The Once Future Gardener

The first four decades of this century provided the average American with the best magazines published in this country, as well as our most distinguished garden writing. The first national medium of mass communication, these journals had a formative influence on American culture. Many of their garden articles were by authors we recognize today as singularly fascinating voices: Louise Beebe Wilder, Grace Tabor, Fletcher Steele, Wilhelm Miller, and Mrs. Francis King. But some of the best were by amateurs who wrote about their gardens with wonderful enthusiasm and intelligence while earning their livings in other professions -- as artists, librarians, drama critics, dieticians, college professors, and clergymen.

The first four decades of the 20th cent. provided the average Amer. with the best magazines published in this country, as well as our most distinguished garden writing. These journals had a formative influence on American culture. Many of their garden articles were by renowned authors, but some of the best were by amateurs who wrote about their gardens with enthusiasm and intelligence. Over 50 of these marvels of garden prose are included here. Chapters from: "Wild Gardens" and "Formal Gardens" to "A Year in the Garden" and "The Philosophical Gardener." Includes photos from the articles themselves, as well as a color plate section reproducing 21 glorious magazine covers.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

A wonderful book about the gardening year with practical advice by the top garden writer and best-selling author of The Tulip

"The key to the future of the world lies in gardening." So begins this inspiring book from the pioneering organic seed company Seeds of Change, which has introduced millions of gardeners to a cornucopia of luscious, unusual fruits and vegetables--all bred by methods that preserve the irreplaceable resources of water, soil, and genetic diversity for future generations. Gardening for the Future of the Earth brings together for the first time the techniques of the great pioneers of organic gardening, creating a program that can easily be used by home gardeners. Whether you have a sunny windowsill, a backyard plot, or a country garden, you can apply the principles of leading-edge systems such as permaculture, biointensive, biodynamic, and kinship gardening. The results? More beautiful flowers, vegetables, and fruits than you would have believed possible--and deeper satisfaction for you, the gardener, because you will be working in harmony with nature. Here is expert advice from the masters on: Garden planning and design that saves work and water Composting and other methods to build soil without chemical fertilizers Planting and pruning techniques for dramatically increased yields The pleasures of seed saving--and even breeding your own varieties Exploring the richness of biodiversity through kinship gardening And much more Illustrated with color photographs that bring the techniques to life, this is both a practical garden companion and essential reading for anyone interested in preserving the precious resources of our home planet. One individual with a digging fork and a small garden can make a difference. So begins this inspiring bookfrom the pioneering organic seed company, Seeds of Change, which now reaches more than one million households annually with its catalog of luscious, unusual fruits and vegetables--all bred by methods that preserve the irreplaceable resources of water, soil, and genetic diversity for future generations. The authors combine the major techniques of organic gardening--including Permaculture, Biointensive, Biodynamic, and Kinship systems--to create a program that can easilybe used by home gardeners. We learn from the masters: among others, Bill Mollison on garden planning and design; John Jeavons on soil building and planting; Alan Kapuler and Carol Deppe on seed saving and do-it-yourself plant breeding; and Masanobu Fukuoka on growing without pesticides or fertilizers. Illustrated with beautiful four-color photographs and diagrams, this is both a practical garden companion and essential reading for anyone interested in building a sustainable future. -->

We barely talk about them and seldom know their names. Philosophy has always overlooked them; even biology considers them as mere decoration on the tree of life. And yet plants give life to the Earth: they produce the atmosphere that surrounds us, they are the origin of the oxygen that animates us. Plants embody the most direct, elementary connection that life can establish with the world. In this highly original book, Emanuele Coccia argues that, as the very creator of atmosphere, plants occupy the fundamental position from which we should analyze all elements of life. From this standpoint, we can no longer perceive the world as a simple collection of objects or as a universal space containing all things, but as the site of a veritable metaphysical mixture. Since our atmosphere is rendered possible through plants alone, life only perpetuates itself through the very circle of consumption undertaken by plants. In other words, life exists only insofar as it consumes other life, removing any moral or ethical considerations from the equation. In contrast to trends of thought that discuss nature and the cosmos in general terms, Coccia’s account brings the infinitely small together with the infinitely big, offering a radical redefinition of the place of humanity within the realm of life.

Release your inner child and step into the fairy world by creating your own enchanted garden, no matter how much space you have! Fairy gardens are increasing in popularity and Fairy Gardening 101 provides you with all the information necessary to design, plant, and care for your very own miniature garden oasis. Author, artist, and fairy gardener extraordinaire Fiona McDonald introduces readers to the history of fairy gardens and then provides step-by-step instructions, photographs, and illustrations for you to follow—or draw inspiration from—when starting your own project. Learn which types of plants and containers are most successful for a fairy garden, as well as how to develop a focal point for your enchanted mini Eden. Fairy Gardening 101 also provides important information on caring for your garden, on designing gardens for both indoors and outside, on using artificial plants to make your garden last a lifetime, and much more! You’ll also find inspirational photos from fairy gardeners around the globe as well as a list of suppliers. You don’t need to be a master gardener or to have a particularly green thumb to successfully plant and maintain your tiny fairy garden. All you need is a few miniature plants, some thoughtfully placed accessories, a fairy or two, and a love of whimsy and imagination.

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.