Gardening Reference

This text ilustrates and explains the design and planting of potager gardens, where aesthetics and practicality combine to create mouthwatering edible displays. Containing practical information, it stresses that the vegetable garden can be a place of beauty as well as function.

In her introduction, Anthony explains the concept and history of the ornamental vegetable garden (also known as a potager), reminding readers to combine herbs and flowers with fruit and vegetables. She gives instructions on planning and Read more…

My name is Genie. I was born in Washington D.C. While there are plenty of people in the D.C. area with a penchant for gardening, I was not one of those people. I either over-watered or under-watered, and next thing I knew, whatever green thing I tried to coax along into healthy existence had withered and died.

In September 2005, I moved to Iowa City. In April 2006, I decided to overcome my black thumb heritage and plant some herbs in a couple of pots. Next thing I knew, I had a garden.

In May 2008, I said goodbye to my Iowa City garden plot and headed even Read more…

The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals

End your worries about garden problems with safe, effective solutions from The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control!

* Easy-to-use problem-solving encyclopedia covers more than 200 vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, trees, and shrubs
* Complete directions on how, when, and where to use preventive methods, insect traps and barriers, biocontrols, homemade remedies, botanical insecticides, and more Read more…

This companion volume to Freeman’s Building Your Own Greenhouse (Stackpole, 1997) explains how to raise plants in a home greenhouse. Freeman, who designed and built his own greenhouse, begins with chapters on types of greenhouses, equipment, soil, air, water, heat, light, pests, and diseases.

The rest of the book covers growing seedlings for transplanting into the outdoor garden and raising vegetables and herbs in the greenhouse. Freeman lists vegetable, flower, and herb species suitable for growing to maturity in a greenhouse.

He also touches on growing houseplants and cut flowers, but specialty plants like orchids and African violets are beyond the scope of the book. Although Freeman refers readers to his Read more…

Indoor Gardening

A lot of people stick a fake tree in a corner, dust the leaves off every week, and call it indoor gardening, but indoor gardening has grown into much more than that lately. There are also a lot of people that thinks plants belong and should stay inside, but there are many reasons for starting an indoor garden.

For instance, plants don’t only remove carbon dioxide from the air, they also remove many poisonous toxins and pollutants as well. Indoor gardening will result in beautiful decoration in your house as well as cleaner air.

When picking out plants for indoor gardening, make sure the plants are adaptable and will be able to thrive in the conditions and setting in your house. Consider how much time you will be able to spend caring for the plants, how much light your house offers, and also how much money you want to spend on your indoor garden. If you are on a low budget, start with seeds or cuttings. Read more…