Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great overview book
  • Should be called the Coffee Table Encyclopedia of Gardening
  • Gardners Dictionary
  • Well Organized, Comprehensive, Excellent Layout
  • Vegatable Gardening Made Really Easy
Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
Karan Davis Cutler , Cavagnarok David , Barbara W. Ellis , and David Cavagnaro
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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HerbsHerbs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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VegetablesVegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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  5. Your Backyard Herb Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs Plus How to Use Them in Cooking, Crafts, Companion Planting and More Your Backyard Herb Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs Plus How to Use Them in Cooking, Crafts, Companion Planting and More

ASIN: 0028620054

Amazon.com

Burpee has created a truly encyclopedic, but non-intimidating, guide to organic vegetable gardening that can be used and appreciated by anyone, whether or not they've ever stuck a seed in the ground. All the essential information is here--how to condition the soil, how and where to plant, sprouting schedules, what kind of yield to expect from each plant variety, and harvesting tips--in beautiful, bountiful, illustrated detail; the book's largest section, "Plant Portraits," contains explanations of the many cultivars of each vegetable and herb. If you're a novice vegetable gardener or new to organic gardening and can only afford one gardening guide, this may be your best value.

Book Description

A Backyard-Gardener's Guide to Growing a Bountiful, Great-Tasting Harvest

The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener features:

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great overview book.......2007-06-09

This book is great if you're a beginner gardener, and want just one book to sit down and read that covers all aspects of gardening. You'll want to go on an buy other books that go into more detail on specific topics, but this is a great place to start, and one to keep on the shelf.
It is presented as a gardening book should be - a large hardcover with lots of glossy colour photographs.
Chapters are:
1) Growing you own
2) Getting Started
3) Garden Tools & Equipment
4) Improving the soil
5) Laying out the Garden
6) Planting the Garden
7) Caring for the Garden
8) Coping with Garden Problems

5 out of 5 stars Should be called the Coffee Table Encyclopedia of Gardening.......2007-03-10

I am so impressed with this big, beautiful book! The photos are inspiring, and the technical aspects are thoroughly covered. I love the historic background of each vegetable and herb.
I think there is literally everything I ever needed to know about vegetable gardening from seed germination, through care and feeding, to harvest. Detailed charts outline fertilizer, pests, water, soil conditions, and planting and harvest times.

I keep it on my coffee table and flip through it daily just to enjoy the photos and learn some new fact.

You will not be disappointed with this book!

5 out of 5 stars Gardners Dictionary.......2006-10-31

I am a new gardener and this book has helped so much! I look everything up in it. RIght down to problems with plant to how much water each plant gets. It has a guide to all plants and great pictures. Also has tips for gardening.

5 out of 5 stars Well Organized, Comprehensive, Excellent Layout.......2002-08-14

Burpee's "The Complete Vegetable and Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically" is fantastic. In addition to what Burpee lists on the back cover of what is inside the book, there are also many easy-reading tables that contain excellent information such as the vitamin(s) that each vegetable contains, different cultivars, plant PH needs, watering needs per week, crop yields, etc. Many interesting tidbits.

The layout is so wonderful, one does not feel overwhelmed with all of the information that is in the book!

5 out of 5 stars Vegatable Gardening Made Really Easy.......2001-11-02

Very similar in content and structure to Ortho's Complete Guide to Vegtables. The difference comes in the experience the writer has growing and maitaining the various plants. I find using both books gives different perspectives for growing and caretaking of plants but conatins the same basic information. For instance the Ortho book has better Garden Setup and maintenance data, and raw data on the various gardening aspects like fertilizer and pest eradiction. The Burpee book focuses on plant and cultivar details a little better. The book is filled with plenty high quality pictures of plants and their fruits using multiple pictures of various cultivars within plant families.
The book is geared for both beginners in gardening and the handy do it yourselfer types. Chapters progress you through the steps from site selection and plant selection to harvesting, crop rotating and soil conditioning over winter and indoor greenhouse seed starting. The book also contains references to various cultivars within vegtable species, so a beginner gardener could not only successfully select and grow well know vegtables, but could also grow and use the odd often hard to find fresh herbs.
I consistently flip between both this book and Ortho's book. I find using them in this manner makes the information extracted complimentary and thorough.
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Does this book even need another 5-star review?
  • ORGANIC HOME GARDENER
  • Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
  • Helpful info
  • The bible of 4-season gardening
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
Eliot Coleman , and Barbara Damrosch
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1890132276

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:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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!!
Creating Your Own Japanese Garden
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Informative, specific, but ultimately not what I was looking for
  • Good book to get good ideas
  • A Keeper
  • Great illustrations and detailing
  • Useful, Beautiful and Interesting
Creating Your Own Japanese Garden
Takashi Sawano
Manufacturer: Japan Publications Trading
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 087040962X

Book Description

The strong horizontals of bamboo reflected in a dark circle of water; the rhythmic clap of the deer scarer; the contemplative beauty of waves created in sand: combinations of nature and art that soothe and uplift the spirit. Your vision of a Japanese garden need not be confined to Japan. Here
is a fully comprehensive guiide which will enable you to capture in your home or office environment the elusive spirit of the Japanese garden-no matter where you live.

The author, a Japanese landscape architect who has been living and designing Japanese gardens in the West for many years, will show you step by-step how to accomplish this ideal utilizing your own special environment and using materials which are readily available in the West. Since moving to the UK
in 1974, the author has designed and created many Japanese gardens, from small private gardens to large public spaces of over two acres. It is from this direct experience that he draws the material for this book. The step-by-step instructions are easy-to-follow, and also included are many drawings
and photographs to illustrate the points that are made.

"Many books on Japanese gardens can be found in bookstores and libraries, but most do not take into account the different environments found outside Japan nor the diverse materials available worldwide. They tend either to be translations of books written by Japanese landscape architects and
gardeners living and working in Japan, or books written by those who visit Japan to research the gardens, with the intention of introducing them to the rest of the world... These books are ideal for learning about the history and appearance of Japanese gardens, but lack the practical advice
necessary for constructing your own garden.. .I believe that as the interest in and understanding of Japanese culture continues to spread, so will the popularity of and desire for Japanese gardens. I hope that this book will give pleasure to all those of you who, like me, are captivated by the
gardens of Japan, and that it will help you to create a garden of your own that you can enjoy day after day."

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Informative, specific, but ultimately not what I was looking for.......2007-09-17

I think this a good book for someone ready to start digging now to create their Japanese garden, someone who knows exactly what they want to do. The beginning of the book was interesting, and provided good information about and reasons for the different elements of a Japanese garden - such as water, stone lanterns, bridges, and plantings.
I was hoping for a little more inspiration through photographs and seeing more examples of gardens people have created. This book gets down to the step-by-step details of building fences and dry riverbeds for example.
The book does have a nice materials/plant/planting guide in the back which I took a few notes from. But I'm in a brainstorming phase with my garden not the brass tacks phase, so I did return the book and will look into a book that is more photography-based and example-based, than how-to.

4 out of 5 stars Good book to get good ideas.......2007-08-16

After reading this book most of the way through, I thought it provided a lot of good information. My intention was not necessarily to design a true Japanese garden but wanted to create a garden and atmosphere that reflects the feeling and general appearance of a Japanese garden while still maintaining my herb and vegetable garden. The book gave a lot of pictures that were helpful to create that atmosphere in an American environment. Most if not all of the design elements were explained as to why and how they help to create the desired effect. Additionally there was a full chapter that described the history behind Japanese gardens, and I found that very helpful. Since reading that chapter I have picked up and English translation of the books described in that chapter. I felt this book was really helpful and plan to use it to landscape my backyard.

One thing to keep in mind, is this is not a step by step how to book. It is designed mostly to give you an overview and an understanding of what elements to use, and how to use them.

5 out of 5 stars A Keeper.......2007-04-27

Have many books on Japanese gardening - this is the one that finally helped me begin to answer the "but how will I design and situate one in my space?" question. Nicely written, direct, and just enough examples to help you get moving!

5 out of 5 stars Great illustrations and detailing.......2007-01-11

My daughter was recently proposed marriage to in a japanese garden. They are planning to build a similar garden in their backyard,so this book
was a Christmas present.
She was thrilled and we went thru the book as she mentioned several
items in the book that were relevant.
It has alot of very nice illustrations and "how-tos",more than some that I looked at.This author was careful to include all aspects of the japanese garden. Plenty of detail.Very happy with my purchase.

4 out of 5 stars Useful, Beautiful and Interesting.......2007-01-10

This book provides useful guidance in planning a Japanese Garden with well written text and beautiful photographs. It inspires one to find a way to incorporate the concepts into Western style homes.
Jerry Baker's Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Jerry Baker Giant Book of Garden Solutions
  • Jerry Baker rules!
  • jerry baker's giant book of garden solutions
  • great book
  • Great garden manual -- I recommend everyone get one
Jerry Baker's Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series)
Jerry Baker
Manufacturer: American Master Products, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  3. Jerry Baker's Bug Off!: 2,193 Super Secrets for Battling Bad Bugs, Outfoxing Crafty Critters, Evicting Voracious Varmints and Much More! (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series) Jerry Baker's Bug Off!: 2,193 Super Secrets for Battling Bad Bugs, Outfoxing Crafty Critters, Evicting Voracious Varmints and Much More! (Jerry Baker's Good Gardening series)
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  5. Jerry Baker's Supermarket Super Products!: 2,568 Super Solutions, Terrific Tips & Remarkable Recipes for Great Health, a Happy Home, and a Beautiful Garden (Jerry Baker's Good Home series) Jerry Baker's Supermarket Super Products!: 2,568 Super Solutions, Terrific Tips & Remarkable Recipes for Great Health, a Happy Home, and a Beautiful Garden (Jerry Baker's Good Home series)

ASIN: 0922433763

Book Description

Common household products and down-home ingenuity are combined to combat frustrating garden problems in this indispensable handbook for both green thumbs and novice gardeners. Organized by garden area, 1,954 easy-to-use homemade remedy recipes—containing items such as beer, baby shampoo, and ammonia—instruct gardeners how to turn puny plants, wretched roots, and tired trees into gorgeous garden specimens without the use of store-bought chemical alternatives. Quick fixes are offered for fighting fungus with pantyhose, defeating botanical disease with peppermint, and bug-proofing vegetables with mustard and cloves; and obstacles such as heavy rains, nutritional plant deficiencies, and gardening on sloped areas are also discussed.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Jerry Baker Giant Book of Garden Solutions.......2007-08-24

I am enjoying this book very much. It has all kinds of solutions to problems I have in my garden.
I will be using this book for years to come..

5 out of 5 stars Jerry Baker rules!.......2007-07-16

I would read this book even if I didn't have a garden! It is more than informative. I feel like I am listening to a favorite uncle telling stories of the good ol" days and how things were done simply and effectively. I love this book and highly recommend it. -Mary

3 out of 5 stars jerry baker's giant book of garden solutions.......2007-07-05

some good info on natural remidies but you need to get through all of the 'cute' riddles and hokey sayings to get there. I do enjoy a little 'quip' now and then for a fun read but this book is kind of like a preschoolers guide to potions. A little too much goofyness for some needed garden information.

5 out of 5 stars great book.......2007-06-15

Very good book. Alot of good information.

5 out of 5 stars Great garden manual -- I recommend everyone get one.......2007-05-07

The first Jerry Baker book I purchased and love it... 5 stars!!
The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • you need to have good vision to read this
  • It's Okay
  • Good beginner book
  • Great Pictures
  • Great
The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
Kim Flottum , and Weeks Ringle
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  5. Langstroth's Hive and the Honey-Bee: The Classic Beekeeper's Manual Langstroth's Hive and the Honey-Bee: The Classic Beekeeper's Manual

ASIN: 1592531180

Book Description

This book isn't just a guide to beekeeping or a honey cookbook; it's both. No other book on the market provides an in-depth review of beekeeping and what honey is good for and how to use it.

Beautifully illustrated, the Backyard Beekeeper is perfect for the health-conscious person who wants to sweeten up their life by saying no to processed sugars and yes to eating organic, healthy food.

This book is the complete "honey bee" resource with general information on bees; a how-to guide to the art of bee keeping and how to set up, care for, and harvest your own hives; as well as tons of fun facts and projects that are bee related. The second half of the book is the complete guide to honey. It reviews the different types of honey and their health effects as well as provides hundreds of ideas and recipes for using honey in recipes, cosmetically in facemasks and shampoos, and for medicinal uses.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars you need to have good vision to read this.......2007-10-09

This book has a lot of good information in it, the Photos are great, but the small and light print on the glossy pages make it very hard to read unless you just happen to have a magnifying glass.

3 out of 5 stars It's Okay.......2007-07-20

But I wanted to read about Top Bar Hives and this book didn't really go into any detail about them.

4 out of 5 stars Good beginner book.......2007-07-01

This covers bee keeping well for a beginner. Wish that they discussed more organic options for theatment of problems.

4 out of 5 stars Great Pictures.......2007-05-14

This was an easy to read book for beginner beekeepers. This book had great pictures and was helpful for any level beekeeper.

4 out of 5 stars Great.......2007-03-14

Good book for beginners from getting the right equipment to extracting the honey. Great color pictures that are very informative.
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • An inspired 40-something
  • completely false advertising
  • if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X
  • Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism
  • Keys to change any reader can use.
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Heather C. Flores
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 193339207X

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04

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

1 out of 5 stars completely false advertising.......2007-07-05

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

1 out of 5 stars if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25

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

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

4 out of 5 stars Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23

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

5 out of 5 stars Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14

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

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature (Natural Home & Garden)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature (Natural Home & Garden)
    Carol Venolia , and Kelly Lerner
    Manufacturer: Lark Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    GeneralGeneral | Remodeling & Renovation | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Household HintsHousehold Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    EnvironmentEnvironment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books | Conservation | Desertification | Ecology | Environmental Science | Natural Disasters | Recycling | Water Supply | Weather
    Building ConstructionBuilding Construction | Construction | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time
    2. Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide to Residential Building Materials
    3. Good Green Kitchens Good Green Kitchens
    4. Good Green Homes Good Green Homes
    5. The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners) The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners)

    ASIN: 1579906540

    Book Description

    To have a home that’s more in touch with the earth, you don’t have to start from the ground up! It’s possible—and more environmentally friendly—to go green by renovating an existing home. With the help of Carol Venolia, an award-winning architect and bestselling author, and Kelly Lerner, a world-famous innovator in the field of sustainable development, even the least mechanically inclined person can make a difference in his or her dwelling…and to the planet. The two have produced a remarkable book—packed with information and photos, and the first ever in full color to cover the subject. It’s lush and exquisite to look at, filled with motivational case studies and informative graphics, and completely user-friendly.
    “Some of us would like to become more Earth-Friendly, but we don’t have 10,00 acres in Montana or the passive solar ATM machine to get us the cash to buy the above. Breathe! Center! There is help. Groundbreaking architects, Kelly Lerner and Carol Venolia have just completed a book (to help you). There are plenty of checklists and resource guides to go with all the glossy photos.” -- Kevin Taylor, The Pacific Northwest Inlander
    “You don't have to build a new home to have a green home. The book builds on the construction wisdom our forebears used to design homes that capitalized on nature's light, warmth, coolness and other benefits. Venolia and Lerner cover everything from simple changes to complex systems that make a home more ecologically sensitive, comfortable and livable. The book is dense with ideas and information for homeowners considering renovations.” --Akron Beacon Journal

    Kelly Lerner is an innovative architect who spearheaded a project responsible for building more than 600 passive-solar-heated straw-bale houses in China. Her designs have been featured in Landscape Architecture Magazine, Metropolis Magazine, The Straw Bale House, and Green by Design.

    Carol Venolia specializes in the field of eco-healthy building. Her first book, Healing Environments, has enjoyed international success, and her home designs have been featured in The Natural House Catalog, Earth to Spirit, The Healthy House, and Environ magazine. Carol currently writes the "Design for Life" column for Natural Home & Garden magazine.
    P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Wonderful Book
    • Split Decision
    • Nice book for a beginner....
    • Not much subtance
    • 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden by P. Allen Smith
    P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden
    P. Allen Smith
    Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Container GardeningContainer Gardening | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. P. Allen Smith's Garden Home: Creating a Garden for Everyday Living P. Allen Smith's Garden Home: Creating a Garden for Everyday Living
    2. P. Allen Smith's Colors for the Garden: Creating Compelling Color Themes P. Allen Smith's Colors for the Garden: Creating Compelling Color Themes
    3. The Complete Container Garden The Complete Container Garden
    4. Container Gardening Container Gardening
    5. Gardening in Containers: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners Gardening in Containers: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners

    ASIN: 1400053439
    Release Date: 2005-03-01

    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:

    5 out of 5 stars 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.

    3 out of 5 stars 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!

    4 out of 5 stars 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.

    2 out of 5 stars 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.

    4 out of 5 stars 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
    The Complete Guide to Creative Landscapes : Designing, Building, and Decorating Your Outdoor Home (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library)
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • The complete guide to creative landscape
    • It can't be replaced!!!
    • Great Book
    • Not bad depending on what you are looking for
    • great book!!
    The Complete Guide to Creative Landscapes : Designing, Building, and Decorating Your Outdoor Home (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library)
    Creative Publishing international , and Jerri Farris
    Manufacturer: Creative Publishing international
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Garden DesignGarden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    LandscapeLandscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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    1. Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to Home Masonry (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to Home Masonry (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library)
    2. The Complete Guide to Landscape Construction: 60 Step-by-step Projects for Creating a Perfect Landscape (Black & Decker) The Complete Guide to Landscape Construction: 60 Step-by-step Projects for Creating a Perfect Landscape (Black & Decker)
    3. The Complete Guide to Kitchens: Design, Plan & Install a Dream Kitchen (Black & Decker) The Complete Guide to Kitchens: Design, Plan & Install a Dream Kitchen (Black & Decker)
    4. The Complete Outdoor Builder: From Arbors to Walkways: 150 DIY Projects (Black & Decker) The Complete Outdoor Builder: From Arbors to Walkways: 150 DIY Projects (Black & Decker)
    5. The Complete Photo Guide to Outdoor Home Improvement (Black & Decker Outdoor Home) The Complete Photo Guide to Outdoor Home Improvement (Black & Decker Outdoor Home)

    ASIN: 0865735794

    Book Description

    -Aimed at the fastest-growing segment of the how-to market: gardening landscaping.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The complete guide to creative landscape.......2007-05-14

    This is a great book with so many very well illustrated projects. I have just built a new home and am beginning to landscape my 4 acres I find this book very useful. All the projects are described in great detail with lots of pictures. Thanks L. Rocha

    5 out of 5 stars It can't be replaced!!!.......2006-05-15

    I bought this book over a year ago. I've read through each project a dozen times. I love about 94% of them. Our house sits on a lot that is ~ 100 feet x ~ 120 feet. I was going to get crazy this spring and summer with a new patio, arbor, and several garden areas.

    Sometime a couple of months ago, my book disappeared. I have searched nearly every square inch of our attic and basement, in addition to every closet, underneath every bed, and even in the garage. My wife has looked as well, but to no avail.

    I'm 32 years old, and losing this book has nearly made me cry on at least four occassions. It's that good.

    Our library doesn't have it. None of the hardware stores in town have it. We have one bookstore in town - and they don't have it. Last weekend, I finally broke down and bought two other books, thinking that by doubling up it would somehow take away the pain of losing my B&D Creative Landscapes book.

    It hasn't worked.

    I'm purchasing another copy on line this afternoon. There are just too many things in the book that I can't find anywhere else. It's nothing that difficult, but they do such a great job of making things easy to follow, and each project gives you ideas for three more.

    Buy the book. Buy two copies. And be sure to hide one in your drawer where no one can take it.

    5 out of 5 stars Great Book.......2002-05-12

    This book is so well layed out. I give this book 5 stars because it has excellent descriptions and pictures. I built the terra cotta fountain in the book and I love it so much.

    3 out of 5 stars Not bad depending on what you are looking for.......2002-01-13

    This book is great as general advice. There are SO MANY different projects though that there is not a great level of detail on any one. Just enough of an overview and "how-to" to make you feel comfortable about taking some of these projects on for yourself or answering those questions that always used to make you go "Hmmmmm." Still, for a first time homeowner it will give you a lot of ideas and confidence to start making plans.

    5 out of 5 stars great book!!.......2000-10-28

    I have been in the search of a home for months now and the one thing I kept telling myself was that when I finally bought it, I would also buy this book. I looked at lots of books at Home Depot, B & N, etc. but this is one of the best and most creative landscaping books I have found. So today, knowing that I have a home and YARD that I can call my own, I am buying it!!
    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
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • found to be useful
    • Organic gardener's bible
    • The Organic Gardener's Handbook
    • The most amazing book about pests and diseases!
    • The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control
    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

    Manufacturer: Rodale Books
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    OrganicOrganic | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener
    2. Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
    3. Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
    4. 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)
    5. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening

    ASIN: 0875967531

    Book Description

    End your worries about garden problems with safe, effective solutions from The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control!* Easy-to-use problem-solving encyclopedia covers more than 200 vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, trees, and shrubs* Complete directions on how, when, and where to use preventive methods, insect traps and barriers, biocontrols, homemade remedies, botanical insecticides, and more* More than 350 color photos for quick identification of insect pests, beneficial insects, and plant diseasesNewly revised with the latest, safest organic controls.A New York Times Best Gardening Book

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars found to be useful.......2007-10-03

    this book was well organized in its presentation of problems for each type of plant covered. set in A-Z format of common plant names (though Latin names are used as well), the editors (Barbara Ellis, and Fern Bradley)give several ways to combat garden issues from an organic methodology. most of the ways of working with organics that they outline are not high cost, but are high maintainence as is all organic gardening, if done right.

    the book also covers some common insects a gardener would see and if they are beneficial or not and how to work with the beneficials (what to plant to attract, etc) and to control the "bad bugs". they also outline some diseases and how to fight those with organic methods. then they touch on other ways to fight garden pests (cultural, physical, and biological contols). they also talk about different organic dusts and sprays and how to use them effectively.

    5 out of 5 stars Organic gardener's bible.......2007-10-02

    If you want to garden organically and can only afford to buy one book on insect and disease control -- this is it! I go for this book first whenever I think I have problems in the garden, in the landscape, in the orchard. It's an all around great reference book!

    5 out of 5 stars The Organic Gardener's Handbook.......2007-08-25

    Excellent Book with lots of informative teaching! Money well spent. Fast and professional delivery! Much appreciated!

    5 out of 5 stars The most amazing book about pests and diseases!.......2007-07-21

    This is so far the best book about pests and diseases. Easy to read, great ! photos which really help to identify a pest and good structure make this book a winner.

    5 out of 5 stars The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control.......2007-07-15

    Detailed descriptions and photographs combine to make this book essential for every organic (or conscientious) gardener/farmer to own and keep handy. We wish we'd bought it years ago.

    Books:

    1. Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
    2. Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
    3. Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
    4. Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
    5. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies
    6. Coffee: Growing, Processing, Sustainable Production: A Guidebook for Growers, Processors, Traders, and Researchers
    7. Colonials: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New (Updating Classic America)
    8. Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases
    9. Construction Scheduling: Principles and Practices
    10. Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: Designing Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities

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