Product Description
This comprehensive guide to organic gardening will help you create a steady supply of organically-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all year round. Includes the latest information on how to find, choose, and grow plants that thrive without synthetic chemicals. Learn how to:

• Plant traditional varieties, known as Heirloom plants, that were developed before the use of pesticides and fertilizers
• Select regional varieties adapted to your climate and location
• Increase your bounty by repurposing seeds from your own garden
• Discourage pests while encouraging beneficial insects and birds

Product Description
From the Prince of Wales, an intimate guide to his Royal gardens and pioneering organic approach to creating world-class beauty.

For twenty-six years, the Prince of Wales has passionately honed the organic practices used at Highgrove, Their Royal Highnesses' family home in Gloucestershire, as well as in his other gardens at Birkhall in the Scottish Highlands and Clarence House in central London. Now, alongside Andrew Lawson's elegant photographs and with Country Living gardening editor Stephanie Donaldson, the Prince's vivid elucidation of his techniques for maintaining healthy soil, planting varieties, and sustaining an ecosystem "in harmony with the natural laws and rhythms of the universe of which we are an integral part" offers a wealth of wisdom to delight and inspire any gardener. His practices, based on a deep respect for nature, can be adapted to almost any garden, large or small. The Prince is hands-on in his gardens, and it is this passion that reveals itself intimately to be at the heart of The Elements of Organic Gardening. 200 full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Transending, Inspirational and Practical with rare Intimate Glimpse into HRH Prince Charles Devotion and Respect for Nature
What a surprisingly enjoyable read.I expected it to be stuffy and boringly practical, instead found it transending many of the more mundane gardening books I've read.His writing is very lucid and joyful to read even though he had one or two colloquial British expressions I didn't understand nor could I find in the dictionary.I was truly inspired by how easy and wonderful an organic garden could be and have already begun to implement some of his design whereever I could in my miniscule Astoria, NYC garden: I've started a fragrent Thyme garden path; applied his simple technique for testing the soil and identifying the type; set up a bird feeder to attract more of the beautiful birds good at eating the more destructive insects and pests; started using all the twigs and tree branches for creating beautiful topiaries for my herb and flower garden; as well as economize on space by combining my single cordon apple tree with my climbing roses over a trellis -- Stunning effect; and finally attached a covered barrel to my downspout to capture all the rainwater with a handy hose hookup (which you can easily make or purchase through the internet.)He was also generous in acknowledging other organic gardeners as well as ancient gardening techniques from India and around the world.I Love this book and recomend it so highly to every gardener on the planet.A visit to highgrove is now on my wishlist. Joyful, joyful, joyful.The Elements of Organic Gardening

Lovely book
Beautiful photos and filled with wonderful ideas that i want to introduceinto my organic garden.

Excellent Book
I bought this book last year and it's great. It's a true inspiration to make your own organic garden. HRH did a wonderful job on letting the world in his private world.

Highgrove heaven!
I loved the earlier book on Highgrove and gave it the highest review.It's interesting to see this updated version, complete with delightful pictures of Charles and Camilla looking relaxed and happy.This book translates well for even the "small yard" gardener as there are a lot of tips. It is admitted that the Highgrove grass isn't really grass at all--just a wildflower meadow that's very closely clipped.It isn't fertilized or watered either (though the pictures don't show that--it would have been helpful and inspiration for the book to come clean by showing us the royal dried up lawn during a (rarely) hot English summer.)This book also is fun to compare to the earlier book, where one can see some of the new plantings (including the black and white garden) as they mature.There are also many other clever features in the garden, including the "green man" made of greens.There is inspiration for a novice gardener, and for organic gardeners there is a lot of useful information.

The Elements of Organic Gardening
Excellent book very well put together along with it's great pictures.One of my favorite books in my library. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Organic Manifesto
I have never really given much thought as to the HISTORY of our dependence on chemical farming and that is the one aspect of this book that I found most fascinating. The author starts out with an in depth look at the state of things today and moves into how we got here. She discusses the health of the soil and the health of our children...looking at soil contamination and the health risks that all of us face as a result. She interviews 'traditional' chemical farmers and gets their opinions on WHY they grow things the way they do. Their responses are included in this book and many of the comments they provide are straight from the literature handed to them by big chemical companies. I found that chapter particularly sad since many of those farmers expressed an interest in organic farming but just didn't know how to move away from the techniques that they were so familiar with.

The chapters on the development of chemical farming were fascinating! Did you know it all started by importing bat guano from far away islands using slave labor to harvest it? Things just spiraled out of control after that! There are also chapters on the politics of subsidies, lobbyists, and the government's involvement in farming and genetically modified crops (GMOs).

The author discusses modern organic farming...from compost to cover crops... and has some great information to dispel common myths associated with the organic movement. She ends with a chapter on a new future, some of which is feasible but others I am not so sure. I don't think chemical companies are ever going to get their hands (and wallets) out of Washington. It is up to US, as a people, to stop buying chemically farmed foods. Supply and demand will, I hope, pressure farmers to change their way of growing food. I don't expect anyone in Washington to care, as sad as that is!

I highly recommend this book if you would like to learn more about the history of farming in our country!

A wakeup call
This book is perfect for the person that wants to do something to help the world but not sure where to start.This book is great for the unitiated as to why choosing organic isn't just a personal choice we make at the local market but a lifestyle we should all adopt to help the world.It is my sincere hope that as many people as possible read and understand just how important this book is.Very well written this book tells it like it is in no uncertain terms that the choices we make are either the world a better place or making it worse.Once you read this book you will never look at organic the same way again or food in general for that matter.

Inspiring, Informative, Important
Maria Rodale's "Organic Manifesto" is a must read.There are so many good books available about the relationship between our food and our environment, and this one is a stand out for it's conciseness, it's plain language, it's complete grasp of the big picture, and it's hopefulness.We all need to be inspired as well as informed on how our current choices of consuming and producing food must change for the well being of our bodies and our planet.Maria does both; inspire and inform.You'll love this book, and you'll want everyone you know to read it,too.

Review of "Organic Manifesto"
A Year in a Rock Garden: An Organic Gardening Guide (Volume 1)
This book is a "must read" for any gardener and I believe for any non-gardener also.It concerns not only our food but indeed, our future as a race on this planet.We all need to understand what this book is about. It is clear, well written and an excellent summary of the term "organic" and what it means to all of us. Ron Kushner

Must read
Every American should read this book, to see what your leaders are hiding from you. As we could win the battle against cigarettes we can win against toxins in our food! Do this for yourself and your family, read this book, try to make better food choices and let your voice heard!
This book is a qucik read, that doesn't get lost in deep scientific details, but gives references if you have a science background and would like to further read up on current reserach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book... For the US
This was a very informative book with lots of illustrations and advice.It is very specific for the US, but does have some universally applicable advice.It also is not very scalable from a compact kitchen garden, to a larger setup, which was what I was looking for.

The book also pumps you up for Organic foods and gets the ideas flowing.These people have passion, no doubt!!They also give some good tips on season extending, which I will probably try at the end of winter this year.

This is a good addition to any library on gardening, or home care!

Extended Season Gardening
This book has awesome information for anyone wanting to grow all their own food and become self sufficient.

Also lots of tips for extending the season even if you only grow a few favorites.

Includes growing information on different vegetables, organized into short and long season heat-loving or cold-hardy. Also building instructions for their solar appliances and even the difficulties and learning from their decades of experience growing all their own food.

This book is full of it!!
One of the best gardening books I have ever read!Excellent information on solar gardening & instructions on how to construct the garden cones, frames & pods.They provide practical information in an easy to understand format.I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in gardening. ... Read more

Product Description
Choosing locally grown organic food is a sustainable living trend that’s taken hold throughout North America. Celebrated farming expert Eliot Coleman helped start this movement with The New Organic Grower published 20 years ago. He continues to lead the way, pushing the limits of the harvest season while working his world-renowned organic farm in Harborside, Maine.

Customer Reviews (44)

Coleman extend the food season
I learned a lot of tips that I was able to apply this year already, but have many plans for next year. I expect to save lots of money on my fresh food budget and know how my food was grown. If Eliot can do it in Maine, most people should be able to extend their growing season almost anywhere.

2nd Time around
Someone borrowed and didn't return my first copy. This is the second time I have bought it.

The Winter Harvest Handbook
Elliot Coleman is a generous man with vision for the sustainable future.He openingly shares years of experiential labor to guide us to hands-on success in winter planting/harvesting,and wisely offers philosophical insights gained from his experience.There IS enough and to spare IF we are wise stewards! A remarkable man.I reside in Colorado and this fall I have begun my adventures into winter harvesting; Carrots, Spinach, Chard, Kale, Collards, Mache, and Tatsoi greet me happily from under a 'cold house'.I passed this book to a son in Wisconsin who is growing under a 'cold house' now. Thank you Mr. Coleman for your insights and vision of a sustainable tomorrow.

Great for large scale gardens
I read this book from cover-to-cover and have read several others on cold-climate gardening. I thought it was a great story on how the author has created a successful winter harvest business, but many of his stories are difficult to apply on a smaller scale. For instance, I would love to have a mobile cool house, but it just isn't happening in my suburban yard. So if you're interested in turning your gardening into a business, this is the place to start for sure (or trying to coax a winter harvest out of your current business), but it's not the best option for a small-scale home garden.

That being said, the book is well written and has some good tips you can glean for any situation. Just don't expect it to be a universal guide to suburban winter gardening.

Lots of content easily used by home gardeners
This book is written by and for a small commercial farmer but at least 90% of it is directly applicable to the home gardener.The 3 keys are: plant selection,constructing cheap-easy hoop shelters, and succession planting.He's in Maine so his methods will work in most of the USA. ... Read more

Product Description
Hang up your shovel and trowel! Now you can use the time (and money) you save laboring in your garden to actually enjoy it. Drawing on the amazingly simple layering sys-tem of gardening developed in her previous 'lasagna gardening' books, Patricia Lanza applies these principles to the ever-popular topic of growing herbs. Her organic, commonsense approach uses natural ingredients, close planting, and generous mulching, with little or no fancy equipment. Here she shares her homegrown methods, based upon almost 50 years of experience, to give readers tips on: lUsing more than 50 favorite herbs in recipes lMaking herbal wreaths and creating delicious herbal teas lUsing herbs for aromatherapy and potpourri lGrowing and using edible flowers This is the perfect book for all the busy people who want to reap the rewards of a garden but who lack the time, the energy, or the confidence to get down in the dirt. Accomplished and amateur gardeners alike will love this ingenious process that allows you to create beautiful, productive, low-maintenance herb gardens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Best!!
I have an old copy and have purchased more for my children.Now, I'm on to friends who have trouble with their gardens.The very best basic garden information, especially for novices.You can't go wrong!

Great book
I tried this type of gardening this year and so far it is working great.Last fall I started my preperation and planted this spring.My garden is not only producing well, but look great too!

Forest gardening at home
Great reading, using the natural forest process to plant with nutritious soil at home....VERY NICE

Lasagna Gardening
Lasagna gardening is a great and easy way to garden. I planted herbs this year and plan a lot more for next year. My bed of herbs looks fantastic. And NO WEEDS!!! The easiest part is layering the peat moss and other mulches to start your garden, Then basicly you just water and sit back and watch it grow. I love this book, and this method of gardening.

Gardening
Lasagna gardening has become the way that my wife and I do our business. We have a small herb business and use this form of gardening exclusivley. ... Read more

Product Description
Compost your old "complete" gardening guide. There's a new way of gardening in Texas that's healthier for people and the environment, more effective at growing vigorous plants and reducing pests, cheaper to maintain, and just more fun. It's Howard Garrett's "The Natural Way" organic gardening program, and it's all here in Texas Gardening the Natural Way. This book is the first complete, state-of-the-art organic gardening handbook for Texas. Using Howard Garrett's new mainstream gardening techniques, Texas Gardening the Natural Way presents a total gardening program: • How to plan, plant, and maintain beautiful landscapes without using chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides.• Gardening fundamentals: soils, landscape design, planting techniques, and maintenance practices.• Includes more native and adaptable varieties of garden and landscape plants than any other guide on the market.• Trees: 134 species of evergreens, berry- and fruit-bearing, flowering, yellow fall color, orange fall color, and red fall color.• Shrubs and specialty plants: 85 species for sun, shade, spring flowering, summer flowering, and treeform shrubs.• Ground covers and vines: 51 species for sun and shade.• Annuals and perennials: 136 species for fall color, winter color, summer color in shade and sun, and spring color. Also seeding rates for wildflowers.• Lawn grasses: 10 species for sun and shade, with additional information on 16 native grasses, seeding rates for 32 grasses, and suggested mowing heights.• Fruits, nuts, and vegetables: 58 species, with a vegetable planting chart and information on organic pecan and fruit tree growing, fruit varieties for Texas, grape and pecan varieties, and gardening by the moon.• Common green manure crops: 29 crops that help enrich the soil.• Herbs: 66 species for culinary and medicinal uses.• Bugs: 73 types of helpful and harmful bugs, with organic remedies for pests, lists of beneficial bugs and plants that attract them, a beneficial bug release schedule, and sources for beneficial bugs.• Plant diseases: organic treatments for 55 common problems.• Organic methods for repelling mice, rabbits, armadillos, beavers, cats, squirrels, and deer.• Organic management practices: watering, fertilizing, controlling weeds, releasing beneficial insects, biological controls (including bats and purple martins), and recipes for Garrett Juice, fire ant control drench, vinegar herbicide, Sick Tree Treatment, and Tree Trunk Goop.• Average first and last freeze dates for locations around the state.• Organic fertilizers and soil amendments: 61 varieties, including full instructions for making compost.• Organic pest control products: 30 varieties.• Common house plants and poisonous plants.• Instructions for climbing vegetable structures and bat houses.• 833 gorgeous full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Complete A Complete Texas Gardening Reference - Trees, Veggies, Bugs and More - The Natural Way
I find this book to be a great quick reference book, like a mini-encyclopedia on all things related to Texas gardening. It covers Texas trees, veggie gardening, lawn grasses, fruits and nuts, shrubs, flowers, and even bugs, diseases and organic management. And the best part, Howard Garrett always has suggestions for doing it the natural way. It is, however, more of a reference book than an in-depth coverage of any one topic. I have some of the Dirt Doctor's (Howard Garrett) other books that cover single topics in depth. Don't get me wrong though, it includes everything you need to know on choosing and planting the best suited trees and shrubs, how to choose the best vegetables for your region and when to pant them, how to fight common pests and diseases with natural, organic means, and more.The book thoroughly explains his Sick Tree Treatment which I have used with great success. It even included recipes for Garrett Juice, cornmeal juice and other natural landscaping remedies.

And if you're a visual person, this book contains more than 800 pictures, which I find especially helpful when identifying trees, grasses and bugs that already exist on my property.

This book is a must have for any Texas gardener. If you buy only one Howard Garrett book, make it this one (but remember he has some other great, more in-depth book too). He is a certified arborist and horticulturist, as well as other things, so he knows his stuff.

One of my favorite books!!!
Bottom line is, I Love This Book! I am constantly looking at it time after time for information, or just for fun. If you live in Texas, put this book in your collection. It has tons of valuable information on most of the good stuff we can grow successfully. I like Howard Garrrett's whole approach to gardening without chemicals. This is definitely one of my favorite books.

My favorite new book
This book is very beneficial to all of you Texas gardeners out there. Especially first time Texas gardeners like me.
There are a lot of pictures of the variety of trees, plants, grasses, etc that grow well in the different regions of Texas.
The descriptions tell you what is good/bad about each species.
I recommend to anyone who is starting their own garden, and a great resource to go back to once the garden is established-resource on how to manage bugs, etc.

The Total Package!
If you live in Texas and want to garden organically....this is THE book for you.I have been gardening (as organically as possible) for decades, and found tons of information in this very thorough tome.LOVED IT!

Gift
I gave this as a gift, and it was enthusiastically received, but I am not able to review it. ... Read more

Product Description
A simple, down-to-earth introduction to the method of biodynamic gardening especially written for the backyard gardener.

Long out of print, this classic introduction to biodynamic gardening introduces the gardener to an obvious, often forgotten principle: gardening is about living things, life forces, and life as such.

In his introduction, John Philbrick talks of how each morning he was in the habit of meditating and communing in his garden at sunrise, until he gradually realized that the important things at work were "the forces of life"—"life is the key to existence on this planet."

He also realized that most gardeners were more concerned with death, with getting rid of things —bugs, weeds, fungi —than with life. Biodynamics is based on the interrelatedness, or the dynamics, of life forces. As Philbrick says:

When you become aware of biodynamics, you become aware that everything that is alive is dependent upon everything else that's alive, and it's all a marvelous network of living things which are constantly changing.

This book provides a simple and practical guide for the beginning gardener. It deals with planning a vegetable garden: how, when, and where to plant seeds and tools and compost making raised beds crop rotation, mulching, and companion plants harvesting, cooking, and preserving There are also sections on flowers, lawns, and home orchards.

Gardening for Health & Nutrition concludes with a useful chapter on "most frequently asked questions." If you are planning a garden—or need a few tips for the one you have, this is the book for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I love Hippies
I found this book at the bottom of my book shelf.I picked it up for nothing at a library sale.Flipping through the book I was suprised to find myself completely hooked.

I've been an avid suburban gardener for a while, but this book opened my eyes to what natural gardening is all about.After this book, I'm dedicated to learning more on real gardening.

Besides the arcane (Read Organic) Gardening knowledge, I loved the California-Granola message.Peace, love, and Mother Earth baby.Not to mention strong Conservative Christian overtones...but I like that.

I recommend this book to anyone who owns a rectangle of dirt with greenery growing out of it.It will change the way you think about plants, and life.Some of the concepts are a little out of date, but still lots of fun. ... Read more

Product Description
In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Joan Gussow, and Verlyn Klinkenborg’s The Rural Life, This CommonGround is an inspirational evocation of a life lived close to the earth, written by the head farmer at one of the country’s first community-supported farms. By reflecting on four seasons of activity at his beloved Quail Hill Farm in eastern Long Island, Scott Chaskey offers stirring insight into the connections between land and the human family. Whether writing about the voice of a small wren nesting in the lemon balm or a meadow of oats, millet, and peas rising to silver and green after a fresh rain, this poet-farmer’s contagious sense of wonder brings us back to our bond with the soil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One needn't be an organic farmer nor one who "lives beyond the sidewalks to enjoy this book!
"The Best Plants Come with a story."
--Maria Rodale

Catalogues sometimes contain the stuff that dreams are made of.On Quail Hill the selection of seeds from catalogues represents the dreams of life, life with hopes of blossoming on an organic farm in Amagansett, NY.Scott Chaskey, a self-described "holistic" farmer, shares the seasons and the songs of farm life in his marvelously eloquent book, This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm.

More than fifteen years ago a small coterie of families met to form the Quail Hill farm.They would come to share the land and the production of organic vegetables, fruit and flowers amongst themselves and with the indigenous wildlife in the area.With a rare poetic ambience with nature, the author leads the reader though the day to day, season to season workings of the farm from the tilling of the soil to the taste on the palate.He travels with the poet in his heart and introduces, or reintroduces as the case may be, to the likes of Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Whitman, Keats, Yeats and others.

In one way or another we are alldependent, albeit some more than others, on the survival of the small farm.Perhaps the philosophy of Chasky can be summed up in one small sentence from the Earth Charter:"The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure water, and clean air."His love of life, friends, family and farm (organic that is) embrace this charter for all of us ... on a small plot of land on Quail Hill farm,Amagansett, NY, USA, World.

One needn't be an organic farmer nor one who "lives beyond the sidewalks to enjoy this book.I am neither, and enjoyed this book tremendously.The next time I pick up this book I will be lounging on a hammock imagining myself sitting on a tractor beeping at the crows at Quail Hill farm."The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark ... ." Highly recommended!

This Common Ground
Great book to put you in the mood for a simpler more wholesome life where you don't get caught up in the hype of our 21st century society.
I really enjoyed it.

Well-written and engaging journal of life on the organic farm
I have to begin this review by taking note of the delicious irony of finding this slender little gem of a book at my local supermarket, as the essence of this story is an ode to the slow food movement and the community-supported agriculture (CSA) efforts that have been gaining steam around the country over the course of the last decade or so. Definitely not supermarket material.

The author is Scott Chaskey, farmer/poet emeritus of Long Island's Quail Hill Farms, one of the oldest CSA groups in New York State. His text reads like a set of short journal entries, carrying the reader through an entire cycle of seasons on the farm. His prose is beautiful and descriptive, with occasional hints of verse adding depth and color to the proceedings. Chaskey's love of Nature (with a capital N for sure) comes through loud and true, as does the book's central theme of living in harmony with the Earth and her gifts.

It's never explicitly stated, but there's a real neo-Pagan feel to this book, especially in the way that it follows the seasons and the wheel of the year. Chaskey is definitely in touch with his inner Druid, his connection to the land and it's flora and fauna making him an effective advocate for organic farming and the CSA model.

HIGHLY recommended.

Down to the earth gardener
This book was a very sweet description of life at a organic farm.It brought to life ideas and processes that must happen every year or helpful hints on what makes this gardening adventure easier.You can feel the joy and effort he has put into the farm and also the challenges.He gives a glimpse of the organic association, and what it means to be organic.Chaskey generously lets us learn from his mistakes.The wholesome roots of farming are embraced by this book, I loved it.

Love and Frustration on an Organic Farm
A story of love and frustration in building a farm that grows products organically.

It's clear that the love drives Mr. Chaskey to farming, watching things grow, watching the seasons turn.The poet in him makes his prose read like this love -- 'Last night our fields felt the first light touch of Jack Frost.'

The frustration also comes through, especially as he talks about new gtovernment rules -- To qualify as organic compost must be turned a total of five times within a fifteen-day period and you must prove that the temperature inside the pile was between 131 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for the period. --Who turns compost every three days.

This book is the story of the changing seasons on an organic farm in New York. It is not an instruction book on farming, it is an ode to organic farming. ... Read more

Product Description
This book looks in turn at different aspects of organic gardening, from creating spectacular lawns and decorative beds and borders in the ornamental garden, and how to attract a host of beneficial creatures to the wildlife garden, to growing an abundance of crops in the kitchen garden. With its wealth of inspirational and practical photographs, useful step-by-step information and well-informed text, this book is a comprehensive guide for both first-time and experienced gardeners, whether you wish to start an organic garden from scratch or use organic methods in an existing garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Basics for everything
This book is great for people that want to know how to get into organic gardening or have started and want to learn more detail. They start off with the philosophy behing organic gardening and move on to all the components that make it successful. About 1/3 of the book is devoted to different types of plants you can grow (edibles and ornamentals) and each plant has several pictures of what the plant, flowers and fruit look like and how to start, grow and harvest them. There is even a handy calendar in the back so you know what chores have to be done in the garden and what plants to plant at the appropriate seasons. I am a master gardener and many of the things I learned in my class were right there in this book! Excellent advice, and very well explained. There are also always pictures to show what they are talking about. ... Read more

Product Description
Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life — not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and thus become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. But there is an alternative to this vicious circle: to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web — the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants. By eschewing jargon and overly technical language, the authors make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

No one ever fertilized an old growth forest.Here's why!
This books hits the right tone with providing some very beneficial scientific explanation in a readable manner.

My personal list of recommended improvements:
It can get a tad repititive.
I would personally have appreciated more information on insects and critters in compost and how that relates to the composition of the compost.
I think the no-till argument is revolutionary to some and the book might benefit from a deeper discussion of how it is seemingly effective, but actually destructive.
Provide a visceral example of highly worked and fertilized soil that is very destroyed.

new perspective on dirt
Teaming with Microbes is exceptionally well organized and detailed, yet clear enough for novice gardeners to learn what they need to know to start an organic garden. The writing style is relaxed and engaging.

The first half of the book describes the chemistry and biology of soil--especially highlighting mutually beneficial relationships among plant roots, bacteria, fungi, subterranean insects, and worms. The second half of the book addresses practical matters for gardeners and includes several organic ways to enrich soil.

I found the book particularly enlightening in its contrast between bacteria-dominated and fungi-dominated soils (and the kinds of plants to grow in each) and in its description of the damaging impact on soil ecology of chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and rototilling. If nothing else, the book will deepen a reader's respect for the potential and complexity of life in what we often disparage as "dirt."

This book is a milestone
This book is a milestone that every horticulturist should have in their library. I do not give all 5 stars easily. The author has tackled a tedious subject and made it interesting. His writing style is superb, clear, to the point, and he has a very elegant way of simplifying complex ideas.
Bravo Jeff!Compost Tea Making: For Organic Healthier Vegetables, Flowers, Orchards, Vineyards, Lawns (Volume 1)

Teaming with Information!
I have been doing what I thought was organic gardening for years but this book has opened my eyes to many new things. Their simple explanations about the life cycle of different organisms helped me form a whole new approach to gardening. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to do REAL organic gardening.

gardening at its best
very informative.Couldn't do without it.I find gardening much more meaningful now.It gives gardening a whole ,new meaning. ... Read more

Product Description
Expert flower grower Lynn Byczynski provides a complete introduction to raising a cornucopia of cut flowers for home use and for sale to retail customers, florists, and other markets. Providing a clear, realistic look at both the benefits and the challenges of growing flowers organically for local markets, this guide will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great book for a newbie flower farmer
This book is a great resource if you want to grow flowers for a living. I have to warn you, if you love flowers as much as I do, you may have a problem cutting and selling them. Oh, well. I still do sell tomatoes.

The Flower Farmer is complete
Lynn Byczynski's book is terrific! It has all the information that you need to pursue a career as a flower farmer. It has given me the information that I was seeking to make a career change and become a farmer's market flower grower. Especially appreciated the "Source and references" section.

Not the best book on the subject
The author spends a great deal of time telling you how to plant, transplant, fertilize, etc.She spends way too much space on basics of horticulture.Surely, anyone interested in selling flowers already knows how to grow them! The Ball RedBook would be a better reference for plant-specific growing advice.This book has extensive information about marketing and field yields, but I would take her advice with a grain of salt.I do not agree with some of her calculations and her other information is so far off the mark that I do not trust her opinions in this regard either.

The best info in this book is from her "case studies".The farmers she interviews give good information about their methods and mistakes, but very few specifics about the most important topic: preservation.Just as top chefs will alter recipes so that no one can duplicate their materpieces exactly, most flower growers are very tight-lipped about their secrets and will write pages and pages without giving specifics.This book is true to form."Proper contitioning" tips go no farther than adding sugar or asprin, or buying commercial (and expensive!) potions.

My greatest complaint has to do with her guide to cut flowers at the end of the book.Some flowers that keep beautifully (after conditioning) are dismissed as having "no vase life". For example: Poppies and Cleome are dismissed as lasting a day or two, but using certain methods my Cleome lasted 2 WEEKS in the vase and won a blue ribbon at the county fair, and poppies can fetch $5 a stem and last 7-10 days if you do it right."Flowers for Sale" by Lee Sturdivant has much better conditioning and plant selection information.

Thorough book
My daughter picked this book out over every one she could find on this subject, after an extensive library search.

The one book you need to start.
If you are just starting out, looking for a business or just love cut flowers, this book will get you off to the right start.What to plant and how much, for getting started.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

Home vegetable gardening is all the rage. Millions of Americans have picked up spade and hoe and are digging into the soil for the first time. But starting a garden isn’t always simple. Many hopeful growers find themselves confused by the dizzying array of things to know about soil quality, garden layout, seeds, temperatures, planting schedules, fertilizer, pests, watering, and harvesting. Still other first-time gardeners plant too much, only to find themselves overwhelmed and exhausted by July.

Barbara Pleasant is here to help. In Starter Vegetable Gardens, Pleasant a master gardener and award-winning gardening writer takes the guesswork out of growing food, explaining in simple, straightforward language how to start, maintain, and expand a bountiful vegetable garden in small, manageable spaces.

Pleasant presents 24 no-fail, small-scale garden plans from a simple bag garden (planted right in soil bags!) to an orderly border and from a family food factory to specialty beds for salads, Cajun flavors, and Italian cuisine. For each plan she provides plant and material lists, a plot layout, four-color photographs, and tips for succession planting to keep the garden productive all season long. Her all-organic approach ensures that the harvest is not simply tasty but also chemical-free.

Pleasant anticipates and answers novice gardeners myriad questions, guiding readers through the complexities of assessing site and soil, understanding the climate, choosing the very best vegetable varieties, starting seeds, identifying insect friends and foes, watering, fertilizing, mulching, and harvesting.

The books layout is friendly and accessible, filled with detailed images that bring the concepts to life. Both instructive and inspiring, Starter Vegetable Gardens is an essential one-stop resource for anyone just beginning to cultivate a vegetable-gardening green thumb.

Includes 24 illustratedplanting plans including:

•  Easy-Care Bag Garden
•  Backyard Veggie Border
•  Front-Yard Food Supply
•  Family Food Factory
•  Paintbrush Beds
•  High-Value Verticals
•  Marinara Medley
•  Managed Mulch Garden
•  Sweet Corn & Company
•  Cajun Spice
•  Six-Weeks-Sooner Salad Garden

Customer Reviews (7)

I'm LOVING this book!
Thanks to the video review on Amazon that one customer had already posted, I decided to purchase this book.Her video revealed the beautiful content inside the covers, and pushed me over the edge, influencing my purchase.I haven't had the luxury to spend significant time with my new book yet, but in glancing through it, I can already tell it's going to become a valued addition to my collection of gardening books and magazines.

A manuel for beginner or experienced gardeners
Starter Vegetable Gardens should be on every gardeners bookshelf. Wonderful plans and references during the growing season or good reading in the winter when we are only dreaming of gardening.

Stunning and Useful Too
No only is the book visually stunning, but it's darn useful too.

Based on the theory that with a good plan you can't fail, Barbara Pleasant shows you the three year plan for multiple garden layouts with year by year guilds to make this a fun no fail hobby.What Pleasant does, is gives you not only a shopping list, but a step by step plan for easy gardens from first time gardener to "beyond" beginner.I guess it's up to you how you want to rank yourself.Using planting guides and crop rotations, you too can have the garden that you have always wanted, but have only been able to see in magazines.

Definitely a must have and a must keep on your shelf for years to come with insight and experience from a master gardener.

basic garden ideas
helpful for the beginning vegetable gardener. Well thought out format, easy to read and follow. Easy to reference.

Another great book from Storey Publishing
I have several books on gardening from Storey Publishing.They are all very well done, I learn something new every time I open one and start reading.This one is very good for someone starting out. ... Read more

Product Description
Nothing beats the taste of vegetables from a home garden, especially if they are organically grown. And it has never been easier. Vegetables includes chapters on preparing the soil, choosing the right varieties for different regions of the country, the latest tools, and the best ways to fight pests organically!

Check out the other three books in this series on Lawns, Roses, and Soil!
... Read more

Product Description
Allotment Gardening is a practical guide to growing your own fruit and vegetables organically. Aimed at those who have not had an allotment before, or are new to growing their own, it is packed with adviceófrom choosing and planning your allotment through to harvesting and storing your produce. In Part One, Susan Berger discusses the basics, from tools, planning and clearing the site, to soil, crop rotation, planting and protecting plants. She also looks at design, growing techniquesófrom feeding and mulching to saving seed and supporting plantsóand how to prevent and cope with common problems. A gardenerís calendar, with detailed activities for each month, completes the section.Part Two gives detailed instructions on the cultivation of individual fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs, along with recommendations for particular varieties, chosen for their flavour.Ideas for companion planting, and tips on storage and use of herbs are also included.Each fruit and vegetable entry features an easy recipe to help you make the most of your fresh produce:simple soups from pea to pumpkin, unusual ways of serving vegetables, from Frizzled Brussel Sprouts to Roasted Beetroot with Thyme; more exotic dishes, from SautÈed Kohl Rabi to an earthy Ribollita; and easy recipes for puddings and jams. Illustrated with line drawings and over 30full colour photographs, Allotment Gardening also includes a directory of organic seed suppliers and useful organizations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Garden-fresh tastes beacon all of us
Wonderful book chuck full of tips - Straightforward, well organized including, information from saving seeds for future planting to what to plant and spade back into the earth to improve the soil.

The book is written for a British audience however; with a few nods to our different word-choices, requiring some online research to find the US expression this book offers more practical and inexpensive tips than the average Gardening Bible.

If you never broke ground to grow a seed or if you have been, gardening for years there is something for everyone. Included are a few pages of lush colorful photos, a monthly guide what to plant, when, where and how to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers along with, several recipes thrown in for good measure.

Having just read "My Life on a Hillside Allotment" by Terry Walton, this was a natural progression - both books are winners as we can expect from the land that is known for its gardens. You know it is an allotment in Britain when the recommended tools include a tin for storing tea, a Primus stove to boil water for tea and a fold-up chair for a tea break.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

My gardening bible
Steve Solomon, who started TerritorialSeeds in Oregon, wrote this definitive guide for raising vegetables in the unique soils and climates of the PacificNorthwest.While some of his advice - i.e. Umpqua broccoli - didn't workfor me, his approach and experiencehave proven invaluable. I followed Solomon'sadvice about turning our urban lawn (really just a bunch of dumb weedsthat I hadto mow) into a vegetable garden. I used his organic fertilizer formulasandplant spacing recommendations and, this year,have harvested so much producethat we're regularly delivering surplus box loadsof it to the local foodbank.

growing vegetables West of the Cascades
Great book, wish I had it two years ago. I had no idea
we could grow winter crops.

Especially benefits those who live in the Pac. NW. But contains many opinions (and "advice" contradictory to reliable sources)
CAVEAT: I have only read up to the third chapter so far

This book is written purely from the experience of the author (who is quite successful, I'm sure), but I was looking for a book that was more objective and grounded in concrete data. However, much of the advice is good and I've only found some places where the author makes it sound as if the information he is giving is definitely right (and all others are wrong, or doesn't acknowledge that there exist alternatives), but my research has shown some controversies or contradicting information in that area.

The strongest point of this book is that it is locale-specific (focus is on the Pacific Northwest, mainly Oregon). Consequently, much of the good advice I'm talking about above are the neat tricks and techniques that actually work well in that climate.

Overall a good book, but I think it would be wise to do a bit of your own research while reading this book.

Happy
I moved to the NW from New England and needed some gardening help! This is very helpful and detailed. Would reccommend!!

excellent resource for the Pacific Northwest gardner
I'm a new gardner, having just bought a weekend home with some acreage. After doing a bit of research I realized that gardening in the Pacific Northwest has some specific requirements and pitfalls. This book addresses all of them. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 star review is the fact that it's a bit wordy for what should be a technical guide. It certainly keeps it from being dry, but I found myself wanting a more straight-forward style, such as bulleted list. Instead, this is written in more of a novel-like way with observations and discussions heavily peppered with specific facts and recommendations. I starting reading it with highlighter in hand, which helped, but my husband was much more patient. He's used this book to start our very first garden, with very few other references. ... Read more

Product Description
Encyclopedic in its range of information, this single volume contains everything you need to know to create a breathtaking perennial garden. Hodgson thoughtfully covers site selection, starting a garden, garden pests, and diseases and gives the lowdown on more than 700 perennials. As he says, 'Some give you great value for your money, some are weeds, and some need special care.' Plants are organized by attribute, from bloom time or light needs to low-care and no-care categories. Each plant description includes vital statistics, a list of the problems and solutions specific to that plant, suggested 'neighbors,' recommended cultivars, plus a color photograph showing both bloom and foliage. Learn how to plan your dream garden and follow the 10 commandments of perennial design to avoid the most common pitfalls of perennial gardening. If you are overwhelmed or intimidated by the choices, simply select one of Hodgson's lovely no-fail designs, such as an entry garden, a shady foliage garden, or even a layer cake garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Great for a novice!
I recently moved and have the opportunity to plant a perennial garden for the first time..... but was overwhelmed with the amount of variety of plants available and didn't know where to start.This book not only has wonderful pictures of plants; it also gives advice on how to plan, prepare, plant and care for a garden.

Great for northern gardeners, too.
I agree with Jay Keefer's review and would like to add that I live in Washington state and the author gardens in Canada. He listed plants that have a wide zonal range - almost all of them can be grown in my cooler zone, Zone 5. He did not waste my time by listing plants that can only be grown in the deep South or California. I first checked this book out at the library, but quickly realized that I will need to have a copy of my own to refer back to when I divide, fertilize, transplant, etc. So, I'm here on Amazon to buy this essential book.

wonderful book!
This is a wonderful book. Perennials can be overwelming. This book helps simplify it. A must for the perennial gardener.

Perennials for Every Purpose
This is an excellent book.It is very thorough and an excellent reference source.I'd recommend it to any gardener!

A great stand-by reference for everyone
Even if you are just dabbling in perennial gardening, you will find this book simply delightful.I myself have been a perennial gardener for many years, and I also work in the greenhouse industry, yet this is the most positive, fun to use, and informational book I have found yet. Anything you could possibly think of, from soil prep, to sunlight, to multiplying your babies will be found here. I myself still like to curl up with this book on a cold winter day to dream about tweaking my gardens next spring. This would be a good single reference if you do not buy another gardening book-do try this one. ... Read more

Product Description
The newest edition to the Botanica's Gardening series, this authoritative encyclopedia covers all aspects of organic gardening. Botanica's Organic Gardening is a richly textured, stylish, visually stunning, and comprehensive guide to chemical-free gardening and living in harmony with the earth. Included is a series of four comprehensive, easy-to-use guides to growing vegetables, herbs, fruits, and ornamental flowering plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superbly organized and handy resource
Botanica's Organic Gardening: The Healthy Way To Live And Grow is an exhaustive, 608-page compendium of information, instruction, and advice specifically written to be completely accessible to organic gardeners of all skill and experience levels. Each page is densely packed with richly detailed information. A superbly organized and handy resource which is enhanced with a wealth of beautiful, full-color photographs, Botanica's Organic Gardening is very highly recommended for its coverage which includes everything from the basics of organic gardening to an extensive encyclopedia of edible plants. ... Read more

Product Description
A veritable encyclopedia and easy how-to guide on all that is natural and necessary in the world of gardening and small fruit, vegetable, and herb preparation, in The Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide: A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia, Stephen Albert leaves no stone—collard green, leek, or potato—unearthed in this absolutely amazing field guide that greenhorns, old hands, weekend gardeners, and chefs should not be without. From the soil to the plate, this manual is exceptionally penned and easy to follow. It provides answers to basic and in-depth growing questions. It includes how to plant, how to grow and care for crops, how to harvest, how to store, and how to prepare vegetables and herbs. From asparagus and beet greens to Belgian endive and strawberries, this book helps readers organize a small garden close to the kitchen that offers their favorite, fresh-picked-at-the-peak-of-ripeness small crop—and the template on how to orchestrate the effort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great reference book!
I'm just starting to grow vegetables so I want all the information I can find to help make my efforts a success. What I love most about this book is that the description of each vegetable includes information on growing it in a cold climate AND in a mild climate.

I live in a mild climate so I can grow many things in the winter that would I not try to grow in a harsher climate this time of year. So many of the vegetable books and websites I've looked at assume that freezing weather in the winter is a given and that simply isn't the case here.

This book has been so helpful while planning and planting my new garden! I also recommend the book Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers: Using Ed's Amazing POTS System. My first batch of spinach is now sprouting in a self-watering container and I hope to grow many more veggies with the help of these two books.

Excellent Guide
This book is excellent. They have a complete descrpition for grow and care the most common herb and vegetables that we can grow in our garden. Is a excellent book for novice. Great Book

very helpful
I found this to be a very helpful reference ever after gardening for almost 40 years.I have learned new tips and been encouraged to try vegetables I never grew before.

Just What I Needed!
I was looking for a way to get myself motivated to start my little vegetable garden, and then this book appeared. A little inclination and a little instruction is all it took to get me going full speed. I liked the easy-to-follow advice this book gave me.Clear and concise, I felt like I was being led by the hand.
And, I love the cover!

Using this book now
This is a simple to follow book on growing vegetables. It is thorough and as the title suggests it is complete. The master gardener who wrote it does not gloss over details. I am using it right now to plant my garden. The bullet point format helps me get to the info I need. I received this as a gift and I will be using it often. ... Read more