A New Garden Ethic
A New Garden Ethic

Author: Benjamin Vogt

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2017-09-01

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1771422459

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In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.

The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants
The Gardener's Guide to Prairie Plants

Author: Neil Diboll

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2023-04-12

Total Pages: 647

ISBN-13: 022680609X

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A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated reference for all gardeners passionate about native plants and prairie restoration. The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants is the one-stop compendium for all gardeners aspiring to use native prairie plants in their gardens. Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox—two renowned prairie gardeners—compile more than four decades’ worth of research to offer a wide-ranging and definitive reference for starting and maintaining prairie and meadow gardens and restorations. Alongside detailed synopses of plant life cycles, meticulous range maps, and sweeping overviews of natural history, Diboll and Cox also include photographs of 148 prairie plants in every stage of development, from seedling to seedhead. North America’s grasslands once stretched from the Blue Ridge to the Rocky Mountains, and from Texas to Manitoba, blanketing the mid-continent with ecologically important, garden-worthy, native species. This book provides all the inspiration and information necessary for eager native planters from across the country to welcome these plants back to their landscapes. The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants is a must-have reference for gardeners, restorationists, and every flora fan with a passion for native plants, prairies and meadows.

Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie
Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie

Author: Kelly Kindscher

Publisher: University Press of Kansas

Published: 2024-11-04

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 0700637028

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The wild plants in this book tell stories of land, people, and food. As renowned botanist Kelly Kindscher guides us through over one hundred edible plants in this beautiful field guide, we find that foraging has always been an important part of prairie life. Before colonization, Native American women were the primary gatherers of wild plants, which were an abundant, sustainable, and delicious feature of Indigenous diets. Colonizers reduced the significance of wild plants in prairie life as they relocated Native peoples and imposed their agrarian culture on the land, but these Indigenous foodways were never truly lost. In the recent past, foraging has become a tremendously popular way for many peoples to connect with the earth, promote sustainability, and revive and honor cultural food traditions. In this beautifully illustrated new edition, Kindscher explores 117 wild plants of the prairie, offering information about habitat, food use, and cultivation. Color photos and maps make this stunning book a useful foraging guide for anyone to take out into the prairie. A must-have for enthusiasts and professionals alike, Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie gives us the great opportunity to engage with the land we live in.

Illinois Gardener's Guide
Illinois Gardener's Guide

Author: James A Fizzell

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

Published: 2002-06-21

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1888608994

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Gardening is now the favorite leisure pastime in America. Homeowners are realizing the health benefits derived from gardening and the increase in their home's property value. The Illinois Gardener's Guide: Revised Edition is written by the popular gardening expert James Fizzell. It contains easy-to-use advice on the top landscape plant choices (more than 190 entries) for Illinois. It also recommends specific varieties, and provides advice on how to plant, how to grow and how to care for Illinois' best plants. It is a must read for every Illinois gardener.

Glorious Shade
Glorious Shade

Author: Jenny Rose Carey

Publisher: Timber Press

Published: 2017-04-19

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 1604696818

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Turn a shady yard into a sumptuous garden Shade is one of the most common garden situations homeowner’s have, but with the right plant knowledge, you can triumph over challenging areas and learn to embrace shade as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. Glorious Shade celebrates the benefits of shade and shows you how to make the most of it. This information-rich, hardworking guide is packed with everything you need to successfully garden in the shadiest corners of a yard. You'll learn how to determine what type of shade you have and how to choose the right plants for the space. The book also shares the techniques, design and maintenance tips that are key to growing a successful shade garden. Stunning color photographs offer design inspiration and reveal the beauty of shade-loving plants.

The Gardener's Guide to Cactus
The Gardener's Guide to Cactus

Author: Scott Calhoun

Publisher: Timber Press

Published: 2012-01-11

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1604692006

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When it comes to garden plants, cacti are anything but standard issue. The bulk of home gardens contain exactly zero species of cactus,Êand the thought of growing them makes gardeners think, ÒOuch!Ó InÊThe GardenerÕs Guide to Cactus: The 100 Best Paddles, Barrels, Columns, and Globes, Scott CalhounÊis out to change that perception, and bring the beauty and ease of cactus home.ÊItÕs high time that cacti took their place alongside the trendyÊsucculent.

Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin--Madison Arboretum
Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin--Madison Arboretum

Author: Theodore S. Cochrane

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13:

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A pioneer and leader in the preservation and restoration of native Midwest prairies since the 1930s, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum has a stellar collection of prairie plant species, including horsetails, ferns, rushes, sedges, grasses, shrubs, vines, and wildflowers. This guide illustrates and describes more than 360 native and introduced species that grow and bloom on the Arboretum prairies and also briefly discusses or mentions many additional species, infraspecific taxa, and hybrids. Its intent is to increase awareness and respect for remaining small prairie remnants, motivate readers to work for prairie preservation and restoration, and encourage the planting of native species in yards and gardens. Botanist and taxonomist Theodore S. Cochrane has written the text to engage a variety of readers: prairie enthusiasts, gardeners, amateur botanists, younger students learning about plants, and college students and professionals. Nomenclature follows in part the new APG classification system. Richly illustrated with detailed color photographs by Claudia S. Lipke and botanical illustrations and maps by Kandis Elliot, the guide provides a beautiful and informative sample of the flora of the Arboretum and of the southern Wisconsin prairie landscape. Many of the plants, of course, are also found throughout the upper Midwestern United States and in adjacent southern Canada.

Gardener's Guide to Compact Plants
Gardener's Guide to Compact Plants

Author: Jessica Walliser

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

Published: 2019-06-11

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 0760364842

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Covering a broad array of landscape plants, including edibles, flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs, evergreens, and perennials, horticulturist Jessica Walliser takes a deep dive into the emerging category of compact plants. Whether short, narrow, columnar, or dwarf, this new and exciting group of plants provides the same decorative function as full-sized ornamental plants, but in a fraction of the space. Plus, edible compact plants offer comparable productivity, without having to add more square footage to the garden. In this comprehensive guide, Jessica uses her numerous contacts in the seed and plant production world to give space-challenged gardeners a heads up on what's new, as well as re-introducing a few traditional small-footprint favorites. In both urban and suburban neighborhoods, yards are shrinking, and big plants and gardens require too much maintenance for today's time-starved homeowners. If you're searching for plants that require less space and reduced day-to-day maintenance, dwarf shrubs and other compact plants to the rescue! With little to no pruning required, columnar trees, dwarf shrubs, mini veggies, short-statured perennials, and other compact plants fill a much-needed niche. In the Gardener's Guide to Compact Plants, you'll discover fantastic, brand new dwarf and compact plant varieties you didn't even know existed. And, you'll learn how to grow more flowers, fruits, and veggies than ever before, no matter how much—or how little—space you have. It's the perfect book for homeowners with small yards, urban gardeners, container growers, or anyone looking to grow a beautiful and productive small-scale garden.

Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest
Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest

Author: Judy Nauseef

Publisher: University of Iowa Press

Published: 2016-04-15

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 1609384083

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Want to have a garden that is both beautiful and biodiverse, satisfying and sustainable? In this book, long-time landscape designer Judy Nauseef shows gardeners in the upper Midwest how to restore habitat and diversity to their piece of the planet by making native plants part of well-designed, thoughtfully planned gardens. In contrast to most books about gardening with native plants, Nauseef provides specific regional information. Working against the backdrop of habitat and species losses in the tallgrass prairie states, she brings years of experience to creating landscapes that recall the now-vanished grasslands of the Midwest. Nauseef emphasizes the need for careful planning and design to create comfortable, low-maintenance spaces that bring homeowners outside. Her designs solve problems such as a lack of privacy, shade, or sun; plan for water use; replace troublesome nonnative plants with native plants that attract pollinators; and enable homeowners to enjoy living sustainably on their land. Colorful photographs of projects around the Midwest show the wide range of possibilities, from newly created gardens using only native plants to traditional gardens that mix nonnative with native species. Whether you have a city yard, a suburban lot, or a rural acreage, there are ideas here for you, along with examples of well-designed landscapes in which native plants enhance paths, patios, pergolas, and steps. Providing information on planting and maintaining native plants and prairies as well as seed and plant sources, organizations, and public arboretum and prairie sites, this book enables every gardener to master a new palette of plants and landforms. However small our personal landscapes, together they can slow the loss of many species of plants and wildlife and bring native flowers and grasses back where they belong. Ecologists, landscape architects and designers, master gardeners, landscape contractors, teachers, and home gardeners—everyone dedicated to conserving and improving our environment—will benefit from Nauseef’s approach.

Edible Plants for Prairie Gardens
Edible Plants for Prairie Gardens

Author: June Flanagan

Publisher: Prairie Gardener

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781897252208

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Written especially for gardeners in the Canadian Prairie Provinces and the Northern Great Plains of the United States, this book shows you how to grow fabulous fruits, vegetables and herbs. Discover how to design a growing space of any size, from planning your first vegetable patch or collection of potted herbs, to creating an urban landscape for all seasons entirely with edibles. More than one hundred edible plants are featured, including heirloom vegetables and new fruits bred especially for the prairies, illustrated with full-colour photographs. You will find detailed instructions on when, where and how to plant and care for each crop, as well as tips for harvesting, serving and preserving your homegrown produce. New and experienced gardeners will find plenty of solid information about the best plant varieties and environmentally sound gardening practices to be successful in a challenging climate and short growing season. Edible Plants for Prairie Gardens is packed with practical information about: Germinating vegetable and herb seeds indoors Choosing, planning and preparing a garden site When, where and how to plant outdoors Transplanting Garden care from planting to picking Proven strategies for avoiding and solving potential problems. Growing perennial edibles such as: Herbs, Asparagus, Rhubarb, and Prairie-hardy fruit trees and shrubs, Pruning and pollination When and how to harvest each crop Saving seeds from heirloom plants. Also included is an extensive source list of mail-order seed and plant suppliers in Canada and the United States.