with dynamic light. Create a space filled with natural elements, patterns, nature's colours, fabrics and textures that lift your mood; find out why natural sounds and water are soothing; and learn how to make small changes that will inspire, invigorate and enrich your relationship with the natural world. 'As best-selling author and designer, Sally Coulthard, reveals in this guide, creating a 'biophilic home' can have a huge impact on your wellbeing; improving your mood and encouraging healthier sleep patterns...Be it plants, materials, colour or light, it's enlightening to see how small changes can make a big difference, while deepening your respect and correlation to the natural world.' FORBES Magazine 'How to embrace the natural world by transforming your interior spaces with specific materials, colours, views and sounds.' Gardens Illustrated 'Humans are mammals, programmed over millennia to respond to the natural world. We may be able to live and work in man-made environments most of the time. But according to a new movement of "biophilic" designers and enthusiasts, we are not thriving...writer Sally Coulthard likens it to the practice of keeping animals in captivity, in surroundings ill-suited to their needs. "We live in a world that is fundamentally mismatched to our evolutionary adaptation - we don't see, hear and feel the things that we are programmed to respond to," she writes.' Financial Times 'In this beautifully illustrated hardback, Coulthard explores the many benefits of biophilic design, drawing on environmental and neuroscientific research to uncover the links between home, health and happiness. A fascinating and uplifting read that looks at the science behind feel good furnishings.' The Independent 'Never before has the need been greater for being more connected with the natural world, as more and more of us spend longer periods in our own homes. Divided into eight chapters covering key elements for the 'biophilic home', including materials, views, colour and natural light, the book explores the links between home, health and happiness. Drawing on environmental research and neuroscience, Sally makes practical suggestions for bringing the natural world into our homes, positively impacting cognitive function, psychological health and general well-being.' The Lifestyle Editor '...bestselling author Sally Coulthard picks out...the easiest ways we can bring nature indoors' Town and Country House magazine '[Sally] recounts how biophilia, the idea that humans are viscerally wired to feel a communion with the natural world, has shifted from a hypothesis espoused by the biologist Edward O. Wilson and others to the emergence of urban beekeeping, increasingly diverse city gardens and wild ideas for residences and workplaces.' New York Times 'an excellent book' 50 Plus Magazine 'Sally Coulthard's new book 'Biophilia', explains how important the colours of the natural world are for decorating' Esquire Magazine 'Biophilia, a new book by Yorkshire author Sally Coulthard, reveals how staying close to nature will make you healthier and happier.' Yorkshire Post 'Coulthard explores ways to harmonize home and the natural word. She covers proper lighting, temperature, and airflow; decorating with natural materials; beneficial colors and patterns, and more.' Publishers Weekly 'Probably the most beautifully produced book I've read for many a year, with such fabulously written text, I have to say it is such a delight to read, you feel like you are holding nature in your hands. Each page brings with it something inspiring, from colour, to light, to sound, to choosing materials, temperature, views, spaces, water and more.' Argenta Wellness 'Our senses are wired to seek out the natural world. In author and designer Sally Coulthard's exploration of organic and natural design, she breaks down how homes can be designed to tap into our fundamental attraction to the outdoors. In addition to techniques that can improve our wellness, Coulthard's advice can also make interiors feel more like home even as they bring nature inside.' LX Collection 'A beautifully illustrated book packed with ideas for bringing the outside inside to your home or workplace.' Spirituality and Practice 'North Yorkshire writer Sally Coulthard is your guide to green living in her new book' Great British Life

Making a garden that can withstand summer drought without being watered is the dream of many who wish to garden in harmony with the environment. In this classic work on gardening in dry climates, first published in 2008, Olivier Filippi offers practical advice to achieve this goal based on his, and his wife Clara's, experience of working with mediterranean-region plants for over 30 years. The first part of the book examines the behaviour of plants that face drought in their natural habitat. What is drought and how do plants manage to survive when little water is available? The second part is concerned with gardening techniques in a dry climate. How do you prepare the soil, when do you plant, how do you maintain a dry garden? The third and longest part describes in detail no less than 500 rewarding plants that are marvellously well adapted to dry gardens. This book is essential reading for gardeners who live in one of the world's mediterranean climate zones and will also be of interest to gardeners in areas where drought is becoming a recurring problem. Armed with a new palette of plants and liberated from the hose and the sprinkler this book invites you on a pioneering adventure that paves the way to a new style of gardening.

For everyone from beginners to masters, the one essential book to growing, grooming, and caring for your bonsai tree.
Bonsai is the ancient craft of carefully regulating the growth and shape of trees in order to produce miniature versions of mature trees. Dating back over one thousand years to ancient Japan, bonsai trees are some of the most beautiful and meticulously looked-after plants in the world, and in recent years bonsai have exploded in popularity in the Western world.
"Bonsai," written by world-renowned bonsai expert Peter Chan, is the essential compendium for anyone interested in trying out bonsai for the first time or adding more bonsai to their existing collections, detailing everything you need to know about buying and maintaining a magnificent bonsai tree, including:
- How to pick the right bonsai for you
- Tools and supplies to ensure your bonsai prospers
- How to shape your bonsai into different styles
- How different pots affect the growth of your bonsai
- And much more
With hundreds of color photographs and easy-to-read directions and explanations on a variety of subjects, "Bonsai" is the only book you'll ever need to successfully start and maintain your own beautiful bonsai tree collection.

This is a complete guide to growing and cooking perfect natural produce, with over 150 step-by-step recipes. It deals with growing and cooking food the natural way, with chemical-free gardening and delicious organic recipes. It is packed with practical advice to help you achieve outstanding results in all aspects of designing and maintaining an organic garden. It provides advice on soil, aspect, sowing, aftercare, natural ways to deal with pests and diseases, harvesting and storage.

Legendary gardener and plantswoman Beth Chatto describes how she transformed a piece of wasteland into a lush and blooming garden in this beautiful book, filled with helpful tips and practical advice. The story of how Beth Chatto created her gravel garden on 'possibly the driest, and the most windswept, piece of soil in England' has a message of hope for gardeners everywhere. At the outset she promised herself: 'This garden was not to be irrigated in times of drought. Once established the plants must fend for themselves or die.' The results, eloquently described by the author and beautifully portrayed in Steven Wooster's specially commissioned photographs taken through the seasons, testify to the triumphant outcome of the adventure. Showing how her principles can be applied on any scale, this book is an essential read for any gardener facing water shortages and poor soil. Rich with hard-won tips and expressed in Beth Chatto's matchless style, this is a gardening classic.

Take an inspirational journey through the seasons with this beautifully illustrated RHS children's almanac. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this stunning book is perfect for inspiring a love of nature. Watch the seasons unfold as you leaf through this gorgeously illustrated almanac. With stunning illustrations, each page introduces a magical moment in nature with enchanting poetry and stories. Meanwhile, gardening spreads, recipes, outdoor activities and fascinating nature facts help you discover more about the wonderful world around you, from amazing animal migrations to a close-up view of the animal world beneath the soil. The perfect gift to treasure, with sumptuous shiny foil finishes on the cover Stunning illustrations and nature poems and stories take you on a wonderful journey through nature This amazing book will inspire children and (grown-ups!) The perfect book to help you connect with nature.

Gardening for Everyone is a sustainable guide to growing vegetables in five simple steps: planning, building, planting, tending and harvesting. With the same wisdom and stunning aesthetic as Simply Living Well, Julia's beautiful new book is a guide to creating and growing a garden simply and sustainably with profiles of essential vegetables and herbs, ecological tips, and fun and creative projects. Growing food in your backyard (or even on a porch or windowsill!) is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to nourish yourself, be self-sufficient and connect with nature in a hands-on way. Here sustainability expert Julia Watkins shares everything you need to know to grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs, as well as wildflowers and other beneficial companion plants. The book covers all the nuts and bolts of creating and caring for your garden - planning, building, planting, tending and harvesting - followed by a deeper dive into the plants themselves: demystifying annuals vs. perennials, cold-weather vs. warm-weather veggies, and profiles of favorite crops. Throughout, Julia offers tips for creating an eco-friendly and sustainable garden (such as vermicomposting, no-till 'lasagna' gardening, and attracting pollinators), plus some fun and unexpected hands-on projects like how to build a bean teepee, make wildflower seed paper, and enjoy refreshing herbal lemonade ice pops.