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.

In the 1970s, in the region of the Landes, between Bayonne and Peyrehorade, on the banks of the Adour River, the photographer Jeannette Leroy and the art dealer Paul Haim created a sculpture garden around a modest farm, La Petite Escalere. With the help of the faithful gardener Gilbert Carty, amidst canals, bridges, paths made of railway ties, and many trees and flowers, they installed about 50 works, some of them monumental, by artists such as Rodin, Maillol, Niki de Saint Phalle, Zao Wou-Ki, Francoise Lacampagne, Cardenas, Mark Di Suvero, Leger, Matta, Zigor... Paul positioned the sculptures, and to help them vanish into the natural environment Jeannette would plant a shrub, a rosebush, dahlias, an oak, a maple, a gingko, a Caucasian walnut... "I don't want this garden to become ridiculous!" she said. Paul Haim has evoked the bewitching beauty of La Petite Escalere better than anyone else: "The nonchalant visitor will pass from the shade of Les Barthes to the brightness of the Moura, from the freshness of the fountains to the suffocating heat of the forest. Coming around a bush, he allows himselfto be surprised by an unusual presence. Immutable. ... Far from the agitations of the world, sinking into nothing-ness, watching the clouds go by, contemplating the places of joy." Text in English and French.

Open Miniscapes: Create your own terrarium and discover the creativity and fun of making your very own indoor garden encased in glass. Do you love the greener things in life but don't have the time or space for endless gardening? This is the book for you. Miniscapes has 16 projects covering four biomes (Desert, Forest, Carnivorous and Air plants), suitable for all skill levels. The book equips you with the knowledge you need about soil and rocks, moss, tools, propagation, choosing your plants and containers, and designing your tiny landscape. Between these covers is everything you need to create and maintain healthy, happy terrariums that are cheap to make and easy to maintain (you can even upcycle things you already have at home).

Reduce a garden's impact on both the environment and the wallet Organic Gardening For Dummies shows readers the way to ensure a healthy harvest from an environmentally friendly garden. It covers information on the newest and safest natural fertilizers and pest control methods, composting, cultivation without chemicals, and how to battle plant diseases. It also has information on updated equipment and resources. It helps the reader to plant organically year-round, using herbs, fruits, vegetables, lawn care, trees and shrubs, and flowers. Organic Gardening For Dummies show readers how to: Plan out the perfect organic garden Protect wildlife and help pollinators in a garden Grow a range of organic vegetables, fruits and flowers Manage pests in an eco-friendly way

'Breathtakingly beautiful' i 'Tender and wholehearted' Helen Jukes LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE INDEPENDENT, FINANCIAL TIMES, I and GARDENS ILLUSTRATED When she suddenly finds herself uprooted, heartbroken, grieving and living out of a suitcase in her late twenties, Alice Vincent begins planting seeds. She nurtures pot plants and vines on windowsills and draining boards, filling her many temporary London homes with green. As the months pass, and with each unfurling petal and budding leaf, she begins to come back to life. Mixing memoir, botanical history and biography, Rootbound examines how bringing a little bit of the outside in can help us find our feet in a world spinning far too fast.

Small home gardens are growing in popularity, and miniature terrariums are the easiest and least expensive indoor garden of all. The beautiful photos in this book show you how to add a whimsical touch of green to any space: at work, at home, in your dorm room even in your car! Terrarium gardening offers unlimited gardening possibilities, even when space is limited. Although terrariums have been around since Victorian times, Japanese garden design has perfected the art form with a modern and minimalist twist. The container gardening trend fits well with the small-space living concept refined in Japan and elsewhere. This terrarium gardening book, from the green division of Japan's Actus Interiors, features step-by-step instructions to guide you through each stage of the process: Choosing and Mixing soils Finding unusual containers Caring for plants Showing off the finished product! All the plants used in this book are easy to find, easy to grow, extremely low-maintenance, and can last for a long time. Not only does Miniature Terrariums show you how to choose plants, but how to find unique glass containers to put them in, which you can display anywhere, or give as a gift! This practical way to garden combines the arts of landscape design, Zen gardening, and home decoration but is manageable and accessible enough for anyone to enjoy!

Vegetable gardening is happening every-where in cities and suburbs, in farms and schools, in community gardens and at the White House. And it s happening in houses and apartments, on balconies and porches, and anywhere else people can find the space.

Small-Space Vegetable Gardens explains the basics of growing a bounty of edibles in a minimal amount of space. Andrea Bellamy, author of the award-winning blog Heavy Petal, shares all the knowledge she s gained from years of gardening small: how to find and assess a space, and how to plan and build a garden. Bellamy also highlights the top sixty edible plants and offers complete information on how to sow, grow, and harvest them.

This hardworking and enthusiastic guide teaches gardeners how to take advantage of the space they have whether it s a balcony, a patio, a plot in a community garden, or even a small yard to create the food garden of their dreams."

From building soil fertility to harvesting and storage, this book is a complete guide to biodynamic gardening, perfect for beginners and masters alike, but is much more than a basic manual. The author introduces us to the historical and cultural aspects of horticulture and its relevance today to restoring our relationship to nature.

Regenerative farmer Acadia Tucker proves it's possible to grow food without land. In this, her third easy-to-use gardening guide, Tucker describes how to cultivate bountiful container food gardens in pots, planters, and raised beds. Climate activist and farmer Acadia Tucker fell in love with container gardening after glimpsing its potential to produce food-lots of food. By applying select growing practices, and managing for square inches rather than square feet, she has come up with instructions for growing a small-scale farm on your patio, your stoop, or in your dining room. If what you want is a garden big enough to line a windowsill, she's got you covered there. Her book, loaded with helpful illustrations, includes: Profiles of 21 container-friendly crops Recipes for cultivating potted farms Tips on finding the right container Information on designing for small spaces-and making food gardens beautiful Guidance on how to raise crops in pots all year long Tucker also describes how to maximize the environmental impact of growing food in pots. She offers tips on attracting pollinators, shows how to build microbe-rich living soil, and explains ways to ditch harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Her goal is to make it easier for anyone with access to a patch of sun to grow food, no backyard required.

Cultivate a mindful new habit in 2023 with Be More Bonsai, and discover how the art of growing bonsai trees can lead to a happier, more mindful way of life Amid the chaos of modern life, the ancient art of tending to bonsai can bring calm and perspective. The central tenets of this beautiful, meditative practice teach us patience, focus, calmness, perspective, planning, mindfulness and many more traits that can help us in our busy, challenging everyday lives. This calming companion will guide you through: * Caring for your own bonsai tree * Applying the mindfulness of cultivating bonsai to everyday life * The ancient Eastern philosophy of tending to bonsai From the shedding of leaves representing the letting go of material possessions, to carefully tending to the bonsai roots just as we should our own core values, Be More Bonsai is filled with wisdom that you'll cherish every day. Through the pages of this unique book, drawing on thousands of years of wisdom, elegant philosophy and a simpler, ancient way of life, we can all learn to Be More Bonsai.

'Go on, have a flutter! Take a few tips from the new book by biologist Dave Goulson and it's a safe bet that beautiful butterflies will start gathering in your garden' Daily Mail From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Sting In The Tale comes this practical guide to creating a paradise for pollinators. There are twenty six different species of bumblebees to be found in the UK, of around 250 species worldwide. Bumblebees are among the most important of our insects; these superb pollinators ensure that wildflowers set seed and reappear each year, and that our vegetable and fruit crops give us bountiful harvests. With the decline in the populations of our wild bees, these beloved creatures need looking after more than ever. Gardening for Bumblebees shows you how you can provide a refuge for bumblebees to feed, breed and thrive. No matter how large or small your space is, Dave Goulson shows you how you can make a pollinator-friendly haven. In this book you will learn the best trees, shrubs and flowers for pollinators, how to create the perfect nest and breeding site, and the best ways to control pests. Gardening For Bumblebees will encourage and inspire gardeners and allotmenters alike to make their patch more bee friendly. Praise for Dave Goulson 'Ideal for filling the garden with a happy hum' Tiffany Daneff, Country Life 'Goulson reminds himself that he 'began studying bumblebees not because they are important pollinators but because they are fascinating, because they behave in interesting and mysterious ways, and because they are rather loveable' Hannah Rosefield, Literary Review

Composting is easy and fun, it saves you money and helps you grow lovely plants. More importantly, it is good for the environment, as it massively reduces the amount of noxious methane gas generated from burying food waste in landfill. It's great for the soil and a great way to learn about nature. Written by Nicky Scott, the author of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, this book shows you how to go about composting. Nicky is an activist who has been teaching composting for years. He explains why making compost is so important for healthy soil and the environment, how it works and how to make your own compost, in spaces big and small. He shows how different composting systems work including cold composting, wormeries, bokashi and hot boxes. He gives guidance on the most appropriate system for your site, whether you're composting in a garden or a kitchen. In How to Make and Use Compost, he explains: why making compost is so important for healthy soil and the environment how it works how to make your own compost in spaces big and small how different composting systems work the best system for your site, whether you're composting in a garden or a kitchen. The book features an A-Z guide to what you can and cannot compost, composting techniques, common problems and their solutions. A is for Activators (such as manures, nettles and coffee grounds), Additives, Alkalinity and Ant; C is for Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and Cardboard; O is for Odour and Oils (cooking oil can be composted in small quantities); and Z is for the excellent Zoo poo from the elephant or rhinoceros enclosures if you're lucky enough to have a zoo nearby! The book also describes how to compost food waste on a large scale, e.g. for hotels, restaurants or cafes. Composting cooked food needs more care as it is devoid of microbial life, but even large quantities can be safely composted through "continuous throughout" or "batch" systems, which Nicky explains in detail. Schools are also a rewarding place to start composting, as it enhances garden areas, reduces waste and gives children a great hands-on learning experience. Nicky advises on planning a school scheme, how to first reduce food waste and what to do with the many paper towels a school generates - everything to get a school scheme started. How to Make and Use Compost includes an extensive list of resources, including websites, organisations, books and where to buy equipment.

Millions of people are interested in natural and holistic health, yet many are missing out on the key ingredient: Nature itself! Rekindle your connection with the earth as you craft your own herbal medicine with 75 delicious recipes and powerful healing remedies. Herbalists Rosalee de la Foret and Emily Han expertly guide you through the benefits of two dozen of the most important and commonly found wild plants-many of which you can easily grow in your own garden, if foraging isn't right for you. Detailed illustrations and beautiful photography ensure that you won't make a plant-identification misstep as you learn how to tend and properly harvest the plant medicine growing right in your own neighborhood. After reading Wild Remedies, you'll never look at your backyard, a public park, or any green space in the same way again. Instead of "weeds," you'll see delicious foods like Dandelion Maple Syrup Cake, Nettle Frittata, and Chickweed Pesto. You will revel in nature's pharmacy as you make herbal oils, salves, teas, and many more powerful remedies in your own kitchen.

A little plant science grows a long way Plant Science for Gardeners empowers growers to analyze common problems, find solutions, and make better decisions in the garden for optimal plant health and productivity. Most gardeners learn by accumulating rules - water once a week, never dry out snowdrop bulbs, prune lilacs after flowering, plant garlic in October-the list is endless. Rules take years to learn and yet leave you floundering when the unexpected strikes and plants look unhealthy, produce poorly, or die. There is a better way. By understanding the basic biology of how plants grow, you can become a thinking gardener with the confidence to problem solve for optimized plant health and productivity. Learn the science and ditch the rules! Coverage includes: The biology of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers Understanding how plants function as whole organisms The role of nutrients and inputs Vegetables, flowers, grasses, and trees and shrubs Propagation and genetics Sidebars that explode common gardening myths Tips for evaluating plant problems and finding solutions. Whether you're a home gardener, micro-farmer, market gardener, or homesteader, this entertaining and accessible guide shortens the learning curve and gives you the knowledge to succeed no matter where you live.