Book Description
If you love the joys of eating home-garden vegetables but always thought those joys had to stop at the end of summer, this book is for you. Eliot Coleman introduces the surprising fact that most of the United States has more winter sunshine than the south of France. He shows how North American gardeners can successfully use that sun to raise a wide variety of traditional winter vegetables in backyard cold frames and plastic covered tunnel greenhouses without supplementary heat. Coleman expands upon his own experiences with new ideas learned on a winter-vegetable pilgrimage across the ocean to the acknowledged kingdom of vegetable cuisine, the southern part of France, which lies on the 44th parallel, the same latitude as his farm in Maine.
This story of sunshine, weather patterns, old limitations and expectations, and new realities is delightfully innovative in the best gardening tradition. Four-Season Harvest will have you feasting on fresh produce from your garden all through the winter.
Customer Reviews:
Does this book even need another 5-star review?.......2007-10-06
Even if you don't want to garden year round (if you do this is the only book you need), it's a fascinating and fact-filled read. He tells how to garden more efficiently, how to compost and rejuvenate soil with crop rotation and "green manure" and which direction to plant rows for optimal time in the sun. There are formulas throughout such as how high a retaining wall to build to protect plants from cold (the wall heats up during the day and radiates warmth back during the night), or how many degrees to slant a bed to maximize sun and minimize cold wind damage. He tells how to plan succession planting to have vegetables year round, rather than one humungous crop all at once. His tone is congenial, never talking down or above his target audience. It's fascinating--if you buy you won't be sorry!
ORGANIC HOME GARDENER.......2007-08-04
This book is loaded with dynamite information. I have enjoyed reading it and will certainly make use of the info therein in the future!
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.......2007-07-15
Eliot Coleman has combined how-to text with drawings that inform and inspire. Highly recommended reading!
Helpful info.......2007-06-28
I am very excited about becoming self-sufficient in feeding my family of six. This book has extremely helpful ideas that are very cost effective. Highly recommend this book.
The bible of 4-season gardening.......2007-04-18
There is nothing like the satisfaction of talking to another seasoned gardener and having them say "isn't it too early for snap-peas?" and responding "nope, mine are doing great". This book gave me the confidence and knowledge to plant a month and a half earlier than I have ever planted before, without protection for the plants even!
It lays out in simple terms variety selection, location, timing and all the information you need to be harvesting vegetables literally all year round all the way down to zone 3!!
Book Description
Acclaimed landscape designers Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd offer a profusely illustrated month-by-month chronicle of their magnificent southern Vermont garden.
Customer Reviews:
a wonderful wonderful book.......2000-07-27
I've worked for years in the extensive gardens of children's book author/illustrator Tomie dePaola (26 FAIRMOUNT AVENUE and other books). This book has helped me appreciate what I do and has helped me "see" the value and the beauty in plants and shrubs and colors, etc., that I never before saw or understood. It's a wonderful book.
A 12 Month Delight.......1999-12-26
Never did I expect to be so conflicted about why I love a book. This one has it all. Such a beautifully written love story about a garden and the shared lives of two people who have a vision and the courage to create a truly great landscape. The sheer volume of information about specific plants and how they are used are invaluable to me. To have all this knowledge presented in such a beautifully written book is such a gift. I've already read it twice. I've had my copy of this book for two years now and it wouldn't surprise me if I picked it up for a fresh reading sometime this winter.
Book Description
What should a birder do if he likes bluebirds and wrens but is not all that interested in woodpeckers and starlings? Bird-by-Bird Gardening takes the chance and happenstance out of backyard birding. Readers learn what design features and edible treats will tempt particular bird families so their birdbaths and feeders will be overflowing with visitors of their choice. Bird-by-Bird Gardening: shows readers how to lure their preferred species with bird-friendly features such as water, shrub cover, nesting plants, and feeders includes 19 garden designs for attracting specific bird families provides water projects and feeder recipes for bird families With this book to guide them, bird lovers will soon have their favorite birds lingering longer in the backyardand revisiting year after year.
Customer Reviews:
Little use for the serious birder.......2007-05-07
I found this book to be of little use to anyone other than those just beginning to be interested in birding. Many of the chapters could be combined into simply a chapter entitled how to attract birds. Many are repeates. This book is also seriously lacking in usable pictures of many of the birds that it discusses.
Bird-by-Bird Gardening.......2006-12-07
I just started reading Sally's book, one of which I should have written myself, but am delighted in the way she has designed this topic. As a person with a forestry background, I have long advocated that the birds represent the plant community, however indirectly. That said, once one gets the needs of a particular species, which has been well brought about by the endangered species advocates, then a landowner can tailor approaches with managing property in order to attract those birds. Other wildlife is benefitted, too, but we do concentrate on birdlife. So, this a two pronged effort: pay attention to the plant associations, and then realize the wildlife management aspects resulting. Each of us can be an earth citizen, making a vital contribution on one's own land. I have a radio show and weekly newspaper column here in NH, "COUNTRY ECOLOGY" where I pursue these ecological profiles and whatever one can do to make things prosper. I formerly built over 11,000 bark-faced natural birdhouses during 14 years in that business, and was on the board of directors for NABS. I take care of two UNH natural areas on Squam Lake, where "On Golden Pond" was filmed years ago.
Book Description
Winter doesn't have to be a dreary wasteland for northern gardeners. Even when flowers won't bloom, you can have a garden that's colorful and full of visual interest. This book describes the best evergreens, trees and shrubs with colorful twigs and bark, ornamental grasses, and winter fruits and berries that will liven your yard - and then shows you how to take care of them.
Customer Reviews:
Good advice for a year-round garden.......2004-10-02
The author suggests that you plan your garden with winter in mind. She explains which plants need special care and how to care for them. She shows how to improve plant survival, where and how to plant more sensitive species to avoid damage from snow or frost, how to protect plants from frozen soil, etc.
Buchanan organizes her book by plants that stay green over winter (evergreens), have showy bark or twigs, bear fruits or berries, and by grasses and first flowers. Within each group, she suggests several plants and describes them (look, height, light requirements, growing zone, and attraction points). About a quarter of the plants are shown in photographs. The book is a great reference for anyone interested in creating a year-round attractive garden.
Some good ideas..........2001-07-27
For those who live in cold climates, or those who want to be assured of some year-round interest from their plantings, this is a good source of ideas. The Winter Garden lists (with many color photographs) plants of all types and sizes which remain interesting in winter for their color, shape, berries, or texture. It's a good book to read for gardeners who are suffering from let down when the blooming season passes. I found this bit of advice useful: plan any landscape as if it were a winter landscape. Then you will be assured of some beauty all year, and even more so when the flowers do finally pop up. Also, plant an evergreen shrub and maybe some ornamental grass (or Christmas ferns) in the center of a garden bed; colorful annuals and perennials can surround this when weather permits.
Book Description
A renowned garden designer tells how he and his wife built their garden, imparting countless valuable lessons learned.
Garden and landscape designer Gordon Hayward and his wife, Mary, take the measure of their home garden—in process for more than twenty years—and tell readers how to make their own gardens welcoming and personal, truly a reflection of their needs and dreams. As the Haywards point out, "successful gardens grow naturally out of their owners; great garden design is honest, authentic, and unself-conscious." Gordon explains how aspects of his and Mary's lives are woven into their garden, but also how those aspects remain firmly fixed in universal design principles that apply to every garden. With the practical advice and achievable aims that make his other books so rewarding, Hayward lets readers in on the secrets that make his garden outstanding.
Almost 200 stunning photographs specially commissioned for the book show key garden views in all four seasons, giving readers a rare look at a year in a garden. Before-and-after shots, detailed garden maps, and plant lists are included.
Customer Reviews:
An intimate view of garden design.......2005-08-02
This excellent book allows the reader to get inside the head of a great garden designer. It follows the design problems and solutions the Haywards thought out over 20 years in their Vermont garden. It's full of ideas of how to add structure, vistas, destinations, and emotions to any garden design.
Book Description
Month-by-Month™ guides offer valuable advice on the proper timing of gardening maintenance for each month. Month-by-Month™ Gardening in Louisiana is one of the first titles of the redesigned series from Cool Springs Press.
Top features include:
- 4-color photography and illustrations to demonstrate cultural practices
- Covers all major plant categories
- Specific advice for every month of the year
- Updated edition includes text revisions, additional reference materials, and a new design
Customer Reviews:
Great Resource.......2007-05-10
Creating a garden and keeping color in Louisiana is difficult. The heat and clay soil don't make it easy for plants or gardners. This book offers really great advice on making the most of your garden inspite of the problems the state's climate poses.
Book Description
Red plaid classics with nostalgic appeal.
Recipes updated for today's tastes and for use with modern appliances.
Includes historical snippets, nostalgic illustrations, cooking tips, and nutrition facts.
Chapters include Main Dishes, Sides, Desserts, Snacks, Appetizers, and Beverages.
Customer Reviews:
Great cookbook.......2003-07-01
You can't go wrong with this. It's a small cookbook jam-packed with great recipes. This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever had. I heartily recommend it!
Book Description
Inspiring: 15 gardens representing all climates.
Hardworking: how to build handsome hardscape features.
Practical: how to plant, maintain, and multiply perennials.
Easy plant identification: common and botanical names cross-referenced; detailed descriptions.
Dozens of tips that ensure perennials flourish year after year.
150 photographs of richly hued plants and garden settings.
Product Description
Mary Ann Sipes has created an entire year of oh-so-cozy Q-hook patterns for you to crochet and enjoy. Each month brings a new design, and each is crocheted of multiple strands of super bulky, bulky, or medium weight yarn to yield a quick-and-thick, heirloom quality afghan. Ring in the new year with a super-fluffy blanket of snowflakes; then warm up with a wrap bedecked in yellow blossoms. When autumn is here, snuggle into an Aran afghan with soft cables and twists. Make all twelve for your friends or keep each one yourself, but don't miss a month of creating this cuddly Q-hook collection!
Book Description
Seven years ago, James Raimes and his wife bought a country home on nine acres in upstate New York. Inspired by the natural beauty of the land and a desire to learn how to be a gardener, Raimes found himself obsessed with such questions as why gardeners keep moving plants around, what the names of the lawn grasses are, and how one can impose order in a garden and at the same time make it look natural. What, in fact, defines a garden?
Customer Reviews:
The mind of the gardener.......2006-08-19
What an amazing and enchanting book! So different from the run of the mill "how to". The author shares his plans, dreams, hopes, experiences with the reader. (After completing the chapter on Digging in Clay, I was so exhausted that I needed a lie down to recover.) Please can we have a sequel or at least a blog with photos and maps. I want to see it all.
A vivid memoir of the 'gardening bug' involves all.......2006-07-27
Seven years ago the author and his wife bought a country home on nine acres in upstate New York, calling it 'Ginger' and evoking in him a desire to learn about plants and gardening. Raimes grew up in England, so his instinct in this area was always there: his desire to shape a landscape proved challenging, however, and GARDENING AT GINGER: MY SEVEN-YEAR OBSESSION WITH DESIGNING AND PLANTING A PERSONAL LANDSCAPE reviews his efforts, achievements and failures alike. A vivid memoir of the 'gardening bug' involves all.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
A gem.......2006-06-24
The essays and stories that make up Gardening at Ginger are about things like greenness (the color, not the movement), the author's city-born-and-bred wife's reaction to insects that get indoors (not hospitable) and where to place a bench. James Raimes' writing is by turns personable, erudite, witty and earnest, and his book goes a long way toward explaining why gardening, an activity that regularly leaves its practitioners filthy, pooped and bleeding, also makes them so happy.
an earthy meditation.......2006-06-16
Raimes' recounting of his "growing" obsession is subtle, graceful and altogether involving. He includes lots of background from his English childhood, gardening experts he's consulted and absorbed, his sometimes bemused wife who nevertheless stands by his often backbreaking, daylight hour devouring transformation of a landscape into areas of inviting woods, stonework, flower beds, greensward, specimen trees and water. It made me stop and think in a new way about my own gardening and enriched my understanding of what all gardeners do.
A charmer .......2006-06-03
Not only for the gardener, this collection of personal essays draws you right into the writer's life, and his obsession with landscaping the gardens around his second home. His insight into the nature around him--not just the flowers, but the trees, the grass, and the dirt--will give even avid gardeners something new to think about. If his garden is half as beautiful as his writing, then Raimes has done a wonderful job.
Books:
- Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
- Garden Mosaics: 25 Step-By-Step Projects for Your Outdoor Room
- Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for ArcGIS 9 (Getting to Know series)
- Great Gardens of the World: In Search of Paradise
- His Little Princess: Treasured Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- His Princess: Love Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hortus Eystettensis
- How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops)
- Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Complete Credit Repair Kit
- Josephus: The Essential Works
- Alternative Scriptwriting: Writing Beyond the Rules
- Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing
- Death of a Maid
- Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years
- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 1, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the
- Accounting Principles, Chapters 14-27, Electronic Working Papers
- Compassionate Capitalism, People Helping People Help Themselves
- The Farm She Was: A Novel
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book)
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops)
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
