Earth Garden Building Book

At a time when housing costs and interest rates have put the Australian dream of owning a house beyond the reach of many people, Bob Rich and Keith Smith show how even the most impractical person can learn to build their own home. The authors were not originally skilled craftsmen and they use their personal experiences, successes and failures to explain the building and design processes to beginners. Their approach is practical and analytical, but their language is straightforward and dynamic. The book covers a wide range of topics including: how to be your own architect and create energy efficient housing designs safeguarding the house from bushfires, cyclones and floods footings, floors, roofs, doors and windows mudbrick, rammed earth, stone and weatherboard walls building skills such as measuring, sawing, hammering, bricklaying and glass cutting information, advice and personal experiences from a variety of other builders

This useful book contains everything the backyard gardener could need to design and then build the perfect garden with the guidance of your own Garden Guru, Phil Dudman, but without the expense. Creating a dream garden might look easy on tV, but when you're standing in your own backyard it can be hard to know where to start. this garden design book takes you through the planning and design process and gives you the practical skills, knowledge and construction ability to make your ideas a reality. Experienced gardener and landscape designer Phil Dudman breaks down the design process into a series of simple steps that you can follow at your own pace, in your own time. Learn how to draft your design, develop your style and draw a master plan and planting plan. With Phil's professional design secrets and practical knowledge, you'll quickly be on your way to building retaining walls, steps and pergolas; laying pavers and pathways; and even installing drainage. And when the construction is done, he shows you how to establish a lawn, improve your soil and ensure your new garden flourishes. Fully illustrated with easy to follow step-by-step diagrams and inspirational photographs, DOWN-tO-EARtH GARDEN DESIGN is the essential guide for any backyard gardener whether they want a stunning new design or just to make some improvements without enormous expense.

This is your down-to-earth, complete manual for achieving great gardening results with your own rich, organic soil.How do you recognize healthy soil? How much can your existing soil be improved? What are the best amendments to use for your soil? Let Building Soil answer your questions and be your guide on gardening from the ground up. Fertilizing, tilling, weed management, and irrigation all affect the quality of your soil. Using author Elizabeth Murphy’s detailed instructions, anyone can become a successful soil-based gardener, whether you want to start a garden from scratch or improve an existing garden.If you want methods that won’t break your back, are good for the environment, and create high-yielding and beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes, this is the book for you! Create classic landscape gardens, grow a high-yielding orchard, nurture naturally beautiful lawns, raise your household veggies, or run a profitable farm.A soil-based approach allows you to see not just the plants, but the living system that grows them. Soil-building practices promote more ecologically friendly gardening by: ·Reducing fertilizer and pesticide use ·Sequestering greenhouse gases ·Increasing overall garden productivityWith a detailed discussion and comparison tables on a range of organic fertilizer choices, Building Soil is a simple book full of practical, up-to-date information about building healthy soils. Simple methods perfect for the home gardener’s use put healthy, organic soil within everyone’s reach. You don’t need a degree in soil management to understand this book; you only need a yard or garden and the desire to improve it at the most basic level.

It's the 21st century and what have we got to show for it? Does humanity really want to continue its downward spiral or are we ready to create a different reality? The purpose of this book is many-fold. 1. It shows you ways in which our civilization can progress. 2. It challenges all the old methods of doing things. 3. It offers workable methods, which have been tried and proven by individuals and communities all over the globe, with the sole purpose of making life better. 4. It is interactive. It offers its readers an invitation to join the AlterQuest Organization and be part of a practical Global Network for the advancement of our world. AlterQuest is the most exciting, inspirational book you will ever read. Its topics will give you unlimited hope for the present and the future. You'll find yourself grasping at every wonderful idea with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. Here at last we have the answers we've all been searching for.

Earth is the mother of all construction materials. For thousands of years, people have dug up the clay-soil below their feet and transformed it into the most versatile building material. Worldwide, people are rediscovering the advantages of earthen construction, and for good reasons: its easy to work with, extremely affordable, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, durable and beautiful! A few simple tools, such as buckets, shovels and a wheelbarrow is all you need to get started. By describing how to combine and process the basic ingredients of clay-soil, sand and straw, this book makes it clear and simple on how to make earthen building something you can start with the moment you put down the book! You will learn how to build with the most popular and time-tested techniques: Cob Adobe Light straw-clay Earth bags Earthen plasters Earthen floors Clay paints These techniques are being used to build entire houses, as well as for smaller projects, such as backyard sheds, cabins, outdoor fireplaces, garden walls and play houses. As a bonus, the appendix has complete instruction on how to build an earthen bread- and pizza oven, using the techniques described in the book. This makes for a great starter project! An often overlooked possibility is using earthen building methods to renovate existing homes on a shoestring budget, transforming run-down houses into earthen homes, without having to work with toxic or environmentally harmful building materials. After reading this book, you will realize how simple it is to integrate earthen materials with conventional building materials. The book covers everything, from identifying the right materials, to how to build arches and niches and incorporate plumbing and electric. It is also supported by YouTube videos and photos, which can be found at www.HouseAlive.org, adding additional clarity to the writing. "Conrad Rogue is a great builder, teacher, and philosopher. He is original in his thinking, skilled in his techniques, and passionate about the beauty and potential of earthen construction. And above all, he has the rare ability to skillfully convey all of that in his writing." ~ Mother Earth Magazine Conrad Rogue has been teaching earthen construction since 2001. He is the founder and director of House Alive. (www.HouseAlive.org). He has taught workshops in the United States, Mexico, Spain, Italy and India.