The warm climate and generous rainfall of the Caribbean islands, together with rich soils, provide excellent conditions for growing a great variety of plant life. Columbus discovered that the indigenous peoples of the region were successfully growing an extensive range of plants and crops, and successive settlers of many cultures have introduced their familiar species. There are few places in the world with as great a diversity of plants as found in today`s Caribbean. This book tells the reader how to acheive the best results by learning more about the plants and how to grow them in particular situations. It covers all aspects of Caribbean and tropical gardening. It discusses climate, soils, drainage and irrigation, feeding, pruning and propagation. A chapter on landscape introduces the basics of garden design, and shows what to grow where. The section on plant competitors focuses on pest, disease and weed control in a tropical context. Iris Bannochie won the Gold Medal on three occasions at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, and was awarded the Gold Vietch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1977 for her contribution to tropical horticulture.

Enjoy fresh java brewed from your own coffee beans or juice from the orange tree growing in a sunny corner of your living room. Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin show you how to successfully plant, grow, and harvest 47 varieties of tropical fruiting plants — in any climate! This straightforward, easy-to-use guide brings papaya, passionfruit, pepper, pineapples, and more out of the tropics and into your home. With plenty of gorgeous foliage, entrancing fragrances, and luscious fruits, local food has never been more exotic.

The idea of mixing tropical plants with perennials and hardy annuals has been around since Victorian times. It is now enjoying a newfound popularity because tropical plants are more widely available. Gardeners who want to bring the lush beauty of tropicals to an existing garden, or who want to create an authentic vintage garden, will delight in The Exotic Garden. Although tropicals are novelties in temperate climates, they can successfully be grown anywhere. Iversen shows how tropicals can easily be used as annuals to perk up a garden with color during non-blooming seasons. The author's expert advice shows how to grow tropicals in beds, borders, and containers, select and combine plants, and use the tools of color, texture, and form. Plus, there are special overwintering tips and a full color glossary of more than 100 plants.

Showing a wide spectrum of West Indies gardens, from a tiny garden in an urban backyard to spectacular places designed by renowned landscapers, this book provides a fascination and passion for tropical gardening with a lively touch and detailed research. The texts are lightly translated to French, making it a bilingual book for a wider audience. The gardens on display here includes the Montreal Gardens on St. Vincent, Diamond Gardens on St. Lucia, and Hunte's Gardens on Barbados. The final chapter demonstrates ideas for flower arrangements using tropical flowers and step-by-step instructions of three flower arrangements done by fine flower designers from Grenada, with their original comments.

This is not your grandmother's gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality. Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience: Preparing soil Nurturing seedlings Fending off critters Reaping the bounty Readying plants for winter Preparing for the seasons ahead Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as: Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products Converting household junk into canny containers Growing and bagging herbal tea Concocting homemade pest repellents ...and much, much more. Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!

This book bridges a long-standing gap between obscure references in tropical botany and the gardener's need for an accurate, practical guide. Incorporating the latest advances in plant taxonomy, the book is a rare work of scrupulous research — and magnificent photography — that will be as useful to the gardener as it is to the botanist.