Bonsai, the art of growing a tree in miniature, has fascinated and captured the imaginations of people worldwide for hundreds of years. This book will show you how to establish a collection, from first tree acquisitions to quickly creating your own bonsai from ordinary garden material. Step-by-step demonstrations, real examples and helpful advice then ensure you can develop and refine your trees in line with your aspirations. Key coverage includes: both indoor and outdoor bonsai; the best equipment and materials to use; the established bonsai styles and the different approaches required for various tree species; detailed advice on how to keep your tree strong and healthy; guidance on watering, positioning, feeding, pests and problems and an analysis of roots and the process of repotting. There are separate detailed chapters on trunks, branches and twigs with guidance on design considerations; practical styling techniques; bonsai aesthetics, including sources of inspiration, tree styling and pot choice, and finally, detailed case studies, spanning many years, documenting the development of a range of trees.

"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.

Grow up! If you have limited outdoor space and would like to grow your food, this practical illustrated guide will help you transform previously plant-free zones into thriving, beneficial and utterly beautiful food-growing areas. Using special containers, either bought or home-made, as well as conventional methods such as containers on a roof or growing plants up walls, you can grow a wide range of edible crops - and grab a salad for lunch without getting your feet wet. This book includes: * Creating edible roof gardens * Planning and growing crops on green roofs, including on sheds * Using a wide variety of containers, e.g. ladder allotments and growing frames, with details of how to make them * Making the most of wall boxes and hanging baskets * A directory of plants suitable for vertical growing - fruit, flowers and herbs as well as vegetables - with advice on how to cultivate them. Whether you have an apartment with just a wall, windowsill, balcony or small flat roof; a school with nothing but a tarmac playground; or just a paved courtyard in your community centre, this book will get you started on a new way of growing.

"Society does not generally expect its farmers to be visionaries." Perhaps not, but longtime Maine farmer and homesteader Will Bonsall does possess a unique clarity of vision that extends all the way from the finer points of soil fertility and seed saving to exploring how we can transform civilization and make our world a better, more resilient place. In Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening, Bonsall maintains that to achieve real wealth we first need to understand the economy of the land, to realize that things that might make sense economically don't always make sense ecologically, and vice versa. The marketplace distorts our values, and our modern dependence on petroleum in particular presents a serious barrier to creating a truly sustainable agriculture. For him the solution is, first and foremost, greater self-reliance, especially in the areas of food and energy. By avoiding any off-farm inputs (fertilizers, minerals, and animal manures), Bonsall has learned how to practice a purely veganic, or plant-based, agriculture-not from a strictly moralistic or philosophical perspective, but because it makes good business sense: spend less instead of making more. What this means in practical terms is that Bonsall draws upon the fertility of on-farm plant materials: compost, green manures, perennial grasses, and forest products like leaves and ramial wood chips. And he grows and harvests a diversity of crops from both cultivated and perennial plants: vegetables, grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and nuts-even uncommon but useful permaculture plants like groundnut (Apios). In a friendly, almost conversational way, Bonsall imparts a wealth of knowledge drawn from his more than forty years of farming experience. "My goal," he writes, "is not to feed the world, but to feed myself and let others feed themselves. If we all did that, it might be a good beginning."

With fans far and wide, cacti and succulents come in myriad shapes and sizes too. These firm favourites of Instagram influencers are perfect for adding greenery indoors, and can add structure and detail to outdoor spaces as well. Smaller plants are companions for 'generation rent', since they are easily moved from place to place. Generally low-maintenance, being 'plant mum' to one or two of these tiny plants often starts a life-long fascination, and an ever growing horde. The Little Book of Cacti and Succulents is an inspiring and indispensable guide to growing these fascinating plants. Detailed Plant Profiles are divided into sections according to style and shape, from beautiful trailing plants to intricately formed rosettes. At the beginning of the book, you'll find practical advice on getting started, caring for the plants through the year and how best to show your plants off. You can also discover how to grow your collection using various propagation techniques with step-by-step guidance. Cacti and succulents provide year-round interest for very little input, and caring for their fascinating forms is an enchanting hobby. Full of beautiful photography and sweet illustrations, The Little Book of Cacti and Succulents is an encouraging and down-to-earth guide to these weird and wonderful plants.

'Garden Book of the Year' - Garden Media Guild Awards 2022 The perfect gift for National Trust members this Christmas. Discover Britain's most beautiful and inspiring wild gardens, and how you can make your own. Winner 'Best Garden Book of the Year' Garden Media Guild Awards 2022 Despite our best efforts, and no matter how much we prune, tidy and shape our gardens, they are inherently wild. In fact, it is often the most unrestrained and untamed areas that add drama and romance. In this glorious celebration of exuberant, naturalistic planting, we take a walk on the wild side. Be transported to lush valleys and tropical jungles with exotic gardens shaped by Victorian plant hunters. Wander through beautiful bluebell woods, blossoming orchards and magical wildflower meadows, and explore prairie-style gardens inspired by North American grasslands. Discover special places influenced by natural landscapes, and sustainably managed spaces designed with wildlife in mind. You'll find out how wild play areas can help children to connect with nature and how immersing yourself in quiet woodland can immediately benefit your sense of well-being. A helpful guide also offers advice and tips on how to create and manage your own wildlife-friendly garden so that you can attract birds, bees, bats, bugs and many other wild and wonderful creatures.

Among the oldest plants on earth, mosses are a gardener's dream - they provide a lush backdrop in almost any setting and are easy to keep healthy with regular maintenance. In The Magical World of Moss Gardening, moss enthusiast Annie Martin shows you how to create a green and sustainable solution to that difficult shady spot in your garden.

Learn the Essentials of Creating Beautiful, Fire-Resistant Properties With wildfires getting more frequent and ferocious, approximately 120 million US citizens live with the threat of being overrun. Are you one of them? If so, Firescaping helps you create a safer environment. This unique form of landscaping design keeps your property healthy, clean, and clear. Land management expert Douglas Kent shares decades of experience working in many of the nation's most flammable areas. Get the information needed to determine your property's degree of fire risk. Learn effective design strategies for your home and landscape, as well as key characteristics that make your property more accessible to firefighters. With checklists, simple instructions, and tips that truly work, this practical, hands-on guide is a valuable resource for homeowners, business owners, landscape professionals, and fire protection agencies. If you live in an area at risk, this book can help to prepare you and give you peace of mind.

A Bucket List Tour of Europe's Private Gardens. Acres of white-blooming garden rooms on the island of Mallorca. A seven-tiered wonder of stone, plants, and water above Germany's Rhine River. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation in a quiet Scottish valley. These sumptuous landscapes are just three of the fifty destinations you'll visit on this exclusive tour of Europe's most beautiful private gardens. From Belgium to Ireland, Scandinavia to Wales, Carolyn Mullet is your guide through intimate retreats normally off-limits to visitors. Short profiles introduce the intriguing owners and rich histories of each garden and the land they inhabit. Among the featured gardens are works of eminent designers such as Tom Stuart-Smith, Andy Melengier, and Louis Benech. Whether you love exploring faraway places or creating your own landscape haven at home, Adventures in Eden is the ideal armchair getaway - glimpses into personal garden artistry that are sure to spark inspiration.

Plants for Small Spaces provides practical i nformation on how to make the best use of any available spac e in a whole range of situations, from wall tops to steps, w indowsills to narrow alleys. '

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.

Any backyard has the potential to refresh and inspire if you know what to do. Jan Johnsen's new book, Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces, will delight all garden lovers with over 130 lushly illustrated landscape design and planting suggestions. Ms. Johnsen is an admired designer and popular speaker whose hands-on approach to "co-creating with nature" will have you saying, "I can do that!' This info-packed, sumptuous book offers individual tips for enhancing any size landscape using 'real world' solutions. The suggestions are grouped into five categories that include Garden Design and Artful Accents, Walls, Patios, and Steps and Plants and Planting, among others. Whether you are an experienced gardener or a landscaping novice, Gardentopia will inspire you with tips such as 'Soften a Corner", "Paint it Black", and "Hide and Reveal".

Many people want to grow fruit on a small scale but lack the insight to be successful orchardists. Growing tree fruits and berries is something virtually anyone with space and passionate desire can do - given wise guidance and a personal commitment to observe the teachings of the trees. A holistic grower knows that producing fruit is not about manipulating nature but more importantly, fostering nature. Orcharding then becomes a fascinating adventure sure to provide your family with all sorts of mouth-watering fruit.

The Holistic Orchard demystifies the basic skills everybody should know about the inner-workings of the orchard ecosystem, as well as orchard design, soil biology, and organic health management. Detailed insights on grafting, planting, pruning, and choosing the right varieties for your climate are also included, along with a step-by-step instructional calendar to guide growers through the entire orchard year. The extensive profiles of pome fruits (apples, pears, asian pears, quinces), stone fruits (cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums), and berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants, and elderberries) will quickly have you savoring the prospects.

Phillips completely changed the conversation about healthy orcharding with his first bestselling book, The Apple Grower, and now he takes that dialogue even further, drawing connections between home orcharding and permaculture; the importance of native pollinators; the world of understory plantings with shade-tolerant berry bushes and other insectary plants; detailed information on cover crops and biodiversity; and the newest research on safe, homegrown solutions to pest and disease challenges.

All along the way, Phillips' expertise and enthusiasm for healthy growing shines through, as does his ability to put the usual horticultural facts into an integrated ecology perspective. This book will inspire beginners as well as provide deeper answers for experienced fruit growers looking for scientific organic approaches. Exciting times lie ahead for those who now have every reason in the world to confidently plant that very first fruit tree

'A remarkable book from one of our greatest plant experts' DAILY TELEGRAPH With a new introduction by Monty Don In revealing what worked in her own garden, Beth Chatto passes on a wealth of advice gleaned from her personal experience. She provides detailed - and accessible - ideas on garden management, plans for every type of soil and situation, nearly twenty specially tailored lists to help with planting in various conditions, and descriptions of over a thousand suitable plants for making the most of damp ground.

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.

'The most romantic, creative person in garden design I know.' Piet Oudolf 'Jinny's genius is to marry a beautiful vision to an extraordinary empathy with the landscape into which that vision will fit, resulting in a pastoral harmony second to none' Victoria, Lady Getty Prolific designer Jinny Blom embraces a wide variety of styles, from large garden spaces to formal walled gardensand contemporary installations. What defines her work is her skill with plants and her ability to create a garden that responds to the history of the site and the wider landscape. The gardens Jinny creates are as different as their owners and their locations. In this book, Jinny shares her insight into the creative process she has developed while designing more than 250 gardens around the world. The Thoughtful Gardener contains modern takes on traditional forms, and is split into six sections: seeing, understanding, structuring, harmonising, rooting, and liberating. All of Jinny's gardens share a commitment to beautiful craftsmanship and considered planting. Structure and detail are important, and receive close attention. The styles vary considerably - logical, calm, beautiful, romantic, naturalistic, formal, sometimes spare - but the principles remain firm. Jinny designs for the long term, with consideration for the environment; these gardens are built to last. Reflecting Jinny's highly individual character, there is plenty of wit and quirkiness alongside the expert knowledge, and it will appeal to the widest audience of garden lovers. Thoughtful and beautiful, yet practical and informative, this book marries artistry with functionality.

Discover the wonderful diversity of herbs in this comprehensive guide for the organic grower. The amazing range of colours, size, textures and perfumes make growing herbs an infinitely rewarding experience. Perfect for the organic gardener, herbs attract beneficial insects and wildlife and are often tough and resilient to pests and disease. Practical advice on planning an herb garden, propagating, planting, harvesting, drying and storing is included along with a handy calendar of jobs. The A-Z directory of herbs will inspire planting ideas and give background information of known culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses for each herb.

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.