Edible Landscaping

Author:
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1578051541
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Grow clean, delicious produce at home, saving money and natural resources at the same time. Since Rosalind Creasy popularized the concept of landscaping with edibles a quarter-century ago, interest in eating healthy, fresh, locally grown foods has swept across the nation. And food plants have been freed from the backyard, gracing the finest landscapes--even the White House grounds! Creasy's expertise on edibles and how to incorporate them in beautifully designed outdoor environments was first showcased in the original edition of Edible Landscaping, hailed by gardeners everywhere as a groundbreaking classic. Now this highly anticipated new edition presents the latest design and how-to information in a glorious full-color format, featuring more than 300 inspiring photographs. Drawing on the author's decades of research and experience, the book presents everything you need to know to create an inviting home landscape that will yield mouthwatering vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries. The comprehensive "Encyclopedia of Edibles"--a book in itself--provides horticultural information, culinary uses, sources, and recommended varieties; and appendices cover the basics of planting and maintenance, and of controlling pests and diseases using organic and environmentally friendly practices.

The Forest Garden Greenhouse

Author: Jerome Osentowski
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603584269
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
With a revolutionary new "Climate Battery" design for near-net-zero heating and cooling By the turn of the nineteenth century, thousands of acres of glass houses surrounded large American cities, becoming a commonplace symbol of the market garden and nursery trades. But the possibilities of the indoor garden to transform our homes and our lives remain largely unrealized. In this groundbreaking book, Jerome Osentowski, one of North America's most accomplished permaculture designers, presents a wholly new approach to a very old horticultural subject. In The Forest Garden Greenhouse, he shows how bringing the forest garden indoors is not only possible, but doable on unlikely terrain and in cold climates, using near-net-zero technology. Different from other books on greenhouse design and management, this book advocates for an indoor agriculture using permaculture design concepts--integration, multi-functions, perennials, and polycultures--that take season extension into new and important territory. Osentowski, director and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI), farms at 7,200 feet on a steep, rocky hillside in Colorado, incorporating deep, holistic permaculture design with practical common sense. It is at this site, high on a mountaintop, where Osentowski (along with architect and design partner Michael Thompson) has been designing and building revolutionary greenhouses that utilize passive and active solar technology via what they call the "climate battery"--a subterranean air-circulation system that takes the hot, moist, ambient air from the greenhouse during the day, stores it in the soil, and discharges it at night--that can offer tropical and Mediterranean climates at similarly high altitudes and in cold climates (and everywhere else). Osentowski's greenhouse designs, which can range from the backyard homesteader to commercial greenhouses, are completely ecological and use a simple design that traps hot and cold air and regulates it for best possible use. The book is part case study of the amazing greenhouses at CRMPI and part how-to primer for anyone interested in a more integrated model for growing food and medicine in a greenhouse. With detailed design drawings, photos, and profiles of successful greenhouse projects on all scales, this inspirational manual will considerably change the conversation about greenhouse design.

A Way to Garden

Author: Margaret Roach
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 1604698772
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.

For the Love of Pawpaws

Author: Michael Judd
Publisher: Ecologia Mental
ISBN: 9780578488745
Category : Growth (Plants)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
How to cultivate, harvest, and utilize North America's largest native fruit It is hard to eat more than one pawpaw at a go. The creamy rich pulp with tropical flavors ranging from mango and pineapple to banana combine like a satisfying dessert. The pawpaw, a close relative of the tropical custard apple, grows throughout much of North America yet culturally and horticulturally we know very little about it. This mini manual by edible landscape author Michael Judd jumps right into growing, caring for, harvesting, and using pawpaws - from seed to table. Judd demystifies fruit growing in direct, easy to follow steps that quickly brings confidence to the newbie grower while expanding the horizons of curious gardeners. Historically most people have only experienced foraged pawpaw fruit, which can be a hit or miss game for a good experience. That is quickly changing as selected and bred cultivars are being grown and shared. Judd's pawpaw manual gets you started right away with the best selections and approaches. Filled with straightforward how-to, colorful pictures and illustrations For the Love of Pawpaws brings to life easy and successful ways to enjoy the best pawpaws have to offer. Chapters include: Where Can I Grow Pawpaws? Buying a Good Pawpaw Tree Growing Pawpaws from Seed & Grafting Landscaping Ideas Ecological Tree Care Harvest: Fruit Handling & Processing What to Do with All this Fruit Recipes Pawpaws & Permaculture Discover the many reasons pawpaws are edible landscape and culinary all-stars For the Love of Pawpaws will take you on an adventure that culminates in one of life's most rewarding experiences. A delicious opportunity to enjoy organic gardening and gourmet food at it best.

Four-Season Harvest

Author: Eliot Coleman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 160358207X
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
"Eliot is the reason I’m cooking. . . . I’ve followed that path because Eliot made it possible, and exciting, to farm in the four seasons."—Dan Barber, chef "There is hardly a more well-known or well-respected name among organic farmers than Eliot Coleman."—Civil Eats Learn season-extending techniques and eat the best food—garden fresh and chemical free—all year long, with little effort or expense. 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. Inside, you’ll also learn: Composting techniques Simple Mineral Amendments Planning and preparing your garden site Seeds for four seasons How to build cold frames, high tunnels, and mobile greenhouses How to cope with snow How to create a root cellar and other storage techniques And much, much more! 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. "The man, the farmer, the legend, is Eliot Coleman."—The Atlantic To learn more about the possibility of a four-season farm, please visit Coleman's website www.fourseasonfarm.com.

The Earth Care Manual

Author: Patrick Whitefield
Publisher: Permanent Publications
ISBN: 9781856230216
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 496

Book Description
The long-awaited exploration of permaculture specifically for cooler Northern Hemisphere climates is finally here! Already regarded as the definitive book on the subject, The Earth Care Manual is accessible to the curious novice as much as it is essential for the knowledgeable practitioner. Permaculture started out in the 1970s as a sustainable alternative to modern agriculture, taking its inspiration from natural ecosystems. It has always placed an emphasis on gardening, but since then it has expanded to include many other aspects, from community design to energy use. It can be seen as an overall framework that puts a diversity of green ideas into perspective. Its aims are low work, high output, and genuine sustainability.

Beyond the War on Invasive Species

Author: Tao Orion
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603585648
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Invasive species are everywhere, from forests and prairies to mountaintops and river mouths. Their rampant nature and sheer numbers appear to overtake fragile native species and forever change the ecosystems that they depend on. Concerns that invasive species represent significant threats to global biodiversity and ecological integrity permeate conversations from schoolrooms to board rooms, and concerned citizens grapple with how to rapidly and efficiently manage their populations. These worries have culminated in an ongoing “war on invasive species,” where the arsenal is stocked with bulldozers, chainsaws, and herbicides put to the task of their immediate eradication. In Hawaii, mangrove trees (Avicennia spp.) are sprayed with glyphosate and left to decompose on the sandy shorelines where they grow, and in Washington, helicopters apply the herbicide Imazapyr to smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growing in estuaries. The “war on invasive species” is in full swing, but given the scope of such potentially dangerous and ecologically degrading eradication practices, it is necessary to question the very nature of the battle. Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers a much-needed alternative perspective on invasive species and the best practices for their management based on a holistic, permaculture-inspired framework. Utilizing the latest research and thinking on the changing nature of ecological systems, Beyond the War on Invasive Species closely examines the factors that are largely missing from the common conceptions of invasive species, including how the colliding effects of climate change, habitat destruction, and changes in land use and management contribute to their proliferation. There is more to the story of invasive species than is commonly conceived, and Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers ways of understanding their presence and ecosystem effects in order to make more ecologically responsible choices in land restoration and biodiversity conservation that address the root of the invasion phenomenon. The choices we make on a daily basis—the ways we procure food, shelter, water, medicine, and transportation—are the major drivers of contemporary changes in ecosystem structure and function; therefore, deep and long-lasting ecological restoration outcomes will come not just from eliminating invasive species, but through conscientious redesign of these production systems.

The Wild Wisdom of Weeds

Author: Katrina Blair
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603585176
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the only book on foraging and edible weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. More than just a field guide to wild edibles, it is a global plan for human survival. When Katrina Blair was eleven she had a life-changing experience where wild plants spoke to her, beckoning her to become a champion of their cause. Since then she has spent months on end taking walkabouts in the wild, eating nothing but what she forages, and has become a wild-foods advocate, community activist, gardener, and chef, teaching and presenting internationally about foraging and the healthful lifestyle it promotes. Katrina Blair’s philosophy in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is sobering, realistic, and ultimately optimistic. If we can open our eyes to see the wisdom found in these weeds right under our noses, instead of trying to eradicate an “invasive,” we will achieve true food security. The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit, in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human instincts—all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most nutritious food there is. For free! The thirteen plants found growing in every region across the world are: dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard, grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. These special plants contribute to the regeneration of the earth while supporting the survival of our human species; they grow everywhere where human civilization exists, from the hottest deserts to the Arctic Circle, following the path of human disturbance. Indeed, the more humans disturb the earth and put our food supply at risk, the more these thirteen plants proliferate. It’s a survival plan for the ages. Including over one hundred unique recipes, Katrina Blair’s book teaches us how to prepare these wild plants from root to seed in soups, salads, slaws, crackers, pestos, seed breads, and seed butters; cereals, green powders, sauerkrauts, smoothies, and milks; first-aid concoctions such as tinctures, teas, salves, and soothers; self-care/beauty products including shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste (and brush), face masks; and a lot more. Whether readers are based at home or traveling, this book aims to empower individuals to maintain a state of optimal health with minimal cost and effort.

One-Straw Revolutionary

Author: Larry Korn
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603585303
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
One-Straw Revolutionary is the first book to offer an intimate look at the philosophy and work of one of natural farming's most influential practitioners - Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka. This offers readers a rare insight into natural farming and what Mr. Fukuoka was like as a person. It explains how simple farming naturally actually is and why it offers our only real hope for reestablishing a wholesome relationship with the earth.

The Permaculture City

Author: Toby Hemenway
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603585273
Category : House & Home
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
Permaculture is more than just the latest buzzword; it offers positive solutions for many of the environmental and social challenges confronting us. And nowhere are those remedies more needed and desired than in our cities. The Permaculture City provides a new way of thinking about urban living, with practical examples for creating abundant food, energy security, close-knit communities, local and meaningful livelihoods, and sustainable policies in our cities and towns. The same nature-based approach that works so beautifully for growing food—connecting the pieces of the landscape together in harmonious ways—applies perfectly to many of our other needs. Toby Hemenway, one of the leading practitioners and teachers of permaculture design, illuminates a new way forward through examples of edge-pushing innovations, along with a deeply holistic conceptual framework for our cities, towns, and suburbs. The Permaculture City begins in the garden but takes what we have learned there and applies it to a much broader range of human experience; we’re not just gardening plants but people, neighborhoods, and even cultures. Hemenway lays out how permaculture design can help towndwellers solve the challenges of meeting our needs for food, water, shelter, energy, community, and livelihood in sustainable, resilient ways. Readers will find new information on designing the urban home garden and strategies for gardening in community, rethinking our water and energy systems, learning the difference between a “job” and a “livelihood,” and the importance of placemaking and an empowered community. This important book documents the rise of a new sophistication, depth, and diversity in the approaches and thinking of permaculture designers and practitioners. Understanding nature can do more than improve how we grow, make, or consume things; it can also teach us how to cooperate, make decisions, and arrive at good solutions.