A comprehensive, reader-friendly resource, this gem is loaded with pointed illustrations and practical information. Drawing on her training as a botanist, McClure (The Harvest Gardener) gears opening chapters toward beginners, detailing basics about herbs and their cultivation. A more challenging section on garden design includes tips on such considerations as maximizing sunlight, incorporating hardscape and establishing herbal lawns. In the central part of this guide, a season-by-season approach makes tasks in the herb garden manageable. Instructions are complete but not complex, e.g., the autumn topic ``Bringing Herbs Indoors'' covers pruning, dividing, transplanting, conditioning and pest management in a few direct, undaunting paragraphs. Sidebars, such as an ``Herbs and pH'' chart and ``Harvesting Hints,'' and illustrative photos punctuate the text. While the chapter on recipes and craft projects is sketchy and rather ordinary, the wrap-up ``Grower's Guide,'' a cross-referenced alphabetical (by Latin names) listing of over 50 common herbs, offers much to engage gardeners of varied experience levels.

Let them eat cake — and vegetables, too! Award-winning cookbook author Ken Haedrich serves up 150 delicious baked goods that are full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs and go far beyond zucchini bread and carrot cake. From Bacon, Cheddar, and Fresh Corn Muffins to Fresh Fennel and Italian Sausage Pizza, Spaghetti Squash and Parmesan Quiche, and Brown Sugar Rhubarb Tart Squares, these scrumptious recipes add nutrition plus amazing flavor to every meal of the day. The breadth of this collection is stunning, and you’ll be amazed that baked goods this tasty also deliver your daily dose of fresh vegetables.

The Gardener's Weed Book: Earth-Safe Controls

by Barbara Pleasant 

Learn how to recognize, control, and work with more than 80 common weeds. Barbara Pleasant discusses a variety of simple and organic ways to prevent unwanted weeds from taking over your garden, including mulching, cutting, and growing smother crops. Not content to simply eradicate weeds, Pleasant encourages you to use weeds as a tool to understand your soil conditions and to offer ideas for new gardening techniques. Discover a new way to think about and manage those pesky, ubiquitous, and fascinating weeds.

The Food Activist Handbook - Big & Small Things You Can Do to Help Provide Fresh, Healthy Food for Your Community

Projects, activities, and a field guide to 40 favorite North American species Offering 40 fun projects that include building butterfly habitats, feeding butterflies by hand, and even incorporating live butterflies into special celebrations, Rick Mikula encourages you to get the whole family involved as you explore the exciting and colorful world of butterflies. Providing a comprehensive overview of the butterfly lifecycle and close-up photography of 40 stunning North American species, this guide teaches you everything you need to know to identify, care for, and raise these beautiful and fascinating insects.

The Drought-Resilient Farm

Improve Your Soil’s Ability to Hold and Supply Moisture for Plants; Maintain Feed and Drinking Water for Livestock when Rainfall Is Limited; Redesign Agricultural Systems to Fit Semi-arid Climates

by Dale Strickler

Rainfall levels are rarely optimal, but there are hundreds of things you can do to efficiently conserve and use the water you do have and to reduce the impact of drought on your soil, crops, livestock, and farm or ranch ecosystem. Author Dale Strickler introduces you to the same innovative systems he used to transform his own drought-stricken family farm in Kansas into a thriving, water-wise, and profitable enterprise, maximizing healthy cropland, pasture, and water supply. Ranging from simple, short-term projects such as installing rain-collection ollas to long-term land-management planning strategies, Strickler’s methods show how to get more water into the soil, keep it in the soil, and help plants and livestock access it.

Page Count: 200 pages

Publisher: Storey

ISBN-13: 9781635860023

The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil

Improve Water Retention and Infiltration; Support Microorganisms and Other Soil Life; Capture More Sunlight; and Build Better Soil with No-Till, Cover Crops, and Carbon-Based Soil Amendments

By Dale Strickler

Healthy soil is key to sustaining life on Earth. While more and more people are starting to see the need for soil restoration, there is very little understanding of just how it can be accomplished. There is a rapidly emerging demand for a “how to” manual for soil restoration. Dale Strickler is an expert on building healthy soil and restoring degraded soil, and in The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil, he presents the science of soil, along with proven methods of restoring depleted soil and agricultural practices from around the world that continue to build soil, rather than cause it to deteriorate.

Strickler provides a solid foundation in the science of healthy soil, explaining how soil has become so degraded over time and the dire consequences for the human species, not just in terms of food scarcity but also the social, health, and environmental consequences of growing food in poor soil. He addresses the chemical, physical, and biological principles behind soil function, and presents actual farming practices that can be used to regenerate soil, techniques and strategies for remediating contaminated soil, and agriculture systems both past and present that functioned to build soil, such as the ancient chinampas systems of Mexico and the permaculture systems of today.

Page Count: 352 pages

Publisher: Storey

ISBN-13: 9781635862249

The City Gardener’s Handbook

The Definitive Guide to Small Space Gardening

by Linda Yang

This comprehensive guide has everything you need to know to successfully design and maintain an urban garden in whatever space and conditions you have available. As Katherine Powis writes in the foreword, "City gardeners are up against it: the concrete and grit, the lack of light, the cramped spaces, and sun-scorched, wind-burned rooftops. And that's just what this book is about." Linda Yang gives you the information and guidance you need to create beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces, profiling dozens of beautiful, hardy plants that thrive in cities and offering expert advice on everything from preparing your soil to managing pests. Filled with charming anecdotes and stunning photographs, The City Gardener’s Handbook will inspire you to bring the joys of the garden into your metropolis. 

From the Back Cover:

Written with passion, enthusiasm, warmth & wit by former New York Times garden columnist Linda Yang, The City Gardener's Handbook offers solutions for every kind of small-space gardening challenge from an author who has experienced them all first-hand.

Page Count: 336 pages

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

ISBN-13: 9781580174497

The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible

By Greg Green

The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible sets a new standard of excellence for cannabis cultivation and breeding manuals and gives readers the tools they need to grow the most popular and potent marijuana varieties and strains in the world. Readers of this complete guide to expert breeding techniques will learn about the new age cultivars, trendy cannabis hybrids, and how to develop them for the lucrative international seed market.

The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible offers real-world, professional techniques for breeding superior marijuana. Expanding on the advanced cultivation methods presented in Greg Green’s popular Cannabis Grow Bible, The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible delves deeper into topics such as advanced pollination, seed collection, and storage; feminizing plants; increasing potency; and enhancing calyx development. Readers will discover more about primordial cannabis, landrace and lost strains, breeding compatibility, growth hormones, cannabinoids, plant cells, common mutations, and advanced floral traits. The wealth of technical insights shared in The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible is also supported by stunning photographs, instructive illustrations, and in-depth interviews with marijuana breeders and seed bank professionals.

The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible is an advanced, specialized marijuana grow book designed for practical use by new and experienced breeders alike.

Page Count: 253 pages

Publisher: Green Candy Press

ISBN-13: 978-1931160278

The Big Book of Cidermaking

Expert Techniques for Fermenting and Flavoring Your Favorite Hard Cider

Best-selling authors and acclaimed fermentation teachers Christopher Shockey and Kirsten K. Shockey turn their expertise to the world of fermented beverages in the most comprehensive guide to home cidermaking available. With expert advice and clear, step-by-step instructions, The Big Book of Cidermaking equips readers with the skills they need to make the cider they want: sweet, dry, fruity, farmhouse-style, hopped, barrel-aged, or fortified. The Shockeys’ years of experience cultivating an orchard and their experiments in producing their own ciders have led them to a master formula for cidermaking success, whether starting with apples fresh from the tree or working with store-bought juice. They explore in-depth the different phases of fermentation and the entire spectrum of complex flavor and style possibilities, with cider recipes ranging from cornelian cherry to ginger, and styles including New England, Spanish, and late-season ciders. For those invested in making use of every part of the apple, there’s even a recipe for vinegar made from the skins and cores leftover after pressing. This thorough, thoughtful handbook is an empowering guide for every cidermaker, from the beginner seeking foundational techniques and tips to the intermediate cider crafter who wants to expand their skills.

Page Count: 336 pages
Publisher: Storey
ISBN-13: 9781635861136

The Beginner’s Guide to Edible Herbs

By Lorene Edwards Forkner

“A comprehensive guide for growing vegetables and herbs filled with hands on advice and time-tested techniques.” —The American Gardener

You can grow beautiful, healthy, delicious veggies and herbs right from the start—just follow the trustworthy advice found in The Beginner’s Guide to Growing Great Vegetables. Expert gardener Lorene Edwards Forkner shares all the information you need to create a thriving garden, from facts about soil and sun to tips on fertilizing, mulching, and watering. Regional planting charts show what to plant when, and a month-by-month planner takes you from January through December. Profiles of popular edibles explain exactly how to plant, care for, and harvest your bounty. Whether your garden grows in the ground, on a balcony, or in containers on a sunny patio, this is your guide to grow-your-own success. Your backyard bounty awaits!

Open a cold one and get cooking! Showcasing the diverse ways that beer can be used to enhance a meal, either as an ingredient or by pairing, John Holl’s collection of 155 tasty recipes are designed for the beer-loving foodie. From twists on traditional favorites like American Wheat Bear Steamed Clams to unexpected surprises like Chocolate Jefferson Stout Cupcakes, you’ll soon be amazing your friends with the culinary versatility of your favorite beverage.

The recipes were contributed by breweries, brewpubs and other beer lovers across the United States. You'll love the new twists on traditional favorites, such as Slow-Cooked Dopple Bock BBQ Meatballs and American Wheat Beer Steamed Clams, as well as unexpected recipes like Crawfish Bordelaise, Roasted Pheasant, Chopped Reuben Salad, Beermosas, and Pineapple Brown Sugar Pale Ale Cupcakes.

It is a celebration of craft beer, food, and the people behind it. 

​“Gets deep into the weeds, so to speak, of the microscopic architecture of plants and the biochemical processes at play.” —Washington Post

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.

Page Count 250 pages

Publisher Timber Press

ISBN-13 9781604693140

Teaming with Microbes

The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition

Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life — not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and thus become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. But there is an alternative to this vicious circle: to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web — the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants. By eschewing jargon and overly technical language, the authors make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.

“A breakthrough book. No comprehensive horticultural library should be without it.” —American Gardener

When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains plants, and then become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of toxic substances. Teaming with Microbes offers an alternative to this vicious circle, and details how to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web. You’ll discover that healthy soil is teeming with life—not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. This must-have guide is for everyone, from those devoted to organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy plants without resorting to chemicals.

Teaming with Fungi

The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae

By Jeff Lowenfels

“Accomplishes what few other books have—helping growers use mycorrhizae to improve the immune systems of plants. This natural union between plants and fungi is the foundation of our food web.” —Paul Stamets, author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

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.

Page Count: 172 pages

Publisher: Timber Press

ISBN-13: 9781604697292

Say Cheese!

A Kid’s Guide to Cheese Making with Recipes for Mozzarella, Cream Cheese, Feta & Other Favorites