Weeds and What They Tell Us


Book Description

This wonderful little book covers everything you need to know about the types of plants known as weeds. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer discusses the different varieties of weeds, how they grow and what they can tell us about soil health. The process of combatting weeds is discussed in principle as well as in practice, so that it can be applied to any situation. First written in the 1950s, this is still one of the best overviews of the subject available.




Weeds


Book Description

As long as humans have existed, they've worked and competed with plants to shape their surroundings. As cities developed and expanded, their diverse spaces were covered with and colored by weeds. In Weeds, Zachary J. S. Falck presents a comprehensive history of "happenstance plants" in American urban environments. Beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing to the present, he examines the proliferation, perception, and treatment of weeds in metropolitan centers from Boston to Los Angeles. In dynamic city ecosystems, population movements and economic cycles establish and transform habitats where vegetation continuously changes. Americans came to associate weeds with infectious diseases and allergies, illegal dumping, vagrants, drug dealers, and decreased property values. Local governments and citizens' groups attempted to eliminate unwanted plants to better their urban environments and improve the health and safety of inhabitants. Over time, a growing understanding of the natural environment made "happenstance plants" more tolerable and even desirable. In the twenty-first century, scientists have warned that the effects of global warming and the heat-trapping properties of cities are producing more robust strains of weeds. Falck shows that nature continues to flourish where humans have struggled: in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in the abandoned homes of the California housing bust, and alongside crumbling infrastructure. Weeds are here to stay.




Weeds - Guardians of the Soil


Book Description

This is perhaps the first book to be written in praise of weeds. According to Joseph Cocannouer, weeds perform the following valuable services among others: 1. They bring minerals and make them available to crops. 2. When used in crop rotation they crop roots to feed deeply. 3. They fiberize and condition the soil make any soil productive. 4. They are good indicators of soil condition. 5. Weeds are deep divers and feeders they enable crops to withstand drought better. 6. As companion crops they enable our domesticated plants to get unavailable food. 7. Weeds store up minerals and nutrients and keep them readily available. 8. Weeds make good eating. No, Professor Cocannouer does not believe that weeds should be allowed to go rampant and take over our farms and gardens. The function of this book is to demonstrate how the controlled use of weeds can be sound ecology, good conservation and a boon to the average farmer or gardener. (From the Introduction) Get Your Copy Today!




Weeds Find a Way


Book Description

Weeds are wonderful! Persistent, exuberant…these plants have personalities, and this nonfiction picture book puts them on colorful display! From bright yellow dandelions popping through cracks in sidewalks to purple loosestrife growing rampant along roadways, weeds offer unexpected splashes of color and life to the least likely of places. With lovely language and a sly sense of humor, this beautiful picture book celebrates the tenacious temperaments of these pesky plants and is sure to have little ones chanting, “Way to go, weeds!”




The Humane Gardener


Book Description

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.




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.




Working With Weeds


Book Description

Imagine not having to weed a garden? Ahhh, time for the more fun tasks. No weeds and no poison? Easy! Throw away the herbicides and instead learn to read the weeds. What are they telling you about gaps in the garden? Do you need more mulch or better soil care? Are you mowing the lawn too short? Weed management is not hard when you know your weeds. Weeds present an opportunity to learn about our soil, our garden and our environment, if we only pay attention. They provide important soil care, critical insect habitat and even delicious and nutritious free food - yes there are plenty of weeds you can eat. Kate is one of Australia's leading weed experts. Why? Because by helping us to understand our weeds, Kate is helping us to become better gardeners. A weed free garden does not need poison, it needs a new approach, and Working With Weeds presents us with lots of options for the best new approach to create our own garden without weeds.




Weeds


Book Description

This earth-friendly, organic guide takes a fresh approach, encouraging you to see garden weeds as more than simply unwelcome invaders in your flower borders, kitchen garden, allotment, greenhouse, polytunnel, patio, courtyard, containers, lawn, path or drive. Weeds helps you identify, make use of and tackle weeds without using chemical weedkillers.




The Wondrous World of Weeds


Book Description

What is a weed? The dictionary will tell you it is simply a plant growing out of place. In The Wondrous World of Weeds you will discover that there are plants all around us with culinary and holistic potential. They are also good companions in the garden for vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers, and can tell you about the quality of your soil and any imbalances that are present. This comprehensive and practical guide features more than 300 stunning, close up-images to help with the identification of weeds as well as a full description, list of common names, environmental impact, uses and medicinal value for each plant. It covers a full range of weeds from those annoying plants that pop up in the garden to majestic trees.




Weeds


Book Description

Charles Walters, founder and long-time editor of Acres U.S.A., the monthly journal of eco-agriculture, has revised and expanded his now classic text on the secrets that weeds reveal to us about our soil. For a thorough understanding of the conditions that produce certain weeds, you simply can't find a better source than this one -- certainly not one as entertaining, as full of anecdotes and home-spun common sense.