The authors explain the interrelationships of trees, wildflowers, ferns, bacteria, and the soil of woodlands; suggest ways of preparing both large and small wildflower gardens; and describe when, where, and how to gather woods plants. Includes detailed information on over 200 wildflowers and ferns. 195 illustrations.

A good introduction to permaculture. Create your own perennial food-producing garden based on the model of a natural woodland with its many levels of growth from ground covers to tree canopies. A forest garden can be tailored to fit any space, from a tiny urban back yard to a large rural garden.

Describing edible and other useful plants, both native to Britain and Europe and from temperate areas around the world, this book includes those suitable for: the ornamental garden, the lawn, shady areas, ponds, walls, hedges, agroforestry and conservation. Book jacket.

With a revolutionary new "Climate Battery" design for near-net-zero heating and cooling By the turn of the nineteenth century, thousands of acres of glass houses surrounded large American cities, becoming a commonplace symbol of the market garden and nursery trades. But the possibilities of the indoor garden to transform our homes and our lives remain largely unrealized. In this groundbreaking book, Jerome Osentowski, one of North America's most accomplished permaculture designers, presents a wholly new approach to a very old horticultural subject. In The Forest Garden Greenhouse, he shows how bringing the forest garden indoors is not only possible, but doable on unlikely terrain and in cold climates, using near-net-zero technology. Different from other books on greenhouse design and management, this book advocates for an indoor agriculture using permaculture design concepts--integration, multi-functions, perennials, and polycultures--that take season extension into new and important territory. Osentowski, director and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI), farms at 7,200 feet on a steep, rocky hillside in Colorado, incorporating deep, holistic permaculture design with practical common sense. It is at this site, high on a mountaintop, where Osentowski (along with architect and design partner Michael Thompson) has been designing and building revolutionary greenhouses that utilize passive and active solar technology via what they call the "climate battery"--a subterranean air-circulation system that takes the hot, moist, ambient air from the greenhouse during the day, stores it in the soil, and discharges it at night--that can offer tropical and Mediterranean climates at similarly high altitudes and in cold climates (and everywhere else). Osentowski's greenhouse designs, which can range from the backyard homesteader to commercial greenhouses, are completely ecological and use a simple design that traps hot and cold air and regulates it for best possible use. The book is part case study of the amazing greenhouses at CRMPI and part how-to primer for anyone interested in a more integrated model for growing food and medicine in a greenhouse. With detailed design drawings, photos, and profiles of successful greenhouse projects on all scales, this inspirational manual will considerably change the conversation about greenhouse design.

Learn how to create an edible forest garden—perfect for gardeners and growers at any scale! Includes over 100 cold-hardy berry bushes, fruit and nut trees, perennial vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, mushrooms, and more. When market gardener Dani Baker attended a permaculture workshop at her local Cooperative Extension office in upstate New York, she was inspired by its message of working with nature to create a thriving edible garden ecosystem. She immediately launched a new experiment she dubbed the “Enchanted Edible Forest.” In The Home-Scale Forest Garden, Baker shares what she learned as she became a forest gardener, providing a practical, in-depth guide to creating a beautiful, bountiful edible landscape at any scale—from a few dozen square feet to an acre or more. Baker provides information on planning, planting, and maintaining a resilient forest garden ecosystem, including: • Using permaculture principles • Observing and mapping your space • Building planting beds, including hügelkultur mounds • Coping with saturated soil • Matching perennial edible plants to the right growing conditions • Grouping plants in diverse layers that attract and shelter beneficial insects and birds • Creating microclimates to increase the range of plants you can grow • Pruning, propagating, managing pests, and more • Expending less energy for greater reward The Home-Scale Forest Garden is complete with descriptions of over 100 food-bearing and multifunctional plants for every layer of a forest garden: overstory and understory trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, groundcovers, vines, and mushrooms, too. The book includes over 200 photographs taken over 10 years of forest development, along with illustrations of a garden layout and special plant groupings for a range of conditions, including hot, dry sites and shady, moist sites. Throughout, Baker candidly shares both her mistakes and her successes to help readers better understand the dynamics of a forest garden as it grows and changes over time. From her Asian Pear Adventure and Tamarack Travesty to her discoveries of unique ways to rescue and transplant tree seedlings, readers will appreciate the practical advice as she recounts lessons learned from her grand edible gardening experiment. This is the perfect guide for gardeners of all experience levels who want to work with nature’s model and expand the range of food crops they grow as they embark on their own forest garden adventure.

Observing the plants of the forest floor – the flowers, ferns, sedges and grasses – can be a vital way of understanding our relationship with British woodland. They tell us stories about its history and past management, and can be a visible sign of progress when we get conservation right. For centuries, woodland plants have also been part of our lives in practical ways as food and medicines, and they have influenced our culture through poetry, perfume and pub signs. In this insightful and original account, Keith Kirby explores how woodland plants in Great Britain have come to be where they are, coped with living in the shade of their bigger relatives, and responded to threats in the form of storms, fires, floods, the attentions of grazing herbivores and the effects of the changing seasons. Along the way, the reader is introduced to the work of important botanists who have walked the woods in the past, collecting information on where plants occur and why. In-depth profiles of some of our most important and popular ground flora species provide extra detail and insight. Beautifully illustrated, Woodland Flowers is a must for anyone who appreciates and wants to learn more about British woodland and its plants.

Offers information on growing and propagating over 1,000 different species of wildflower, and includes an encyclopedia of plants native to the United States and Canada.

“Seasoned and novice growers alike will find a mother lode of information and wisdom packed into this gem of a book!”—Nancy Phillips, author of The Herbalist’s Way *Updated with new information about herb dryers and construction, soil fertility, growing cannabis, and more In the first edition of The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, authors Jeff and Melanie Carpenter presented a comprehensive seed-to-bottle guide for aspiring and experienced growers alike, from basic business considerations to planting and propagation to creating value-added products. Now they’re back with a revised and updated edition, sharing the lessons they’ve learned throughout their twenty-five years of operating a medicinal herb farm that prizes quality over quantity. The Carpenters offer their insights and tips on every aspect of herb farming, including: • Size and scale considerations • Data management for profit maximization • The herbal marketplace and choosing which herbs to grow • Field and bed preparation and planting, including building soil fertility • Plant-positive weed, pest, and disease control • Harvest and post-harvest processing, including scalable dryer construction • Value-added products and marketing • A new chapter on growing cannabis • And much more! The Carpenters make the case that growing organic medicinal herbs is not only viable and profitable, but also an important step for improving the ecological health of farmland, taking pressure off of wild medicinal plant populations, and increasing biodiversity. While local foodways are more often the focus of attention, local medicine ways are equally critical and in need of restoration. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer is a one-of-a-kind resource, complete with detailed profiles of 50 medicinal herbs and over 200 color photographs. Whether you’re looking to grow an herb farm from the ground up, incorporate medicinal plants on an existing farm, or add tools to your belt as a seasoned grower, you’ll find the information you need in this volume. “[A] beautiful and informative book . . . A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who grows—or wants to grow—medicinal plants.”—Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association

Using studies on contemporary Maya farming techniques and important new archaeological research, the authors show that the ancient Maya were able to support, sustainably, a vast population by farming the forest—thus refuting the common notion that Maya civilization devolved due to overpopulation and famine.

Forest Schools need not be just for children. Here is the ultimate guide for how adults can enjoy the benefits of outdoor learning too. Have you always wanted to know how to start a campfire, forage for (the right) fungi, or know how to tie a good knot? Or would you like to expand your horizons – and lower your stress levels – by building a dry stone wall, fashioning a bow and arrow, or beachcombing for shells? Forest schools for kids originated in Scandinavia as outdoor, play-based learning groups and, as the benefits of nature play became internationally recognised, quickly became established around the world. But why should kids have all the fun? Connecting with green spaces, trees and plants can lift our spirits, improve stress and relax our brains – in short, playing outside is good for everyone. Forest School for Grown Ups shows you can learn new skills and practise forgotten ones from finding your way in the woods to whittling utensils and carving sculptures; from trapping and smoking game to making and using a divining rod, from building a bird box, or insect house, to simply just climbing trees. Beautifully designed and illustrated, Forest School for Grown Ups provides the perfect resource for anyone wanting to enjoy spending quality time outdoors.