"With more than 1500 species and cultivars described, the Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates covers many plant groups, including aroids, bananas, gingers, bromeliads, cacti, yuccas, ferns and palms. Detailed cultivation advice enables gardeners of all levels to make informed choices from an expansive plant palette." --NHBS Environment Bookstore.
When Eric Toensmeier and Jonathan Bates moved into a duplex in a run-down part of Holyoke, Massachusetts, the tenth-of-an-acre lot was barren ground and bad soil, peppered with broken pieces of concrete, asphalt, and brick. The two friends got to work designing what would become not just another urban farm, but a "permaculture paradise" replete with perennial broccoli, paw paws, bananas, and moringa—all told, more than two hundred low-maintenance edible plants in an innovative food forest on a small city lot. The garden—intended to function like a natural ecosystem with the plants themselves providing most of the garden's needs for fertility, pest control, and weed suppression—also features an edible water garden, a year-round unheated greenhouse, tropical crops, urban poultry, and even silkworms. In telling the story of Paradise Lot, Toensmeier explains the principles and practices of permaculture, the choice of exotic and unusual food plants, the techniques of design and cultivation, and, of course, the adventures, mistakes, and do-overs in the process. Packed full of detailed, useful information about designing a highly productive permaculture garden, Paradise Lot is also a funny and charming story of two single guys, both plant nerds, with a wild plan: to realize the garden of their dreams and meet women to share it with. Amazingly, on both counts, they succeed.
In this book, Christopher Lloyd displays the passion for gardening that has made him one of Britain's favourite gardening writers. Using provocative statements to tease gardeners out of complacency, he displays his unrivaled knowledge of plants, and how to grow them, in a month-by-month format. His expert advice and practical know-how make designing a beautiful garden within the grasp of every gardener.
Adventurous Gardener seeks relationship with Tropical Plant… Tropical plants are energizing. They awaken a tired summer garden with lush, sensuous foliage and fascinating flowers and turn a suburban patio into a sophisticated, late-night paradise. But if you garden in a temperate climate and have been reluctant to commit to what you’re sure will be too much work, it’s time to let Tropical Plants and How to Love Them author Marianne Willburn act as your tropical matchmaker. Using five relationship types to help you understand the different levels of care required for many common (and uncommon!) tropicals, Marianne introduces you to an impressive array of outstanding tropical plants by providing care instructions, easy tips for seeing these tropical beauties safely through the winter, and advice for designing a tropical paradise of your own. Tropical Plants and How to Love Them gives you permission to jump headfirst into: A summer romance that ends with the first frost. A long-term commitment to beautify indoor and outdoor spaces. A friends-with-benefits relationship that yields exotic flavors and fragrances. A breakup with that high-maintenance beauty. A best friend relationship that lasts a lifetime. From the striking red leaves of the Abyssinian banana to the unusual flowers and healing powers of turmeric, there are hundreds of tropical plants worth loving. Find your new sweetheart in the pages of Tropical Plants and How to Love Them.
A guide to growing and using vegetables and herbs includes valuable tips on garden construction, gardening techniques, harvesting, and cooking techniques.
First published in 1995, this invaluable guide to the trees, shrubs, ground covers, and smaller plants that thrive in New Mexico’s many life zones and growing areas is now available in a long-awaited new edition. Landscape architect Baker H. Morrow considers the significant factors that impact planting in New Mexico—including soil conditions, altitude, drought, urban expansion, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation—to provide the tools for successful gardens and landscapes in the state. Added photographs and sketches identify the forms and uses of plants, including many new species that have become widely available in the region since the 1990s. The latest recommendations for specific cities and towns include more photos for ease of reference, and botanical names have also been updated. With ingenuity and efficient water management, Morrow demonstrates how to create landscapes that provide shade, color, oxygen, soil protection, windscreening, and outdoor enjoyment.
Describing over 1000 plants, with common names, descriptions and personal judgements on thousands of species and varieties, Christopher Lloyd outlines how to choose perennial herbaceous plants, including corms and bulbs, and what to avoid.
Identifies two hundred of the most common invasive plants, including bog plants, herbaceous perennials, and shrubs, and offers guidance on selecting the safest and most responsible eradication options.
The complete guide to select, plan, plant, maintain, and problem-solve for gardeners living in the South. Every season in the South presents a gardening opportunity. Take advantage of all of them by choosing the perfect plants! Using the right plants makes gardening not only easier, but more fun, and helps you grow the best-looking and healthiest garden possible. The Southern Gardener’s Handbook helps experienced and expert-level gardeners pick the ideal plants to get the most pleasure from their gardens. Detailed plant profiles help you get the best bang for your buck (and work) in the garden. Helpful advice about caring for the unique needs of southern gardens, along with complete information about USDA Hardiness zones make this a resource you will not want to go without. Annuals, biennials, perennials, tropicals, bulbs, ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, lawns and vegetables are all covered in depth by gardening expert and writer Troy B. Marden. Nearly 300 at-a-glance full-color photos and plant profiles allow you to plan, create and enjoy the very best results from your garden.