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Books > Gardening > Specialized gardening methods
Humans and the world around us have been governed by the waxing and
waning of the moon since the planet came into being. Over the
centuries different civilisations have embraced these natural
cycles, and so lunar gardening has been around for as long as man
has pulled food from the soil; once practised by the Incas and
Native Americans, this tried and trusted method has been largely
forgotten. John Harris, head gardener at Tresillian Estate in
Cornwall, has been using Moon Gardening for over forty years. The
methods he uses can be implemented anywhere, you do not need fancy
tools, expensive seeds or substantial acreage, but instead, given
time, patience and care, the results can be breath-taking. This is
gardening at its most natural and organic. The Natural Gardener
charts John's story from a rudderless young lad in a Cornish
village to being charged with the salvation of the long-neglected
gardens at Tresillian. As he shares how to follow these simple
principles, he imparts his abundance of horticultural knowledge
from years spent working in harmony with the soil, providing a
timely link back to nature and the reassuring regularity of the
seasons.
Our climate is in a state of flux. Weather patterns are changing
and therefore the way we manage our gardens are changing too. This
offers a new and exciting challenge for all gardeners. This new
book looks at the garden styles of nine regions which have always
dealt superbly with heat, drought and water shortage - the
Italianate Garden, the Islamic Garden, the Patio Garden, the
Mediterranean Garden, the Gravel Garden, the Desert Garden, the
Bush Garden, Cape Colour and the Jungle Garden. Each chapter
explains the style and includes a practical tutorial, typical plant
forms, a planting plan and a project. The final chapter is a useful
plant directory introducing the key plants along with cultivation
advice for growing them yourself. This is a critical read for
gardeners, a practical and inspirational insight into the classic
gardens defined by sunshine, humidity and lack of water that will
continue to inform the gardens of tomorrow.
'I return to Beth Chatto's books constantly. For those who are new
to her work, you are entering into a life-long relationship with a
wise friend and gardener' Monty Don 'Invaluable to those who want
to plant a trouble-free, all-year-round garden with minimum care -
or watering' FLORA In today's climate of increasingly hot summers
and dry winters, gardeners need guidance on plants that will thrive
in dry conditions. In Beth Chatto's classic book, she uses plants
that need very little attention and are naturally adapted to
flourish in dry conditions to provide a year-round display of
beautiful foliage and flowers. Drawing from her own immense
experience, she provides valuable guidance on types of soil and on
basic principles of design. She discusses the plants and plantings
suited to dry conditions and includes a detailed list of plants,
with notes and advice on their characteristics.
*THE ORIGINAL & BESTSELLING ALMANAC* 'Lia Leendertz's classic
almanac never fails to delight' - The Herald 'It's a perfect
Christmas present' - Allan Jenkins, The Observer A perfect toolkit
for connecting with the world around us and the year ahead as it
unfolds - all in a compact and pocket size guide that just begs you
to pick it up and browse. The Almanac: A seasonal guide to 2022
reinvents the tradition of the rural almanac for a new audience. It
gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and
appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way.
Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the
feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical
information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons,
perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays.
There are also features on each month's unique nature, such as the
meteor shower of the month, beehive behaviour, folklore, seasonal
recipes and charts tracking moon phases and tides. You will find
yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it
again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the
year draws to a close. The geographical scope of The Almanac is
Britain and Ireland PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: 'The perfect companion
to the seasons' - India Knight 'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof
'This book is your bible' - The Independent 'An ideal stocking
filler' - The English Garden 'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys
Matthews
A beautifully designed, full-color personal account of what it
means to become a gardener, filled with specially commissioned
color photography, watercolors, and fine art. To make her new house
in Connecticut truly feel like home, Catie Marron decided to create
a garden. But while she was familiar with landscape design, she had
never grown anything. A dedicated reader with a lifelong passion
for literature, Marron turned to the library of gardening books
she'd collected to glean advice from a variety of writers on
gardening and horticultural topics both grand and small. Marron's
quest to become a gardener, however, was about more than learning
the basics about mulch or which plants work best in the shade. She
sought something far more elusive: to identify the core qualities
and characteristics that make a person a gardener and an
understanding of what a garden could mean to her as it had to
multitudes of other gardeners over the centuries. In Becoming a
Gardener, Catie Marron chronicles her transformation into a
gardener over the course of eighteen months, seeding the details of
her experience with rich advice from writers as diverse as Eleanor
Perenyi and Karel Capek, Penelope Lively, and Jamaica Kincaid. As
she digs deeper into her readings and works in the garden itself,
Marron not only discovers the essence of gardening but in the words
of Michael Pollan, "the endlessly engrossing ways that cultivating
a garden attaches a body to the earth." A delightful blend of
informed opinion, personal reflection, and practical advice,
Becoming a Gardener explores topics as varied as the composition of
dirt, the agricultural wisdom of avid kitchen gardeners George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson, the healing power of digging in
the soil, and the beauty of finding solitude in nature. Throughout,
Marron carefully plants special illustrated features, such as
musings on the merits (and detriments) of the rose, essential
tools, moonlight gardening, children's books which feature gardens,
and her favorite gardens around the world. Also included is an
annotated list of recommended writers, books, and films related to
gardens and gardening, and a monthly to-do calendar. Featuring
specially commissioned illustrations by the Danish team All the Way
to Paris, and stunning photographs by acclaimed photographer
William Abranowicz that capture the pastoral beauty of Marron's
Connecticut garden, Becoming a Gardener is a very special and
moving portrait of life and the enduring power of literature and
nature that is sure to become an instant classic.
This title includes practical instructions for designing and
planting beautiful gardens that welcome wildlife, through
step-by-step instructions with explanations of how wildlife will
benefit. It covers all kinds of ideas for feeding and sheltering
wildlife, such as bird feeders, log piles, toad houses, bee nesting
boxes, butterfly roosting houses, bird boxes, habitat stacks and
hibernation sites. It features annotated planting plans for country
gardens, urban spaces, courtyards and wild gardens, as well as
beautiful borders specially designed to attract bees, butterflies
and birds. It features projects as seen in Michael Lavelle's
medal-winning wildlife garden at the world-famous Chelsea Flower
Show 2007. Award-winning garden writers Christine and Michael
Lavelle give expert advice on how to help native insects, birds and
animals, with the aim of creating a wildlife habitat in your
backyard. They explain how the process of welcoming wildlife is not
only good for local species, but will also improve the health of
your plants. There are clear and easy-to-follow instructions on a
range of techniques, with advice on planning and garden design to
show how you can share your outdoor space with wildlife. All the
major habitats are covered, with ideas for the best types of plants
to encourage wildlife. There are also instructions for how to make
bird feeders, bee boxes, log piles, nesting boxes, hibernation
sites and more. With its wealth of hands-on practical advice, 40
step-by-step projects and over 570 inspirational photographs, this
is the ideal book for gardeners and wildlife enthusiasts
everywhere.
For decades fruit growers have sprayed their trees with toxic
chemicals in an attempt to control a range of insect and fungal
pests. Yet it is possible to grow apples responsibly, by applying
the intuitive knowledge of our great-grandparents with the fruits
of modern scientific research and innovation. Since The Apple
Grower first appeared in 1998, orchardist Michael Phillips has
continued his research with apples, which have been called
"organic's final frontier." In this new edition of his widely
acclaimed work, Phillips delves even deeper into the mysteries of
growing good fruit with minimal inputs. Some of the cuttingedge
topics he explores include: The use of kaolin clay as an effective
strategy against curculio and borers, as well as its limitations
Creating a diverse, healthy orchard ecosystem through understory
management of plants, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms How
to make a small apple business viable by focusing on heritage and
regional varieties, value-added products, and the "community
orchard" model The author's personal voice and clear-eyed advice
have already made The Apple Grower a classic among small-scale
growers and home orchardists. In fact, anyone serious about
succeeding with apples needs to have this updated edition on their
bookshelf.
This comprehensive book contains a wide range of designs for 30
unique stained glass plant containers. It is complete with a
helpful guide to selecting and caring for plants in terrariums. A
total of 30 unique designs cover a full range of uses from simple
plant pots to elaborate terrariums in styles to suit everyone. All
projects have a specification list, material list, illustrations
and colour suggestions. Step-by-step photographs are provided to
guide you through a typical project assembly. All projects are
shown in colour and are accompanied by over 60 black and white
photographs and illustrations.
A unique illustrated book about growing native orchids giving a
step by step guide to every planting situation. Learn how to
cherish these remarkable flowers and help them flourish in their
natural habitat: * Which species of orchids will work in their
garden and what companion plants to grow next to them * How to grow
orchids from seed or in a container * How to start an orchid meadow
or add orchids to an orchard & preserving and promoting local
ecosystems
It's a rare midwesterner who doesn't grow something, whether potted
plants on a porch, caged tomato vines, a blooming border, or a
solitary rose. And it's an even rarer midwestern gardener who isn't
sometimes flummoxed by extremes of weather, pesky insects and
persistent diseases, or simple questions about what to plant where.
For nearly four decades, Jan Riggenbach has given these gardeners
answers, as well as a weekly dose of gentle humor and wise counsel,
in her widely syndicated newspaper column, Midwest Gardening. Your
Midwest Garden draws on these columns to offer readers in America's
heartland all the gardening information they want and need, along
with plenty they might not even suspect they're missing. Annuals
and perennials, shrubs and vines, fruits and vegetables,
wildflowers, bulbs, and herbs: As readable as it is useful, this
book reviews the familiar, reconsiders old favorites, and
introduces dozens of surprising and seldom-grown plants ideal for
Midwest gardens and landscapes. Illustrated with color photos from
the author's garden, it provides tips on plant placement and care,
starting seeds and making compost, matching specimens and sites,
combating insects and diseases, simplifying garden chores,
designing for winter beauty, and myriad other ways of enriching and
enjoying your Midwest garden.
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).
This celebration of the style, design, and joy that pools bring to
us brims with over 200 glamorous photographs. It is organized by
swimming pool design from glimmering infinity pools with a view of
the ocean to dramatic cascading waterfall pools and those in lush
garden settings. Ranging from beautifully landscaped backyards to
dramatic beaches and tropical paradise surroundings, the stunning
pool locales show creative examples of pools as architecture and
organic forms. In the mix are seductive pools owned by such
celebrities as Cher and Dianne Keaton and leading designers Bunny
Williams and Carolyne Roehm, as well as masterpieces by famed
architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Luis Barragan.
Splash concludes with a section on poolside elements, from tiled
steps, patterned surfaces, and Jacuzzis to pool houses with outdoor
showers, landscaping, furnishings, and much more. Every example
evokes the enduring and irresistible appeal of the swimming pool.
With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care,
succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in
containers, these dry-climate jewels which include but are not
limited to cacti can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive
anywhere in the world.
In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of "Designing with
Succulents" provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners
need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally
waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums,
frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked
beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips
explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more.
Define your individual style as you effectively combine patterns,
colors, textures, and forms. Discover how top designers interpret
the dramatic options, in ideas ranging from exquisite plant-and-pot
combinations to extraordinary topiaries and bonsai. Expand your
repertoire with plump-leaved plants that resemble pebbles, stars,
and undersea creatures. Short on space? Create vertical gardens and
hanging baskets, and use daisylike rosettes in wall displays.
Each of the more than 300 photographs offers an inspiring idea.
A-to-Z descriptions cover 350 of the best succulents, plus
companion plants. Whether your goal is a gorgeous potted garden for
a sunny windowsill or outdoor living area or simply making great
gifts this is a comprehensive primer for creating vibrant, living
works of art.
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Herbert Koepf was a pioneer of biodynamics in Germany, the USA and
in the UK. He was an expert teacher, and drew on his own practical
background in farming. This book is a collection of some of Koepf's
writings on key aspects of biodynamics. It includes practical
guidance on building soil structure, preparing and applying
biodynamic sprays, crop rotation, compost and composting methods.
He also considers ways of researching the effectiveness of
biodynamic methods, and measuring results. This is an invaluable
guide for anyone working with biodynamic methods, offering Koepf's
unique insights and wisdom on practical issues. This overview of
Koepf's work is a newly-edited combination of four pamphlets:
Compost, Biodynamic Sprays, Three Lectures on Biodynamics, and
Research in Biodynamic Agriculture. Published in association with
the Biodynamic Association.
In Setting the Scene leading garden designer George Carter
describes his own work over the past thirty years and puts it in
the context of the teachings of the great eighteenth-century
landscaper Humphry Repton. The result is a series of pithy lesson
that will be invaluable to any garden designer, or garden owner.
Rich in both inspiring ideas and practical advice, Setting the
Scene shows how successful gardens are designed and made. Following
the pattern set by Repton in his revered Red Books, Carter takes us
through the process in meticulous detail, leading us from the
initial site plan to the glory of the finished garden, and
illustrating each chapter with photographs and plans of gardens
from his own portfolio, ranging from small urban gardens to large
country estates, the world over.
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