Subjects:  1. Biological control    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic    6. Organic Gardening    7. Pests    8. Techniques    9. Gardening / Techniques   

Reviews (2)

More pictures please!
This book has lots of helpful information, but color illustrations or photographs would help much more in terms of identifying weeds.

Happy weeding!
I find this book to be most helpful, as well as easy to read and comprehend. I have learned so much about gardening and controlling those pesky weeds, and have actually had fun doing it(if weeds can be fun!) Thelayout of the book is intelligent, and the illustrations are extremely welldone....I don't think anyone reading this book will have any troubleidentifying weeds in their garden. It's a good investment for ANY gardener! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Control    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Identification    7. North America    8. Regional - General    9. Weed Control In Horticultural Crops    10. Weeds    11. Gardening / General    12. Organic gardening   

Reviews (3)

Growing Roses Organically
This book is an outstanding resource not only for rose gardeners, but also for gardeners in general.I learned all sorts of useful facts about growing plants organically.The book is beautifully written and easy to understand.The illustrations are excellent.
Great instructions and info, plus beautiful pictures
This is a practical, pretty, and highly useful book for anyone who wants to smell the roses, especially in climates less temperate than the west coast. Direct, simple instructions and details
Growing Roses Organically: Your Guide To Creating An Easy-Care Garden Full Of Fragrance And Beauty by garden designer and horticulturalist expert Barbara Wilde is a fabulous, full-color guide to creating a beautiful organic garden tailored to the rose-lover's tastes. Direct, simple instructions and details on a wide variety of roses enhance this superb reference which is ideal for gardeners of all skill levels. From the basics of getting started; through issues such as watering, fertilizing, pruning, disease and insect infestation; to the details of designing rose gardens (included the Mixed Border; Wild Gardens, Hedging, and Wildlife Gardens), Barbara Wilde writes with an accessibility that is as informative as it is easy-to-apply. Of special note is chapter ten, "A Gallery of Roses". If you aspiring to growing a garden of roses, begin your preparations by giving Barbara Wilde's Growing Roses Organically a careful reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers - Roses    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic    6. Organic gardening    7. Rose culture    8. Roses    9. Flowers   

Reviews (3)

Not for the novice gardener
I was very disappointed with the purchase of this book. Living on a tropical island I am surrounded by most, if not all of the plants in this guide. I was looking for a book to help me identify plants in my surroundings that I see on a day to day basis. While there are colour photographs with each plant description, it was difficult to recognise plants because the photos tended to focus mainly on the flowering part of the plant. This is especially frustrating when one wants to identify a tree or shrub. Tropical Ornamentals A Guide
For the serious tropical gardener, this is one book you must not be without. A "must read" for tropical plant growers
This book should be a "must read" for anyone wanting to growtropical plants.Read more

Subjects:  1. Climatic - Tropical    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic    6. Ornamental Plants    7. Plants, Ornamental    8. Tropical plants    9. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    10. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (7)

...
This book has received a lot of mixed reviews, so I just wanted to say: I liked it. The book I've been searching for . . .
Finally, a gardening book that doesn't assume you have acres of land and a barn full of expensive equipment--or that you have the money to go out and buy them. vague and climate-specific
Allow me to be blunt.I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.Read more

Subjects:  1. Container    2. Container gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic    6. Organic gardening    7. Techniques    8. Gardening / Organic   

Reviews (6)

Recommended reading ...I was not disappointed!
It made sense to me that I first saw this book recommended by the National Gardening Association. After all, some of the farms described in it successfully operate from backyard gardens and even urban lots. Later I saw that Rodale's New Farm magazine recommended it with the following quote:
Wow!A must for people who are dreaming of small scale farming!
This book makes me want to stop everything I'm doing and start farming full-time.It has inspired me to have a small farm-stand outside my apartment this summer.(I have a small city garden)Her writing was full of hope and wonder for the natural world.It wasn't a simple 1, 2, 3 steps for farming, although she did cover various sustainable farming techniques.(not in full - but it gives the reader the freedom to pursue what works for them.Included is an awesome "Resources and Networking" Appendix so the reader can do more research.)
For backyards also, and seeing new horizons
This book is much more than the old "a few cows on a few acres story." It presents an updated way of seeing small business, and local sustainable economy, from creating a backyard microfarm, to a new type of small acreage farm, even to adding a microfarm to a larger farm. The possibilities are so vast in this age of information and global communication, even a collection of huge textbooks could not begin to list all the perpetually changing and overlapping possibilities. The author took me up onto a hill and allowed me a perspective I hadn't seen before to help me make my choices. People who have taught permaculture for 20 years are using it to give perspective to those in the emerging small organic farm movement in more than one country. It points to the vast sources of microfarming information already out there but not always obvious, from methods that grow hundreds of pounds of tomatoes on one plant to biointensive to no-till gardening. The author appears to then assume you are smart enough to make the choices from those she presents, or from the sources of even moremethods she leads you to, that fit your style, then wisely counsels to then get grounded and hunt for the best sources for the deeper, technical methods that may be available in your local area or more obscure sources, but not available in the mainstream markets. For example, there are at least 20 methods of staking tomatoes alone, and that depends on your local climate and soil, and it also depends on the types you want to grow, and it depends on what you want to grow near them, and that depends on your local market... no one book could possibly cover every crop and every growing method and every type of livestock for every local region. This one book, though, opened doors for me. I loved reading about the other successful farms. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Crop Science    2. Agriculture - Sustainable Agriculture    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. General    7. Industries - Agribusiness    8. Organic    9. Organic Gardening    10. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Subjects:  1. Flowers - Roses    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic gardening    6. Rose culture    7. Roses    8. Flowers    9. Gardening / Organic   

Editorial Review

The editors of the Smith & Hawken catalog have put together an excellent introduction to the art, practice, and enjoyment of gardening that will be of use to experienced gardeners and novice tillers alike. Like the catalog from which it springs, the book sometimes manages to be trendy and breathlessly traditional at the same time. But the prose is lively, the illustrations exact, and the photographs pleasing, and the book will look as good on your coffee table as it will propped up next to your hydrangeas. On second thought, better get two: the hardback for the coffee table and the soft cover for the garden. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Complete Reference for the Novice
I am new to gardening and have been looking for a comprehensive reference to getting started with gardening. This book has answered all my questions, including soil preparation, plant selection, necessary tools, planting, and how to tend the garden. It even has information on propagating, containers and furniture. I highly recommend this book to the beginning gardener.

Best for beginning gardeners, useful for experts
Gardening books for a broad audience are rarely successful.It's extremely difficult to present basic information for beginning gardeners that doesn't bore more experienced plantsmen to blindness.On the other hand, how many beginners have had to plod through chapters on advancedtopics in so-called "general" gardening books - such as graftingrootstock or the family tree (no pun intended) of a minor succulent - justto find basic information on when to plant potatoes?And how often doesone find right-way, wrong-way statements in basic gardening books thatdirectly conflict with the statements made in the next book on the shelf,with no attempt to explain the rationale behind therecommendations? The Book of Outdoor Gardening
I found this book to be very helpful when setting up my landscaping at mynew house.It was a useful guide in determining what plants would work formy area.The beautiful pictures were also great examples of what toexpect. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Organic gardening    7. Gardening / General   

Subjects:  1. Fruit    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Organic Gardening    5. Organiculture    6. Vegetable Processing    7. Vegetable gardening    8. Vegetables   

Reviews (3)

K. Wilson
Decent overview of general gardening.Not much info on zone specific gardening techniques or when is best to start different crops. A good book for beginners.

life renewing spirit
The Organic Home Garden is a navigator to both growing an organic home garden and creating a sustainable lifestyle through hope and love. It resonates with life and will bring both inspiration and practical bounties to the reader. The photos are beautiful and the writing smooth and human. Its extensive organic techniques along with practical applications put this book above many of its kind. An inspirational and knowledgeable book that is first rate amongst my garden books.

Covers fresh and healthy foods and how to grow them
Newcomers to organic gardening will find Patrick Lima's Organic Home Garden an excellent, basic introduction which covers fresh and healthy foods and how to grow them with a minimum of additives. From selecting hardy varieties of seeds and seedlings to choosing appropriate compost and controlling pests and diseases through non-chemical means, Organic Home Garden is packed with charts, drawings, and even recipes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fruit    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Organic    6. Vegetables    7. Fruit-culture - Handbooks, manuals, etc.    8. Gardening / Organic    9. Organic gardening    10. Vegetable gardening - Handbooks, manuals, etc.   

Editorial Review

West Coast gardening guru Ann Lovejoy has gained a significant following, and deservedly so--she's a gifted teacher, a lyrical writer, and a passionate advocate of organic solutions to even the most daunting garden problems. Her Read more

Reviews (4)

clearly written
I have enjoyed using this book as a good reference for my growing garden.Lovejoy's style is clear, she provides some worksheets in the back of the book, which I found helpful.I also noted her 'voice' in the book is not haughty or stuffy - she is friendly, and clear, which as an avid reader of garden books, I found refreshing.Her ideas are both simple and logical.I love this book.

Poorly organized but good information
Since I'm currently resolved to redesign my yard in the interests of increasing its ecological value and decreasing required maintenance, this "organic garden design school" SEEMED like the perfect book for me.And there is a lot of good information in here, about design considerations, planting tips, etc, some of which I've found nowhere else, and which have made the book worthwhile to me.HOWEVER, winnowing that information from the book was not very easy.Though the title suggests this is a textbook, it is really a long series of 1- or 2-page rambles about one or another aspect of the author's experience gardening her own yard (and one other yard).This work is poorly edited and organized, and there is a huge emphasis on just those two examples of garden design.To apply the lessons of this book myself, I needed more than anecdotes from two situations unlike my own.I needed some generally stated design principles, as well as some very specific techniques (e.g. how to build raised beds like the author's).While this information is in there, and some of it is quite illuminating, those gems occur nearly randomly within the 1- or 2-page rambles.If the book was titled something like "Design Thoughts," perhaps I wouldn't be so disappointed, but a "school" and a "guide," with all the clarity those words suggest, this book is not.A workbook section at the end of the book makes up for this by finally providing the reader with a definite guide for action.But it would have been a much more of a "school" and a "guide" if the workbook had been integrated into the chapters, rather than tacked on at the end.

An excellent guide for all gardening levels
Create a beautiful and easy organic garden with the aid of Organic Garden Design School, a design-oriented book which covers topics ranging from linking cultivation efforts to the natural environment offered to using colors and textures in the garden. Using space wisely, choosing native plants, and creating a garden mood are all covered in an excellent guide for all gardening levels. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Gardens    7. Low maintenance gardening    8. Organic    9. Organic gardening   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Service
The book was in perfect condition and it was delivered ahead of the expected delivery date. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biological control    2. Control    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. General    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Handboosk, manuals, etc    9. Insect pests    10. Organic    11. Organic gardening    12. Techniques   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. General    3. Organic    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Technology    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Agriculture & Farming   

Reviews (11)

The Struggle Continues
I live somewhat north of the area Mr. Masumoto writes about - where the San Francisco Bay Area Suburbs collide with the San Joaquin Farmlands.The Peach and Cherry Orchards and the Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Strawberries are currently holding their own - but like Mr. Masumoto's Peaches and Grapes, only tenuously, and with great courage.If you would like to understand not only how these people live, but who and why they are, you should read this book. It is both beautifully written and thought provoking.

Epitaph for a Peach
It is rare to read a book where the author works miracles with his hands and his words.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction but finds it dry, without humanity.David Mas Masumoto is anything but dry.His land may be at times, but his poetic prose is anything but.His relationship with his family, his family's farm and nature is a rare combination.I highly recommend this read.

Best book about farming I've ever read
"Epitaph" is a gem and a masterpiece. Masumoto is a good farmer, a truly dedicated family man and a gifted writer. The story is in part about his love affair with a wonderful variety of peach. Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. California    4. Farm life    5. General    6. Japanese American farmers    7. Masumoto, David Mas    8. Nature    9. Peach growers    10. Crop husbandry    11. Gardening / Organic    12. Modern fiction   

Subjects:  1. Calendars & Diaries    2. Calendars - Cooking    3. Organic    4. Reference   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Reference
Very good illustrations and easy format make it simple to find what's invading your garden whether it be an insect, disease or weed.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - General    2. Garden pests    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Organic    7. Organic gardening    8. Plant diseases    9. Reference    10. Weeds    11. Gardening / Reference   

Reviews (5)

A Reasoned Approach to Organics
Contrary to what the religious wing of the organics movement might want, this book is a balanced, reasoned approach to organics.I checked into author Perry's background (what I could find) and there is no connection to the mega food industry.She's a small farmer with a CSA, organic of course.
A Field Guide to Buying Organic
This book has been SO helpful in deciding which foods are worth buying organic and which ones you can safely buy conventional. I was planning on switching to all or mostly organic, but my budget just woulnd't have allowed that, so I picked up this book at the library to help me decide what to buy. For example, I'm going to keep buying regular skim milk because there were nearly no presticide residues found in it, but because pesticides hold in fats, there were a lot found in whole milk, cheese, and butter, because of the fat, so I plan to buy those organic. It also made me realize hormones in milk and meat were probably not as much of a problem as organic advocates would have you believe. I plan to buy organic fruits and veggies, and I'm still deciding on meats. These authors don't recommend all organic, but they don't seem to be in the pocket of the big farms OR the organic growers. They form their own conclusions and opinions. Great and helpful book.

Very biased
I believe that these authors received a big kickback from large factory farms and big business. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Healthy Living    6. Natural foods    7. Nutrition    8. Organic Gardening    9. Purchasing    10. Specific Ingredients - Natural Foods    11. Health & Fitness / Healthy Living   

Reviews (7)

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.

excellent
I am in the flower buisness and this book is an excellent resource of quality information. I've read many other books of this type, but this one is by far the best.

The Best
This is the best book We've found on the subject. We're starting a "cut flower" business in ME. It's an invaluable resource, and it includes lists of flowers, care, feeding, when to plant etc. etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cut flower industry    2. Floriculture    3. Flowers - General    4. Gardening    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Gardening/Plants    7. Life Sciences - Horticulture    8. Organic    9. Organic Gardening    10. Organic farming    11. Regional - General    12. Floral crafts    13. Flowers   

Reviews (5)

Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes
This is a great compendium of old-world preserving techniques that can still be used today.A great resource for kitchen gardeners who treasure their ability to feed themselves around the year with their homegrown and preserved produce!Low-energy techniques make it possible to preserve without depending on electricity.

What Grandma forgot to tell you.
If you're like me you missed learning the ways of preserving food without canning or freezing at your mother or grandmother's elbow.This book is an excellent reference for an experienced cook to learn some forgotten or abandoned ways of food preservation.
Fascinating, but not a normal cookbook
The recipies in this book were submitted by French magazine readers, and cover a wide variety of traditional preservation techniques: preserving with vinegar, oil and sugar; preserving with alcohol; preserving by lactic fermentation; and several other techniques.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Food    3. Food Science    4. Methods - Canning & Preserving    5. Preservation    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology    8. Organic gardening    9. Preserving   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Organic    5. Organic Gardening    6. Techniques    7. Gardening / Techniques