Container Gardening for Canada
Peters, Beck & Williamson
Portland, OR : Timber Press
Container gardening is a flexible and fast-growing practice as popular with homeowners who want to accent a patio as it is with high-rise dwellers who want some greenery on their balcony. In Container Gardening for Canada, authors Peters, Beck and Williamson overview the best materials and practices for developing healthy container gardens, as well as reviews an array of plants and arrangements that do well in containers under prevailing Canadian conditions.
Container Gardening for Canada
An essential addition to the gardener’s library, this colorful, fully illustrated book details the history of naming plants, provides an overview of Latin naming conventions, and offers guidelines for pronunciation. Readers will learn to identify Latin terms that indicate the provenance of a given plant and provide clues to its color, shape, fragrance, taste, behavior, functions, and more.
Full of expert instruction and practical guidance, Latin for Gardeners will allow novices and green thumbs alike to better appreciate the seemingly esoteric names behind the plants they work with, and to expertly converse with fellow enthusiasts.
Attracting Native Pollinators
Xerces Society
North Adams, MA : Storey Publications
With the recent decline of the European honey bee, it is more important than ever to encourage the activity of other native pollinators to keep your flowers beautiful and your grains and produce plentiful. In Attracting Native Pollinators, you’ll find ideas for building nesting structures and creating a welcoming habitat for an array of diverse pollinators that includes not only bees, but butterflies, moths, and more. Take action and protect North America’s food supply for the future, while at the same time enjoying a happily bustling landscape.
Beauty by Design
Bill Terry & Rosemary Bates
Victoria, BC : TouchWood Editions
You may never look at a garden in the same way again. Though not a “how-to” book, Beauty By Design is a treasure trove of ideas and enchantment for seasoned gardeners and beginners alike. Eleven inspired artists of the garden share their stories, their secrets, and their passion for gardening. Landscape is the canvas. Foliage, flowers, rocks, water, and other bounties of nature are the materials. With plants, objects, art, and artifice, they create magical spaces, engage our senses, and summon forth pure delight.
Jekka’s Complete Herb Book
Jekka McVicar
Vancouver, BC : Raincoast
This is a classic gardening bestseller with over 350 varieties of herb to grow and over 200 delicious and inventive recipes. It is a reference work bringing together all aspects of an individual herb – history and folklore, species to grow and cosmetic, medicinal and culinary uses. Chapters on propagation, harvesting and making herb oils are complemented with ideas for ten different designs for herb gardens and a unique yearly calendar.
Bee Time
Mark L. Winston
Cambridge : Harvard University Press
Being among bees is a full-body experience, Mark Winston writes―from the low hum of tens of thousands of insects and the pungent smell of honey and beeswax, to the sight of workers flying back and forth between flowers and the hive. The experience of an apiary slows our sense of time, heightens our awareness, and inspires awe. Bee Time presents Winston’s reflections on three decades spent studying these creatures, and on the lessons they can teach about how humans might better interact with one another and the natural world.
Flora Mirabilis
Catherine Herbert Howell
Washington, DC : National Geographic
Flora Mirabilis is a sumptuously designed showcase of superb illustrations paired with fascinating stories of botanical exploration and trade through the ages. A collaboration between National Geographic and the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden, this book will prove an evergreen source of delight, not just for gardeners and flower aficionados, but for anyone interested in the plant world, human civilization, and their intertwined histories.
Herbarium
Barbara M. Thiers
Portland, OR : Timber Press
Herbarium is a fascinating enquiry into a unique field of plant biology, exploring how herbaria emerged and have changed over time, who promoted and contributed to them, and why they remain such an important source of data for their new role: understanding how the world’s flora is changing. Barbara Thiers, director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, also explains how recent innovations that allow us to see things at both the molecular level and on a global scale can be applied to herbaria specimens, helping us address some of the most critical problems facing the world today.
Sowing Beauty
James Hitchmough
Portland, OR : Timber Press
Using a distinct technique of sowing meadows from seed, James Hitchmough creates plant communities that mimic the dramatic beauty of natural meadows and offer a succession of blooms over many months—a technique that can be adapted to work in both large-scale public gardens and smaller residential gardens. Sowing Beauty shows you how to recreate his masterful, romantic style. You will learn how to design and sow seed mixes that include a range of plants, both native and exotic, and how to maintain the sown spaces over time. Color photographs show not only the gorgeous finished gardens, but also all the steps along the way.
Thank You, Tree
Fiona Lee
North Adams, MA : Storey Publishing
On every page of this beautiful board book, Fiona Lee’s charming illustrations invite little ones to celebrate a wonderful tree, learn its name, and say thank you for the tree’s joyful, natural gifts. From thanking a magnolia tree for its pink blossoms and a birch tree for a branch to swing on to thanking a maple tree for its colorful fall leaves and a cedar for a secret hiding place, this sweet book teaches the youngest readers to celebrates trees for their leaves, branches, flowers, fruits, and more.
What’s Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?)
Deardorf & Wadsworth
Portland, OR : Timber Press
What’s Wrong With My Plant? provides an easy system for visually diagnosing any garden plant problem and matching it to the right cure. By offering organic solutions for over 400 plant maladies, this book is the go-to source whenever your plants are a little under the weather. This innovative and easy-to-use guide presents easy-to-follow, illustrated flow charts to accurately diagnose the problem. It also includers 100% organic solutions and photographs and drawings of stressed, damaged, and diseased plants to help with accurate comparison.
Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia
Nancy J. Turner
Victoria, BC : Royal BC Museum
Nancy Turner focuses on the plants that provided heat, shelter, transportation, clothing, clothing, nets, ropes, and containers — the necessities of life for First Peoples in B.C. and adjacent territories. She also shows how plant materials were effectively used in many other ways, such as for decoration and ornamentation, as scents, cleansing agents, and insect repellents, and for recreational activities.
Over the millennia, the First Peoples have become highly skilled in the arts of working with plant materials. Turner describes more than 100 plants, their various uses and their importance in the material cultures of First Nations. Each description has a colour photograph of the plant to aid in its identification.
Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples
Nancy J. Turner
Victoria, BC : Royal BC Museum
As long as people have lived in North America, wild plants have been an important source of food. For Native people in western Canada, the nutritional and cultural contribution made by these plants was immense: in all, some 200 species of wild plants provided food. The different ways in which these were used resulted in an almost limitless selection of dishes derived from wild plants.
Held By The Land
Leigh Joseph
New York : Wellfleet Press
Author Leigh Joseph, an ethnobotanist and a member of the Squamish Nation, provides a beautifully illustrated essential introduction to Indigenous plant knowledge.
Plants can be a great source of healing as well as nourishment, and the practice of growing and harvesting from trees, flowering herbs, and other plants is a powerful way to become more connected to the land. The Indigenous Peoples of North America have long traditions of using native plants as medicine as well as for food. Held by the Land honors and shares some of these traditions, offering a guide to:
- Harvesting herbs and other plants and using them topically
- North American plants that can treat common ailments, add nutrition to your diet, become part of your beauty regime, and more
- Stories and traditions about native plants from the author’s Squamish culture
- Using plant knowledge to strengthen your connection to the land you live on
Early chapters will introduce you to responsible ways to identify and harvest plants in your area and teach you how to grow a deeper connection with the land you live on through plants. In the plant profiles section, common plants are introduced with illustrations and information on their characteristics, range, how to grow and/or harvest them, and how to use them topically and as food. Special features offer recipes for food and beauty products along with stories and traditions around the plants.
Grow Your Own Spices
Tasha Greer
Beverly, MA : Cool Springs Press
In Grow Your Own Spices, author and spice-growing gardener Tasha Greer hands you everything you need to know to grow a thriving spice garden, with practical tips and in-depth advice on cultivating over 30 different spices.
Unlike herbs, which consist of the green leaves of certain plants, spices come from the seeds, roots, bark, or berries of plants, which means growing, harvesting, and preparing spices is a lot more nuanced than growing leafy herbs. Start with easy-to-grow seed spices first, such as sesame seeds, fennel, and cumin, then graduate to more challenging spice varieties, such as star anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In the pages of Grow Your Own Spices, you’ll learn:
- How to cultivate your own saffron, the world’s most expensive spice
- The best way to tend tropical spices, like ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, even if you live in a cold climate
- Easy-to-grow spices that are perfect for beginners
- The unique way certain spices, such as wasabi, cloves, and cinnamon, are grown and harvested
- How to cultivate root spices, including horseradish and chicory
- Tips for harvesting your own capers, mustard, sesame seeds, and even paprika
Drought Resistant Planting: Lessons From Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden
Beth Chatto
London, UK : Frances Lincoln
Legendary gardener and plantswoman Beth Chatto describes how she transformed a piece of wasteland into a lush and blooming garden in this beautiful book, filled with helpful tips and practical advice.
The story of how Beth Chatto created her gravel garden on ‘possibly the driest, and the most windswept, piece of soil in England’ has a message of hope for gardeners everywhere. At the outset she promised herself: ‘This garden was not to be irrigated in times of drought. Once established the plants must fend for themselves or die.’
The results, eloquently described by the author and beautifully portrayed in Steven Wooster’s specially commissioned photographs taken through the seasons, testify to the triumphant outcome of the adventure.
Showing how her principles can be applied on any scale, this book is an essential read for any gardener facing water shortages and poor soil. Rich with hard-won tips and expressed in Beth Chatto’s matchless style, this is a gardening classic.
Gardener’s Guide to Botany
Scott Zona
Beverly, MA : Cool Springs Press
*2023 American Horticultural Society Award Winner*
A Gardener’s Guide to Botany is not just another book on how to grow plants. Instead, it’s a lushly illustrated botanical journey into what makes plants tick, delivered in layman’s terms that are easily understood and appreciated by both advanced gardeners and first-timers. It’s the chlorophyll-infused science behind the plants you know and love, whether you grow them indoors or out.
You’ll learn how different plant parts function (do you know what stomata are and why every leaf has hundreds of them?), the traits that separate plants from animals, and how through eons of evolution the plants we grow in our gardens and homes have developed a million different fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive. From their leaf shape and growth habit to how they have sex and metabolize the nutrients they absorb, A Gardener’s Guide to Botany covers it all in an accessible and thought-provoking way.
Botanical Art Techniques
American Society of Botanical Artists
Portland, OR : Timber Press
This definitive guide is the most thorough how-to available on every major technique of botanical artistry. The experts at the American Society of Botanical Artists offer step-by-step projects that move from introductory to advanced—so any level of artist can build on acquired skills. Helpful tutorials cover watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, vellum, egg tempera, oils, pen and ink, and printmaking. Filled with more than 900 photographs and stunning examples of finished art by the best contemporary botanical artists, Botanical Art Techniques is the authoritative manual on this exquisite art form.
Beginner’s Guide to Birdwatching
Culver & Konrad
Lincolnwood, IL : Publications International, 1991
Describes nesting habits of birds, plumage, their habitat and where to find them. Includes waterbirds, wading birds, waterfowl, birds of prey, gamebirds, shorebirds/gulls/terns, land birds, perching birds. Glossary.
Xeriscape Color Guide
David Winger, ed.
Golden, CO : Fulcrum Publishing, 1998
“This book helps gardeners and landscapers design colorful, practical and water-wise environments. The user-friendly format and graphic artwork helps novice gardeners achieve a professional look to their landscapes. Accomplished gardeners and professional landscapers will find new and refreshing ways to expand their plant palettes and to simplify their design and construction processes.”
Orchids: A Practical Handbook
Brian & Wilma Rittershausen
London, UK : Anness Publishing, 2002
“An inspirational encyclopedia of orchids, with guidance on the best varieties to choose. Clear, practical advice on growing and displaying orchids indoors, under glass and outdoors. Step-by-step instructions on potting and mounting orchids; propagation; feeding, watering and light levels; and dealing with pests and diseases. A directory of over 200 fabulous orchids with essential information on habitat, size, and flowering time. Superbly illustrated throughout with over 600 specially commissioned colour photographs.”
Flora’s Orchids
Ned Nash & Isobyl La Croix
Portland, OR : Timber Press, 2005
“From the producers of the bestselling Flora (Timber Press, 2003) comes the definitive reference for orchid enthusiasts, with more than 1500 orchids described in detail. Genus entries give information on natural distribution, characteristics, and cultivation; species coverage includes a description and symbols indicating the type of plant — whether terrestrial, lithophyte, or epiphyte — average height and spread, and temperature and light requirements. More than 1350 stunning photographs show specimens in close detail along with plants in their native habitats wherever possible. Introductory chapters deal with the history and taxonomy of orchids, cultivation and propagation techniques, pests and diseases, and conserving orchids in the wild. A handy reference table summarizes climate and cultivation information for each species, and the comprehensive glossary and index make the wealth of information contained in Flora’s Orchids easily accessible.”
Teaming with Fungi
Jeff Lowenfels
Portland, OR : Timber Press, 2017
“Teaming with Fungi is an important guide to mycorrhizae and the role they play in agriculture, horticulture, and hydroponics. Almost every plant in a garden forms a relationship with fungi, and many plants would not exist without their fungal partners. By better understanding this relationship, home gardeners can take advantage of the benefits of fungi, which include an increased uptake in nutrients, resistance to drought, earlier fruiting, and more. This must-have guide will teach you how fungi interact with plants and how to best to employ them in your home garden.”
Teaming with Nutrients
Jeff Lowenfels
Portland, OR : Timber Press, 2013
“Most gardeners realize that plants need to be fed, but many of us know little about the nature of the science involved. In Teaming with Nutrients, Jeff Lowenfels explains the basics of plant nutrition from an organic gardener’s perspective. In his trademark down-to-earth, style, Lowenfels explains the role of both macronutrients and micronutrients and shows gardeners how to provide these essentials through organic, easy-to-follow techniques. Along the way, Lowenfels provides easy-to-grasp lessons in the biology, chemistry, and botany needed to understand how nutrients get into the plant and what they do once they’re inside.”
Applied Tree Biology
Andrew Hirons & Peter Thomas
Wiley-Blackwell, 2018
“Many arborists learn tree work practices without fully understanding the biological and physiological principles behind them. However, outcomes for the health and longevity of trees are greatly improved when an arborist understands the science behind the care of tree root systems and crowns. In Applied Tree Biology, Drs. Hirons and Thomas draw upon their decades of experience in the laboratory, classroom, and the field – as well as the expertise of distinguished contributors to this volume – to provide those responsible for tree care with the scientific information that informs best practices for planting, pruning, soil decompaction, irrigation, and much more.
Applied Tree Biology is an indispensable source of practical, succinct information on tree biology, physiology, and ecology for professionals and interested amateurs involved with the care of trees. Arborists, foresters, and horticulturists at all stages of their careers will find this text particularly useful.”
Climate Change Garden
Sally Morgan & Kim Stoddart
Cool Springs Press, 2023
“In this global gardener’s guide to creating a resilient, climate-wise garden, learn how to adapt your garden to cope with volatile weather extremes and other effects of a rapidly changing climate.
It’s no longer gardening as usual. Heat waves, droughts, flooding, violent storms…the long-predicted extremes of weather caused by climate change are now on our doorstep, and gardeners around the world are feeling the effects. Certain pests are staying active until much later in the season, many plants are blooming earlier, soils are eroding and degrading at a rapid pace, unpredictable rainfall is water-logging our gardens, and fiercer storms are uprooting trees and snapping branches. Not to mention the effects of prolonged drought in many parts of the world and the water rationing that comes with it. What’s a gardener to do?
We need to learn how to protect the garden against climate extremes, exotic pests, invasive weeds, and more. The Climate Change Garden is the first book to reveal which types of gardens are better suited to deal with such extremes and which techniques, practices, and equipment can be put to good use in our gardens to help temper the issues. There’s no getting away from it; no matter where on the planet you live, the climate and weather patterns are changing fast, and our gardening practices need to catch up.”
Organic Seed Grower
John Navazio
Chelsea Green, 2021
“The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a seed crop organically.
Detailed profiles for each of the major vegetables provide users with practical, in-depth knowledge about growing, harvesting, and processing seed for a wide range of common and specialty vegetable crops, from Asian greens to zucchini.
This book can serve as a bridge to lead skilled gardeners, who are already saving their own seed, into the idea of growing seed commercially. And for diversified vegetable farmers who are growing a seed crop for sale for the first time, it will provide details on many of the tricks of the trade that are used by professional seed growers. This manual will help the budding seed farmer to become more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in producing a commercially viable seed crop.”
The Crevice Garden
- Seth & P. Spriggs
Bath, UK: Filbeert Press, 2022
“A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
In this book, enthusiastic experts Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs bring us in-depth guidance on the design, construction, and planting of crevice gardens of all kinds including those suitable for containers, small gardens, and public parks and in styles that encompass both naturalistic scenes and non-traditional installations.
A wealth of international case studies demonstrate how crevice gardens provide multiple micro-habitats that are exceptionally well-suited to plants that struggle in normal garden conditions.
Further examples reveal their value in the ecological re-use of waste materials such as concrete, wildlife habitat creation, and for making permeable, plant-friendly alternatives to retaining walls.
An illustrated A-Z recommending 250 irresistible plants completes this comprehensive book which heralds a bold new chapter in the history of crevice garden making.”
Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Kruckenerg & L. Chalker-Scott
Vancouver, BC : Greystone Books, 2019
“This fully-updated third edition of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest includes revised designations for species, genus, and family names for numerous native plants, and over 900 beautiful and informative color photos of native trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, and annuals. Each species has been carefully selected as garden-worthy, setting this book apart from encyclopedic tomes containing comprehensive lists of native plants. Building on the classic text by the late botanist Arthur R. Kruckeberg, horticulturist Linda Chalker-Scott has contributed several new chapters on garden ecology and the latest in garden science. Thorough, practical, and easy to use, this updated edition of the book Sunset magazine called a “standard guidebook for anyone who gardens with Northwest Natives” will be invaluable to all Northwest gardeners.”
Tiny Space Gardening
Amy Pennington
Seattle, WA : Sasquatch Books, 2022
“Forget the 100-mile eat-local diet; try the 300-square-foot-diet; grow squash on the windowsill, flowers in the planter box, or corn in a parking strip. Tiny Space Gardening details how to start a garden in the heart of the city. From building a window box to planting seeds in jars on the counter, every space is plantable, and this book reveals that the DIY future is now by providing hands-on, accessible advice. Amy Pennington’s friendly voice paired with Kate Bingham-Burt’s crafty illustrations make greener living an accessible reality, even if readers have only a few hundred square feet and two windowsills. Save money by planting the same things available at the grocery store, and create an eccentric garden right in the heart of any living space.”
Soil Science for Gardeners
Robert Pavlis
Gabriola Island, BC : New Society Publishers, 2020
“Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook.
Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem.
Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health.”
Mushrooms of British Columbia
Andy MacKinnon & Kem Luther
Victoria, BC : Royal BC Museum, 2021
“With more species of fungi than any other region in Canada, British Columbia is a rich playground for mushroom hunters. Now there’s Mushrooms of British Columbia, the newest handbook from the Royal BC Museum. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to know more about BC mushrooms, whether for study, harvest, photography or appreciation.
Authors and mushroom experts Andy MacKinnon and Kem Luther bring a practical and playful approach to helping people quickly and confidently identify the mushrooms of British Columbia. Common names trump technical terminology, fungi are grouped by overall shape, and written descriptions of more than 350 common species are reinforced with carefully curated diagnostic images.
This is the go-to guidebook for anyone, amateur or expert, who loves to study, draw, photograph and eat BC mushrooms.”
Gathering Moss
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Corvalis, OR : Oregon State University Press, 2003
“Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.”
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Minneapolis, MN : Milkweed Editions, 2013
“Drawing on her life as an Indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.”
Perennial Vegetables
Eric Toensmeier
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publications, 2007
“In Perennial Vegetables the adventurous gardener will find information, tips, and sound advice on less common edibles that will make any garden a perpetual, low-maintenance source of food. They thrive and produce abundant and nutritious crops throughout the season. Ranging beyond the usual suspects (asparagus, rhubarb, and artichoke) to include such “minor” crops as ground cherry and ramps (both of which have found their way onto exclusive restaurant menus) and the much sought after, anti-oxidant-rich wolfberry (also known as goji berries). Perennial vegetables are perfect as part of an edible landscape plan or permaculture garden. Profiling more than 100 species, well illustrated and filled with valuable growing tips, recipes, and resources, Perennial Vegetables is a groundbreaking and ground-healing book that will open the eyes of gardeners everywhere to the exciting world of edible perennials.”
The Permaculture Handbook
Peter Bane
Gabriola Island, BC : New Society Publishers, 2012
“Permaculture is a practical way to apply ecological design principles to food, housing, and energy systems, making growing fruits, vegetables and livestock easier and more sustainable. The Permaculture Handbook is a step-by-step, beautifully illustrated guide to creating resilient and prosperous households and neighborhoods. This comprehensive manual casts garden farming as both an economic opportunity and a strategy for living well with less money. It shows how, by mimicking the intelligence of nature and applying appropriate technologies such as solar and environmental design, permaculture can: Create an abundance of fresh, nourishing local produce; Reduce dependence on expensive, polluting fossil fuels; Drought-proof our cities and countryside; Convert waste into wealth. The Permaculture Handbook is the definitive, practical North American guide to this revolutionary practice, and is a must-read for anyone concerned about creating food security, resilience and a legacy of abundance rather than depletion.”
Edible Forest Gardens, Volume 1
Dave Jacke
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publishing, 2005
“Edible Forest Gardens is a groundbreaking two-volume work that spells out and explores the key concepts of forest ecology and applies them to the needs of natural gardeners in temperate climates. This Volume I begins with an overview of the ecological and cultural context for forest gardening in modern North America. This ecological exploration offers clear and specific direction for the design and management of forest gardens. Case studies bring the authors’ concepts to life. The volume concludes with colorful descriptions of forest gardening’s “Top 100” plant species.”
The Carbon Farming Solution
Eric Toensmeier
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publishing, 2016
“In this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture–specifically, the subset of practices known as “carbon farming”–can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in above-ground biomass. Toensmeier’s book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place, including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there. The Carbon Farming Solution is a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. Toensmeier’s ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes.”
Saving Farmland
Nathalie Chambers
British Columbia : Rocky Mountain Books, 2015
“When Nathalie Chambers and her husband, David, first took over Madrona Farm, they never thought their small-scale agricultural business would blossom into an international political act. As pressures from heirs, land developers and industrial farmers grew alongside their rows of organically produced food, the Chambers took action. Considered by many to be revolutionary and by some to be rebellious, their story opened many eyes to the future of food. Saving Farmland introduces readers to stories of lost farmland and bees saving lives. It shows how sustainability, ecosystems and biodiversity transcend the paradox of our own, man-made losses. Saving Farmland describes overcoming obstacles, choosing models, identifying vital farmland, building community and fundraising. This practical book teems with fascinating history and facts.”
Plants for a Future
Ken Fern
Hampshire, UK : Permanent Publications, 2000
“The way we currently produce our food is damaging both to ourselves and our planet. We need to create gardens, woodlands and farms which are in harmony with nature. Describing edible and other useful plants, this book includes those suitable for: the ornamental garden, the lawn, shady areas ponds, walls, hedges, agroforestry and conservation. In this thoroughly useful book, Ken Fern shares his experiments and successes in growing herbs, vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees. Packed with information, personal anecdote and detailed appendices and indexes, this pioneering book takes gardening, conservation and ecology into a new dimension.”
John Brookes’ Natural Landscapes
John Brookes
New York, NY : DK Publishing, 1997
“John Brookes, one of the world’s most influential garden designers, is leading a quiet revolution, and he is encouraging you to join in. In Natural Landscapes, high maintenance borders and manicured lawns give way to a host of more natural plantings and decorative treatments. Inspired by a series of fascinating garden case histories, John Brookes explores ways to combine native vegetation and materials with exotic plants and shows how to produce spectacular effects in keeping with your locale. Brookes also provides indispensable practical advice on how to work in harmony with nature at every stage of your garden’s development, from the basic design and selection of materials for hard features, to choosing and positioning plant communities, and introducing garden art.”
The Forager’s Harvest
Samuel Thayer
Birchwood, WI : Forager’s Harvest, 2006
“Rather than cover hundreds of plants in abbreviated accounts like the typical field guide, the author has chosen a smaller selection of species to discuss in exhaustive detail. This book contains as many as ten high-quality color photographs of each plant. These have been selected to facilitate identification and depict the plant parts at exactly the stage of growth in which they should be harvested. The accompanying text is accurate and thorough, giving readers of any experience level the confidence to harvest wild plants for food. Botanically, the text is accurate, yet it remains accessible to the layperson by using technical terms only when necessary. This book has many unique features that will appeal to naturalists, hikers, campers, survivalists, homesteaders, gardeners, chefs, Native Americans, and whole food enthusiasts. It contains a calendar of harvest times for wild produce, a step-by-step protocol for positive identification, an illustrated glossary tailored to the needs of foragers, a recommended reading list, plus special sections on conservation, safety, nutrition, harvest techniques, preparation methods, and storage.”
Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada
MacKinnon et al
Edmonton, AB : Lone Pine Publications, 2009
“Canada is home to a vast diversity of plants that have helped nourish and heal our people for thousands of years. Find out about: * First Nations uses of plant species * Gathering and preparing wild plants for a variety of uses * Historic European uses of plant species * Plants for everything from clothing to shelter * The fundamentals of survival food and medicines * Clear descriptions of the plants and where to find them * Warnings about plant allergies, poisons and digestive upsets * A special section identifying poisonous plants and species that are similar * More than 530 colour photographs and 125 illustrations.”
The Resilient Gardener
Carol Deppe
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publications, 2010
“Scientist/gardener Carol Deppe combines her passion for gardening with newly emerging scientific information from many fields–resilience science, climatology, climate change, ecology, anthropology, paleontology, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, health, and medicine. Here, Deppe extends these principles with detailed information about growing and using five keystone crops that are especially important for anyone seeking greater self-reliance: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. This is both a conceptual and a hands-on gardening book, suitable for gardeners at all levels of experience. “Resilience” here is broadly conceived, and encompasses a full range of problems, from personal hard times to regional and global disasters. In the end, though, this is an optimistic as well as a realistic book.”
Forest Gardening
Robert Hart
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publications, 1996
“Forest gardening is a way of working with nature which is not only productive and requires minimal maintenance, but creates great environmental benefits. As Herbert Girardet says in his Foreword, “Robert Hart was a rare person . . . For decades he waged a battle for life, patiently writing books and articles and quietly planting trees on his small farm in Shropshire. Robert created a magnificent forest garden which had a profound influence on the way people cultivated their land. It was a garden dedicated to human needs for fruit, nuts, vegetables and plant medicines. But it was at the same time a celebration of the myriad interactions of life, based on profound observations, both intuitive and scientific, of how different life forms interact in order to stimulate and support one another.”
Farming the Woods
Ken Mudge & Steve Gabriel
White River Junction, VT : Chelsea Green Publications, 2014
“Farming the Woods invites the perspective that a healthy forest can be maintained while growing a wide range of food, medicinal, and other non-timber products. It is an invaluable practice to integrate into any farm or homestead, especially as the need for unique value-added products and supplemental income becomes more and more important for farmers. Farming the Woods is the first in-depth guide for farmers and gardeners who have access to an established woodland and are looking for productive ways to manage it. Farming the Woods covers in detail how to cultivate, harvest, and market high-value non-timber forest crops such as American ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, fruit and nut trees, ornamental ferns, and more. Comprehensive information is also offered on historical perspectives of forest farming; mimicking the forest in a changing climate; cultivation of medicinal crops; creating a forest nursery; harvesting and utilizing wood products; the role of animals in the forest farm; and how to design and manage your forest farm once it’s set up.”
The Intelligent Gardener
Steve Soloman
Gabriola Island, BC : New Society Publishers, 2012
“Beyond organic — a practical guide to nutrient-dense food. Vegetables, fruits and grains are a major source of vital nutrients, but centuries of intensive agriculture have depleted our soils to historic lows. For optimum health we must increase the nutrient density of our foods to the levels enjoyed by previous generations. To grow produce of the highest nutritional quality the essential minerals lacking in our soil must be replaced, but this re-mineralization calls for far more attention to detail than the simple addition of composted manure or NPK fertilizers. The Intelligent Gardener demystifies the process, while simultaneously debunking much of the false and misleading information perpetuated by both the conventional and organic agricultural movements. In doing so, it conclusively establishes the link between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people. This practical step-by-step guide and the accompanying customizable web-based spreadsheets go beyond organic and are essential tools for any serious gardener who cares about the quality of the produce they grow.”
How to Make a Forest Garden
Patrick Whitefield
Hampshire, UK : Permanent Publications, 2002
“A forest garden is a food-producing garden, based on the model of a natural woodland or forest. It is made up of fruit and nut trees, fruit bushes, perennial vegetables and herbs. It can be tailored to fit any space, from a tiny urban back yard to a large rural garden. A close copy of a natural ecosystem, it is perhaps the most ecologically friendly way of gardening open to us. It is also a low-maintenance way of gardening. This highly practical, yet inspiring book gives you everything you need to know in order to create a beautiful and productive forest garden, including: Basic principles, Layout, How to choose plants, Details of over one hundred plants from apples to mushrooms, a step-by-step guide to creating your garden, Full details of an example garden, and pictures of many more. Forest gardening is an important element of permaculture. This book explains in detail permaculture design for temperate climates and contains much of interest for anybody wanting to introduce sustainable practices into their garden.”
The Encyclopedia of the Small Garden
Sue Phillips
Burnaby, BC : Select Editions, 2000
“Even in the centre of the city a small garden can provide fresh fruit and vegetables, and still be an inviting place to relax. The Encyclopedia of the Small Garden presents the reader with a wealth of practical information as well as a host of great ideas on how to make the most of limited space available. There are section on “vertical gardening”, how to create and maintain small ponds and water features, growing flowers and fruit on a balcony or patio, and so much more. Broad in range, this classic book will help the reader create a herb garden, choose the best vegetables, and plant beautiful containers.”
Pines: Growing & styling Japanese black & white pines
Wayne Schoech
Passumpsic, VT : Stone Lantern Pub., 2005.
“Several factors are critical to the development of pine bonsai, but nothing is more important than the mastery of technique. Bonsai Today’s Pines presents informative and insightful projects by some of the finest bonsai masters in the world. Also included are two general primers on Japanese white and black pine development. Written for intermediate and advanced bonsai enthusiasts (as well as daring beginners). The profusion of color photographs show the dramatic changes resulting from the winning combination of technical mastery and artistic inspiration.”
The urban homestead: Your guide to self-sufficient living in the heart of the city
Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen
Port Townsend, WA : Process Media, 2008.
“This celebrated, essential handbook shows how to grow and preserve your own food, clean your house without toxins, raise chickens, gain energy independence, and more. Step-by-step projects, tips, and anecdotes will help get you started homesteading immediately. The Urban Homestead is also a guidebook to the larger movement and will point you to the best books and Internet resources on self-sufficiency topics.
Written by city dwellers for city dwellers, this copiously illustrated, two-color instruction book proposes a paradigm shift that will improve our lives, our community, and our planet. By growing our own food and harnessing natural energy, we are planting seeds for the future of our cities.
Learn how to:
- Grow food on a patio or balcony
- Preserve or ferment food and make yogurt and cheese
- Compost with worms
- Keep city chickens
- Divert your grey water to your garden
- Clean your house without toxins
- Guerilla garden in public spaces
- Create the modern homestead of your dreams”
Earth Repair : A grassroots guide to healing toxic and damaged landscapes
Leila Darwish
Gabriola Island, BC : New Society Publishers, 2013.
“Millions of acres of land have been contaminated by pesticides, improperly handled chemicals, dirty energy projects, toxic waste, and other pollutants in the United States and Canada. This toxic legacy impacts the environment, our health, our watersheds, and land that could otherwise be used to grow healthy local food and medicines. Conventional clean-up techniques employed by government and industry are tremendously expensive and resource-intensive and can cause further damage. More and more communities find themselves increasingly unable to rely on those companies and governments who created the problems to step in and provide solutions.
Earth Repair describes a host of powerful grassroots bioremediation techniques, including:
- Microbial remediation-using microorganisms to break down and bind contaminants
- Phytoremediation-using plants to extract, bind, and transform toxins
- Mycoremediation-using fungi to clean up contaminated soil and water.
Packed with valuable, firsthand information from visionaries in the field, Earth Repair empowers communities and individuals to take action and heal contaminated and damaged land. Encompassing everything from remediating and regenerating abandoned city lots for urban farmers and gardeners, to recovering from environmental disasters and industrial catastrophes such as oil spills and nuclear fallout, this fertile toolbox is essential reading for anyone who wishes to transform environmental despair into constructive action.”
The American Meadow Garden : Creating a natural alternative to the traditional lawn
John Greenlee
Portland, Or. : Timber Press, 2009.
“In The American Meadow Garden, ornamental grass expert John Greenlee creates a new model for homeowners and gardeners. For Greenlee, a meadow isn’t a random assortment of messy, anonymous grasses. Rather, it is a shimmering mini-ecosystem, in which regionally appropriate grasses combine with colorful perennials to form a rich tapestry that is friendly to all life — with minimal input of water, time, and other scarce resources. Kids and pets can play in complete safety, and birds and butterflies flock there. A prairie style planting is a place you want to be.
With decades of experience as a nurseryman and designer, John Greenlee is the perfect guide. He details all the practicalities of site preparation, plant selection, and maintenance; particularly valuable are his explanations of how ornamental grasses perform in different climates and areas. Gorgeous photography by Saxon Holt visually illustrates the message with stunning examples of meadow gardens from across the country.”
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials (Reference Only)
Marshall Craigmyle
Vancouver : Whitecap, 1999.
“Fully illustrated directory with detailed information on each perennial, including hardiness rating, botanical and common name and type of flower and foliage. The author’s own symbol system allows for simple identification of the plants’ salient characteristics. More than 1,500 perennials and 500 genera covered. Illustrated practical section with vital information for buying the right plants and the best maintenance procedures.”
Gardens in the Spirit of Place
Page Dickey
New York : Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2005.
“Gardens in the Spirit of Place takes us on an insider’s tour of some of America’s most beautiful “reflective gardens,” gardens that are in harmony with the landscape rather than imposed upon it. Each example presented here offers a sensitive and original response to its surroundings and seamlessly integrates with its house and regional setting. These unique gardens, eighteen in all, are entirely and passionately in the spirit of their place, and provide inspiration for any gardener seeking new approaches and new ideas for regional gardening.”
Food Plants of the World
Ben-Erik van Wyk
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2005.
“A comprehensive survey of the plants that provide food, beverages, spices, and flavorings, this book will serve as an invaluable reference to gardeners, ethnobotanists, nutritionists, culinary professionals, dieticians, and food enthusiasts. This scientifically accurate guide will allow them to identify all the major plant-derived foods and flavors, research culinary uses, and understand their dietetic and nutritional properties. Introductory chapters cover the various categories of plant use, including cereals, pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, sugar plants, beverages, spices, and flavorings. The core of the volume is an encyclopedic description of more than 350 food and flavor plants in use worldwide, with over 1000 color photographs. This accessible, pictorial guide is a concise source of practical information, not readily available elsewhere, and should be on every food enthusiast’s bookshelf.”
Defiant Gardens: Making gardens in wartime
Kenneth I. Helphand
San Antonio, Tex. : Trinity University Press, 2006.
“Why is it that in the midst of a war, one can still find gardens? In the most brutal environments, both stateside and on the battlefield, they continue to flourish. Wartime gardens are dramatic examples of what Kenneth I. Helphand calls “defiant gardens” — gardens created in extreme social, political, economic, or cultural conditions. Illustrated with archival photos, this remarkable book examines gardens of war in the 20th century, including gardens built behind the trenches in World War I, in the Warsaw and other ghettos during World War II, and in Japanese-American internment camps, as well as gardens created by soldiers at their bases and encampments during wars in the Persian Gulf, Vietnam, and Korea. Proving that gardens are far more than peaceful respites from the outside world, Defiant Gardens is a thought-provoking analysis of why people create natural spaces.”
Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life: The plants and places that inspired the classic children’s tales
Marta McDowell
Portland, Or. : Timber Press, 2013.
“There aren’t many books more beloved than The Tale of Peter Rabbit and even fewer authors as iconic as Beatrix Potter. Her characters—Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, and all the rest—exist in a charmed world filled with flowers and gardens. In Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, bestselling author Marta McDowell explores the origins of Beatrix Potter’s love of gardening and plants and shows how this passion came to be reflected in her work.
The book begins with a gardener’s biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her. Next, follow Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview of what is blooming that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler’s guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter’s gardens today.”
Plant Conservation Science and Practice: The role of botanic gardens
Stephen Blackmore & Sara Oldfield, editors
Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press, 2017
“The worldwide community of almost three thousand botanic gardens are holders of the most diverse living collections of plants and have the unique potential to conserve plant diversity. Conservation biology is a fast moving and often controversial field, and, as the contributions within these pages from experts in the field demonstrate, plant conservation is multifaceted, mirroring the complexity of the biodiversity it aims to protect, and striving not just to protect threatened plants but to preserve ecosystem services and secure the integrity of the biosphere.”
Victory gardens for bees : a DIY guide to saving the bees
Lori Weidenhammer
Madeira Park, British Columbia : Douglas and McIntyre, 2016.
“Planning a bee-friendly space can provide a bountiful selection of edible crops, native plants, herbs and fragrant ornamentals. With the help of planting guides and ten inspiring garden plans, Lori Weidenhammer shows how bee-friendly plants can be used in creative combinations, and are easily grown by novices and seasoned gardeners alike. Readers will learn how to pack optimum benefits into a limited space, and backyard beekeepers will learn great planting strategies to ensure their honeybees are healthy and have ample food to overwinter.”
Classical Bonsai Art : A half century of bonsai study
William N. Valavanis
Rochester, NY; International Bonsai; 2013.
“Some of the finest bonsai created in the United States can be appreciated in this book where the historical information, photographs and tips will help with your own bonsai training. This book is organized to first introduce classical bonsai art and styles and is followed by describing the techniques for deciduous, narrow leaf evergreen, flowering & fruiting as well as shohin bonsai.”
Orchids : A practical guide to care and cultivation
Michael Tibbs
Batavia, Ill. : Ball Pub., c2007.
“With more than 25,000 species, orchids are quite possibly the largest, and certainly the most diverse, plant family on earth. Orchid fans love their variety of exotic colors, forms, and scents. This book explains classification and biological structure; choosing the right orchid and establishing a collection; all aspects of cultivation; pests and diseases; and more.”
Garden history : philosophy and design, 2000 BC–2000 AD
Tom Turner
London ; New York : Spon Press, 2005.
“Tom Turner’s overview makes a large subject accessible to a wide range of readers, with particular emphasis on the philosophy of garden design and the resultant styles. Its unique approach makes it both the ideal concise introduction for the general reader and a structured analysis for the specialist, relating design styles to each other, to philosophical ideas and to the fine arts.”
Weeds
Howard Bjornson
San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c2000.
“Weeds are simply a matter of perspective. Howard Bjornson’s collection of exquisite photographs takes a second look at these free spirits of the natural world and sees their alluring beauty as flowers and plants of surprising color, shape, and texture.”
The homeowner’s complete tree & shrub handbook : the essential guide to choosing, planting, and maintaining perfect landscape plants
Penelope O’Sullivan
North Adams, MA : Storey Pub., c2007.
“Trees and shrubs frame your property and add a sense of structure to the ever-changing environment of your yard. This comprehensive guide explains the principles and practicalities of bringing magnificent woody plants to every landscape.”
The healing garden : gardening for the mind, body and soul
Gay Search
Etobicoke ON : Winding Stair Press, 2002.
“In The Healing Garden, Gay Search delves deeper into why gardening is so beneficial for our wellbeing and, more importantly, shows how to transform our own gardens into more soothing and balanced places of escape. With practical advice on many topics, including growing your own healing herbs, the best plants and flowers for scent and colour harmony, how to create a space for contemplation and ideas for low-allergen gardening, The Healing Garden demonstrates the way to a happier, healthier life with your garden”
Making gardens works of art : creating your personal paradise
Keeyla Meadows
Seattle : Sasquatch Books, c2002.
“In her easy conversational style, Keeyla illustrates how to work with harmonies and contrasts in selection of colors, organization of shapes, and placement of garden features. Even gardeners with limited time, space and resources can use Keeyla’s ideas and tips to transform their garden into a personal paradise on earth.”
Willows : the genus ‘Salix’
Christopher Newsholme
London : Batsford, 1992.
“Willows features a comprehensive description of the origin and global distribution of the graceful genus plus a section on general characteristics and classification, including alternative names to avoid confusion. There are comprehensive propagation and care instructions, and suggestions for ornamental trees for large or small gardens, dwarf and ground-hugging alpine species for rock gardens and tiny willows for sink gardens.”
Introducing the dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon
Robert A. Cannings
Victoria, B.C. : Royal British Columbia Museum, c2002.
“Large and colourful, dragonflies are easy to observe. Many are acrobatic flyers, able to change direction in a heartbeat. Aggressive hunters, dragonflies can snatch and eat smaller bugs on the wing. And they mate in a unique way, forming a wheel with their slender bodies. In this little book, entomologist Robert Cannings introduces you to dragonfly behavior, structure, life cycles and habitats. Then he describes all 88 species that live in B.C. and the Yukon, and tells you the best places to find them.”
Container gardening : 100 design ideas & step-by-step techniques
By the editors of Fine Gardening
Newtown, Conn. : Lewes : Taunton ; 2009.
“Create big splashes of color in small spaces with pots, window boxes, and containers of all shapes and sizes. No matter where you live and what your gardening skills, the editors and contributors of Fine Gardening share all the design ideas, tips, and strategies you need to keep plants blooming all season long.”
Field Guide : Invasive alien plant pests and diseases that threaten B.C. agriculture
Hugh G. Philip, Gayle D. Jesperson
Victoria, B.C. : Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, 2008.
“Invasive alien plant pests and diseases are introduced foreign species that can pose serious threats to native and cultivated plants due to release from population-limiting biotic (eg parasites, predators, competitors) and abiotic (eg temperature, moisture) factors. Initial infestations can go undetected for up to three to four years before their presence is noted, either by discovery of the pest or disease itself or of the damage it inflicts. The purpose of this field guide is to assist plant health diagnosticians and advisors screen for unknown or suspicious plant pests and diseases by providing descriptions and images.”
