The Lone Star Gardener’s Book of Lists
An indispensable resource to all manner of flowers, fruits, vegetables, trees, and grasses, this collection of lists provide expert-tested recommendations for the plants best suited to Texas's unusual extremes. The gardening guidance provided applies to the entire state, including plants adapted to the wide diversity of climates and soil types.
Gardening With the Native Plants of Tennessee
"An invaluable resource for the home or commercial gardener who wishes to plant native species."--Edward W. Chester, Austin Peay State University The natural landscape of Tennessee represents a unique treasure for gardeners and nature lovers. Encompassing several geographically distinctive regions, from the 6,000-foot peaks of the Unaka Mountains to the swampy floodplain of the Mississippi River, the state boasts nearly 3,000 native plant species. This stunning diversity of life owes much to Tennessee's prime location at the crossroads of mountain and prairie ecosystems and in the transition area between northern and southern climate patterns. In Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee, Margie Hunter gives gardeners the knowledge they need in order to nurture this natural heritage in their own gardens. Beginning with a survey of the state's ecology--including geology, geography, plant life and animal species--Hunter takes a holistic approach to the process of gardening with native plants. The book's main section provides detailed accounts of 450 species of wildflowers, ferns, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees native to Tennessee and adjacent states. These descriptions, arranged according to plant type, include both scientific and common name, flowering and fruiting times, propagation methods, soil and light requirements, and distribution patterns within the state. Nearly 400 color photographs illustrate the species discussions. No other book designed for the home gardener includes such area-specific information on native species or such a comprehensive listing of plants. Appendixes refer readers to other sources of information and seeds, including mail-order nurseries, botanical gardens, state agencies, native plant organizations, and subject-specific conferences. A detailed bibliography also contributes to the reference value of this book for gardeners, landscapers, and nature lovers throughout Tennessee and in neighboring states. The Author: Margie Hunter, a long-time volunteer at Cheekwood Botanical Garden, lives in Nashville.
Making Bead Flowers and Bouquets
With this easy-to-follow guide to traditional bead making, crafters can create their own glittering bouquets of lasting beauty. Clear, practical instructions and a profusion of illustrations show aspiring beadworkers how to fashion more than 50 botanically accurate specimens.An introductory chapter describes necessary materials, tools, and methods of stringing beads. Special sections offer suggestions for arranging bouquets and centerpieces as well as instructions for creating holiday ornaments and table decorations.
The New York/Mid-Atlantic Gardener’s Book of Lists
This book compiles vital information for gardeners in the unique climates of New York and the Mid-Atlantic area. This indispensible guide includes valuable expert advice, a list of hot and cold tolerance zones for each plant, web sites for information from state universities in the region, and a listing of botanical gardens and arboreta in which to view the listed plants.
Gardening in the Desert
Newcomers to the Southwest usually find that their favorite landscape plants aren't suited to the hot, dry climate. Many authors offer advice on adapting plants to the desert; now Mary Irish tells how gardeners can better adapt themselves to the challenge. Drawing on her experience with public horticulture in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Irish explores the vexations and delights of desert gardening. She offers practical advice on plants and gardening practices for anyone who lives in the Southwest, from El Paso to Palm Springs, Tucson to Las Vegas. Irish encourages readers who may be new to the desert-or desert dwellers who may be new to gardening-to stop struggling against heat, aridity, and poor soils and instead learn to use and appreciate the wonderful and well-adapted plants native to the desert. She shares information and anecdotes about trees, shrubs, perennials, agaves, cacti, and other plants that make gardening in the Southwest a unique experience, and provides further information about plants from other desert regions that will easily adapt to the Southwest. In addition to descriptions of plants, Irish also offers tips on planting, watering, pruning, and propagation. For anyone who has struggled to maintain a patch of green or blanched at their water bill after unproductive irrigation, the answer to an attractive landscape may be as close as the desert around you. And for anyone who has bought a catalog guide to desert plants and not known which to choose, this book can set you on the right path. Mary Irish shows how to take heart in available plants of adaptable beauty in a book to enjoy while waiting for the next planting cycle.
The Neat House Gardens
Market gardening is the Cinderella of garden history, yet was an important source of food for many in England and deserves greater study. This book gives an outline of market gardening around London before 1800, and considers the role of commercial vegetable production in stimulating kitchen gardening generally, and its influence on the wider agricultural scene. As focus to its theme, it narrates the story of one small area of early market gardening, the Neat House Gardens in Westminster; drawing on MSS from the Grosvenor estate for new and arresting information.
Opium Poppy Garden
A complete guide to cultivating and harvesting the beautiful opium poppy. The opium poppy is a potent plant that has been cultivated and used for thousands of years to alleviate suffering. The use of plant substances as alternatives to synthetic medicines is resurging due to their beneficial properties and less-toxic side effects. For example, many cancer and HIV sufferers are growing opium for personal use. Opium Poppy Garden is the only book available that describes the cultivation, harvest and pharmacology of opium in a format that combines literary and instructional writing. The heart of the book is the tale of Ch'ien, a young Chinese man who travels from Costa Rica to Columbia to grow an opium garden in the manner his Taoist grandfather taught him. The story, in conjunction with "The Cultivator's Diary" and the technical appendix, provide the reader with a working knowledge of this plant.
Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening
#4 on Publishers Weekly's Bestselling Gardening Books list! This new, completely revised edition has over 500 new photographs, 400 new illustrations, 400 new plants and trees, the latest pest control recommendations, fruit and vegetable recommendations, new tips and plants specifically for Southern Texas, plus everything in the first edition.
