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

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

How a Seed Grows (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Average customer rating:

Great Science Project for Little Learners
Seeds for little kids
My five year old enjoyed this book
Life Springing Forth.
A Kids First Science Book

How a Seed Grows (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)
Helene J. Jordan
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451070

Book Description

Seeds

How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? At one time, the tree in your backyard could fit into your pocket! Look inside to learn the simple steps for turning a packet of seeds into you own garden.

Seeds

How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? At one time, the tree in your backyard could have fit into your pocket! Look inside to learn the simple steps for turning a packet of seeds into your own garden.

Customer Reviews:

Great Science Project for Little Learners.......2007-09-03

If you are looking for a simple "experiment" for the budding scientist in your home, this is an excellent book. As you read this with your young child, he/ she will certainly be inspired to do what the kids in the book are doing; planting a bean seed and watching it grow.

As you read along with the story and follow-up with actually doing the experiment your child becomes part of the story, waiting and watching as his (or her) own seeds develop. Children learn the essential elements of growing seeds. Once you have successfully grown your first bean plants, there is a page at the rear of the book that guides you through additional "experiment" ideas to go even deeper.

This book, because it is on the Stage 1 level, is a bit less informative than the other Let's Read and Find Out Science books that we already have in our growing collection which are primarily Stage 2, but certainly worthwhile in that it guides parent and child through a very simple Science project.

Basic concepts covered in this book in addition to the seed growing are:

1. Counting (stage 1 is geered toward preschool to early kindergarten)
2. Patience (in that you must wait days to see things begin to happen)
3. The ability to follow instructions (the steps to perform the experiments)

Seeds for little kids.......2007-08-27

This book is a lil juvenille... not as information. But it covers the basics... I wished it was a bit more scientific.

My five year old enjoyed this book.......2003-01-10

We enjoy the "Let's - Read - & - Find - Out" series of books. This one is a good addition, explaining seeds on my five year old son's level of understanding . Something that many adult writers of childrens' science books sometimes aren't very good at getting across. It is in my child's library at school.

The books in this series are informative and interesting for their target audiences. The illustrations are well done and add to understanding the process being described. They make it easier to follow for kids.

Life Springing Forth........2002-03-28

This book should have been more appropriately titled HOW TO WATCH A SEED GROW. Instead of discussing the various stages of development and explaining what happens, the book is basically an extended science project explaining how students can watch a seed grow into a plant. The book talks about the different stages, but only discusses what the planted beans should look like in those stages, not really explaining what is happening or why. Nevertheless, the book does outline a good science project for younger children, but isn't much as a book to read to kids.

A Kids First Science Book.......2000-04-13

This is one very good science book. If you would like to do a seed project then this is a good guide to lots of young peoples questions about plants. It has colorful illustrations about what is happening with your project. It is written in detail, but not like a boring high school science textbook that goes on, and on, and on about one thing, giving every detail that there is. So what I'm trying to say is that this is a good book.

Average customer rating:

Great for VERY specific type of child
Juneau 2nd grader
Strange word choices; does not work as a board book
not the best for intended age group
LOVE IT!!!

The Tiny Seed (Aladdin Picture Books)

Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689842449

Book Description

In autumn, a strong wind blows flower seeds high in the air and carries them far across the land. One by one, many of the seeds are lost -- burned by the sun, fallen into the ocean, eaten by a bird. But some survive the long winter and, come spring, sprout into plants, facing new dangers -- trampled by playing children, picked as a gift for a friend. Soon only the tiniest seed remains, growing into a giant flower and, when autumn returns, sending its own seeds into the wind to start the process over again.

Eric Carle's eloquent text and brilliant collages turn the simple life cycle of a plant into an exciting story, a nature lesson, and an inspiring message of the importance of perseverance.

Customer Reviews:

Great for VERY specific type of child.......2007-08-16

My son has been fascinated with this book. He understands so much more than I gave him credit for. He's only 2.5 years old, but he's EXTREMELY verbal and very bright when it comes to books. However, I agree with the english teacher/mommy that it is NOT for the average toddler. I think a bright preschooler or for the child who is fascinated with plants and flowers, it is quite appropriate. I can see an OLDER child in first, second or third grade getting more out of it science wise, but that doesn't mean that a toddler can't enjoy it. I remember reading books and understanding more and more of the details as I got older, which made it a "new" book for me with each passing year, if that makes sense. I re-discovered the story or read it in a new way with more life experience with which to process it. So with that in mind, I think it's a terrific book overall. I do not find it at all disturbing that a seed should drown or burn up. It's a fact of life that seeds don't all survive. If you think of it in terms of humans, sure it's disturbing, but I think that's a paralell that cannot and will not be drawn by a toddler, preschooler or even a young elementary school child. In my view, the English teacher is reading too much into that and reading the book from the viewpoint of an adult with a whole lot more life experience. HOWEVER, I totally agree that the book ends abruptly, which is why I add my own ending when I read it to my child which goes something like this, "and off the seeds sail in the wind to hopefully become beautiful plants and flowers NEXT spring. The end." I'm kind of surprised nobody told Eric Carle or his publisher that the ending was too abrupt. But it's not a big deal. Eric Carle's biggest hits with my son have been "Head to Toe", "The Very Hungry Catepillar," and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," as well as this title. The rest have been a flop. Luckily we check them out at the library and do a test run on them first. :)

Juneau 2nd grader.......2007-03-21

Did you know that the tallest sunflower in the world is 25 feet tall? Well,now you know. This book, The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, might give you an idea how that happened. This book may also give your girl or boy a message, that if you're strong you can do almost everything.

Strange word choices; does not work as a board book.......2006-07-25

I understand the power of overcoming adversity, but as the seeds travel, one of the "drowns," one dies in the desert, one is eaten by a bird...I think it is a disturbing little book, actually. It certainly should never have been made into a board book. There are too many words on the page to keep the attention of a toddler or preschooler. The ending seems abrupt as well. I haven't been impressed with the Carle books I have read.

not the best for intended age group.......2005-07-25

I think this book is fine, but not for the preschool crowd. I would use it with older children -- elementary age -- to discuss the life cycle of an annual, the role of the seasons, and the challenges of reproduction which must be overcome by all plants. The Tiny Seed introduces us to many of the hazards faced by seeds and seedlings as they attempt to grow (from falling in water and drowning, being eaten by birds or mice, being overshadowed by large weeds, being stepped on by children, and more) and shows how the ideal environment is a necessity. It covers the role of sunshine and rain, how the seed swells and bursts open, how the plant develops as it grows, and how it produces and disperses its seeds to carry on the next generation. It's not a book for small children, though, since its mostly non-fiction tone is dry, the phrases are stilted, and it doesn't read aloud well. I find it difficult to "cheer on" the tiny seed; where others see him as a hero facing difficult odds, I think the book is too grimly determined to be educational and becomes boring for the youngest child. If you want a book to introduce a unit on seed dispersal, this is the one. If you want to talk with your three year old about the cycle of the seasons, you'd be better off with the Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter collection by Gerda Muller.

LOVE IT!!!.......2003-08-23

I absolutely adore this book! It is soooooo well written! Its pictures are absolutely beautiful! This book is a must for anyone with children! It is just that good! You should buy this book right away! I PROMISE that you will LOVE it too!

The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow (Magic School Bus)

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Excellent Read for Young Curious Minds...
The earlier books are much better
Great fun!

The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds: A Book About How Living Things Grow (Magic School Bus)
Joanna Cole
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590222961

Book Description

Ms. Frizzle's class is growing a beautiful garden. But, Phoebe's plot is empty. Her flowers are back at her old school! So, the class climbs aboard the Magic School Bus. And, of course, the kids don't only go back to Phoebe's school, but they go inside one of Phoebe's flowers! Follow the kids' adventure and learn how living things grow.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-06-12

My son was so excited because we planted seeds a nd watched what happened in "real' life as explained by the book.

Excellent Read for Young Curious Minds..........2006-05-30

As a 3rd Grade School Teacher, I found this book instrumental to my lessons on plant life. Ms. Drizzle and her class answer many of the questions my students come up with before we've read the book so I know that we're reading the right materials for our lessons. Great series for the imagination and for provoking interest in the sciences early in the child's development.

The earlier books are much better.......2004-09-12

We were given a copy of "Magic Schoolbus and the Ocean Floor" as a gift. I then bought "Dinosaurs" and "Senses." There is a difference between the books written only by Joanna Cole and the later books that are basically a comic-book version of the TV show. It takes us a solid 45 minutes to read "Senses", and I even learned some facts. "Plants Seeds" is about a 15 minute read-aloud. I say stick with the earlier books.

Great fun!.......2000-04-04

I enjoyed this book very much because it is such a fun way to learn about science. This is the first of many Magic School Bus books I purchased, and I've been hooked ever since.

The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture : A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of over 1100 Species, Va

Average customer rating:

Super book
A book by a pro for the professional propagator
Michael Dirr is the Absolute Expert in Plant Propagation
Woody Plant Propagation
This is the best book out there.

The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture : A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of over 1100 Species, Va
Michael A. Dirr , and Charles W. Heuser
Manufacturer: Varsity Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0942375009

Customer Reviews:

Super book.......2002-03-04

Great reference book! Gives you all the information you need to propagate--nurserymen to laymen.

A book by a pro for the professional propagator.......2002-01-23

I propagated woody plants as a sideline business for a number of years and considered this book THE source. For many species, specific concentrations for rooting hormones are specified. This is invaluable information since for many plants there is an optimal concentration and using a higher or lower concentration of reduces rooting success rates as well as root development.

Michael Dirr is the Absolute Expert in Plant Propagation.......2000-09-03

Dirr has done all the research and you reap all the rewards. His conclusions are backed up by many scientific studies by various individuals and groups. The first part gives a summary of the diferent propagation methods and the second part has very detailed data on specific species. I save hundreds of dollars each year by propagating by own southern magnolias, red tip photinas, and navel oranges. This is, by far, the best book on propagation out there!!

Woody Plant Propagation.......2000-04-19

Uncertain which manual would be best, the reviews on this book were so good that I selected it. I'd have to say it's the best all-around propagation manual I've seen for woody plants. The only problem: now I have not only detailed info on desired plant material, but also want to try SO many others!

This is the best book out there........1999-10-25

This is by far the best book out there on this subject. I have bought all the books on this subject and none can compare to this one. If you only want to buy one book on this subject this is the one.

Average customer rating:

From Seed to Plant
Gail Gibbons
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823410250

Book Description

How different seeds are formed and grow into plants.

Average customer rating:

Best Seed Info Book made
Superb Manual for all Plants. Buy It!
Indispensable for serious start from seed gardeners
Great All-Around Gardening Book
Vegetable Gardening in Northern Climates

The New Seed Starter's Handbook
Nancy Bubel
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0878577521

Book Description

The New Seed-Starter's HandbookWhy start plants from seed?* Earlier harvests* Greater variety* Heathier seedlings* Lower costs* SatisfactionFor the most complete, up-to-date information on starting plants from seed, turn to The New Seed-Starter's Handbook. Written by a gardener with 30 years of experience, this easy-to-use reference explains everything you need to know to start seeds and raise healthy seedlings successfully. You'll find:* The latest research in seed starting* The best growing media* The newest gardening materials* Solutions to seed-starting problems* Source lists for seeds and hard-to-find gardening suppliesAnd! An encyclopedia section lists more than 200 plants-including vegetables and fruits, garden flowers, wildflowers, herbs, trees, and shrubs--with details on how to start each from seed.

Customer Reviews:

Best Seed Info Book made.......2007-04-27

I have the previous edition to this book and have been using it for years and years. I had a greenhouse and have been starting and growing flowers for 14 years. In my Or town, I am known as the Flower Lady and I can thank this book. It is one of those hard to find DOWN TO EARTH EASY TO READ INFO books. It tells you if the seed is difficult to germinate, and sometimes those seeds you can buy in packets in the stores, you couldn't start no matter what unless you owned a nursery and had all the equipment. Like I like to grow and sell perennials as they bring in good money and many of the perennials are very easy to grow from seed, but some of them are very hard, almost impossible, so before I start with a flower seed, I always look in this book. It is a life saver for me. I thin it also has veggie's ??? I can't remember and I can't find my copy but I"m digging. I alreay know most of what is in it, but this is the book for you if you want to grow flowers from seed and be very successful, but always remember the most important ingredient in growing flowers is goods soil. NOthing much worthwhile except a few grow in average to poor soil. I heavily ammended mine before I began. Good luck and your kids would love to grow too :)

Superb Manual for all Plants. Buy It!.......2007-01-30

`The New Seed Starters Handbook' by Nancy Bubel is a serious and superior manual on virtually all aspects of starting all different types of plants from seed. As with books on cooking, there are hundreds of books on gardening which are designed to go directly to the budget book pile and give relatively small value for the space they take up on your bookshelf. There are several obvious symptoms that this book is not to be dismissed as a lightweight. The first is the fact that Rodale Press publishes it, which may be the only publishing imprimatur which has a serious commitment to its particular speciality of organic gardening. The second is that this is a second edition of an already successful book. Unfortunately, a third easy sign of a book's quality is missing, as there is no thumbnail sketch of the author's biography and credentials.

Fortunately, a quick browse of this book quickly reveals that Ms. Bubel has got serious game when it comes to instructing us on how to raise plants from seed. I'm especially fond of the opening to her introduction where she says her first attempts were not immediately successful, setting a realistic tone that even with the best instruction, growing plants from seed is not easy. That is not to say it can't be simple! I'm often enchanted by the difference in the cooking world between `easy' and `simple'. While making a great soup is not easy, if you break it down into its various steps, it is really rather simple, if you have the patience and the time to carry out each step with care and love (that is, close attention to what you are doing). Ms. Bubel cuts no corners in covering all the details, but lays everything out with an affection for her subject which invariably draws one in to wanting to run right out and build some cold frames.

The author addresses all types of seed started plants, including vegetables, herbs, `domestic' flowers, wildflowers, trees and shrubs. However, I suspect her first love is in growing vegetables, as that seems to come first and occupies the most space. But, in most cases, what works for your carrots will probably also work well for your marigolds, with only a few variations.

My fondest feelings for the book arise when I see Ms. Bubel going far beyond the average suburban garden plants of tomatoes, zucchini, and sweet peppers. Her dictionary of planting techniques even includes entries for the relatively exotic artichoke, peanut, and salsify. This brings me to the most appealing reason for growing your own vegetables. There are many species that are simply not available in even the biggest megamart. This includes even relatively easy to grow varieties of salad greens. And, even if you do find a good `summer mix', it is probably outrageously expensive. The second most appealing thing about growing your own, even if you limit yourself to a very few species, is the fact that homegrown vegetables can taste so incredibly better than store-bought stuff. I was pleasantly surprised when I cooked with some Italian parsley which had grown up from self-seeding from the previous year, and the difference in taste between it and the local fare was simply amazing.

The book is amply stocked with great appendices on sources. The only annoyance is that this is a pre-internet publication, but no Internet jocky worth their salt will have any problem locating the sites for, fore example, `Johnny's Seeds' or `Charlie's Greenhouse Supplies'.

Indispensable for serious start from seed gardeners.......2006-01-28

Nancy has researched and presented in simple and easy to use format the critical information needed for successful early season indoor gardening. If you want to save a ton of money and have great bedding plants you grow yourself, this book will give you invaluable assistance. I like her "down to earth" approach and clear explanations of her methods. If you're a serious gardener, you will seriously love this book!

Great All-Around Gardening Book.......2005-05-07

This book is an introduction and reference for people who want to grow plants from seeds. The book is organized into 5 main sections: starting seeds indoors, preparing outdoor beds to receive transplants or seeds, detailed instructions for growing individual vegetables from seed, saving seeds, and record keeping and exchanging seeds. Bubel integrates the results of scientific studies and her own growing experience in her advice to novice gardeners. In striving for completeness, she even includes a chapter with folk wisdom about planting, noting which moon phases are thought to be best for planting and which are not. The book is amply illustrated with black-and-white photographs and drawings. End material includes a glossary, a bibliography, a list of suggested readings, lists of seed and equipment suppliers, and an index.

Although the book is written for people with very limited gardening experience, it is so full of information that even experienced gardeners are bound to learn something through reading it. Bubel's approach to gardening very much follows organic practices. The section on individual vegetables is a very valuable reference, with its details on when to plant, when to fertilize and how much to use of what, and when and where to transplant in the garden. Interspersed with the text are charts summarizing information such as germination rates for different vegetable seeds at different soil temperatures, or viability of vegetable seeds over varying storage times. The sections on preparing the soil for planting or transplanting and on saving seeds at the end of the season round out the book quite well, making this an excellent general gardening book, and not just a book about starting seeds.

Vegetable Gardening in Northern Climates.......2003-02-09

This book should have a subtitle: Vegetable Gardening in Northern Climates. The author assumes that every reader has snowy winters and hot summers, and that every reader is a vegetable gardener. If I just described you, then without question, you should buy this book! I live in a cool coastal climate of California, where temperatures are generally between 50-65, regardless of season. I'm not trying to grow vegetables, simply trying to replace the weeds in my yard with no-watering-required wildflowers, herbs, etc. If this describes you, then I will say that the book is still good for basic seed-starting tips, fertilizing, etc., but that at least 70% of the book will not apply. FYI, here are a few of the things I've learned in the past several months: Birds eat seedlings/baby plants. Really. I've sat with coffee in hand watching them. Bird netting must be raised up at least six inches and stretched taught to keep them away, but then it is dangerous to wildlife. I took it out after I found a young possum caught in it, and had to cut him loose. He had badly wounded himself trying to get free. I've replaced it with basic clear plastic from the hardware store, the kind we californians all have around the house for flood control. So far, it is working great.

The Big Book of Buds, Vol. 2: More Marijuana Varieties from the World's Great Seed Breeders

Average customer rating:

good book.
ANOTHER raging success
Even better than volume 1
Treat yourself to more buds

The Big Book of Buds, Vol. 2: More Marijuana Varieties from the World's Great Seed Breeders
Ed Rosenthal
Manufacturer: Quick American Archives
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0932551629

Book Description

The Big Book of Buds Volume 2 continues in the tradition of its predecessor by combining stunning, full-color photography with fun and clear descriptions of the characteristics that any gardener or connoisseur wants to know. The book is an informal taxonomy of marijuana varieties, with handy reference icons for immediate visual sorting. An engaging text description also helps the enthusiast distinguish the unique qualities of each strain, including appearance, ripening time, and growing characteristics, as well as how it smells, smokes, and tastes. The practical information provides an indispensable reference for the grower, while the lush photographs and entertaining, insightful essays on the breeding, botany, and culture surrounding marijuana make this a great book for the casual browser.

Customer Reviews:

good book........2007-03-08

Good book, not as much as the first one, it has more articules, less pics. But it is very interesting book.

ANOTHER raging success.......2006-05-09

What a great "strain guide" type book! makes my mouth water reading them all. I guess I 'll have to start at the beginning and work my way to the end...tasting all varieties. LOL

Very good read and pretty enough to leave out for guests to read.

BUY NOW!

Even better than volume 1.......2005-01-11

I loved vol.1 and now vol. 2 WOW. This book really goes in depth about buds. If you thought you learned alot from the first book this one is a must. The symbols make it very easy to understand. The information is great and I really love the photography. This book is perfect for any coffee table. All around this book looks great and is very easy to read.

Treat yourself to more buds.......2004-10-29

I loved the first Big Book of Buds so I was surprised that there could be even more marijuana varieties to learn about and sample. The book includes some new breeders as well as many of the seed companies that have been refining marijuana for decades. With its bright colors and close-up bud photography this book is truly eye candy.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History

Average customer rating:

beyond the usual seed catalog business
Very informational and enjoyable reading
Outstanding book helps gardeners choose heirloom varieties

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History
William Woys Weaver
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805040250

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William Woys Weaver has written an important book in Heirloom Vegetable Gardening--important for the kitchen gardener, the cook, the historian, and any American who might wonder what our forebears were up to when they sat down to eat. What was the food on their table? Where did it come from? How did they get it? All these questions are addressed in Weaver's elegant prose.

But there's another side to the story, and Weaver meets his reader there, too: Where is food headed, and what's an individual to do?

We have seen the rise of hybrid crops in the years since World War II. They are good for the seed business because the grower can't just let a few plants grow to seed, save the seed, then plant that seed next season. Hybridized plants don't yield seed that's true to the character of the plant, so the grower has to return to the seed rack year after year. Buying seed on a commercial level is a big deal, as is growing enough of it to meet the market. A lot of tillable land in South America isn't growing food for hungry South Americans, but growing corn seed for American farmers, and the biggest use of corn in this country is animal feed. Not many hungry South Americans get to eat corn-fed American beef and pork. In one sense, he who controls seed controls food. Or, he who owns seed owns food, and the highest bidder takes all.

Heirloom seed, then, is more than a trinket or curiosity from the past. It represents the chance of survival in the future. Should an as-yet-unknown plant virus come along and take out the American hybrid corn crop (something that has in fact come close to happening), it's the genetic diversity available in heirloom, open-pollinated seeds that will save the bacon. Governments maintain plant gene banks, but individuals can do much the same, and authors like Weaver show how.

What Weaver injects into the tale is the incredible pleasure that comes of growing heirloom crops and saving seed, and of eating from a table laden with 17th- and 18th-century foods. He shares his own history and his family's history, all of it tied up in gardening and sharing and caring. This lovely book is an extension that can reach into any garden being dug today. In other words, don't hesitate with this title, whether history, science, gardening, or a rich enthusiasm for constructive ways the individual can affect the future drives your interest. --Schuyler Ingle

Book Description

Julia Child Award for Food Reference.

Jane Grigson Award for Distinguished Scholarship.

Vast in scope and erudition; unique and enjoyable.

In this encyclopedic guide to the history and cultivation of some of America's most treasured heirloom vegetables, food historian and organic gardener Will Weaver focuses on 280 profiled varieties of 37 vegetables and discusses nearly 400 others. He shares his over thirty years of original research from historical archives as well as hands-on gardening experience to help the lay person appreciate the fascinating history of each vegetable, grow it, and incorporate it into everyday cooking.

Some 100 varieties are shown in full color and more than 200 with line drawings by Signe Sundberg Hall. Weaver traces the development of the seed-saving movement and the history of the kitchen garden in America and gives a list of commercial seed and plant stock sources, plus an extensive bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

beyond the usual seed catalog business.......2002-10-03

as an organic farmer of 8 years i strongly recommend this reading to all professionals whose selection is bound to a few seed sources. the book will infuse new knowledge in plant varieties and allow to improve your farming altogether. 2 examples are the mention of a vining watermelon which will allow treillising for better yield and the use of malabar spinach as superior in taste and ease of cultivation to all true spinaches..

Very informational and enjoyable reading.......1998-01-19

This book will inspire the successful return
of heirloom cultivars to many home gardens. A very good resource book for garden club
or school science projects.

Outstanding book helps gardeners choose heirloom varieties.......1997-11-10

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by W.W.Weaver provides detailed descriptions of cultivation and cooking of hundreds of varieties of old and ancient food plants. His narratives are wonderful, and make very interesting reading. His tips on cultivation, though primarily focused on his region of the country, are complete and helpful. Altogether a throroughly enjoyable book, that provides insight and tremendous expertise in an area that is vitally important.

The Encyclopedia of Seeds: Science, Technology and Uses

Average customer rating:

The Encyclopedia of Seeds: Science, Technology and Uses

Manufacturer: CABI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0851997236

Book Description

This is the first scholarly reference work to cover all the major scientific themes and facets of the subject of seeds. It outlines the latest fundamental biological knowledge about seeds, together with the principles of agricultural seed processing, storage and sowing, the food and industrial
uses of seeds, and the roles of seeds in history, economies and cultures.

With contributions from 110 expert authors worldwide, the editors have created 560 authoritative articles, illustrated with plentiful tables, figures, black-and-white and color photographs, suggested further reading matter and 670 supplementary definitions. The contents are alphabetically arranged
and cross-referenced to connect related entries.

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