Sunset Western Garden Book
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Sunset Western Garden Book

    Manufacturer: Sunset Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    WestWest | Regional | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0376039175

    Book Description

    Gardeners throughout the region will be welcoming a thoroughly updated and fresh-looking 8th edition of the "bible of Western gardening." With a new, easy-to-read design, more plant photography, larger illustrations, and more than 8,000 plant listings--500 of them new--it's THE essential book for gardeners in the Western states. What plants to grow, how to nurture them, and where they do the very best--it's all here. You'll also find updated information on the Western climate zones, 30 Plant Selection Guides, plus a Practical Guide to Gardening with basic advice on plant care and essential gardening techniques. New plant lists reflect current trends, such as Mediterranean gardening and easy-care plants for beginners. For more than 70 years, Sunset has been the source for no-nonsense gardening advice, easy-to-follow diagrams, and encyclopedic knowledge of plant varieties. In this edition, we introduce an exciting new feature: gardening tips from well-known plant experts throughout the West. The Western Garden Book has never been better! Features:

    8th Edition of this perennial bestseller

    More than 8,000 plant listings, 500 new, keyed to climate zones

    30 Plant Selection Guides to find the perfect plant for every situation

    Special contributions from 40 eminent Western garden experts

    Introduction by Sunset garden editor Kathleen N. Brenzel, with a photographic tour of gardens that are truly the `Best of the West' gardens
    All New Square Foot Gardening
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Practical and Easy Gardening
    • Helpful book
    • Gardening with a bad back
    • Great Book!
    • Never too late (for SFG)
    		 All New Square Foot Gardening
    Mel Bartholomew
    Manufacturer: Cool Springs Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Container GardeningContainer Gardening | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    VegetablesVegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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    1. Cubed Foot Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Raised, Intensive Beds Cubed Foot Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Raised, Intensive Beds
    2. Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
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    ASIN: 1591862027

    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!

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Practical and Easy Gardening.......2007-10-10

    I have been interested in gardening for years and have even attempted it a time or two. The results were never pretty. This book has helped me turn over a new leaf! I feel like I can garden without having to constantly experiment with the details - what soil mixture should I use, where can I find room, how much should I plant, etc. I followed his directions in making and gridding my box, the soil mixture, planting ,etc. I love the easiness of it all and how crisp and clean it looks! I am excited about my garden and have even intrigued my dad( who is an avid gardener) with this method! We are both experimenting together!

    4 out of 5 stars Helpful book.......2007-09-14

    This a good book, but the author's ego is the size of the Atlantic Ocean. If you can get past his bragging and self-promotion, the book has some good ideas and helpful information. I like this book (the author can be inspiring and has obviously given a lot of thought to his ideas), but I like Gaia's Garden and Food Not Lawns better.

    One idea the author doesn't mention is the use of free wood chips as a ground cover. Here in Portland, you can call most arborists and they will deliver free ground trees. It's better for the arborists than paying to dispose of the ground trees at a recycling center and they will schedule the delivery when they're in your area to minimize their delivery distance. You can minimize weeds by laying down a thick layer of newspapers or cardboard, and then covering them with wood chips.

    4 out of 5 stars Gardening with a bad back.......2007-09-09

    I had back surgery 5 years ago and had to give up gardening. Last Spring a friend gave me a copy of Square Foot Gardening. I had someone build me a 4x8 foot garden on legs 4 feet tall and planted a vegetable garden that was so successful that we joked that it was going to take over the world! I have since had another built. It is so exciting to me to be able to grow things again! I would recommend that you have one built for a friend or parent who is unable to keep up with a regular garden. It is a wonderful feeling to eat what you have grown.
    Diane Woodward
    North Carolina

    5 out of 5 stars Great Book!.......2007-09-07

    I love this book and can't wait to try out his methods of gardening. Pictures are very pretty. Instructions easy to understand.

    5 out of 5 stars Never too late (for SFG).......2007-09-05

    This is a innovative, creative, common sense approach to engaging in the wonderwful world of gardening in a straightforward and easily managed way. Thanks Mel. (p.s. these words are from the person to whom I gifted this book)
    Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Completely Satisfied
    • Enjoyable, with Reservations
    • Can I please live with the Kingsolver Family?
    • Thinking about your food
    • Powerful Read
    		 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
    Barbara Kingsolver , Camille Kingsolver , and Steven L. Hopp
    Manufacturer: HarperCollins
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    AuthorsAuthors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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    OrganicOrganic | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Kingsolver, Barbara | ( K ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0060852550
    Release Date: 2007-05-01

    Book Description

    Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver returns with her first nonfiction narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat.

    "As the U.S. population made an unprecedented mad dash for the Sun Belt, one carload of us paddled against the tide, heading for the Promised Land where water falls from the sky and green stuff grows all around. We were about to begin the adventure of realigning our lives with our food chain.

    "Naturally, our first stop was to buy junk food and fossil fuel. . . ."

    Hang on for the ride: With characteristic poetry and pluck, Barbara Kingsolver and her family sweep readers along on their journey away from the industrial-food pipeline to a rural life in which they vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Their good-humored search yields surprising discoveries about turkey sex life and overly zealous zucchini plants, en route to a food culture that's better for the neighborhood and also better on the table. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle makes a passionate case for putting the kitchen back at the center of family life and diversified farms at the center of the American diet.

    "This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Completely Satisfied.......2007-10-12

    My book arrived promptly and was in perfect condition. I would buy from this seller again.

    3 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, with Reservations.......2007-10-10

    I was attracted to this book as a kindred spirit (of sorts) to the author. I have been growing much of my own food (plant-based, anyway) as I could for many years. I prefer to eat seasonal foods, and buy locally produced items whenever available.

    So I was a little disappointed when I first began reading, as much of the first chapter or two is taken up by the author's berating us all for our ignorance and our eating habits, as well as a lot of good, but unfortunately not new to me, information on our food supply.

    Thankfully though, I hung in there, and found it to be an enjoyable read overall. I was looking forward to hear someone else's experiences in the garden and the kitchen, and that I did get.
    I found myself skipping some parts, the description of the poultry slaughtering for example.
    The book also includes sidebars written by her husband, which were mainly summaries of reports one may have already read elsewhere; and essays written by her daughter, Camille. I didn't find these entries of interest, and so skipped them as well.

    If you enjoy reading about food and or gardening, or you have been having second thoughts about your grocery habits lately, then I recommend this book.

    5 out of 5 stars Can I please live with the Kingsolver Family?.......2007-10-09

    Barbara Kingsolver is my hero. Her life on the farm sounds perfect, and I want her to open a B&B so I can experience her cooking, gardening, and philosophy of life. And while I don't have enough land or expertise to sustain myself and my family -- I do appreciate the information in this book and have used what I can to eat more local foods. The recipes, links, and resources make the book worthwhile. But the book is also an entertaining read. I read it slowly to savor the deep commitment that Barbara and her family put into even the most simple eating pleasures. Thank you for this book, Barbara. It is a treasure. Eleanor Taylor, co-author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexbile, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family. Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family (Fork and Spoon Field Guides)

    4 out of 5 stars Thinking about your food.......2007-10-05

    Ms Kingsolver writes smoothly and with passion about organic farming. Sidebars from her college age daughter cover practical personal concerns, complete with recipes to enjoy the seasonal bounty of the land; while ones from her husband give the political overview of how farming policies affect us all on a world level. All in my book group enjoyed the book as a whole. It was obviously edited tightly to be easy and fast to read while still introducing ideas that would be unusual to most people in North America. As one with a extensive backyard fruit and vegetable garden in California, I would have enjoyed more detailed planning information on how she decided what and how much to plant, why she did not try to raise more and different animals for food, (e.g., rabbits, sheep, or even guinea pigs)and what she could have done with a greenhouse and solar or wind power.

    4 out of 5 stars Powerful Read.......2007-10-04

    I think this is an important book about our society, economy and values. While it can be a bit preachy at times, Barbara's humor is wonderfully dry. I highly recommend.
    Pots in the Garden: Expert Design and Planting
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Pure inspiration
    • Gorgeous book and inspired arrangements
    • Enjoyed it all
    • container gardening
    		 Pots in the Garden: Expert Design and Planting
    Ray Rogers , and Richard W. Hartlage
    Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Container GardeningContainer Gardening | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0881928348

    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:

    5 out of 5 stars 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.

    5 out of 5 stars 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!

    5 out of 5 stars 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.

    4 out of 5 stars 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.
    Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Best Garden Book for Beginers
    • Not "Just" for Small Spaces
    • Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
    • Love it -- it's so easy!
    • I just can't be this meticulous
    		 Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
    Mel Bartholomew
    Manufacturer: Rodale Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Garden DesignGarden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 1579548563
    Release Date: 2005-03-10

    Book Description

    One of the bestselling garden books ever is fresher than ever! Ready to inspire a whole new generation of gardeners.When he created the "square foot gardening" method, Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer and efficiency expert, found the solution to the frustrations of most gardeners. His revolutionary system is simple: it's an ingenious planting method based on using square foot blocks of garden space instead of rows. Gardeners build up, not down, so there's no digging and no tilling after the first year. And the method requires less thinning, less weeding, and less watering."I found a better way to garden, one that's more efficient, more manageable, and requires less work," Bartholomew explains. Not surprisingly, his method quickly received worldwide recognition and has been written up in every major newspaper and gardening magazine. His book, which served as the companion to the nationally acclaimed television series, has sold over 800,000 copies. Now freshened with new illustrations, the book Ingram calls "the largest selling garden book in America" is reissued for the delight of a whole new generation of gardeners.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Best Garden Book for Beginers .......2007-09-05

    I have owned this book for years. Worn out more that one copy. This copy was purchased to give to a new urbanm garden project in a develpomently challanged area of my city. We will be teaching at rick young people how to garden and landscape. This is one of many tools we will use and is as far as I am concerned the best how to do it garden book for people who have little or no knowledge about gardening.

    5 out of 5 stars Not "Just" for Small Spaces.......2007-05-12

    Wonderful information is contained throughout this book for gardeners planting in small 4'X4' spaces to huge gardens. In fact, "Square Foot Gardening" is chocked full of useful information which can and should be used in any size gearden from a small container on the patio to very large gardens. The info saves a gardener many back-breaking laborous hours.
    Before I read this book, I did not know that cantalopes can be trellised, which saves "those" vines from rambling all over the garden. There is too much info to be missed without this great book.

    5 out of 5 stars Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work.......2007-03-11

    All the information a gardener needs to begin this method of raising flowers and vegetables is found in this book, which pleases me greatly.

    5 out of 5 stars Love it -- it's so easy!.......2007-03-02

    The techniques in this book ABSOLUTELY work! I have 3 4'x4' raised garden beds, and all seeds I planted are sprouting (and I have seeds left over for planting later in the season, too--no more wasted seeds).

    Mr. Bartholomew explains all of his techniques very well and the book is very easy to read. I'm especially fond of his formula for good garden soil and planting with coarse vermiculite. I think this an extremely important step in preparing the garden, and I attribute my success, so far, to his detailed instructions regarding soil prep.

    I'm not a great gardener by any stretch of the imagination, so I love the idea that I am growing more in a smaller space, plus my weeding HAS been very minimal. His technique of growing in "grids" is also very visually appealing and my children (ages 18 mos to 11 years) can very easily see what's happening and identify the vegetables that are growing.

    Kudos to Mr. Bartholomew for writing such a helpful book for those not-so-green-thumb gardeners!

    3 out of 5 stars I just can't be this meticulous.......2007-02-02

    Is anyone really this uptight about measuring everything and not overproducing vegetables? The methods are organic and the garden looks lovely, but can you truly guarantee that no matter how well you take care of your garden you will have no losses to critters or pests? Last year, I had a family of raccoons move in and eat half of my sweet corn. The only reason my family got any was because I planted more than what we needed. The coons also got the raspberries and grapes. I've also lost beans and peas to rabbits, and been invaded from time to time by various creepy-crawlies. A garden is not grown in isolation, at least, not mine. I preserve what we can't use in season or store it in the root cellar, and when I get extra veggies I share them with friends and family. They are always welcome.

    The techniques are good and I agree that it is better to take care of a small patch of garden well than to care for a large patch poorly. I am just more of a "cottage garden" style gardener, so this was not the book for me. If you like this book you should read some books by Eliot Coleman. He's a very precise gardener, too.

    The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • A Fascinating Read
    • Too much information
    • Just buy this book.................
    • We are the world
    • human psychology in the garden
    		 The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
    Michael Pollan
    Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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    5. What to Eat What to Eat

    ASIN: 0375760393
    Release Date: 2002-05-28

    Amazon.com's Best of 2001

    Working in his garden one day, Michael Pollan hit pay dirt in the form of an idea: do plants, he wondered, use humans as much as we use them? While the question is not entirely original, the way Pollan examines this complex coevolution by looking at the natural world from the perspective of plants is unique. The result is a fascinating and engaging look at the true nature of domestication.

    In making his point, Pollan focuses on the relationship between humans and four specific plants: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. He uses the history of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) to illustrate how both the apple's sweetness and its role in the production of alcoholic cider made it appealing to settlers moving west, thus greatly expanding the plant's range. He also explains how human manipulation of the plant has weakened it, so that "modern apples require more pesticide than any other food crop." The tulipomania of 17th-century Holland is a backdrop for his examination of the role the tulip's beauty played in wildly influencing human behavior to both the benefit and detriment of the plant (the markings that made the tulip so attractive to the Dutch were actually caused by a virus). His excellent discussion of the potato combines a history of the plant with a prime example of how biotechnology is changing our relationship to nature. As part of his research, Pollan visited the Monsanto company headquarters and planted some of their NewLeaf brand potatoes in his garden--seeds that had been genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide. Though they worked as advertised, he made some startling discoveries, primarily that the NewLeaf plants themselves are registered as a pesticide by the EPA and that federal law prohibits anyone from reaping more than one crop per seed packet. And in a interesting aside, he explains how a global desire for consistently perfect French fries contributes to both damaging monoculture and the genetic engineering necessary to support it.

    Pollan has read widely on the subject and elegantly combines literary, historical, philosophical, and scientific references with engaging anecdotes, giving readers much to ponder while weeding their gardens. --Shawn Carkonen

    Book Description

    Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Read.......2007-10-07

    The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan challenges the notion that mankind can control the natural world, subjugating plants to the will of the gardener. Through a discussion of four plants closely associated with human cultivation: apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato, Pollan demonstrates that organisms which possess traits desirable to the gardener have been able manipulate humans to cultivate them. Each plant has a different strategy for assuring that humans will continue to include it in their gardens. The apple, for example, is an extremely diverse species whose seeds contain millions of possible variations of both the fruit produced and the tree itself. Whether one is looking to make hard cider or munch on a crisp green fruit, the apple tree has the genetic code to produce the fruit humans look for.
    In The Botany of Desire, Pollan focuses on the four plants mentioned above, placing each plant in a category, and explains how plants within that category possess characteristics which make them desirable to humans. The apple and other fruits appeal to our sense of taste, and, if fermented, our desire for inebriation. The tulip appeals to mankind's sense of beauty; marijuana, our desire to achieve an altered state of mind; the potato our need for nourishment and desire to genetically engineer crops. In short, each of these plants is successful in an evolutionary sense because it causes us to cultivate it.
    Although Pollan's book is an intriguing read, I found it unsettling that he often rattles off facts and figures without citing a direct source, such as the assertion on page 219: "a potato farmer in Idaho spends roughly $1,950 an acre (mainly on chemicals, electricity and water)." Pollan does include a few pages of sources in the back of his book, but he could make a stronger argument that would stand up to academic scrutiny with the addition of endnotes.
    In addition to a vast amount of research and traveling prior to writing this book, Pollan makes The Botany of Desire a quality literary work by using recurring themes to tie the four parts of the book together. Through returning to his garden at many points over the course of the book, Pollan is able to tie all four of his subjects into a common space. Approaching the reader as a fellow gardener gives him or her a sense of connection to Pollan and his garden. By the end of the book, I felt as though I knew Michael Pollan and his garden intimately. Another example of this continuity is Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. Dionysus appears in both chapters one and three, were Pollan relates him to cider, Johnny Appleseed, and mind-altering substances.
    Overall, Pollan's clear style and journalistic narrative flows easily and keeps the reader entertained throughout the book. He makes effective use of descriptive details and personal experiences to relate to the reader as he argues his theme of plants manipulating humans to include them in their gardens. The Botany of Desire is a must read for anyone interested in how plants we encounter on a daily basis cause us to cultivate them around the globe.

    2 out of 5 stars Too much information.......2007-09-16

    Started out liking the chapter on Apples, less the next and so on. It seemed like I was getting the same story in each chapter only more elaborate and wordy.

    5 out of 5 stars Just buy this book........................2007-09-05

    I am not a botanist.Yet. But the study of evolution is quite an exciting journey, made more exciting by the mind melting,eloquent ideas posed by Mr. Pollan. Bought the audio book version, and I can't stop listining to it. From the story of Johnyy Appleseed, to Holland in search of the history of Tulips, the Amazing Marijuana Plant, and the control of the Potato. Seemed random to me. Not any more. Incredible book.

    5 out of 5 stars We are the world.......2007-08-31

    Pollan's book is a vivid reminder of how intricately human society is woven into the ecological framework of the planet and in particular that of plants. His descriptions of how our societies have affected and been affected by just four plants opens up a series of thought-provoking questions to mull over the next time you find yourself in a garden, at the dinner table, or taking a walk outdoors. It's written with sensitivity towards those he disagrees with, and this gentle touch makes the story he's relating much more effective at prompting you as reader to engage. The weakest part of the book is the chapter on Tulips, but that is hard to criticize since the chapters on apples, marijuana and potatoes are so good.

    Read this Book!

    5 out of 5 stars human psychology in the garden.......2007-08-02

    Human psychology from the plant's perspective? Yep. That's precisely the topic of this book. When our ancestors began breeding plants to serve our desires they inevitably laid those desires bare in the phenotypes in their gardens. Pollan is impressively aware of many current themes in evolutionary biology (e.g., the function of sexual reproduction), and admirably willing to tell a story with the patience and breadth it deserves (hence four 100-page chapters instead of the usual one hundred, A.D.D. 4-page chapters). This book is not for everyone, but if you have intellectual curiosity about why some plants have come to dominate our world, this book will give you many answers and even more tools. There's nothing better I can say about a book.
    American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Just what I was looking for
    • American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
    • A must for any gardener
    • Great housewarming gift!
    • American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia
    		 American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
    H. Marc Cathey , and Christopher Brickell
    Manufacturer: DK ADULT
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    1. The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides) The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides)
    2. American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Gardening
    3. American Horticultural Society Pests and Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying and Treating Plant Problems American Horticultural Society Pests and Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying and Treating Plant Problems
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    ASIN: 0756606160

    Amazon.com

    Collecting contributions from 100 distinguished horticulturists, the handsome and lavishly illustrated American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is a truly definitive gardening reference. With its 1,092 tiny-print pages, this may not be the book to tuck into your pocket as you weed and mulch, but what this encyclopedia lacks in portability, it certainly makes up for in scope. Hardy and tender plants, heirloom varieties and the latest hybrids--they're all accounted for here, with growing tips and background information about native habitats and ornamental features. You'll also find a fascinating section about botany, as well as information about basic gardening techniques such as mulching, staking, pruning, propagating, and protecting plants for winter. But the encyclopedia's main attraction is the individual plant entries--more than 15,000 of them, embellished with 6,000 full-color photographs and illustrations. From the visual glossary of leaves to the map of growing regions, The American Horticultural Society A-Z of Garden Plants provides an unsurpassed wealth of botanical information, making it the yardstick by which all other gardening references must be measured.

    Book Description

    The most comprehensive, detailed, and lavishly illustrated guide to garden plants ever published, first published in 1997, has now been completely revised to include nearly 250 new plants and photos. The AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is an essential reference for all gardeners, from novices to experts.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for.......2007-08-23

    I am very pleased with my choice of many horticultural books that are on the market. It has all of the information that I was looking for and more. Yes, it is pretty hard to haul around the garden, but worth it!

    5 out of 5 stars American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.......2007-08-10

    I just purchased 3 more of this book because it is so complete and great that my 3 children keep borrowing mine.

    5 out of 5 stars A must for any gardener.......2007-07-15

    I had been admiring this book at my local library for quite a while and was surprised to see it offered through Amazon at a great price. This book has wonderful photos of each plant (and species) as well as detailed information, which makes identifying plants so much easier than with any other gardening book out there. If there is one draw back, it would have to be the weight. With over 1100 pages, it is not a book to carry around the garden.

    5 out of 5 stars Great housewarming gift!.......2007-03-24

    This book works best if paired with The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Each book stands on it's own but the two together give total information and abundant photos. I bought one set for new homeowners about to plan their first yard and bought another set for myself. Even after gardening for many years, these books provide answers to questions that come up every gardening season.
    The books are substantial in weight as well as information.

    5 out of 5 stars American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia.......2007-01-12

    This is an excellent source of information about plants and the photographs are wonderful.
    How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine: A Primer on the Life-Giving Biodynamic/French Intensiv
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • A good book with surplus pages
    • It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world
    • Are you into numbers?
    • This is a great book
    • California Vegetarians
    		How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine: A Primer on the Life-Giving Biodynamic/French Intensiv
    John Jeavons
    Manufacturer: Ten Speed Pr
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields
    2. Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
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    4. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
    5. The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book) The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book)

    ASIN: 0898154154

    Book Description

    A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for gardeners of all skill levels seeking to grow some or all of their own food.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars A good book with surplus pages.......2007-08-16

    This is a definitive guide to the Bio- Intensive method of growing vegetables. It is well written, and you can see that a lot of time and effort are behind the concepts presented here.
    Two things bother me; There`s an almost 100- page bibliography included in the book!? Couldn`t it have been put up on a website or something, instead of just making the book (look) bigger and thicker? The second issue is that I find it always a bit irritating when a lot of equipment or systems get mentioned in a book, but to get their specifics or plans you must buy another book. Maybe the plans for the U- bar or for the mini- greenhouse could have fitted on those bibliography pages?
    Anyways, the four stars is for the part where the actual system gets described.

    5 out of 5 stars It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world.......2007-05-22

    I am impressed at how many people misunderstand the purpose of this book. It's not just a gardening book. It lays out a comprehensive guide to growing the most food you can on the least amount of land in the most sustainable way -- meaning the way that is, on an ongoing basis into perpetuity, most healthy both for your family, your land, and the wider world. All those things are connected, and maintaining the connection is part of what the book and authors are all about.

    The title means what it says, and they tell you exactly how to do it, basing their recommendations on the work of the organization that publishes the book, Ecology Action. They have been growing experimental gardens and conducting detailed research over the past 35 years. In succeeding editions of "How to Grow More Vegetables" they summarize their continuing research for those interested in personally benefiting from their methods and discoveries.

    Some may object to the excruciatingly detailed charts and plans. Some of us find them a godsend. Regardless of what we think of them, they are the outgrowth of years of research and are intended to help, not just backyard gardeners in the US, but people in Kenya, India, Russia, Mexico, and other places around the world, whose lives and livelihoods, not to mention the health of their environment, may depend on maximizing their yields while minimizing their purchased inputs and water usage.

    The central fact underlying this method is this: the only way to achieve the highest sustainable yields is to build and feed your soil, and the only way to build your soil without taking away fertility from someone else's soil (through purchased inputs such as compost, fertilizer, etc.) is to make and use your own compost. This book explains why, and shows you how. It works.

    Though we are still shielded from it in the US, the world is facing a potentially devastating loss of agricultural fertility due to a combination of squandered topsoil (lost through both development and abuse by chemicals and poor tillage practices), water shortages, and soaring prices and reduced availability of fossil fuels (which power the farm equipment, get it to market, and form the basis of most chemical fertilizers). Years ago, Ecology Action set out to discover in a rational and scientific way, just how much land and labor it would take to grow the amount of food, properly balanced for calories and nutrition, required by one person for one year. Could a family of four truly feed itself from a 1200 square foot garden if it had to, or wanted to? How much work and water would it take? How much fertilizer would they have to buy? Could they grow their own fertilizer? What tools would they need? What about fiber for clothing? Building materials? Animal feed?

    The "How to Grow More Vegetables" books answer those questions, and much, much more. As the years go by, (and with each succeeding food contamination scandal) more of us, even in the US, are realizing just how important those questions are. You may not need or want all the information in this book. But it is all there, and nowhere else that I am aware of, for those who do want it.

    This book could save the world, if only the world would pay attention. But it will also show you how to grow fabulous, tasty vegetables with less water, less work, less weeding, less money.

    3 out of 5 stars Are you into numbers?.......2007-05-12

    I like John Jeavons and his book is very useful. However, I'm not into calculating and figuring every square inch in the garden with tables/charts. I enjoy growing for the freedom of spirit it provides. This book although very useful, feels very constrictive. Not to mention EVERY page has at least 5 mentions of "Grow Biointensive". I felt like a was reading a long drawn out advertisement. Enough John, say it in the intro and then leave us alone to enjoy the book. If we weren't interested in your method we wouldn't be reading your book.

    5 out of 5 stars This is a great book.......2007-05-04

    I had an earlier edition of this book that I used as an introduction to high intensity gardening. I love the book because gives technical information on such things as soil pH, soil preparation, plant spacing, and crop yields. It probably is not a book for people that do not enjoy the technical aspects of gardening; those wanting only a quick fix approach. I have ordered the 7th edition.

    2 out of 5 stars California Vegetarians .......2007-03-05

    I have gardened organically for over 30 years, and always love to read good gardening books hoping to learn more. Unfortunately this book is so very focused on being totally vegetarian that they do not even recommend animal manures to be used in compost. I feel that they have totally ignored the natural cycles of birth - death - decomposition - and rebirth. A quote that says it all is, "Everything that eats is in turn eaten". That includes plants that feed on the remains of other plants, insects, or algae and bacteria. The author overlooks the fact that there are no total vegetarians in nature. Even grazers, gorillas, and great whales ingest insects or micro-fauna along with their grass, leaves, and plankton.
    The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Learn to live without fossil fuel
    • A well organized and complete guide
    • A Fun Coffee-Table Book
    • Extremely informative - Great reference
    • Great Information
    		 The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It
    John Seymour
    Manufacturer: DK ADULT
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    1. Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
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    5. Handy Farm Devices: And How to Make Them Handy Farm Devices: And How to Make Them

    ASIN: 0789493322

    Book Description

    The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the only book that teaches all the skills needed to live independently in harmony with the land harnessing natural forms of energy, raising crops and keeping livestock, preserving foodstuffs, making beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, and much more. This new edition includes 150 new full color illustrations and a special section in which John Seymour the father of the back to basics movement explains the philosophy of self-sufficiency and its power to transform lives and create communities. More relevant than ever in our high-tech world, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the ultimate practical guide for realists and dreamers alike.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Learn to live without fossil fuel.......2007-09-08

    Great book for learning the basics of farm life. If you are getting started into the subject of sustainable living this is the perfect reference guide for you. You may require a companion book for plants more native to your climate (this book's perspective is in the UK). Insightful pictures and well written commentary make this book excel.

    4 out of 5 stars A well organized and complete guide.......2007-08-02

    I was surprised to discover it is written sort of like a textbook. The more I look through it the more I like it. It's very practical and informative.

    5 out of 5 stars A Fun Coffee-Table Book.......2007-03-04

    This book is great for just flipping through, day-dreaming about owning your own farm some day. Even for the current non-farmer, this book provides some practical tips on things almost anyone can do to be more self-sufficient. This book would be especially great for those who are intensive gardeners. But mostly this book provides ideas about certain aspects of self-sufficiency that the reader can then take and mold to their particular situation.

    I'd like to address one point that some other reviewers have made in criticism of this book, namely that Seymour doesn't go into enough detail. Well, this is a coffee-table book that covers a fairly wide range of material. As such it can't (and shouldn't) go into deep detail. What Seymour does is get your imagination going. If you want to seriously implement some of Seymour's ideas you'll need to supplement this book with others that deal with the particular topic you're working on. To criticize Seymour for not going into detail on things is, I think, unfair.

    This book would make a great gift for anyone who is interested in the self-sufficient lifestyle. I love flipping through the book whenever I feel like daydreaming about the fun work I hope to do some day on my own farm.

    5 out of 5 stars Extremely informative - Great reference.......2007-02-02

    This book is an absolute necessity if you are going to be taking the plunge into self-sufficiency. It offers encouragement and guidance. It is realistic and full of traditional methods. It is a very handsome book, with lots of graphics and well written verse.

    Simply cannot beat the price either. Simple, affordable, functional, and elegant - what self-sufficiency is all about.

    5 out of 5 stars Great Information.......2007-01-19

    This book has a lot of information about self-sufficiency. It is great of anyone who is interested in becoming self-sufficient.
    Seedfolks (Joanna Colter Books)
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Good Stories, but Too Disconnected
    • Inspiring Seedfolks
    • A Garden of Love
    • A Book for Building Community
    • Good reading for children
    		 Seedfolks (Joanna Colter Books)
    Paul Fleischman
    Manufacturer: HarperTeen
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    5. Out Of The Dust Out Of The Dust

    ASIN: 0064472078
    Release Date: 2004-12-14

    Amazon.com

    Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration.

    Book Description

    A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden. Especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds promise: To Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha's heart with a harvest of tomatoes; to Virgil's dad, who sees a fortune to be made from growing lettuce; and even to Maricela, sixteen and pregnant, wishing she were dead.

    Thirteen very different voices -- old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful -- tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.

    Chosen as a state and citywide read in communities across the country:
    Vermont
    Racine, WI
    Tampa, FL
    Newburgh, NY
    Boca Raton, FL

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Good Stories, but Too Disconnected.......2007-05-31

    It all started with one little girl. Kim's father died before she was even born, and she is afraid that he might not know her as he looks down from heaven. So she decides to do something to make him recognize her and to make him proud. He was a farmer back in Vietnam, so she takes a handful of bean seeds to a trash-covered vacant lot near her inner-city apartment and plants them. When he looks down and sees them, he will know she is his daughter.

    Someone looks down from a window and is intrigued by this girl who keeps visiting the vacant lot in secret. Upon investigation she sees what is going on and decides to clear a little patch of land for a tiny garden of her own. Others observe and like the idea, and soon the vacant lot is covered with a patchwork of gardens from all sorts of people living nearby. Someone is able to bully the city into moving the trash off of this land. People who usually avoid eye contact at all cost are suddenly meeting neighbors and relating to one another. Through this garden project, a neighborhood of strangers becomes a real community.

    I liked the characters in this story. They were all very vivid and their stories were well thought out. I also liked being able to see the different perspectives on this garden, and the different reasons people decided to plant things here.

    I didn't like that each person's story was just dropped after it was told. I wanted the author to go back and write what the people were thinking. What did Kim think when her garden idea caught on? Was Sam able to stop the segregation he saw developing in the garden? I wanted some followup to each story.

    5 out of 5 stars Inspiring Seedfolks.......2007-04-25

    Seedfolks is a book about a vacant city lot in Cleveland, Ohio that is abandoned until one day a Vietnamese girl decides to plant some beans as a way to become connected to her father who died before she was born. It tells the story of 13 different people who come together by this garden. They are all different ages and have different ethnic backgrounds and jobs. Somehow this garden brings them all together and means something different to each of them. The individual stories are interesting and touching.

    My favorite part of the book is Gonzolo's Tio Juan story. He came to the U.S. with Gonzolo's mother and brother. Because he didn't speak English and couldn't work he would wonder around all day long with nothing to do and had to be baby sat by Gonzolo who who referred to him as a baby. One day he went off on his own in the neighborhood and came across the garden. The next day he went back and started working in the garden and planting seeds. Back in Guatemala he used to be a farmer and this gave him life again and he went from being a baby back to a man again.

    I would recommend that you read Seedfolks. I think you will be touched by the 13 different people who are brought together through this community garden. In Reading Gonzolo's story it made me think about my Mom's parents who are immigrants from Portugal and how they too must of felt like Gonzolo's Tio Juan when they first arrived in the U.S., like they were babies and didn't know anything.

    2 out of 5 stars A Garden of Love.......2006-05-11

    Seedfolks is a 69 page book, an easy read. Seedfolks is a book that shows that all different races, religions, cultures, and ages can come together to make something nice and beautiful and have meaning. They took a dump-like place and made it into something beautiful.
    Some things I liked about this book were, that you can see how the author makes it so everyone of different backgrounds and stuff come together and do something together as one whole. Another thing that I liked about the book was that the author demonstrates how you can except people for who they are. In this story it seems like everyone is the equal and stuff like that. Like for example there was thing young girl who was pregnant and when this book was written it was like a big deal if you were pregnant at an early age but when she went to the garden no one judged her or anything like that. Another good thing about the book is that there is like no anger or anything bad in it, it seems like when everyone goes to the garden all there problems go away and most people go there to relax and just have fun.
    Some things I didn't like about the book were that you cant really get to know one character because the character only has like 3 or 4 pages and there is 13 characters in the book so there really isn't one main character. Also in this book there was no plot, climax and there wasn't that big of a problem I mean there was a little one but it really didn't have a lot to do with what was going on in the book. Another bad thing about the book is it wasn't very interesting I'm the type of person who likes to read a book that you cant put down that you get really into but with this book I didn't feel that way. Overall I think Seedfolks was a decent book.

    5 out of 5 stars A Book for Building Community.......2006-04-25

    This small book (69 pages) contains thirteen vignettes, each written from the point of view of a different person. Although the people begin as strangers from various ethnic backgrounds, they become acquainted as each cultivates a part of a vacant lot. As the lot becomes a place of beauty, individual lives are transformed as well -- and a community is created.

    _Seedfolks_ is an excellent tool for building community among people with diverse backgrounds -- perhaps especially among educators, parents, and students.

    4 out of 5 stars Good reading for children.......2006-04-25

    This is a good book for children who does not understand the meaning of working together. Also, this book was structured very intelligently; so that any reader can follow the same story but from other people point of views. In addition; the way the author painted colorful pictures of the city was very unique.

    Books:

    1. Taunton's Front Yard Idea Book: How to Create a Welcoming Entry and Expand Your Outdoor Living Space (Idea Books)
    2. Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening: More Than 350 Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers That Thrive Under Difficult Conditions, Illustrated with Color Photographs and Detailed Drawings (Taylor's Gardening Guides)
    3. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
    4. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
    5. The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
    6. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications
    7. The Essential Garden Book
    8. The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (New Narratives in American History)
    9. The Home Depot Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 (Home Depot ... 1-2-3)
    10. The Lost Art of Towel Origami

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    8. Intermediate Accounting, Chapters 15-25, Working Papers
    9. Successful Fisheries Management: Issues, Case Studies, Perspectives
    10. Death Without Company