The Woodchuck Travels Through the Garden Seasons


Book Description

"This seasoned Vermont gardener delivers all manner of subjects related to, and details on, gardening in a book unlike most any other you've probably read. In a style similar to the other two prior books of his "Woodchuck Gardener's Trilogy", he groups topics and plants through the seasons, interspersed with his brand of humor and art and quotes he has found relevant and inspiring. If you're a gardener in the Green Mountain State, or similar climate, you're bound to pick up some tips or different views on diverse topics from composting to climate change, from pesticides to poetry to publications to pollinators." Dr. Leonard Payne Perry - Horticulture Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont "This insightful and inspiring book materializes just as people are re-awakening to the need for community-based food solutions and the healing power of gardening. Interweaving wit, poetry and good old natural observation, Ron provides us with a much needed tonic for times of great change." Libby Weiland - Statewide Network Coordinator, Vermont Community Garden Network "Ron Krupp has been part of the garden fabric of Vermont for decades and his new book illustrates the depth and breadth of his gardening knowledge. But Ron is more than a gardening expert. He weaves in poetry, stories, and profiles of gardening friends to create a rich tapestry of people and plants. His seasonal gardening notes over the years highlight his observations of the changing world we live in and the native plants and animals he's grown to love. His passion for environmentally friendly gardening practices and concerns about global warming shine through, always with an underlying love and wonder about the Natural world." Charlie Nardozzi - Host of The Vermont Garden Journal and Author




The Woodchuck's Guide to Gardening


Book Description

RRon Krupp is a master of gardening and storytelling. "The Woodchuck's Guide to Gardening" is a critical resource for beginning and experienced gardners who need seasoned, practical ideas. Ron has a deep respect for the power of the seed, and the importance of healthy soil. He shares his lessons through poetry, wit, and prose.S--Enid Wonnacott, executive director of the Northeast Farming Association of Vermont.




Second Nature


Book Description

“One of the distinguished gardening books of our time,” from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma (USA Today). Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 greatest books ever written about gardening After Michael Pollan bought an old Connecticut dairy farm, he planted a garden and attempted to follow Thoreau’s example: do not impose your will upon the wilderness, the woodchucks, or the weeds. That ethic did not, of course, work. But neither did pesticides or firebombing the woodchuck burrow. So Michael Pollan began to think about the troubled borders between nature and contemporary life. The result is a funny, profound, and beautifully written book in the finest tradition of American nature writing. It inspires thoughts on the war of the roses; sex and class conflict in the garden; virtuous composting; the American lawn; seed catalogs, and the politics of planting a tree. A blend of meditation, autobiography, and social history, Second Nature, from the renowned author of The Botany of Desire, In Defense of Food, and other bestsellers, is “as delicious a meditation on one man’s relationship with the Earth as any you are likely to come upon” (The New York Times Book Review). “Usually when Americans have wanted to explore their relationship to nature they’ve gone to the wilderness, or the woods. Michael Pollan went to the garden instead . . . and he’s returned with a quirky and pleasing book.” —Annie Dillard “A joy to read.” —Los Angeles Times




The Grumpy Gardener


Book Description

Definitive gardening advice - along with a story or two - for the novice or expert from one of the nation's most-trusted, and Grumpy, sources. Gardeners from across the country have turned to Southern Living Senior Garden Editor Steven Bender - known affectionately as "The Grumpy Gardener" - for his keen knowledge and gardening know-how with equal doses sarcasm and sidesplitting humor for nearly 35 years. Finally, the collected wit and wisdom of the magazine's most irreverent and beloved columnist can be found in a single A - Z volume, providing gardeners from coast-to-coast with his valuable tips for planting, troubleshooting, and growing flowers, vegetables, shrubs, trees and more, all delivered in his signature cantankerous style. Sidebars throughout the book - "Ask Grumpy" - help readers tackle common garden problems ("How do I get ride of little house ants?"), and readers from the past 35 years take part in the book when Grumpy shares his favorite reader's responses to some of his advice, his favorite rules for gardening, and Q & A's covering your favorite plants and flowers are all inside. Additionally, beautiful line-drawings and illustrations throughout make the book as beautiful to look at as well as entertaining to read. The Grumpy Gardener is sure to become the most trusted tool in your gardening shed!




A Way to Garden


Book Description

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.




Designing a Garden


Book Description

The intimate Monk's Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston embodies the design principles that inform the work of noted landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. In Designing a Garden, Van Valkenburgh presents the design of the Monk's Garden at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, an intimate, walled garden that Laurie Olin has described as "a masterpiece, and not a minor one." The book documents the evolution of the garden's design, which is based on the concept of meandering paths through a dreamlike woodland to create a contemplative space. Sketches and models show how the idea was worked out, and lush photographs reveal the completed garden through the seasons. Van Valkenburgh's text explores the origins of his love of landscape and plants in his family farm in Upstate New York and how this has influenced his intuitions as a designer. He shares the full background story of the Monk's Garden, focusing on the experimental nature of design work as well as the challenges and satisfactions of the small scale and the historic and cultural context. Designing a Garden provides a unique first-person account of the design process from the most prominent landscape architects in the country.




A Year at Brandywine Cottage


Book Description

“If you've been looking to be inspired by nature and everything your garden gives you, you'll be enriched by the tips and wisdom presented in this book.” —Garden Design Magazine There has never been a better time to dedicate yourself to a life enriched by nature. In A Year at Brandywine Cottage, David Culp inspires you to find that connection in the comfort of your own backyard. Organized seasonally, A Year at Brandywine Cottage is filled with fresh ideas and trusted advice on flower gardening, growing vegetables and herbs, creating simple floral arrangements, and cooking seasonally with home-grown produce. You’ll find suggested tasks for each month, including advice on when to plant and harvest, how to weed and water, and what to plant for year-round beauty. Packed with glorious photography by Rob Cardillo and brimming with practical tips, A Year at Brandywine Cottage is your guide to living your best life in—and out—of the garden.




Around the Garden


Book Description




Five-Plant Gardens


Book Description

With literally hundreds of choices, it can be overwhelming to decide which perennials to plant in your garden. Nancy J. Ondra takes the stressful guesswork out of perennial garden planning by offering 52 vibrant designs, each made up of only five plants. Ondra tailors each simple design to a specific set of growing conditions, with plenty of tips to help your planting mature. Enjoy gardens full of sun-drenched blooming flowers and shade-loving greenery for years to come.




Scratching the Woodchuck


Book Description

Presents essays about the plant and animal life of the author's northeastern Ohio farm