“We owe it to our plants to read this book. After all, while we just live with the weather, our plants have to survive it.” —The Washington Post All gardeners are at the whim of Mother Nature, and so are our plants. Whether it’s coping with extreme drought or record-breaking snow fall, gardeners—and gardens—across the country are fighting against the elements. Instead of just reacting to the weather, Michael Allaby suggests that gardeners use knowledge about how the weather works to create the best growing conditions for their plants. Allaby brings big-picture atmospheric concepts to life with a comprehensive introduction to how weather works and explanations climate change, weather systems, and microclimates. The Gardener’s Guide to Weather and Climate proves that instead of gardening at the mercy of the weather, knowledgeable gardeners can make the weather work for them
He visits thousands of gardeners each year. Some of them see him coming, others are caught by surprise. Far too many never recover. His name is Jack Frost -- and he's coming soon to a garden near you. A Gardener's Guide to Frost is packed with practical advice that every gardener can put to use each summer. Readers will learn to look at their gardens the way Jack Frost does so they can keep their gardens thriving despite his icy visits. The clear, easy-to-understand explanations come from someone with dirt under his fingernails, and the book includes helpful tables and other resources, including a handy chart listing the frost tolerance of common garden vegetables. Readers will also meet some gardeners who have devised ways to keep on gardening right past fall frosts and into winter. For all its practical advice, however, this book doesn't present Jack Frost as some sort of villain who spoils our all-too-short gardening seasons. Rather, it explains how we can learn to garden with frost -- even embracing it as a friend who helps us slow down and appreciate the beautiful and fleeting gifts of gardening. Book jacket.
For gardeners who live in sunbelt regions of America--whether southeastern, southcentral, or southwestern--this book describes the differences that set hot-weather garden performers apart from other garden varieties.
In this global gardener’s guide to creating a resilient, climate-wise garden, learn how to adapt your garden to cope with volatile weather extremes and other effects of a rapidly changing climate. It’s no longer gardening as usual. Heat waves, droughts, flooding, violent storms…the long-predicted extremes of weather caused by climate change are now on our doorstep, and gardeners around the world are feeling the effects. Certain pests are staying active until much later in the season, many plants are blooming earlier, soils are eroding and degrading at a rapid pace, unpredictable rainfall is water-logging our gardens, and fiercer storms are uprooting trees and snapping branches. Not to mention the effects of prolonged drought in many parts of the world and the water rationing that comes with it. What’s a gardener to do? We need to learn how to protect the garden against climate extremes, exotic pests, invasive weeds, and more. The Climate Change Garden is the first book to reveal which types of gardens are better suited to deal with such extremes and which techniques, practices, and equipment can be put to good use in our gardens to help temper the issues. There’s no getting away from it; no matter where on the planet you live, the climate and weather patterns are changing fast, and our gardening practices need to catch up. With the aim of building a more durable, robust, and productive garden beneath the shadow of climate change, you’ll learn how to: Adapt your plant selections, planting practices, and garden maintenance techniques for the new future Select vegetable and fruit varieties that are more adaptable to weather extremes and more capable of resisting pests and diseases Find ways to manage excess storm water runoff and minimize the heat island effect Foster wildlife and discover the importance of creating a safe haven for these creatures in a changing world Use season extenders like cold frames, high tunnels, and row covers to protect edible plants from weather events Take measures to reduce your garden’s carbon footprint, including going no-till, building a green roof, and composting Limit the risks from wind, frost, and snow by taking advantage of microclimates, planting wind breaks, and physically protecting plants Plant more of the right trees for your future climate to help cool your home, slow the movement of water, and hold soil in place The Climate Change Garden is about working with the natural world to create a productive, low-maintenance, climate-savvy garden that’s capable of standing strong against the effects of a changing climate.
Lauren Springer and Rob Proctor have long been good friends and garden writing colleagues. Here, readers will be entertained, informed, and inspired by the pair's practical wisdom, wit, and tales of perseverance. Garden success depends on the most appropriate plant selections, the best gardening techniques, and maximizing the seasons. Every subject the authors tackle--from early snows to slugs, from bulbs to botanical Latin--urges readers to make the most of the gardens they tend. Passionate Gardener takes the gardener through the seasons in a comprehensive, yet pleasurable and accessible way, as the authors celebrate a diversity of plants for every site and every season. They champion sound, ecologically friendly gardening techniques, from soil and water issues to pest management. They also offer up stories of their horticultural adventures as their personal gardens have evolved, making this lively, information-packed reading with a personal, real touch.--From publisher description.
"Virginia Gardener's Guide" offers state-specific information on the what, when, where, why and how of Virginia gardening rather than generic regional or national information other publications contain.
Gardeners across the nation are seeing clear signs of trouble in their home gardens, no matter the size—like many aspects of life on our warming planet, gardening practices need updates. In the Southeast, gardeners are under pressure to deal with increasing weather extremes, shifting hardiness zones, and seasonal unpredictability. Such environmental conditions are increasingly tough on plants as well as insects, pollinators, birds, and mammals. In this lively and heartening guide, Barbara J. Sullivan offers an essential, easy-to-use resource for adapting to the new realities of climate change. This book will empower southerners to grow beautiful gardens while using gardening practices that contribute to solutions for our shared environment. Surveys the science behind climate change and gardening Covers USDA hardiness zones 5a to 9b, which include thirteen southeastern states Gives advice on planning and installing gardens that will not only thrive but also help address critical environmental challenges Covers key topics ranging from designing a climate-friendly garden that will attract songbirds and pollinators to weaning off gas-powered tools to using water wisely Features a wealth of color illustrations, charts, and tables brimming with recommended native plants for the region
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.
A must-have growing guide for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest A gardener’s plant choices and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by regional gardening experts Paul Bonine and Amy Campion, is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of Northwest garden style.
