Winner of the American Horticultural Society Award for Excellence In Garden Book Publishing Winner of the Silver Medal for Best Reference from the Garden Writer’s Association Filled with advice for the home gardener and the more seasoned horticulturist alike, The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving provides straightforward instruction on collecting seed that is true-to-type and ready for sowing in next year’s garden. In this comprehensive book, Seed Savers Exchange, one of the foremost American authorities on the subject, and the Organic Seed Alliance bring together decades of knowledge to demystify the time-honored tradition of saving the seed of more than seventy-five coveted vegetable and herb crops—from heirloom tomatoes and long-favored varieties of beans, lettuces, and cabbages to centuries-old varieties of peppers and grains. With clear instructions, lush photographs, and easy-to-comprehend profiles on individual vegetable crops, this book not only teaches us how to go about conserving these important varieties for future generations and for planting out in next year’s garden, it also provides a deeper understanding of the importance of saving these genetically valuable varieties of vegetables that have evolved over the centuries through careful selection by farmers and home gardeners. Through simple lessons and master classes on crop selection, pollination, roguing, and the processes of harvesting and storing seeds, this book ensures that these time-honored traditions can continue. Many of these vegetable varieties are treasured for traits that are singular to their strain, whether that is a resistance to disease, an ability to grow well in a region for which that crop is not typically well suited, resistance to early bolting, or simply because it is a great-tasting variety. In an age of genetically modified crops and hybrid seed, a growing appreciation for saving seeds of these time-tested, open-pollinated cultivars has found a new audience from home vegetable gardeners and cooks to restaurant chefs and local farmers. Whether interested in simply saving seeds for home use or working to conserve rare varieties of beloved squashes and tomatoes, this book provides a deeper understanding of the art, the science, and the joy of saving seeds.

A complete seed-saving guide of 160 vegetables, including detailed info on each vegetable.

Mouthwatering heirlooms, exciting hybrids, sensational herbs, colorful flowers - you dream of a garden overflowing with vibrant, healthy plants. Turn your dream garden into reality with seeds you save and start yourself! With easy ideas on harvesting, storing, sowing and nurturing your seeds into flourishing plants, this helpful guide gives you a sure path from start to success. In it, you get: A look at seed and plant anatomy and how pollination works. Simple suggestions for identifying seeds to save, and for gathering and prepping seeds for next year's garden. Guidance on germinating seeds, indoors or out, using scarification or stratification. Tips for transplanting, thinning, hardening off, and protecting seedlings from weather, pests and disease. Easy ideas for cross-breeding plants and creating hybrids suited to your garden and climate. A comprehensive directory of botanical names and harvesting, germination, and sowing data for hundreds of plants. The Complete Idiot's Guide To Seed Saving And Starting is an essential resource to reap richer results with plants grown from your own seeds!

Part garden guide, part manifesto, this is an invitation to preserve our dynamic, sustainable food supply--one seed at a time.

Bringing dynamic back into vegetable gardening, seed saving, and breeding of plants and animals. A joyful and accessible approach to growing tasty, productive, and resiliently diverse food. Advocating a return to traditional regenerative horticulture methods of gardening and farming, while minimizing the use of current agricultural methods. Focusing on communities, and local varieties of crops and animals. Biodiversity and cross pollination allow selection for crops that thrive under ever changing conditions, while lessening the need for costly inputs, like poisons, fertilizer, materials, and labor. Less labor means more time for friends, family, music, dancing, or whatever it is that brings you joy. The book includes detailed suggestions for developing a more reliable food system using local crop varieties. The techniques taught in this book can bring self-reliance and sustainable food security to small scale back yard beginner gardens, large scale farms, and permaculture food forests. A chapter is devoted to pollination and the benefits of encouraging cross-pollination. Chapters are devoted to breeding tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, and grains. Tips on growing many other vegetable varieties are included. The appendix includes a summary of which vegetables and grains are easiest to work with. A chapter is devoted to extending the principles of local gardening to breeding chickens, honeybees, mushrooms, and trees. Reviews "Landrace Gardening is brilliant." Dan Barber, Blue Hill At Stone Barns, and Row 7 Seed Company "Landrace Gardening gives us a roadmap to the kind of joyful food security that we need for healing many of the most important wounds of our time." Jason Padvorac "The best part is that everything in this book is adaptable for any gardener." Jere Gettle- Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. "The western sustainable agriculture movement has long needed its own version of the 'One Straw Revolution'. Joseph Lofthouse provides just that. " Alan Bishop, Alchemist at Spirits Of French Lick "Awesome to see this process beginning to work in just one year." Josh Jamison, HEART Village "Inspiring. Empowering. VERY important work." Stephanie Genus "This book begins to spark the imagination to the possibilities of what we have lost and how to begin to resurrect the return to something even better." Karin Kee "Man is way too eager to take extra burdens upon his shoulders, babying and pampering the plant when it should be bred to do all the work itself. Landrace Gardening makes important progress in that direction." Dave Blanchard "No Homestead Or Garden Is Complete Without This Book!" EmsyDoodle "If one can learn to take a more free approach to gardening and seed saving you will experience much of the joy Joseph receives when he gardens." Andrew Barney

Brighter zinnias, fragrant carnations, snappier green beans Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener makes it easier than ever to breed and grow your own varieties of vegetables and flowers. This comprehensive and accessible guide explains how to decide what to breed, provides simple explanations on how to cross plants, and features a basic primer on genetics and advanced techniques. Case studies provide breeding examples for favorite plants like daffodils, hollyhocks, roses, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

The latest strains of tomato may look perfect, but they often have thick skins and tasteless flesh. Dwarf peas may be the easiest to grow commercially, but many gardeners still grow attractive six-foot types that taste "like peas used to taste." Whatever the benefits of modern hybrids, old varieties still have much to offer, and they are becoming hard to find.Seed saving is a surprisingly simple and hugely satisfying way to propogate your favorite varieties. In this book you will find easy-to-follow, crop by crop guidelines to help you save your own seed.Relevant to the beginner as well as the expert, "Back Garden Seed Saving" tells how and why we should join in the battle to save our irreplaceable vegetable heritage, and the reward--a kitchen full of tasty vegetables.The benefits of saving your own seedSelect plants best suited to your own growing conditionsHelp preserve our shrinking vegetable heritageBreak our dependence on multinational seed companiesSave moneyShare seed with friends, neighbors, and fellow gardener