Radical Gardening: Politics, Idealism & Rebellion in the Garden

This is an eye-opening alternative study of agricultural, national, political, and social movements from around the world that are intrinsically linked to gardening.

Request Radical Gardening from the catalog.

Landscapes in Landscapes

A leading figure in the New Perennial planting movement, garden designer Piet Oudolf emphasizes plant structure as the most important aspect of a successful garden. Form and texture are valued as much as color, and perennials--prized for their beauty throughout a natural life cycle--are used almost exclusively. Oudolf challenges conventional approaches to gardening that rely on short-lived bursts of color and constant maintenance and shows the delights of working with versatile, expressive perennials to create lasting, ecologically sound panoramas that relate to the greater landscape and the shifting seasons.
This glorious full-color volume features twenty-three of Oudolf's most beautiful public and private gardens, including the widely acclaimed High Line and the Battery in New York City; the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in Chicago; Wisley, the Royal Horticultural Society Garden in Surrey, England; the Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Gardens in Norfolk, England; the Trentham Estate in Staffordshire, England; Il Gardino delle Vergini at the 2010 Venice Biennale; the Dream Park in Enkoping, Sweden; and his own perpetually evolving garden in Hummelo, The Netherlands.
Request Landscapes in Landscapes from the catalog.

Garden Guide: New York City

A horticultural escape and guided tour through all the best- and little-known gardens in New York City s five boroughs.
Request a copy of Garden Guide New York City from the catalog.

Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden

Chanticleer, a forty-eight-acre garden on Philadelphia's historic Main Line, is many things simultaneously: a lush display of verdant intensity and variety, an irreverent and informal setting for inventive plant combinations, a homage to the native trees and horticultural heritage of the mid-Atlantic, a testament to one man's devotion to his family's estate and legacy, and a good spot for a stroll and picnic amid the blooms. In "Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden," Adrian Higgins and photographer Rob Cardillo chronicle the garden's many charms over the course of two growing cycles.Built on the grounds of the Rosengarten estate in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Chanticleer retains a domestic scale, resulting in an intimate, welcoming atmosphere. The structure of the estate has been thoughtfully incorporated into the garden's overall design, such that small gardens created in the footprint of the old tennis court and on the foundation of one of the family homes share space with more traditional landscapes woven around streams and an orchard.Through conversations and rambles with Chanticleer's team of gardeners and artisans, Higgins follows the garden's development and reinvention as it changes from season to season, rejoicing in the hundred thousand daffodils blooming on the Orchard Lawn in spring and marveling at the Serpentine's late summer crop of cotton, planted as a reminder of Pennsylvania's agrarian past. Cardillo's photographs reveal further nuances in Chanticleer's landscape: a rare and venerable black walnut tree near the entrance, pairs of gaily painted chairs along the paths, a backlit arbor draped in mounds of fragrant wisteria. Chanticleer fuses a strenuous devotion to the beauty and health of its plantings with a constant dedication to the mutability and natural energy of a living space. And within the garden, Higgins notes, there is a thread of perfection entwined with whimsy and continuous renewal.
Request Chanticleer : a pleasure garden from the catalog.

The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff-And Making a Profit

Contrary to popular belief, a good living can be made on an organic farm. What's required is farming smarter, not harder. Wiswall shares advice on how to make vegetable production more efficient, better manage employees and finances, and turn a profit.
Request The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook from the catalog.

Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living

Until now, the green roof movement has been limited to large-scale, professional endeavors and public buildings. But homeowners everywhere are catching onto the benefits of a green roof water conservation, energy savings, and storm water management. In "Small Green Roofs" authors Dunnett, Gedge, Little, and Snodgrass profile ordinary homeowners who scaled green roofs down to the domestic level.
"Small Green Roofs" is the first book to focus on small-scale and domestic green roofs. More than forty profiles of small and domestic-scale projects of all shapes and sizes include green roofs on sheds, garden offices, studios, garages, houses, bicycle sheds, and other small structures, as well as several community projects. For each project, details are given for design, construction, and installation, as well as how-to tips on how the roof was planted and cared for.
For readers looking for inspiration when hiring a contractor or taking the adventurous step of building their own, Small Green Roofs provides the knowledge and encouragement to make it possible.
Request Small Green Roofs from the catalog.

Growing Perennials in Cold Climates: Revised and Updated Edition

Revised and updated, this all-in-one guide designed for northern-tier gardeners from coast to coast features:
- more than 2,000 varieties proven to thrive in cold climates- five-star ratings to help you choose top-performing perennials
- new selections of varieties with variegated or brightly colored foliage
- new mail-order sources for hard-to-find varieties of each plant
If you are a gardener and winter temperatures in your region can dip below -20 degrees, this is the one guide you need. Comprehensive and fully illustrated, "Growing Perennials in Cold Climates" is an excellent resource for selecting, siting, planting, and maintaining perennials that flourish in northern climates. This expanded edition identifies the fifty most popular perennial groups, offers in-depth information on wild and cultivated varieties best suited to cold climates, and rates more than 500 of the choicest plants. In addition to the plant data, this book includes a concise course in perennial gardening, from preparing a site and buying potted perennials to composting, watering, mulching, fertilizing, weeding, staking, deadheading, pruning, protecting plants in winter, companion planting, and dealing with disease and insect problems. Owning this guide is like having a professional gardener at your side every step of the way. Written to make even the most sophisticated aspects of growing perennials easy to understand, this book will be indispensable to novice and advanced gardeners alike.
Request Growing Perennials in Cold Climates from the library.