“Makes it easy to find information in a snap, on most any edible you want to grow.” —Kylee Baumle, Horticulture Growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs from seed has many benefits for both the gardener and the planet. Why save seeds when you can buy them so cheap? Not only does seed saving allow you to grow a diverse, organic array of fruits and vegetables, it also offers an opportunity to work closely with nature and be even more hands-on with the food you grow, cook, and eat. Supported by research from the global conservation organizations Arche Noah and Pro Specie Rara, The Manual of Seed Saving features information on how to maximize seed quality and yield for crop plants like asparagus, carrots, corn, rhubarb, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. Plant profiles include critical information on pollination, isolation distances, cultivation, harvest, storage, and pests and diseases.

Hundreds of full-color, step-by-step photographic sequences and detailed instructions introduce the appropriate propagation techniques for more than one thousand different kinds of plants, including roses, orchids, ferns, palms, grasses, vegetables, and annuals.

Gives hands-on advice on designing and creating formal and informal water gardens with still or moving water, stones, bridges, lighting, decking, or fish. Includes a catalog of over 150 plants suitable for water gardens and over 700 photographs and illustrations.

Various studies have shown time and again that small organic farms and home gardens are capable of producing more food per acre with less fossil energy than large-scale commercial agricultural installations dependent on machines and toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This classic book by Wolf D. Storl, a respected elder in the practice of permaculture, details how food is grown holistically and beautifully by traditional communities around the world, and shows how to apply their ancient wisdom to our own gardens. With interest in natural, sustainable, organic and local food at an all-time high, people are looking beyond their farmers markets and CSA cooperatives to hyperlocal ways of growing healthy, delicious produce in urban gardens and their own backyards. Culture and Horticulture details time-tested methods that are as effective today as they were hundreds of years ago. On the practical front, the book works as a manual for creating and maintaining a bountiful harvest. It explains how to build the soil to maintain fertility; how to produce compost; how to plant, sow, and tend the various fruit and vegetable plants; how to rotate crops and practice companion planting; how to set up a favorable microclimate; how to deal with so-called weeds and pests; how to harvest at the right time; and finally how to store vegetables and herbs. Special emphasis is given to the art and science of composting, the compost being the "heart" of any self-sufficient garden and a model for the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. At the same time the reader is introduced to the wider aspects of horticulture, to its historical, philosophical, and cosmological contexts and social relevance. Gardening is a cultural activity, shaped by peoples' thoughts, wishes, and needs as well as by their cultural traditions. The author, an anthropologist by profession who has investigated the gardening practices of indigenous people throughout the world and worked for many years on biodynamic farms and in his own food garden, will introduce the reader to Rudolf Steiner's vision of the garden as an organic unit, embedded in the context of terrestrial and cosmic forces. Storl explains the importance of cosmic rhythms (solar, lunar, and planetary), the role of biodynamic herbal preparations as "medicines" for the garden organism, and the so-called "etheric" and "astral" forces. The book presents a vision of the garden as seen through the eyes of "Goethean science," a magical place where alchemical transformations of material substances take place.

This practical manual is an authoritative guide to olive propagation, providing extended information on seed germination, rooting of cuttings, grafting and micropropagation. The authors describe each topic in detail and discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. The Olive Propagation Manual has been developed to take into account the future demand for olive oil, which is expected to increase to three million tonnes annually over the next 10 years. Such volumes will require active farming programs and olive trees for new orchards and the replacement of olive trees in existing orchards. As the olive industry moves from traditional manual methods to mechanised operations, planting stock will need to be developed to meet future challenges. Varietal selection will need to be directed to clones that are early bearing, disease resistant, able to be mechanically harvested, and produce quality fruit and oil. Each of these issues are addressed throughout this book. The Olive Propagation Manual explores historical perspectives, traditional methods and state-of-the-art olive propagation including theoretical explanations and all practical aspects.

This study guide was written for those seeking to become California Certified Nursery Professionals (CCN Pros). Developed through a partnership between the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC), this practical, easy-to-use manual covers important topics on basic horticulture, soil, fertilizer, and water management, plant problem diagnosis, integrated pest management, landscape design, and nursery sales. It also contains an appendix summarizing nursery laws and regulations, a glossary and an index. From indoor plants to lawns – this is a valuable reference for any career professional in the garden retail trade. As the primary information source for home gardeners, well-trained staff knowledgeable in basic horticulture is important to retailers wanting to better meet their customer's needs.