The Good Garden

María’s family are poor Honduran farmers, growing barely enough to eat. Then a new teacher comes to town and shows María sustainable farming practices that yield good crops. An inspiring story, based on actual events, that shows us how farms and hopes are transformed as good gardens begin to grow.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many.

Crisp hornbeam hedges lining a country drive and throwing geometric shadows on the gravel below. Decadent cascades of fragrant wisteria spilling over a stone pergola. Rustling leaves along an allée of delicate crepe myrtle trees. Waving blossoms of roses, sage, and hydrangeas—along a salty shoreline. Edmund Hollander Landscape Architects creates gardens filled with unexpected textures, colors, and sounds meant to appeal to all the senses, inviting us to truly live in the landscape. This volume presents dozens of gorgeous estate gardens throughout the Northeast, approached thematically; individual sections reveal how components such as gateways, paths, pool terraces, bosques and groves, walls, and borders contribute to lush garden rooms, windblown seaside gardens, calming meadow gardens, intricate formal gardens, and shady tracts of woodland. Over 300 color photographs of beautiful properties in the Hamptons, Connecticut, and upstate New York provide glimpses of the best garden design happening today while breaking down its ideas for the home gardener. Evocative text by New York Times and Landscape Architecture columnist Anne Raver details how the firm works to envelop visitors in landscapes that feel entirely whole: plantings near architecture create a dynamic entry progression; hardscape features that lead out into a broader garden gradually cede to more natural, living elements; pools are surrounded by gracious swaths of flowers that bloom in sequence as the season progresses to provide privacy for bathers and a sense of quiet seclusion. The ideas presented here will help owners of gardens of every size enjoy their land to the fullest.

Anyone who gardens knows how snails, aphids, scale insects, and caterpillars can damage vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees. But not many of us know that ground beetles eat caterpillars, not plants; that dragonflies feed on mosquitoes; that parasitic wasps prey on tomato hornworms. In this delightful guide to the world of beneficial insects, Starcher, an artist and avid gardener, shows us how to identify the "good guys" and encourage them to reside in our gardens. "Altogether delightful."--Newark Star-Ledger; "A fact-filled, charmingly illustrated guide."--American Bookseller. A GARDEN BOOK CLUB selection.

Your guide to the beneficial insects in your garden! Good Garden Bugs is an easy-to-follow reference to beneficial insects that provide pest control, allowing your garden to grow full and bountiful. Aphids, caterpillars, grubs, and slugs are not only creepy-crawlies, they can wreak havoc on your garden and plants. But fear not! You don't need dangerous chemicals to enjoy a lively, healthy garden. The secret? More lady beetles, fewer aphids! Wildlife in your garden--especially insects--can be natural pesticide alternatives. From mantids to beetles to wasps, spiders, and everything in between, entomologist Mary Gardiner tells you how to identify these beneficial bugs, how to enhance your home landscape as a habitat, and how to work with them to grow and enjoy your garden.

A full-color, illustrated guide showing how to design and plant a theme garden based on plants mentioned in Scripture.