Book Description
Do you know what the best feature is in All New Square Foot Gardening?
Sure, there are ten new features in this all-new, updated book. Sure, it's even simpler than it was before. Of course, you don't have to worry about fertilizer or poor soil ever again because you'll be growing above the ground.
But, the best feature is that anyone, anywhere can enjoy a Square Foot garden. Children, adults with limited mobility, even complete novices can achieve spectacular results.
But, let's get back to the ten improvements. You're going to love them.
1)
New
Location - Move your garden closer to your house by eliminating single-row gardening. Square Foot Garden needs just twenty percent of the space of a traditional garden.
2)
New
Direction - Locate your garden on top of existing soil. Forget about pH soil tests, double-digging (who enjoys that?), or the never-ending soil improvements.
3)
New
Soil - The new "Mel's Mix" is the perfect growing mix. Why, we even give you the recipe. Best of all, you can even buy the different types of compost needed.
4)
New
Depth - You only need to prepare a SFG box to a depth of 6 inches! It's true--the majority of plants develop just fine when grown at this depth.
5)
No Fertilizer - The all new SFG does not need any fertilizer-ever! If you start with the perfect soil mix, then you don't need to add fertilizer.
6)
New Boxes - The new method uses bottomless boxes placed aboveground. We show you how to build your own (with step-by-step photos).
7)
New Aisles - The ideal gardening aisle width is about three to four feet. That makes it even easier to kneel, work, and harvest.
8)
New Grids - Prominent and permanent grids added to your SFG box help you visualize the planting squares and know how to space for maximum harvest.
9)
New Seed Saving Idea - The old-fashioned way advocates planting many seeds and then thinning the extras (that means pulling them up). The new method means planting a pinch- literally two or three seeds--per planting hole.
10)
Tabletop Gardens - The new boxes are so much smaller and lighter (only 6 inches of soil, remember?), you can add a plywood bottom to make them portable.
Of course, that's not all. We've also included simple, easy-to-follow instructions using lots of photos and illustrations. You're going to love it!
Book Description
No longer a technique just for apartment dwellers or novice gardeners, the use of ornamental containers on decks, patios, terraces, and in the garden itself can save time, space, and money, while offering experienced home gardeners unique creative challenges, site flexibility, and experimental fun. Author and award-winning horticulturist Ray Rogers takes you on an engaging exploration into basic design principles as well as how to create focal points, use water, exploit the potential of empty containers, and more. Stunning photographs by Richard Hartlage provide guidance and inspiration, as well as visually explaining each principle. Gardeners at every level of experience will find inspiration and instruction in this comprehensive book.
Customer Reviews:
Pure inspiration.......2007-08-21
Yet another really fine book from Timber Press. I'll spend long, dark winter evenings wandering through these pages, absorbing the wisdom of the writers and generating ideas for next spring. Gorgeous photographs, too.
Gorgeous book and inspired arrangements.......2007-07-30
I purchased several gardening books together and this one was the highlight. Not only beautifully photographed but full of interesting suggestions and writing. My husband and I were able to immediately use some of the arrangements as inspiration for a new bed in our garden. Turned out beautifully!
Enjoyed it all.......2007-05-14
The book is an excellent reference source. Photos are beautiful. Numbering the pictures with the description very helpful. Lovely coffee table book. I have told other gardeners to seek the book out.
container gardening.......2007-03-14
(This review focuses on the photographs in "Pots in the Garden.")
Picture quality is very good throughout the book, and in parts I and II ("the elements of design" and "bringing it all together") the picture content is excellent as well.
Unlike most container gardening books this one neither details container plantings nor uses captions, instead it inconspicuosly numbers each picture and then conspicuosly puts the number in the text with its corresponding description. Garden styles represented vary but the bold, Little-and-Lewis-type modernists lead the way, and even if this isn't your favorite style of garden you will probably love the containers featured in them!
What really sets this book apart is the variety of pots featured. Terra cotta and stone/concrete are great, and the English gardening books display some wonderful copper and lead, but those of you who especially love high quality glazed/rustic containers and know that it is not all that easy to find good examples of them will be happy to add this book to your collection.
The reasons I didn't give 5 stars are the book's slightly smallish size (9 1/4 x 8 1/2) and its 3rd part ("plant groups for containers") which, though it has some very interesting and unique plant picks (dark purple/black perennial clematis?), does not show most of them in containers; admittedly difficult to do, but David Joyce's "The Complete Container Garden" sure did it well. That's about eighty pages where pots are rarely pictured.
Overall a beautiful and inspiring book at a very good price.
Book Description
With few exceptions-such as corn and pumpkins-everything edible that's grown in a traditional garden can be raised in a container. And with only one exception-watering-container gardening is a whole lot easier. Beginning with the down-to-earth basics of soil, sun and water, fertilizer, seeds and propagation, The Bountiful Container is an extraordinarily complete, plant-by-plant guide.
Written by two seasoned container gardeners and writers, The Bountiful Container covers Vegetables-not just tomatoes (17 varieties) and peppers (19 varieties), butharicots verts, fava beans, Thumbelina carrots, Chioggia beets, and sugarsnap peas. Herbs, from basil to thyme, and including bay leaves, fennel, and saffron crocus. Edible Flowers, such as begonias, calendula, pansies, violets, and roses. And perhaps most surprising, Fruits, including apples, peaches, Meyer lemons, blueberries, currants, and figs-yes, even in the colder parts of the country. (Another benefit of container gardening: You can bring the less hardy perennials in over the winter.) There are theme gardens (an Italian cook's garden, a Four Seasons garden), lists of sources, and dozens of sidebars on everything from how to be a human honeybee to seeds that are All America Selections.
Customer Reviews:
Well worth the price.......2007-07-18
There's an endless list of titles devoted to container gardening, but it turns out that not many are useful for growing vegetables. I borrowed several from the library, including Bountiful Container, and this is the only one I found useful. It's a valuable reference tool, so I'll be getting my own copy.
I have never gardened before; my parents and grandparents had gardens as I grew up, which convinced me that I don't have the patience to go out and dig a big plot, then spend hours weeding it. In addition, we live in a condo with a small yard, so containers seemed to be the way to go, if only I could figure out how to successfully coax veggies from a container. Still, nobody I knew had really done this, so I found the book invaluable.
A lot of it may be old news to experienced gardeners, but as a beginner, it was extremely helpful to read what conditions each type of plant liked. There are some notes on design, as well as some great suggestions for themed gardens - I particularly liked the idea of attracting hummingbirds with a vibrant red garden. The book is well organized, with several pages devoted to the planting, care, and harvesting of each plant.
I knocked the book down 1 star because I think a few things should really be added. First, some color photos or illustrations. A previous reviewer mentioned that the illustrations are charming but lacking, and I agree. Second, further information about crops that can be planted twice - I know several cool weather plants can be put in for both spring and fall, which the book also mentions. The book walks through the spring planting, but then doesn't discuss the timing of the fall planting. If I have limited space for growing veggies, I really want to plant as much as I can in cycles, and it'd be helpful to have that information! Finally, some sort of chart that groups together plants which like the same conditions would be an extremely helpful addition to this book. You can get by with notes, but a chart would be a great reference tool.
Best Father's Day Gift Ever!.......2007-07-09
My parents are beginning to feel the effects of the years. This spring, my Dad had serious surgery and he and Mom were both depressed that there could be no vegetable garden this year. What luck that I had stumbled onto the Bountiful Container while doing research for a garden class I was asked to teach this spring. I purchased the book and two self watering containers for them for Mothers and Fathers Days this year and they are having a ball with them! Their garden has always been in the back forty, and now, they are in an "intimate relationship" with their tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers. This book is inspiring and hope building. It's the answer for all of us who don't have time, don't have space, don't have money, and simply don't need the overwhelming bounty of an in-ground vegetable garden. If you are such an expert gardener that you can't learn something new from every listing in this book, why didnt' you write this book? This book will ALWAYS be on my book shelf!
McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits and Edible Flowers.......2007-06-01
Will enjoy planting plants in containers of vegetables to eat.
Save your money; the best book around for beginners........2007-05-09
This is hands down the best book on container gardening out there. With the exception of the edible flowers section (unless you're into that sort of thing), it's full of excellent information, from back to front. If you're new to container gardening like I was, I'd suggest that you start here with this book. It's readable, organized exceptionally and just generally well-written and thorough.
Full of Joy and Information.......2007-04-12
I love this book and I will be pulling it out often this growing season. It's packed with very specific information on how to grow every imaginable edible plant --from flowers through vegetables and fruit trees--in containers. You will learn when to plant, which varities do best in containers, whether to start with seed or transplants, how to combine plants in a container for beauty and/or successive harvesting, what size container to use, how often to fertilize and with what, when to harvest...the list goes on and on. The writing itself is delightful, from the descriptions and planting instructions for theme gardens (Victorian Splendor, Tea Time, Childrens' Garden just to name a few) to the history of many of the plants and unusual recipes using the bounty of your containers (Begonia Sorbet, Strawberries with Scented
Geraniums and Creme Fraiche, Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Fresh Tomato Sauce)! The Bountiful Container is a joy to read and really makes you want to get out into your garden and start planting. It's both a feel good book and a very informative book--IMO a rare combination in a reference book. I can't say enough, I'm so glad I bought this book.
Book Description
In April 1956, a refitted oil tanker carried fifty-eight shipping containers from Newark to Houston. From that modest beginning, container shipping developed into a huge industry that made the boom in global trade possible. The Box tells the dramatic story of the container's creation, the decade of struggle before it was widely adopted, and the sweeping economic consequences of the sharp fall in transportation costs that containerization brought about.
Published on the fiftieth anniversary of the first container voyage, this is the first comprehensive history of the shipping container. It recounts how the drive and imagination of an iconoclastic entrepreneur, Malcom McLean, turned containerization from an impractical idea into a massive industry that slashed the cost of transporting goods around the world.
But the container didn't just happen. Its adoption required huge sums of money, both from private investors and from ports that aspired to be on the leading edge of a new technology. It required years of high-stakes bargaining with two of the titans of organized labor, Harry Bridges and Teddy Gleason, as well as delicate negotiations on standards that made it possible for almost any container to travel on any truck or train or ship. Ultimately, it took McLean's success in supplying U.S. forces in Vietnam to persuade the world of the container's potential.
Drawing on previously neglected sources, economist Marc Levinson shows how the container transformed economic geography, devastating traditional ports such as New York and London and fueling the growth of previously obscure ones, such as Oakland. By making shipping so cheap that industry could locate factories far from its customers, the container paved the way for Asia to become the world's workshop and brought consumers a previously unimaginable variety of low-cost products from around the globe.
Customer Reviews:
No where near technical enough.......2007-10-03
Like many jounalists' stories this is set around a particular factor. In this case an entrepeneur who no doubt had a big role to play.
But there were lots of other factors which are not given much play and others bearly alluded to. Also, not even one drawing of a container or its fittings!
So OK as an intro but by no means a comprehensive history.
Global supply chains explained.......2007-08-13
It's hard to dispute that containerization has dramatically altered the rules of the game: global supply chains, logistics, and outsourcing are all direct consequences of the massive trade flows enabled by modern containerships. Marc Levinson's account of this industry is an interesting mix of politics and history. A good section of the book is dedicated to labor disputes, and the general resistance of the dock workers and US unions to mechanization. In retrospect, they were worried for the right reasons, modern ports require very little human involvement and the days of breakbulk shipping are long gone. In all, 'The Box' offers a good mix of the politics, strategy, and historical research.
Interesting Look at the Building Blocks of Globalization.......2007-08-08
Although THE BOX may be somewhat too American centered, economist and business journalist Marc Levinson has written an eminently readable history of the advent of the modern logistics industry that goes a long way toward bringing the attention of a nonspecialist audience to the topic. Despite his belief that his subject has "all the romance of a tin can" (p. 1), his account is anything but dull because he builds much of his narrative around a cast of colorful entrepreneurs, engineers, and union leaders. The most significant character is Malcom P. McLean, who launched modern containerization in April 1956 by having fifty-eight truck trailers loaded onboard a refitted oil tanker that sailed from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston. The main background to Levinson's account, however, consists of the various roadblocks to containerization put in place and enforced by government regulators in agencies such as the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the United States Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Board. In the author's opinion, the bureaucrats, far from having the consumer's best interest in mind, usually undertook to protect established commercial interests by limiting competition in the transportation industry....
Levinson's treatment of the revolutionary days of container shipping, which lasted until the early 1980s, is very thorough, but his account of the more recent past is much less so. Indeed, people familiar with the industry may get the impression that a final (non-American) chapter is missing from the book. For example, although Levinson describes the rise of container ports in western Europe and East Asia, he devotes only two paragraphs to the fact that European and Asian firms that were late entrants in the game now dominate the industry. No U.S. firm is currently listed in the world's top eighteen container ship companies. Five of these top firms (including the three largest) are headquartered in Europe, three in China (two in mainland China and one in Hong Kong), three in Japan, two in Taiwan, two in South Korea, and the remaining three in Singapore, Chile, and Israel. (See Ted Smith-Peterson, "Railroading's New Economy: The Spigot," TRAINS 66, no. 9 [2006]: 34-41.) In Levinson's opinion, these late entrants achieved success because they "arrived with financial and managerial skills foreign to many of the carriers they replaced, skills appropriate to an industry in which raising capital and managing information systems were far more important than maritime knowledge" and because they were not burdened with "the legacy of government subsidies and directives that had crippled many of their predecessors by forcing them to buy ships built in their home countries or to sail routes determined by regulators" (p. 275). No doubt many readers would like to know more about these developments and about which skills Levinson means.
Levinson also barely alludes to more recent technological advances and to the amazing fact that the rest of the world now handles only one-third as many containers as the Chinese do (for both domestic and international trade). Furthermore, in the words of one industry analyst, China has now become the "U.S. railroads' growth engine" and has been the cause of an American "rail renaissance" (Tom Murray, "Railroading's New Economy: The China Factor," TRAINS 66, no. 8 [2006], p. 28).
Despite such shortcomings, however, THE BOX is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in understanding the emergence of our contemporary "globalized" world economy.
Superb for non-specialists.......2007-05-08
I read this book a few months ago for my nonfiction "foreign policy" book club and we loved it. I continue to rave about it and recommend it to others in diverse fields from national security to development to leadership studies. As generalists unfamiliar with shipping, this book was incredibly readable and engaging. Chapters treated a diverse range of topics, which we found well covered and incisive, such as the discussion of the role of labor unions, business entrepreneurship, and interplay between containerization and globalization. Kudos to Mr. Levinson for a superb effort.
A fascinating read about "boring" containers.......2007-04-25
Ever looked at a modern city's ports and wondered about those gigantic cranes or the logistics chain that they were a part of? Or wondered how we went from a world of stevedores/longshoremen and manual unloading to the gigantic container ships and nearly automated loading and unloading? Or better yet, how goods get so cheaply from the world's manufacturing facilities in China to the US, Europe and other places?
These are the questions the book addresses. It does so by focusing on the humble containers at the root of all this process and retelling their history over the last 50 years or so. If we didn't have a global standard for shipping container sizes, none of the infrastructure built around them like container ships, cranes, ports, rail cars, truck trailers and others would be possible.
The book shapes the story of the shipping container around one man Malcolm McLean who is widely regarded as the person who first used containers and built a shipping business around them. The book does a good job of detailing the history of the container including the initial struggles, the opposition of the longshoremen's labor unions and the rise and fall of ports as they bet (or did not bet) on the economies of scale that were brought about by the container. One does get a sense by reading the book of how much of our global economy we owe to the changes brought about by containers.
So why only 4stars? For one, I think the subject matter is interesting only to a narrow cross section of the population. Second, the book does drag quite a bit in places. The author does a great job of making the matter accessible, but he could have gone further. A certain pedantic nature does creep into the book and I felt some of the material could have been edited out of the book to trade off readability at the cost of scholarly completeness.
Book Description
Just as stylish accessories bring a room to life, gorgeous planted containers are the finishing touch for every garden home. With this book, America’s favorite gardener, P. Allen Smith, shows how to create a beautiful container garden in a matter of minutes, in an innovative recipe-style format complete with ingredients lists, step-by-step planting instructions, and advice on how to effectively display these colorful accents.
Beautiful and versatile, these container designs are the perfect solution for decks, porches, balconies, and gardens that need a focal point or a splash of color. Each container recipe fulfills one of the 12 Principles of Design that Allen established in his first bestselling book, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home. As a result, the container will wonderfully frame the view from a window, offer a welcoming reception in an entryway, help to establish a sense of rhythm along a walkway, or extend your home’s color and décor into the garden. Allen shares the secrets he uses to make his eye-catching arrangements, as well as special planting and display tips for placement in your garden. The designs range from sophisticated to casual, yet the instructions are so easy to follow that you can assemble these containers in no time at all—even with little or no gardening experience. There are recipes for every season of the year, to ensure that you can enjoy lush container gardens year-round.
A special resource section includes a complete plant directory, tips on how to select the right container to complement your garden’s style, grooming and plant-care guidelines, and basic instructions for planting pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Lavishly illustrated with more than 150 photographs, this book is sure to inspire seasoned gardeners as well as beginners interested in enhancing the beauty of their Garden Home with P. Allen Smith’s signature container designs.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Book.......2007-07-04
My husband and I bought this book after seeing it at my brothers and love everything about it. You don't have to be a designer to make beautiful arrangements.
Split Decision.......2006-01-21
The front section of the book, with its glossy format, is a visual treat. The latter portion, with its faded photographs and mossy contrasts in typeset and paper color made me wonder if I had received a misprinted copy of the book. Not only will the planted containers need good light, I'll need it to read about how to put them together!
Nice book for a beginner...........2005-12-18
What's not to like about P.Allen Smith's approach to gardening? A favorite of Public Television fans, and the fellow who pops up on the Weather channel, Smith is a font of information for the new home gardener. In his nifty new book CONTAINER GARDENS he shows once again that he has many answers to questions the novice might have about a particular topic. Smith follows the seasons of the year discussing what you might display when spring arrives (bulbs and other spring flowers), summer heat bakes everything (some plants like it hot), fall colors the garden, and winter deposits snow and icicles. I must confess, I generally empty most of my pots when late fall arrives as few are frost proof, but I have purchased some containers in recent years that can weather the coldest temperatures and their contents survive freezing. Smith discusses the pots and pot materials you can use to defy temperature extremes be they hot or cold.
Smith suggests winter is the time when the garden is most subtle with its barks, berries and winter blooms, and last year I prepared a few winter containers using ideas he describes in this book. For one thing, pansies seem to be able to stand cold weather and often on a mild winter day their cheerful little faces pop through the snow to greet you. Some bulbs like Galanthus (snow drops) and Scilla will bloom early and give you a hint of the nice weather to come. Hellebores (and Crocus in my Virginia garden) are famous for their winter appearance, as noted in the Christmas carol "Lo a Rose Er Blooming" and small evergreen plants such as miniature hollies and needled trees also can be used to great effect. You can also try your hand at indoor pots. If you work outdoors, the key is to use a weatherproof container so the contents don't freeze and crack the sides of the pot. Smith's book is a great book for beginners and those of us who have been gardening a while.
Not much subtance.......2005-12-09
P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens: 60 container recipes to accent your garden
Clarkson Potter
ISBN 1-4000-5343-9
Yes, you do get in this book 60 reasonably practical container recipes, each complete with a large colour photograph (plants clearly labelled), a diagram of the planted container and list of plants required. There is also some accompanying text which you can skip; it adds very little to your understanding of the recipe.
About three quarters of the book is devoted to two-page, full-colour glossy presentations of each container design, presented by season throughout the year.
The remainder of the book is information about potting sheds, plant care and a plant directory. This section is not glossy, not in full colour, and does not relate visually to the rest of the book. In fact the illustrations and much of the text is hidden behind a muddy yellow wash that made me wonder if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I don't know what the book designer/art director was smoking but the result is horrible.
What you have here is a large format, coffee table book with a photo of a cute young guy (shirt open) on the front. If you need yet another book about container gardening, or if you like to have a picture of a cute young guy gazing dreamily up at you from your coffee table, then by all means buy this book.
60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden by P. Allen Smith.......2005-09-14
As a novice gardener, I found this book to be very informative and easy to read. Planting in pots for appearance and texture to suit my climate and zone make an easy beginner garden. P. Allen Smith offers many ideas that spark my own imagination and creativy. I enjoy owning this book!
Cathy Leonard
Book Description
Taking a new approach to containers for "real gardeners," Container Gardening features more imaginative plants than most books on the subject and looks at the latest designs and new materials for containers. Offering practical advice on planting and year-round maintenance, as well as looking at inspirational ideas for today's more style-conscious gardener, the emphasis is always on the plants themselves with expert practical advice on how to grow and maintain them through the year.
Customer Reviews:
Looking for ideas on how to create beautiful garden container art?.......2007-09-01
This book is a WONDERFUL resource for those who are looking for information on "how to" create containter gardens. Its contents include beautiful color photos, which I find a big plus, as well as information on how color, texture, scale/proportion, shape, repetition, and grouping play a part in creating a beautiful garden design.
Each garden creation includes information on the selected plant material, planting details, and container details. (Site, planting, scale and lifespan of each garden also appear at the top of each page.) The book also contains information on containers, container principles--which come in handy whether you are a novice or a seasoned gardner--as well as a helpful container plant directory.
The author, Paul Williams, is one of UK's top horticultural gardeners and he really kept the reader in mind when writing this book. I use this book for inspirational purposes when creating for myself and clients. A small book with great ideas and useful information. This author got it right! WARNING--Container gardening can be addicting! Merry--Zenspiration GardensTM
Super Stylish!.......2007-06-13
I just wanted to write a quick review to say this these are the most stylish ideas that I have ever seen (and I've probably looked at least 30 books on the same subject). If you want modern, sleek looking container designs, then this is your book. These are the kinds of pots you see outside hip restaurants and boutiques.
Nice but a little disappointed........2007-02-25
I was excited about this book when I opened it and leafed through it for the first time. The arrangement pictured are lovely and I like that fact that the plants used in the container are pictured and listed right there.
BUT there is do diagramed layout and it is very difficult to try to look at the photograph and determine exactly where some of the plants are places.
A Guide to Lovely Planters.......2005-04-05
I wanted ideas for good-looking container gardens for my screened lanai. This books really delivers what I needed:
*large photos showing handsome pots and lush plantings
*exact instructions for number & names of plants to reproduce the 44 pictured container gardens
*info on sun/shade requirements, plant care and lifespan of the plants
The last 30 pages is an encyclopedic listing of suitable plants accompanied by color photos.
The book also has sections on choosing a container, drainage, potting mix, plant maintenance, color, scale and proportion. Really a very useful guide!
New Flowers for a New Home.......2004-07-07
Although I've read a number of gardening books, I seem to have been having terrible luck with one container garden. Finally, I tossed all the soil and read this book. After realizing the draining system was not in place, not to mention I was using the wrong soil and the root system was in a tangle, I finally was able to create a fushia and violet themed flower garden complete with Daddy Blue Petunias, Easter Bonnet Violet Alyssum and pink Bearded tongue. The Columbine flowers are mixed in someplace and I think I have to rescue them from the petunias that are now taking over the planter.
Page 135 shows how to drill holes in the base of the planter, which was very needed. Then, while at the store, I accidentally dropped a clay pot, which was just perfect because you use the broken pot pieces to ensure free passage of water through the potting mix. The Miracle Grow potting mix now also has some water-retaining crystals mentioned on page 151.
By reading this one book you can learn everything you need to know to set up your own container garden in short order.
Features:
- Paul Williams original arrangements with close-up shots of every plant featured.
- An A-Z plant directory
- Detailed sections on how to water, choose pots, move heavy pots and design arrangements.
- Information on "when to repot" plants
- Interesting arrangements with "ingredients, planting details and container details."
- How to Clean Containers
- Choosing the right potting mix
- Interesting "capillary" watering method. Might work
if you travel a lot.
The arrangements all have themes. You might want a low-maintenance pink arrangement filled with Osteospermum jucundum (delicate pink daisy-style flowers) or create a lively arrangement bursting with golden stars (Bidens ferufolia). Many of the arrangements also help to set dreamy moods, like the Purple Haze with the fuzzy lotus hirsutus meandering with blue trailing petunias.
Paul Williams was trained at one of the UK's top horticultural colleges and is a regular contributor to horticultural magazines. His ideas are practical and inspiring.
I was so happy to read this book! Now I can look out of my bedroom window and see a beautiful, long-lasting arrangement inspired by Paul Williams.
~TheRebeccaReview.com
Book Description
This book introduces a revolutionary new concept to gardeners. Planting on roofs and walls began in Europe, but it is now becoming popular all over the world. Green roofs and walls reduce pollution and run-off, and also help insulate and reduce the maintenance needs of buildings. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls discusses the practical techniques required to make planting on roofs and walls a reality. It describes how roofs may be modified to bear the weight of vegetation, considers the different options for drainage layers and growing media, and lists the plants suitable for different climates and environments. This informative book will encourage gardeners everywhere to consider the enormous benefits to be gained from planting on their roofs and walls.
Customer Reviews:
A serious attempt on a difficult subject.......2007-06-06
I am a big advocate on using plants to create green walls and roofs. They can reduce the urban "heat island" effect and create usable green open spaces. I found this book's discussions on Intensive Green Roof, Extensive Green Roof, , Ecoroof, Brown Roof, etc interesting. This book is a serious attempt on a difficult subject. The color photos inside the book are helpful also.
There are still technical difficulties in using green walls and roofs: water proofing, how to handle the structural weight of large trees, how to integrate large plants with building structure, etc. All these technical discussions are needed, and they could be the subject of another book.
Gang Chen, author of Planting Design Illustrated
Good for Beginners, but..........2007-01-11
Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls is an excellent book for any landscape architect who has not yet designed and detailed either. For myself, the most helpful bit of information was the data collected and presented from various green roofs.
The living wall section on the other hand was thin. There was no mention of the living wall system Patrick Blanc developed which is much more interesting than putting up a wire trellis and planting vines next to it. The other comment i would have is that almost all of the examples are from Europe. We have fabulous examples in the US with more relevant plant materials and weather conditions.
Finally I would say that the authors didn't seem interested in exploring native plant materials and instead focused on a few cookie cutter plants commonly planted all over the northern hemisphere. Not unlike McDonalds.
Nice examples of successful Green Roofs.......2006-11-10
This book is great for those who may have trouble visualizing the possibilities of what you can do with a green roof. There are many examples of what you can grow, and what types of vegetation are suitable. The book is however not very technical about the architectural detailing considerations involved. Some sections and detail drawings would make this book much more valuable as a design resource.
Organic Architecture with Plants .......2004-09-28
Greenroof professionals and enthusiasts alike will be delighted with the easy reading and scope of content offered in "Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" by Nigel Dunnett and Noël Kingsbury. Very well organized, the book's forte and major value is as an essential resource - especially in terms of plant description, characteristics and specification. It's also a great bargain in that the book is filled with color photos, drawings, charts and reference material. This indispensable hard cover reference guide contains a truly massive collection of appropriate plant information, and perhaps most importantly, extensive plant directories are provided for both greenroofs and façade greening.
Organic Architecture with Plants
Greenroofs, living walls, and various other bio-engineering techniques are introduced and the authors cite the associated benefits and reasons why we should be integrating these measures of organic architecture into our built environments. The authors refer to current international research and technology; background and history are touched on; and benefits and applications of these "ecotechnologies" are discussed at length. Yet, a "How-To Build" book this is not; basic principles are set out and tools for further research are provided.
Benefits at a Range of Scales
The section "Why Build Green Roofs?" explores hard evidence and the various benefits operating at a range of scales from amenity and aesthetic values to economic and environmental aspects. Increased roof life, insulation and energy efficiency, green building assessment and public relations, biodiversity and wildlife value, water management, air pollution, and fire prevention and risks are discussed with supporting evidence.
Although previously well known, the biodiversity and wildlife value of greenroofs is expanded upon here, including the new British models of "brown" or "rubble" greenroofs - those which recreate the thin, infertile landscapes of disturbed brownfield sites. Spontaneous colonization is presented as an important natural occurrence.
A Vast Array of Planting Opportunities
The authors rightly note that "The majority of guides to green roofs and roof greening concentrate on the technical and construction aspects but have relatively little to say about planting opportunities - mainly because most authors are not plant specialists." Well, Noël - a well known writer of plants and gardens, and Nigel - a senior lecturer in the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield, most certainly are plant experts, and an entire 47-page chapter is devoted to the wide range of planting opportunities for extensive greenroofs, beyond the ubiquitous albeit hugely successful use of Sedum species.
Prevailing site conditions will always dictate the plant selection, so designers need to know what plant species will not only survive but thrive in extreme local conditions. Desirable physical attributes of plants and how they may be established and managed are presented. Considerations of monocultures, single plant combinations and mixtures, and plant communities are useful as planting design tools. The form and physiology of suitable greenroof plants are nicely covered from a botanical as well as functional and aesthetic perspective. Issues of viewing considerations are pondered and design solutions are offered relating to the roof function and visual criteria. "Methods of vegetation establishment" is particularly detailed and thus extremely valuable. The authors point out, however, that current research is insufficient to show how long each species will live and how each species will interact over the years atop roofs.
The very important aspect of different growing medium properties and functions is addressed in-depth, and comments are provided about particular types of materials, substrate depths, and accompanying vegetative possibilities. Maintenance issues and requirements are briefly noted, touching on feeding, plant protection, drainage, and weeding.
Considerations of Natives and Introduced Species
The unexploited opportunities of testing and using native vegetation are explored, in terms of increasing biodiversity and aesthetic benefits. Regionally native plants should be tested for many reasons, including ecological restoration. Non-native plant species with invasive tendencies can be a problem, therefore careful selection is critical to maintain healthy ecosystems. Yet many introduced species are appropriate, and there are many circumstances where non-natives offer considerable local wildlife value.
Certain natural plant communities and their soil types are explained and presented as an argument for further study as suitable models for successful roof plantings. Trialing of appropriate local plant communities is therefore recommended and encouraged so as ultimately to be able to introduce more natives into the greenroof matrix of plant species.
"The natural habitats of potential roof-greening plants" explores the potential to discover and trial the world's flora found in similar harsh habitats. Mountain, high latitude, coastal, limestone, sclerophyllous woody vegetation, semi-desert environments, and species whose plants are exposed to climatic extremes are regions with potential for testing of new roof greening plants.
The Task Has Just Begun
Philosophy and advice to greenroof plant enthusiasts can be summed up with these reflections by the authors: "With roof greening becoming an important part of the new built environment, it is increasingly important that more attention is paid to sourcing new plant material from habitats in the wild where conditions approximate those on rooftops and other problem urban situations...The task of selecting suitable plant species for roof greening has arguably just begun, and it offers potentially enormous rewards."
They are quick to point out that the globalization of our knowledge base and the ready availability of certain aggressive species can threaten entire ecosystems, and care must be provided to the selection of greenroof environments (just as at ground level) so as to avoid invasive and potentially destructive non-natives or introduced species.
Façade Greening and Living Wall Structures and Surfaces are the final two chapters of the book, offering both visual and ecological climbers, clingers, ramblers and scramblers. New support structures, materials, technologies and details provide practical and interesting information for this older yet equally fascinating design element of green architecture. The authors examine how the design of façade greening can equally disguise unattractive features while at the same time enhance existing surfaces. In either case, education and care are necessary to promote vigorous growth that is supported by a variety of vertical and/or horizontal structures.
At the end of the book, 49 pages are devoted to the Roof-Greening and Façade-Greening Plant Directories, listed by botanical names, common names, cultivars and related species. The horticultural and cultural aspects are presented with definitions and listings of many specific plant characteristics.
A minor grumbling on my part about the book is the absence of identifying greenroof project photo captions for the geographic locations and the building application types. It would be beneficial to know not only where each is located, but also whether the project is commercial, industrial, residential, etc.
A Dovetailing of Living Plants, the Building, and Its Human Users
Whereas Ted Osmundson's excellent 1999 "Roof Gardens: History, Design, and Construction" is considered the bible for the intensive greenroof crowd, Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury's "Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" is simply a must have for extensive and intensive greenroofers worldwide.
"Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls" is a comprehensive argument for integrating nature and architecture, and I highly recommend it. It's obvious that Kingsbury and Dunnett are first and foremost dedicated, ecologically minded plantspeople; here, then, is a very important work for those of us in the greenroof industry. ~ Linda S. Velazquez, Publisher Greenroofs.com
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Paper and Paperboard Packaging Technology
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ASIN: 1405125039 |
Book Description
This book discusses all the main types of packaging based on paper and paperboard. It considers the raw materials and manufacture of paper and paperboard, and the basic properties and features on which packaging made from these materials depends for its appearance and performance. The manufacture of twelve types of paper- and paperboard-based packaging is described, together with their end-use applications and the packaging machinery involved. The importance of pack design is stressed, and how these materials offer packaging designers opportunities for imaginative and innovative design solutions. Environmental and waste management issues are addressed in a separate chapter.The book is directed at those joining companies which manufacture packaging grades of paper and paperboard, companies involved in the design, printing and production of packaging, and companies which manufacture inks, coatings, adhesives and packaging machinery. It will be essential reading for students of packaging technology.
Book Description
Shiny green cucumbers; firm, juicy tomatoes; baby lettuces handpicked one salad at a time—these are the tasty benefits of the backyard vegetable garden. But earth gardens are a lot of work. They require a plot of plantable land and a significant time commitment to sowing, watering, weeding, and tending each plant.
Is there a solution? Self-watering containers allow vegetable gardeners—from the casual weekender interested in a tomato plant or two to the very dedicated gardener with limited space—to grow richly producing plants in a controlled, low-maintenance environment.
Lifelong gardener Ed Smith became fascinated with the possibilities of self-watering containers and began testing dozens of vegetables in various containers, experimenting with nutrients, soil mixtures, plant varieties, and container positioning. Now Smith is here to tell gardeners that anyone can grow and enjoy wonderful organic vegetables, using pots with continuous- flow watering systems.
Smith shares advice on choosing appropriate containers, how to provide balanced nutrition using his secret soil formula, and what additional tools benefit the container gardener. The reader will also find advice on starting from seed versus buying plants, which vegetables thrive in containers and which might be a bit more challenging, along with space-saving tips on pairing plants in single containers. After the last green tomato has been picked and is ripening on the windowsill, Smith wraps everything up with a chapter on fall clean-up and preparing for next spring. Now there’s really no excuse for store-bought tomatoes!
Book Description
A charming assortment of one-of-a-kind miniature boxes in a variety of shapes for all skill levels.
Julia S. Pretl offers crafters her original method for creating decorative beaded boxes and lids in a wide range of surface designs and shapes. Working only with cylinder and seed beads, needle and thread, crafters can create an impressive array of clever and colorful miniature containers. With step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow word graphs and patterns, Pretl leads the reader through the techniques for creating three-sided, five-sided, and six-sided rectangular, square, and stacked boxes. Four-color photographs of each of the 12 designs introduce each set of instructions. Detailed drawings illustrate the beading techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Little Beaded Boxes review.......2007-10-11
I thought this book was great. I think the auther did a beautiful job constructing the boxes. They were a little challenging which I enjoyed because I get tired of easy projects. I found that I learned a lot because I read so much to figure out how everything worked together. Beautiful book and worth every penny.
Yes, You Can Bead These Boxes!.......2007-10-08
As beautiful as these boxes look, the instructions are even more "beautiful". Yes, YOU CAN make these boxes! Of course, working with seed beads takes patience, and it's kind of important to actually read the instructions and then actually follow them (a word to the wise, and to some of the unhappy reviewers- follow instructions!- what a concept!). I've been beading for only 3 years, and believe me, Julia's instructions are excellent. She took great pains to explain her designs and technique so that you can really make what you see pictured. This book is more than worth the price, as the designs are gorgeous, and what beader wouldn't want to make one?! Don't hesitate to buy this book- you'll love it!
Little Bead Boxes.......2007-09-20
Amazing designs. Have already completed three of the items and pleased with all the results. Can't wait to do more.
wonderful.......2007-08-14
have created many of the boxes from this book sold a few but have made wonderful gifts to friends and family
Little Bead Boxes: 12 Miniature Containers Built with Beads.......2007-08-12
It looks like some VERY interesting projects - good instruction - can't wait until I have time to try making some!
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