Backyard Roots

CLICK HERE to download two urban farming profiles from Backyard Roots (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) * An inspiring book that features 35 urban farmers from Northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia * Stories, advice and tips to help you succeed in growing food, raising animals and building community * Features over 200 photos * A follow-up title to the 2012 Nautilus Book Award-winning The Urban Farm Handbook The burgeoning range of people now turning their urban backyards into homesteads is wide and varied, from families with young children, to immigrants recapturing their original culture, to idealistic twenty-somethings seeking community. Many of these farmers have a special lesson or inspiration to share with those who aspire to, or simply appreciate, the urban farm lifestyle. Backyard Roots is a unique project by California-based photographer Lori Eanes that evocatively and intimately explores the lives of 35 urban farmers in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. In these stories and photos you'll find people like Laura Allen, the Oakland-based cofounder of Greywater Action, a policy and education nonprofit that promotes the use of greywater systems. In Vancouver, aquaponic farmer Jodi Peters sustainably grows and harvests tilapia in sync with her organic vegetable garden. Or meet Jonathan Chen, a young cancer survivor who now manages the Danny Woo Community Gardens in south Seattle, where a group of Southeast Asian immigrants farm in a vibrant mix of cultures. From the elderly to the young, the trendy to the purely functional, here are inspiring stories, ideas on how to make it happen, tips on everything from chicken keeping to community health, and so much more. Find additional pictures, stories and updates from the farmers featured in Backyard Roots at backyardrootsblog.com Winner of the Nautilus Awards 2014 "Better Books for a Better World" Gold Award!

Understanding Roots uncovers one of the greatest mysteries underground—the secret lives and magical workings of the roots that move and grow invisibly beneath our feet. Roots, it seems, do more than just keep a plant from falling over: they gather water and nutrients, exude wondrous elixirs to create good soil, make friends with microbes and fungi, communicate with other roots, and adapt themselves to all manner of soils, winds, and climates, nourishing and sustaining our gardens, lawns, and woodlands. Understanding Roots contains over 115 enchanting and revealing root drawings that most people have never seen, from prairies, grasslands, and deserts, as well as drawings based on excavations of vegetable, fruit, nut, and ornamental tree roots. Every root system presented in this book was drawn by people literally working in the trenches, sketching the roots where they grew. The text provides a verydetailed review of all aspects of transplanting; describes how roots work their magic to improve soil nutrients; investigates the hidden life of soil microbes and their mysterious relationship to roots; explores the question of whether deep roots really gather more unique nutrients than shallow roots; shares the latest research about the mysteries of mycorrhizal (good fungal) association; shows you exactly where to put your fertilizer, compost, water, and mulch to help plants flourish; tells you why gray water increases crop yields more than fresh water; and, most importantly, reveals the science behind all the above (with citations for each scientific paper). This book contains at least eighty percent more new information, more results of the latest in-depth and up-to-date explorations, and even more helpful guidelines on roots than the author’s previous book (Roots Demystified: Change Your Garden Habits to Help Roots Thrive). This is not a revised edition—it’s a whole new stand-alone book.

Explains what roots look like and how they function in plants.

“Very likely the best book ever written on growing food in the Pacific Northwest, and it sets a whole new standard for garden writing.”—Mark MacDonald, West Coast Seeds Grow more food, with less work, in any yard—now completely revised and expanded! Are you itching to start your own garden or grow more in the one you have, but feel that gardening is too challenging or time-consuming for your busy schedule? Now completely updated and expanded, Backyard Bounty will demystify gardening, bringing it back to the down-to-earth, environmentally practical activity that anyone can enjoy. Author and master gardener Linda Gilkeson covers everything you’ll need to grow a successful garden, including: Planning your garden and preparing the soil Organic fertilizers and simplified composting Planting for winter harvests and intensive planting schedules Comprehensive information on pests, diseases, and working with an unstable climate Greenhouses, tunnels and containers Organic pest management. Packed with a wealth of information specific to the Pacific Northwest, this complete guide emphasizes low-maintenance methods, covers problems related to common pests and climate concerns, includes a monthly garden schedule for year-round planting and harvesting, and features plant profiles for everything from apples to zucchini. Perfect for novice and experienced gardeners alike, Backyard Bounty shows how even the smallest garden can produce a surprising amount of food twelve months of the year. “Backyard Bounty is remarkably thorough, from roots to pests to pruning to crowns, and it inspires even the experienced grower. Just like homemade soil for a bedding plant, this book is loaded with the richness we need in order to feed ourselves.”—Lyle Estill, author of Backyard Biodiesel

The Self-Sufficient Backyard is helping Americans transforming from an honest homeowner into an independent, self-sufficient person that has an extra income and doesn't owe anybody a thing. You will not be troubled with what happens to the world around you, because everything you need is where is should be: on your property!

In Lawns Into Meadows, landscape designer Owen Wormser makes a case for the power and generosity of meadows. In a world where lawns have wreaked havoc on our natural ecosystems, meadows offer a compelling solution. They establish wildlife and pollinator habitats. They’re low-maintenance and low-cost. They have a built-in resilience that helps them weather climate extremes, and they can draw down and store far more carbon dioxide than any manicured lawn. They’re also beautiful, all year round. Owen describes how to plant an organic meadow that’s right for your site, whether it’s a yard, community garden, or tired city lot. He shares advice on preparing your plot, coming up with the right design, and planting—all without using synthetic chemicals. He passes along tips on building support in neighborhoods where a tidy lawn is the standard. Owen also profiles twenty-one starter grasses and flowers for beginning meadow-makers, and offers guidance on how to grow each one. To illuminate the many joys of meadow-building, Owen draws on his own stories, including how growing up off the grid in northern Maine, with no electricity or plumbing, prepared him for his work. The book, part how-to guide and part memoir, is for environmentalists and climate activists, gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Lawns Into Meadows is part of Stone Pier Press’s Citizen Gardening series, which teaches readers how to grow food and garden in ways that are good for the planet.

A healthier life is right at your fingertips - or at least only a few steps from your door! Backyard Pharmacy helps you choose the best "backyard" medicinal plants. All of the plants can be grown easily by the home gardener throughout North America - and used for their healing and natural-remedy properties! Author Elizabeth Millard shares her deep knowledge of what to add to your garden to grow your own medicine cabinet to enhance your health. Each featured plant profile includes: - a detailed full-color photograph of the plant and key preparation steps - a description and a brief history of the plants (including recommended varieties) - how to plant, grow, and harvest - the parts of the plant to be used - the health and nutritional properties of the plant - current scientific research on the plant - any special harvesting, storing, or preparation instructions - how to use the plant as a remedy any cautions to note Richly illustrated with 200 photographs, Backyard Pharmacy not only includes photography of the plants, but also images demonstrating key elements to the step-by-step preparation, harvest, and storage methods to get the best results from your gardening efforts. Take control of your health. Learn about the benefits of herbs and "backyard friends" and natural health remedies for yourself and your family, and even grow them right in your own backyard.

An Updated and Expanded New Edition of Backyard Medicine! Modern medicine is truly a blessing. Advances are made with astonishing speed every day, using both science and technology to make our lives longer and healthier. But if the era of modern medicine began less than two hundred years ago, how did people treat sickness and poor health before then? This book holds the answer. Researched and written by a practicing medical herbalist and natural healer, and now with even more herbs and medicinal plants, Backyard Medicine is the basis for a veritable natural pharmacy that anyone can create. Featuring more than 120 easily made herbal home remedies and fully illustrated with nearly three hundred color photographs, this book offers fascinating insights into the literary, historic, and global applications of fifty common wild plants and herbs that can be used in medicines, including: Comfrey Dandelion Honeysuckle Yarrow And so much more! Anyone who wants to improve his or her health in a completely natural way will find this book to be an absolute must-have for his or her home—and garden.