A focused practical guide to useful and edible plants found in the San Francisco Bay Area that can also be helpful in discovering similar plants in other regions of California

Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

This book contains a detailed treatise on artificial grasses, including information on clovers, rye-grass, tares, and other types of artificial grasses. This text discusses the benefits, drawbacks, and uses of a variety of artificial grasses, written in clear language and including helpful tables and diagrams. Although old, much of the information contained within this volume is timeless, making it of much appeal to modern readers with an interest in the subject. The chapters of this book include: Clovers, Tares, Chicory, Corn Spurrey, Sainfoin and Lucerne, etcetera. Many antiquarian texts such as this are becoming increasingly expensive and rare, and it is with this in mind that we are proudly republishing this book now complete with a new introduction on agriculture and agronomy.

With Beautiful No-Mow Yards, you can transform your lawn into a livable garden and bring nature's beauty into your life! What has your perfect green lawn done for you lately? Is it really worth the time, effort, and resources you lavish on it? Armed with encouragement, inspiration, and cutting-edge advice from award-winning author Evelyn Hadden, you can liberate yourself at last! In this ultimate guide to rethinking your yard, Hadden showcases dozens of inspiring, eco-friendly alternatives to that demanding (and dare we say boring?) green turf. Trade your lawn for a lively prairie or replace it with a runoff-reducing rain garden. Swap it for an interactive adventure garden or convert it to a low-maintenance living carpet.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.