Root cellaring, as many people remember but only a few people still practice, is a way of using the earth's naturally cool, stable temperature to store perishable fruits and vegetables. Root cellaring, as Mike and Nancy Bubel explain here, is a no-cost, simple, low-technology, energy-saving way to keep the harvest fresh all year long.

In Root Cellaring, the Bubels tell how to successfully use this natural storage approach. It's the first book devoted entirely to the subject, and it covers the subject with a thoroughness that makes it the only book you'll ever need on root cellaring.

Root Cellaring will tell you:

* How to choose vegetable and fruit varieties that will store best

* Specific individual storage requirements for nearly 100 home garden crops

* How to use root cellars in the country, in the city, and in any environment

* How to build root cellars, indoors and out, big and small, plain and fancy

* Case histories -- reports on the root cellaring techniques and experiences of many households all over North America

Root cellaring need not be strictly a country concept. Though it's often thought of as an adjunct to a large garden, a root cellar can in fact considerably stretch the resources of a small garden, making it easy to grow late succession crops for storage instead of many rows for canning and freezing. Best of all, root cellars can easily fit anywhere. Not everyone can live in the country, but everyone can benefit from natural cold storage.

Everything cultivated begins with a seed, and with more than 50,000 copies sold, Rodale's The New Seed Starters Handbook has been the source for expert information on raising healthy seedlings since its release in 1988. This revised version of the staple seed book is an easy-to-use reference that gives readers the most up-to-date information on how to start seeds successfully and grow their favorite plants from year to year. The New Seed Starters Handbook presents step- by-step guides to starting plants from seed, which allows for earlier harvests, greater variety, and healthier seedlings. It a Iso presents an encyclopedia of more than 200 plants-including vegetables and fruits, garden flowers, wildflowers, herbs, trees, and shrubs-with details on how to start each from seed. This is the perfect guide for gardeners of every level -from novice to veteran.