From the best-selling author of Practical Magic Nikki Van De Car comes an essential guide to cultivating magical self-sufficiency and enchanted resilience through spell work, gardening, herbal remedies, and more. Whether we live on a farm or in a high rise, we can always create a life that is entwined with the natural world. A homestead is not a log cabin or a hermitage out in the woods -- it is a way of being, a life lived with the intention of returning to our roots and tapping into the essential elements of fire, water, air, and earth. And a homesteading witch isn't just a person who lives atop a beautiful mountain, but anyone who understands that by harnessing and honoring these elements you can create whatever it is that you need. The Witchy Homestead is your guide to finding, creating, and living this essential magic -- it is a comforting companion as you build a wellspring of magical self-sufficiency, and a seasoned teacher as you cultivate enchanted resilience. Through this book, author Nikki Van De Car will offer magically-tinged suggestions for growing or finding your own food regardless of where you live, engaging in natural healing practices, connecting to the ancient magic of the world around you, and for protecting all that you have created.

In this book, Sharon Amos explains how to design and create a beautiful garden for little or no money, offering tips on bartering for clippings, getting a bargain at garage sales or neighbourhood fairs, digging up suckers or adapting wild species and controlling them in a garden environment. She provides a comprehensive directory of 80 plants including detailed advice on where and how to grow a wide variety of garden favourites, from snowdrops to poppies. With beautiful illustrations, Plants for Free is the perfect gift book for cultivating your garden on a budget of next-to-nothing.

The definitive practical guide to pruning trees, shrubs, roses and climbers from the RHS. Features an A-Z approach on over 800 plants with practical, step-by-step images to show you exactly where and how to make pruning cuts, plus infomation on advanced techniques such as coppicing, topiary and pergola-training. This handy guide will ensure you have the best gardening advice for green fingered results.

Whether you love growing, love creating, or just want to liven up your outdoor space, a container garden is just the answer. So many of us nowadays are crammed into our homes and a garden is a luxury that few can afford. But there is always room for a bit of greenery; whether it's herbs and spices to add fresh flavour to your food, or putting a jungle on your windowsill, a container can enable growers to bring nature to the most inhospitable and smallest spaces. Frances Tophill covers the sustainable, crafty and culinary aspects of container gardening. From urns and troughs to chimney stacks and hanging baskets alongside what to grow inside them - bonsai to annuals, bulbs, grasses and bamboos, tumbling and creeping plants and flowers - there are also 40 ideas on how to pair plants and pots, including upcycling existing items and creating your own containers.

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.

The Little Book of Wild Gardening is a guide for anyone wanting to garden in a more sustainable, natural way. Working with nature benefits not just the garden, but also the gardener, wildlife and the wider environment. Divided into sections for different garden areas - including lawns, flower beds, edibles, trees and water features - The Little Book of Wild Gardening details how to embrace a natural approach to gardening for plots large and small. Introductory chapters explain how garden ecosystems can work, and how a healthy garden can mean savings in both work and resources for the gardener. There are plant profiles providing a variety of choices for a wilder approach, plus design tips and expertise in sustainable and wildlife-friendly gardening. From a sustainable veg patch to wildflower meadows, and from bat boxes to gravel gardens, the book includes projects and plants in a range of sizes and timescales so gardeners can create a bountiful and enjoyable haven that will benefit themselves, their local area, and all kinds of wildlife.

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.

The Little Book of Crops in Small Spots introduces newbie gardeners to the art of growing successfully. Particularly focused on small space gardening, this book is the ideal modern guide for those with a compact urban gardens, courtyard, patio or even just a balcony. Including a handy directory of the best 40 fruit and vegetables to grow no matter how small your space, Jane will show you how to get started with her expert tips and indispensable gardening advice to becoming more self-sufficient. Discover how to maximise your growing power and enjoy getting stuck in as you produce crops to harvest all year round.

The essential resource for managing turfgrasses in the Transition Zone In the Transition Zone, where temperature and precipitation vary greatly from season to season, maintaining healthy, high-quality turfgrass requires year-round focus. Turfgrass managers must practice intensive maintenance of cool-season grasses or use warm-season grasses, which become dormant in the cool days of fall and winter. Turf Management in the Transition Zone covers all the fundamental principles of maintaining turfgrass in this complex growing area. It helps turfgrass managers in transition areas develop a deeper understanding of: The growth cycles of cool- and warm-season grasses Turfgrass physiology, nutrition, and soil science Cultural practices, including mowing and irrigation Management of climate-specific diseases and insects Complete with more than 100 illustrations and tables,Turf Management in the Transition Zone offers expert advice for everyday turf-maintenance issues faced by golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, greenkeepers, lawn care specialists, and golf course architects and builders.

Combining environmental consciousness with organic techniques and a dusting of folk wisdom, this book reveals the growing secrets of sphagnum peat moss and intake air filters to increase yield.

We don't need to poison the earth in order to grow better food, and what is harmful to the environment when improperly disposed of often can be turned back to the soil in a beneficial way through composting - if you know how. Here's how. Malcolm Beck's Garden-Ville is one of the largest commercial composting operations in the country. He shares his insight into the processes of decay that can transform everything from lawn trimmings to sewer sludge into life-giving earth. Coupled with Beck's insight into nature and practical advice are remarks from Charles Walters, author, founder of Acres U.S.A.

First published in 1942 (and retailing at 1s 6d) in response to the growing use of factory-made foods and essences, Wild Berries, Fruits, Nuts & Flowers demonstrated how tasty dishes could be made using the wild fruits and flowers of the countryside. Today there is a growing interest in foraging. People have become more connected with nature and are heading into the countryside and collecting edible plants, mushrooms and fruits. This is combined with an increasing desire to eat local seasonal produce in the interests of sustainability. This timely reissue of a classic of its kind is the perfect gift for the modern forager. It features 101 recipes for using wild berries, fruits, nuts, flowers, mushrooms and seaweed. Nothing is known about the original author, but this edition has a foreword by Barbara Segall, who suggested republishing this book.

Master the art of growing miniature trees with this fun, jargon-free guide to bonsai. The Little Book of Bonsai will make you an instant expert in the art of growing miniature trees. It is packed with myth-busting surprises, the first of which is that growing bonsai really isn't as hard as most people think. In fact, they are no more difficult to look after than other pot plants, and easier than many. This book makes the job even easier by breaking down the subject into three clear sections: Getting Started, Ongoing Care and Species Profiles. Jargon-free text and dozens of photographs and diagrams make this the ideal guide for complete novices, as well as a handy companion for more experienced growers. Whether you want to grow from seed or source an established plant, everything you need to know is contained in this guide, which, like bonsai themselves, is small but perfectly formed.

The exquisite art of bonsai is beautifully demonstrated in this authoritative, practical handbook, which takes the reader from a first foray into the world of miniature trees to a level of considerable expertise. The book, now made available again in paperback, covers both indoor and outdoor varieties and is full of practical information about cultivation, propagation and pruning. It is a guide both for newcomers to the art and for bonsai gardeners with some knowledge of the subject. The handbook describes, with clear text and step-by-step artworks and finely detailed photographs, the anatomy and the art of this classic hobby. It describes the rules - and also how they can be broken. It will enable beginners to start up their own bonsai collection, whether of home-grown or bought trees, and to keep their bonsai healthy and in good shape. It will answer questions for those who already have some experience with bonsai. All the tools and the skills needed are described, and a photographic compendium displays the top 24 species, both outdoor and indoor.

An invaluable reference for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike! Beginners will love this book for its pictorial and concise approach to growing, grouping and caring for succulents and cacti to make them thrive. Experienced succulents enthusiasts will appreciate the sheer variety of plants described here--a detailed field guide to over 700 varieties, both common and exotic. Author Shoichi Tanabe walks you through all the steps from selecting your plants to potting, watering and displaying them. In this complete guide you will find everything from: Advice on selecting the right plants for your environment and lifestyle How to create attractive groupings of succulents and spaces which thrive together Tips on ensuring the right light, air flow, humidity and watering regimen Essential tools and soils as well as how and when to transplant your succulents And so much more! The plants are grouped by seasons (spring-fall or summer-winter types), when and how much to water them, their ease of cultivation, and more. Tips for cultivating each genus are included, along with plenty of advice on how to keep them healthy and vigorous. An index to all the plants makes this an indispensable guide when adding to your collection of succulents, cacti and air plants!

Beans are easy to grow, easy to cook, delicious, nourishing and beneficial for us and the planet. Growing your own beans not only helps you build healthy soil in your garden, it also provides you with a nutrient-rich diet. Beans can play a role in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer - they are good sources of protein, fibre, folate, iron and potassium - and they can reduce your carbon footprint and food miles as well! This fascinating book brings together Susan Young's 10 years of experimentation with multiple varieties of beans. She clearly explains how to sow, grow, harvest, dry, store and cook them, and shares her six 'must grow' varieties. Go on a tasty culinary journey around the world and discover a range of colourful and historic beans, from the pink 'Fagiolo di Lamon' of Italy to the black and white 'Bosnian Pole' bean. Learn which varieties are best for eating fresh from the pod and those that are best for drying and storing for later use. Beans offer year-round nutritious meals, and dried beans can be the star of the show with their fabulous diversity of flavours, colours and textures.

Plan Your Landscape or Garden to Help Beloved Backyard Visitors The presence of birds, bees, and butterflies suggests a healthy, earth-friendly place. These most welcome guests also bring joy to those who appreciate watching them. Now, you can turn your yard into a perfect habitat that attracts them and, more importantly, helps them thrive. Professional nature photographer and botanist George Oxford Miller provides all the information you need in this must-have guide for Southern California. Learn how to landscape and create pollinator gardens with native plants. The book begins with an in-depth introduction to native pollinators and to birds. It's followed by a "field guide" section to more than 100 native plants that are widely available to utilize, are easy to care for, and provide great benefit to birds, bees, and butterflies. The species are organized by level of sunlight needed and then by plant types. Each species includes full-color photographs and information about hardiness zones, what they are most likely to attract, soil requirements, light levels, and George's notes. As an added bonus, you'll make use of blooming charts, tips on attracting specific species, and more! Plus, the invaluable garden plans and projects show you just what to do and can be customized to suit your own specific interests. Plan, plant, and grow your beautiful garden, with native plants that benefit your favorite creatures to watch and enjoy.

In a time of climate change and mass extinction, who we garden for matters more than ever Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically-programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter, and not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Author Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives - lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political, it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.

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.