Fine Gardening

Provides information about how to use straw bales as planting containers for vegetable gardening.

Tired of genetically modified food every day, Americans are moving more toward eating natural, locally grown food that is free of pesticides and preservatives-and there is no better way to ensure this than to grow it yourself. Anyone can start a garden, whether in a backyard or on a city rooftop; but what they need to truly succeed is The Heirloom Life Gardener, a comprehensive guide to cultivating heirloom vegetables. In this invaluable resource, Jere and Emilee Gettle, cofounders of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, offer a wealth of knowledge to every kind of gardener-experienced pros and novices alike. In his friendly voice, complemented by gorgeous photographs, Jere gives planting, growing, harvesting, and seed saving tips. In addition, an extensive A to Z Growing Guide includes amazing heirloom varieties that many people have never even seen. From seed collecting to the history of seed varieties and name origins, Jere takes you far beyond the heirloom tomato. This is the first book of its kind that is not only a guide to growing beautiful and delicious vegetables, but also a way to join the movement of people who long for real food and a truer way of living.

Offers a basic understanding of biodynamic gardening in growing and preparing plant-based medicines.

With Beautiful No-Mow Yards, you can transform your lawn into a livable garden and bring nature's beauty into your life! What has your perfect green lawn done for you lately? Is it really worth the time, effort, and resources you lavish on it? Armed with encouragement, inspiration, and cutting-edge advice from award-winning author Evelyn Hadden, you can liberate yourself at last! In this ultimate guide to rethinking your yard, Hadden showcases dozens of inspiring, eco-friendly alternatives to that demanding (and dare we say boring?) green turf. Trade your lawn for a lively prairie or replace it with a runoff-reducing rain garden. Swap it for an interactive adventure garden or convert it to a low-maintenance living carpet.

Presents traditional and time-honored methods for gardening, including holistic solutions to insects and weeds, building fertile soils, saving heirloom seeds, and using garden materials for trellises and sculptures.

Brighter zinnias, fragrant carnations, snappier green beans Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener makes it easier than ever to breed and grow your own varieties of vegetables and flowers. This comprehensive and accessible guide explains how to decide what to breed, provides simple explanations on how to cross plants, and features a basic primer on genetics and advanced techniques. Case studies provide breeding examples for favorite plants like daffodils, hollyhocks, roses, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

Beyond Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme is a unique book that is, beautifully photographed and well written that encompasses seventy interesting and uncommon herbs. Some of the included plants are cat's whiskers, cape mallow, caracalla, jasmine star, pepiche, porterweed, scented geraniums, and more. Each herb is outlined with history, a description, culture and growing, propagation and uses. You will find herbs easy to use in the kitchen, herbs to grow in the landscape, and many herbs to plant in containers for the deck or patio. It's about fragrance and it is in the leaves or the beautiful flowers. There is practical advice and tips on how to propagate the herbs whether it by seed or cuttings. The book has many tasty recipes and how-to directions for herbal projects! What sets this book apart from others are the interesting plant stories written by the person who discovered the herb, or who is a specialist about the plant. Discoveries were made around the globe and some of these stories haven't been told like this before. Whether you use this book for the recipes or growing tips or to learn more about these unusual plants, you are treated to Theresa Mieseler's passion and experience on every page. There are 200 plus pages with beautiful photographs for each plant.Beyond Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme will be sold through Shady Acres Herb Farm website - www.shadyacres.com, Amazon, and local bookstores.

Get garden-tested guidance for beautiful blooms with this comprehensive, practical, and gorgeously illustrated study of the art of growing flowers. In Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening, author Matt Mattus offers expert tips on growing both annuals and biennials (including native and heirloom species) based on his decades of first-hand experience in his own garden and greenhouse, made popular on his blog Growing with Plants. Accompanied by lush photography, every variety or species presented includes detailed information and tips that go beyond the very basic information typically available on the seed packet or a nursery tag. You’ll discover: Basic growing methods, including how to start seeds, soil, sowing, hardening off, transplanting, and growing on. Advice for growing a wide range of different flowers, organized by blooming season, including annuals from seed, summer bulbs, vines such as wisteria, and even blooming shrubs like lilacs. In-depth profiles for a selection of flowers that include more-detailed growing techniques along with their histories and varieties. Pro tips, including how to grow challenging annual poppies and biennials from seed and forcing flowers for winter blooms. Just a small selection of the flowers covered: heirloom and exhibition chrysanthemums, larkspurs and annual poppies, delphiniums, peonies, lilacs, and wisteria. Bulbs include spring and summer bulbs such as anemone, ranunculus, tulips, lilies, gladiolus, and cut flower dahlias, while winter indoor bulbs cover every aspect of forcing bulbs indoors like narcissus, amaryllis, South African bulbs—and even how to force Lily of the Valley. Whether you’re interested in raising a small cut-flower garden, enhancing your flower border or containers, or just admiring the beauty of flowers, Mattus has it covered.