Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community

Book Description

Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.

Customer Reviews:

An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04

Food Not Lawns speaks to my heart and has inspired me in my home gardening. I bought copies for two dear gardening friends who are in their 20's and 30's, and they are also excited by the ideas presented in the book. The author takes a holistic view of community and gardening, of working with Nature as an orchestra of forces influencing each other and working collectively together. Heather Flores encourages us to think out of the box and some might find that uncomfortable, but I still think her vision and sense of hope is so needed in our world today. Share this book with family and friends!

completely false advertising.......2007-07-05

I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.

if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25

This is a very shallow book by the new generation of writers that find fault with everything done in the twenty years before they were born,
Its very shallow, big type and very preachy.
If you are interested in gardening, try Giaas garden, a much more serious study of permiculture.
In this rambling book, the aurthor boasts of not making over 8 k a year, but inherited the money to buy her farm!
I liked camping living until I was thirty, now I am 45 and really like my freezer and new stove.( yes, I have my own three hens and belong to a CSA)
I know a number of the original flower/farm people, and as they got older they liked having a few more comforts.

So this is one of the new gen X books, shallow to a fault. Nothing but sound bites.
the aurthor sems all hyped about third world living, but I am not sure she has ever been to a third world and seen how hard that style of life is,,it is easy to glamorius the distant!!!

Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23

I picked up this book to learn practical application of permacultural principles applied to urban yard scales--and there is a wealth of such information here. However, I do feel like Flores preaches just a little too much about the environmental destruction and political problems currently plaguing our country. In my view, anyone picking up a book called Food Not Lawns probably is already well-versed in such issues, and Flores is essentially preaching to the converted. That said, this book DOES have tons of practical information, and I would recommend it as an excellent counterbalance and companion book to Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.

Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14

For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Average customer rating:

Inspiration and the tools to go with it
Great book
Well documented, practical and enticing
So good it got stolen.
Gaia's Garden is a practical guide for transforming yard to Eden

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Toby Hemenway
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Environmentalism | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Organic Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How to Make a Forest Garden
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops)
Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks

ASIN: 1890132527

Book Description

Permaculture is a verbal marriage of “permanent” and “agriculture.” Australian Bill Mollison pioneered its development. Key features include:

use of compatible perennials;

non-invasive planting techniques;

emphasis on biodiversity;

specifically adaptable to local climate, landscape, and soil conditions;

highly productive output of edibles.
Now, picture your backyard as one incredibly lush garden, filled with edible flowers, bursting with fruit and berries, and carpeted with scented herbs and tangy salad greens. The visual impact is of Monet's palette, a wash of color, texture, and hue. But this is no still life. The flowers nurture endangered pollinators. Bright-featured songbirds feed on abundant berries and gather twigs for their nests.
The plants themselves are grouped in natural communities, where each species plays a role in building soil, deterring pests, storing nutrients, and luring beneficial insects. And finally, you--good ol' homo sapiens--are an integral part of the scene. Your garden tools are resting against a nearby tree, and have a slight patina of rust, because this garden requires so little maintenance. You recline into a hammock to admire your work. You have created a garden paradise.
This is no dream, but rather an ecological garden, which takes the principles of permaculture and applies them on a home-scale. There is nothing technical, intrusive, secretive, or expensive about this form of gardening. All that is required is some botanical knowledge (which is in this book) and a mindset that defines a backyard paradise as something other than a carpet of grass fed by MiracleGro.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiration and the tools to go with it.......2007-09-14

I have totally enjoyed this book. The principles are a little murky because apparently this is a pretty new field and not very well developed for the eastern seabord which I live but it does provide enough guidance to begin setting up your own permaculture areas and start developing areas to be more ecologically sound food producing and living environments. I would HIGHLY recommend it as a first book on permaculture and the resources section alone has been a joy.

Great book.......2007-08-23

I highly recommend this book.
It is a fun place to start, if you wish to create a sustainable garden. All the basics are covered, from grey water, to ponds, to guilds, to forest gardens, and it is enjoyable and easy reading.

Well documented, practical and enticing.......2007-07-24

I bought this book together with Patrick Whitefield's "Permaculture in a Nutshell" and read the latter first, which is a mere introduction compared to Toby Hemenway's "Gaia's Garden". Toby transmits his love for and knowledge of permaculture very well. I am trained as an agricultural engineer and did learn a lot while reading. He first teaches the basics and then rehearses them in the different chapters. The concepts sort of grow and develop while reading, which leaves you with the feeling that you don't have to open the book again to start designing your own garden. Toby's enthusiasm is also tangible and infectious.
The only thing that's missing for me is more examples and better documentation about existing permaculture gardens/farms. My design would be quite different from Toby's (I live in Spain and we have our own favourite mediterranean crops) but the book provides the tools needed to do it your own way and Toby comes over as an open minded teacher.

So good it got stolen........2007-07-22

Sad but true. As a former library worker, I can tell you there is no better praise than when a book gets ripped off.
It is annoying mine was lifted from me but it happened and I am sad; it's a good one.
Thanks for writing it.

Gaia's Garden is a practical guide for transforming yard to Eden.......2007-05-12

This book is a fascinating read, very informative, and approachable for anyone trying out sustainable living, whether experimenting for the first time or with some experience. The author is inspiring and maintains a level of hopefulness not always found in environmental literature. He balances idealism with practicality and treasures the process of growing one's own food and flowers, recognizing that this is a lifelong journey and the gardener is always learning in a dynamic process. I find myself reading a chapter or so and being drawn out into my own yard to putter around with a new idea, then rocking on my front porch while I devour another chapter. This book is life-giving on several levels!

Urban Wilds: Gardener's Stories Of The Struggle For Land And Justice

Average customer rating:

Urban Wilds: Gardener's Stories Of The Struggle For Land And Justice

Manufacturer: water/under/ground publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

ASIN: 0972707204

Book Description

Under pavement. Under a shimmering crust of broken glass and weeds, the dark earth endures. We are dispossessed of our most basic human right - to cultivate the land. But in cities across North America, people are taking back this right and resisting corporate control of food and livelihood. Here are some of their stories. From the Motor City to Cuba, Oakland to the Bronx, here are the tales of digging for revolution in the belly of the beast, and radical rural organizing, guerilla gardening and community development. All in a dense, oversized, copiously illustrated tome. A veritable feast. Now in a new, expanded and updated lavish second edition featuring the best of The Guerilla Graywater Girls Guide to Water, urban beekeeping, medicinal herbs, balcony gardening and an illustrated guide to urban permaculture. "...an inspirational compilation that encourages people to transform cities into greener places.' [Utne Reader]

Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape

Average customer rating:

This book is best used as compost in your garden. Because its that full of...
Inspiring but not Practical
Everyone can profit from this book
A forest for every home!
A theory well worth exploring.

Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape
Robert A. De J. Hart
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

How to Make a Forest Garden
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
Permaculture in a Nutshell
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops)

ASIN: 0930031849

Book Description

An English classic revised and expanded for North America
Forest Gardening is a way of working alongside nature—an approach that results in great productivity with minimal maintenance, and a method for transforming even a small cottage garden into a diverse and inviting habitat for songbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Based on the model of a natural woodland, a forest garden incorporates a wide variety of useful plants, including fruit and nut trees, perennial herbs, and vegetables.
Hart's book beautifully describes his decades of experience gardening in the Shropshire countryside, yet the principles of "backyard permaculture" he explores can be applied equally well in other locales across the planet, from tropical to temperate zones. Practical features of the book include:

Design guidelines for creating your own perennial,

food-producing garden

Lists of recommended plants and varieties, keyed to different climates

br />

An explanation of how plants in different levels or "stories" —from ground covers to full-sized trees—coexist and interact in a healthy and productive landscape.

Robert Hart blends history, philosophy, anthropology, and seasonal gardening wisdom in a lucid sequence of essays, which together comprise a remarkable testament to the pleasures of "hands-off" as well as hands-on gardening. Forest Gardening is truly a book for our times, offering a fresh sensibility that will encourage and inspire ecological gardeners throughout the world.

Customer Reviews:

This book is best used as compost in your garden. Because its that full of..........2007-06-01

Perhaps the major problem I had with this book was my expectation that it might actually have something to do with forest gardening. What a silly thing for me to think - its only the title of the work after all.

This book was, if not entirely worthless, perhaps one of the more repugnant things I have read in a while. It is seldom that I can read a book and be so turned off that I can't get through the whole thing - and with this book, I didn't even get through half. "Forest Gardening," is a book that is much more of an inspirational nature, and doesn't have much to do with forest gardening at all (what I wanted). Instead, it is filled with anequdotes about how "primitive" people lived in harmony with their forests and how all of societies ills can be traced to a non-vegan diet.

In short, I came to this book looking for helpful information about forest gardening, and found instead a 233 pg. book of propaganda full of mistruths and out-right lies about the basic biology of the world.

Most of the misconceptions (If I can call them that) centered around biology itself and how individual organisms interact. The author warps facts, and I think deludes himself and possibly his readers, by explaining how everything that happens in an ecosystem is the will of Gaia, a non-real entity which comprises the "concious earth."

I am a died in the wool environmentalist. I practice permaculture, and I grow a very real forest garden. I also have a degree in biology - and all of these things made me object to the way this author defiled what otherwise would be a worthwhile topic by interjecting this deified view of ecology and making biological similarities (convergent evolution) seem like proof that Gaia was working to shape the earth. In this regard, he was as mistakes as creationists are, just on the other extreme and I found that particularly upsetting coming from a book that I had high hopes of actually learning something from.

My recommendation: leave this one on the shelf. If you find it in a free box somewhere, take it out and throw it away when you get home so it won't confuse anyone else. This book is propaganda and anequdote with almost no useful information and even less inspiration (unless you're willing to palate the boxfulls of propaganda the author tries to get you to swallow). Don't buy it. If you want something useful, try purchasing a book by Bill Mollison on Permaculture instead - that will help you get where you want to go much better than this dubious work and without the pseudo-science and mistruths.

Inspiring but not Practical.......2004-12-25

Robert Hart's book on Forest Gardening is very inspiring, but more research is needed to start your garden. The list of suppliers in the Appendix is very helpful for those in North America, and the list of cultivars includes little known but very useful varieties. Overall, the book helps one understand the why of forest gardening but not the how to.

Everyone can profit from this book.......2004-01-31

If you have not yet read 'Forest Farming' by Douglas and Hart, then you may lack the background to fully appreciate this book. In 'Forest Farming' we are told that civilized man has marched across the face of the earth and left a desert in his footprints primarily because he has ploughed the hills with the loss of top soil. Crop-yielding trees offer the best medium for extending agriculture to hills, steep places, rocky places, and to the lands where rainfall is deficient. Every good Buddhist plants and sees the establishment of one tree at least every five years and this simple act multiplied six billion times would have a greater economic benefit for humankind than traditional development plans. The 'tool' with the greatest potentials for feeding men and animals, for regenerating the soil, for restoring water-systems, for controlling floods and droughts, for creating more benevolent micro-climates and more comfortable and stimulating living conditions for humanity, is the tree. Douglas and Hart point out that the deeper problem is ignorance as many crop-yielding trees and shrubs are currently ignored by farmers because agriculture in most parts of the world is geared to cereal growing and livestock rearing by conventional means, despite the fact that trees offer higher yields per acre. If the tree growing potentialities of city private gardens was fully recognized, suburban areas would not only have purer air and a more benevolent microclimate but a greater degree of self-sufficiency.

In this book Hart develops the case for the urban dweller to adopt forest gardening to achieve economy of space and labor while producing fruit, nuts, root and perennial vegetables and herbs. He provides the guidelines required for temperate, tropical and sub-tropical climates. "Like the forest it is arranged in seven 'storeys', with the original apple and pear trees constituting the 'canopy' and the other plants occupying the lower tiers. Thus the garden has a well-defined vertical dimension as well as horizontal ones. Now that it has been established for several years, I can affirm that it requires minimal maintenance, as the plants - nearly all perennials - largely look after themselves and are very healthy. The main work involved is that of cutting back plants that try to encroach on others. The wide diversity of species ensures that any small invasions of pests never reach epidemic proportions, as they tend to do under monocultural conditions. The large number of aromatic herbs creates a deliciously fragrant atmosphere, and, I am convinced, contributes to the pest-and-disease-resistance of the other plants. As we eat the herbs and perennial vegetables daily in our salads, the garden makes a significant contribution to our diet throughout the growing season, from the first herbs and wild garlic in March to the last apples in November."

The author goes on to warn us that we must seek ordered diversity governed by the laws of plant symbiosis but the results can be that a half hectare can support a family of up to ten people. Java has the greatest concentration of forest gardens yet is one of the most densely populated rural areas of the world. Forest gardening is more than a system for supplying mankind's material needs; it is a way of life which addresses man's spiritual needs by its beauty and the wealth of wildlife it attracts. In the early chapters we follow the author's development as he wrestles with the problem, concluding that: "if one could devise an integrated system of land-use consisting mainly of perennial plants - fruit and nut tress and bushes together with perennial vegetables and herbs - as well as a diet based on this mix, the task of achieving self-sufficiency would be vastly simplified. This is how I discovered agroforestry."

There are plenty of good tips such as this one on potatoes. "The champion exponent of this technique, the aim of which is to grow a colossal crop of potatoes from a single seed, was a Sussex villager, Tom Cooke, known as the Ace of Spuds. This was his procedure: large seed potatoes, well supplied with eyes, were soaked in a solution of liquid seaweed and water for an hour a week for six months, starting in October. During the winter Tom prepared his plot, allowing eight-foot squares for each seed. The site was excavated one-foot deep and filled with wheat straw, to which dry seaweed fertilizer was added after the straw had weathered and was almost black. On top of this came a layer of manure and soil mixed with more seaweed. The tubers were planted at the end of March or early April and covered with a thin dressing of straw. Then, at fortnightly intervals, the growing plants were earthed up with layers of straw, seaweed and soil until they reached a height of some 3-4 feet, sending out numerous side-shoots liberally supplied with tubers. After a series of foliar feeds with liquid seaweed, the harvest was eventually reached: over half a ton of potatoes from just six seeds!"

If you are an avid gardener there will surely be something new in this book; if you simply want to make your garden more productive and did not know of the seven story concept, you will find this book helpful; if you have been overwhelmed by the work in the garden you should concentrate on perennials as Hart has done; if you have just a small plot this book will help you get the maximum production and help you to eat healthily; if you would like to attract more wildlife to your garden, read this book. It is difficult to imagine anyone not profiting from Hart's theoretical and practical research.

A forest for every home!.......2000-06-21

Since reading Robert Hart's classic book I have seen forest gardens sustaining life in Mexico, Fiji, Australia, South Africa and Britain. Around the world perennial 'home gardens' have been grown for millennia. Yet in temporate climates we seem to have forgotten how. This book has inspired me to increase the diversity and productivity of my own small garden in England, so far with good results. It is inspirational, but it is also practical. The Appendices offer suggestions for a variety of uses and climates. I would recommend as a companion volume, Patrick Whitefield's 'How to Grow a Forest Garden' for further details of the practicalities. But Hart's desciption of his own forest garden at Wenlock Edge stands alone and is an invaluable guide to practical sustainability.

A theory well worth exploring........1999-04-24

The practice of "forest gardening", is an absolute must for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture and/or gardening. The book, however, presents only limited amount of information, that could have been easily written in half the space.

Average customer rating:

The Permaculture Garden
Graham Bell
Manufacturer: Permanent Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fruit | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Agronomy | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World (Practical Steps)
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
The Basics Of Permaculture Design
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
Smart Permaculture Design

ASIN: 1856230279

Book Description

Working entirely in harmony with nature, The Permaculture Garden shows you how to turn a bare plot into a beautiful and productive garden. Learn how to plan your garden for easy access and minimum labor; save time and effort digging and weeding; recycle materials to save money; plan crop successions for year-round harvests; save energy and harvest water; and garden without chemicals by building up your soil and planting in beneficial communities. Full of practical ideas, this perennial classic, first published in 1995, is guaranteed to inspire, inform, and entertain.

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Vision, Theory For Temperate Climate Permaculture

Average customer rating:

Incredible resource for applied agro-ecological development
Awesome Forest Garden

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Vision, Theory For Temperate Climate Permaculture
Dave Jacke , and Eric Toensmeier
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design And Practice For Temperate-Climate Permaculture (Edible Forest Gardens)
How to Make a Forest Garden
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape
The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World (Practical Steps)

ASIN: 1931498792

Book Description

Edible Forest Gardens is a groundbreaking two-volume work that spells out and explores the key concepts of forest ecology and applies them to the needs of natural gardeners in temperate climates. Volume I lays out the vision of the forest garden and explains the basic ecological principles that make it work. In Volume II, Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier move on to practical considerations:concrete ways to design, establish, and maintain your own forest garden. Along the way they present case studies and examples, as well as tables, illustrations, and a uniquely valuable “plant matrix” that lists hundreds of the best edible and useful species.
Taken together, the two volumes of Edible Forest Gardens offer an advanced course in ecological gardening—one that will forever change the way you look at plants and your environment.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible resource for applied agro-ecological development.......2005-11-05

This book adds depth to the existing research in agro-ecology. It provides new information and examples specific to temperate, especially warmer-temperate climates. It also highlights applications of this information in the first section: "Vision." The authors have put together a massive work that will certainly serve my reference for years to come. This work is primarily an information-packed textbook that includes much in the way of strategies and principles which apply to all biological development of landscapes. In this regard the book can serve as a text in any regenerative landscape studies.

For me, the most valuable aspects of this book are:
-the articulation of integrated design principles (so many good one's under one cover)
-the masterful graphics (who did them all?)
-the development and refining of new language for thinking about agro-ecosystems. E.g. they've taken out the word "invasive" and use the word "opportunist" instead; advancing our approach in this perennial challenge and contextualizing it in a more proper problem-solving/use-based approach, as opposed to the useless conservationist/alarmist approach that can't find the leverage.
-the case studies, although I wish there were more.
-The "top 100" plant list for temperate climates = awesome resource.
-the depth of research (which is fairly mind-blowing) including aspects such as cross sectional mapping of root systems, nutrient flows in agro-ecosystems, and much much more.

It is obvious why this book has taken many years to produce.
I am left with several confusions/questions. One is the name: "Forest" gardening. The authors show the differences between forest and woodland systems (as in % canopy cover) and are clearly explaining strategies for WOODLAND gardening with some light coming in through a partially open canopy. "Edible Woodland Gardening" would make more sense and the term Forest is a bit misleading. (This is not a book about mushroom cultivation, or understory crops alone). Maybe it's simply that woodland is a fairly unused term in the States.
Another frustration is in the case studies/examples. The case studies are few and examples of strategy applications are brief. They are also only from fairly warm-temperate sites: southern England, North Carolina, etc. I did not see any from New England, for instance, where both authors reside. Of course there are not an abundance of sites to use as examples, but there are many more than are shown. I wonder why the Bullock Bros. woodland garden in a temperate region of the US was not highlighted or referenced, for instance. I am hoping that Volume II has more of these case studies.

Overall an incredible work of research with an applied focus and a super useful source of ecological design principles that are crucial for any student in any field connected with biological landscape development.

Ben Falk
Whole Systems Design, LLC
Moretown, Vermont, USA

Awesome Forest Garden.......2005-08-17

This book is incredible and could very well change your life!

Unlike other works on permaculture and ecological agriculture, which discuss simple principles derived from ecology, Jakce dives into the real workings of forest ecology and humanity's role (and potential role) in this ecology.

While technically impressive, the real merit of this book is the quality of writing. It reads like a novel while conveying complex ecological ideas and their practical application.

It truly offers hope for a beautiful and delicious post-petroleum food production system.

Check it out now!
And then get gardening like the forest!!

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design And Practice For Temperate-Climate Permaculture (Edible Forest Gardens)

Average customer rating:

A stupendous amount of relevant info under one cover

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Design And Practice For Temperate-Climate Permaculture (Edible Forest Gardens)
Dave Jacke , and Eric Toensmeier
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Edible Forest Gardens: Ecological Vision, Theory For Temperate Climate Permaculture
How to Make a Forest Garden
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

ASIN: 1931498806

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

A stupendous amount of relevant info under one cover.......2006-09-13

The more I use this book the more I realize how much is in here. There's not a time that I turn to the book for a specific piece of information and don't end up reading into other aspects that relate to the question at hand. The authors have chased down most any question to their logical, and integrated, extents. It's quite astounding that this much necessary and applicable information exists now under one cover. An essential reference for ecological land use. Many thanks to people dedicated enough to take the time and effort to share this much insight and information with the world at large. I am sure it will prove to be a crucial resource for survival many decades into the future.

Average customer rating:

A bit scant on any new ideas

The Basics Of Permaculture Design
Ross Mars
Manufacturer: Permanent Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Sustainable Agriculture | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World (Practical Steps)
The Permaculture Garden
Permaculture in a Nutshell

ASIN: 1856230236

Book Description

The Basics of Permaculture Design, first published in Australia in 1996, is an excellent introduction to the principles of permaculture, design processes, and the tools needed for designing sustainable gardens, farms, and larger communities.
Packed with useful tips, clear illustrations, and a wealth of experience, it guides you through designs for gardens, urban and rural properties, water harvesting systems, animal systems, permaculture in small spaces like balconies and patios, farms, schools, and ecovillages. This is both a do-ityourself guide for the enthusiast and a useful reference for permaculture designers.

Customer Reviews:

A bit scant on any new ideas.......1999-08-10

Ross Mars does approach the subject from an assumption of complete ignorence from his readers, so he doesn't write over anyone's head- which is good, but it really seems a bit redundant to write yet another introduction to permaculture. not a bad book, but you might as well spend your money on something a little less superficial. (ie. Mollison's books; even Rosemary Morrow is a bit more thorough)

Average customer rating:

Getting Started In Permaculture
Ross Mars , and Jenny Mars
Manufacturer: Permaculture Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks
Earth Knack
Permaculture in a Nutshell
Earth User's Guide to Permaculture 2nd Edition
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

ASIN: 0646200909

Permaculture: A Practical Guide for a Sustainable Future

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Permaculture: A Practical Guide for a Sustainable Future
Bill Mollison
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000ND5IYM

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