The book that helped make Michael Pollan, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, Cooked and The Omnivore's Dilemma, one of the most trusted food experts in America

Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers' genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires--sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control--with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind's most basic yearnings. And just as we've benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom?

Grow big or go home! That seems to be the choice for any aspiring gardener who wants an at-home-garden: you can either use your space for one or two plants - or find a new space. But in High Yield, Small Space Organic Gardening, there aren't any limits. Gardening expert and author, Christy Wilhelmi, shares her easy-to-follow low effort, scientific approach and tips for cultivating crops in small or unconventional spaces that she's learned from maintaining productive gardens of less than 300 square-feet. You'll find techniques for maintaining whole garden ecosystems. You'll discover guides for planning and planting for your unique space. You'll uncover the best options for garden beds and learn the secrets of irrigation and pest control no matter where you live. The step-by-step guides outline everything in specific detail - all the way up to recipes you can use to enjoy the vegetables you grew! Unlock the science behind high-yield gardening and discover why you don't need to be a big-time landowner to cultivate a beautiful, productive garden.

This book covers all the basics of gardening in simple language that is easy for even the novice gardener to understand. In fact, this book was written specifically for the inexperienced gardener to give them a leg up on getting their growing season off to a good start.

Readers will be provided with information on how to establish several different styles of gardens, giving them the opportunity to take advantage of the style that will work for them. Conventional gardens, vertical gardens, container gardens, and even herb gardens are discussed in detail.

Urban readers will even be given insightful information on how to shop Farmer's Gardens to supplement or substitute for gardening in the limited space they normally have available to them. If you've ever wanted to garden, but didn't know where to begin, this is the book for you There are even some tips that may be beneficial to veteran gardeners as well.

Learn how to setup a Community Garden that will allow several members from the surrounding neighborhoods to take advantage of the ability to grow healthy, wholesome food that hasn't been subjected to the horrors of the industrial food chain.

• The story of our folklore fascination with these magical specimens
• The beliefs and rituals surrounding the natural world
• Illustrations and archival images from the Royal Botanical Garden

Have you seen yarn-made scarves, sweaters, chunky blankets? & wondered to yourself if they are easy to make? Or can you try crochet? If the answer is yes, then this book is for you.

Crochet needs no introduction. It just needs some yarn and a suitable hook, and then you are good to begin. Crocheting brings peace of mind, and it keeps you busy in times of stress & much more. In this book, you will get:

- Introduction to crochet & its history

- How can you read & understand the written crochet pattern?

- What supplies do you need to begin crocheting? How many types of crochet are still evolving?

- Basic techniques of crochet

- Fundamental crochet stitches & how to start them

- Easy & Fun Crochet Patterns for Beginners

- If you are left-handed, then worry not. This book also includes how to crochet with the left hand & what changes to make?

- Tips, techniques, washing instructions for your crochet projects

- How can you be good at crochet?

The list does not end here; you can try it for yourself. This book may be your next best friend or the next best thing. With this book, you will learn how to crochet from the basics & much more.

Then, do not waste any more time. Get this book & start your crochet journey today!

The Bedside Companion for Gardeners incorporates practical advice from the 17th-century gardening diarist John Evelyn; inspiring prose from Elizabeth von Arnim and John Milton; astute commentary from Horace Walpole on William Kent and Nancy Mitford on the vulgarity of a Surrey garden. Kipling offers practical advice, while Tennyson waxes lyrical on an Arabian night garden.

The perfect gift for any gardener, this magical book is an invaluable source of inspiration and guidance to revisit throughout the year.

Charmingly illustrated with delicate drawings, this a jewel of a guide to treasure.

On Compost chronicles the cultivation of a suburban backyard as a way to highlight the larger story of how to live more sustainably and with ecological purpose-and lots of freshly made living soil. The tale the author found himself telling is also about raising a son, befriending a whole neighborhood, and engaging with the larger world upon which his humble compost heap is just a speck. Scott Smith lives in Westport, Connecticut.

It may start with just one special piece that catches your eye and captures your heart, stirring an affection that quickly grows into an assemblage so dear, its sentimental value is beyond calculation.

Take Your Flowers From Soil to Sales With This Step-By-Step Guide That Will Turn Your Hobby Into a Success Business! - From Marketing Strategies, Financial Advice, and Tips and Tricks to Make Your Flowers Extra Beautiful.

Transform your green thumb into a thriving business with Flower Farming for Profit, the indispensable handbook for anyone dreaming of cultivating beauty and reaping financial rewards.

Delve into the fragrant pages of this guide and discover the secrets and strategies for cultivating stunning blooms that turn heads - and profits.

Inside, you'll unearth the expertise to grow your flower farming business:

Foundational Flower Knowledge: Learn the secrets to selective cultivation, ensuring each stem you grow contributes to a vibrant, diverse, and profitable crop.Sustainable Strategies: Gain insights into the latest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly agricultural practices that respect Earth while yielding high-quality flowers.Marketing Magic: Discover the art of turning your flowers into a coveted brand, with proven marketing strategies tailored to the unique beauty of your harvest.Financial Flourishing: Get comprehensive guidance on managing the financial facets of your flower farm business, ensuring every petal and penny is accounted for.And more!

Flower Farming for Profit goes beyond just gardening - it's a guidebook for sowing the seeds of success in a field that merges passion with profitability. Unlock the potential of each bud and blossom with a guide designed to help you thrive in the competitive flower market.

Prepare to cultivate not just flowers, but a flourishing enterprise where beauty and business bloom in harmony.

Whether you are a budding florist, an aspiring entrepreneur, or an active gardener looking to diversify, this book provides the soil-to-sale wisdom you need to flourish in the field of flower farming.

Let your business dreams take root today with Flower Farming for Profit and watch it bloom spectacularly!

Thoroughly updated from root to leaf, this revised edition of the groundbreaking What a Plant Knows includes new revelations for lovers of all that is vegetal and verdant.

Plants can hear--and taste things, too

The renowned biologist Daniel Chamovitz builds on the original edition to present an intriguing look at how plants themselves experience the world--from the colors they see to the schedules they keep, and now, what they do in fact hear and how they are able to taste. A rare inside look at what life is really like for the grass we walk on, the flowers we sniff, and the trees we climb, What a Plant Knows offers a greater understanding of their place in nature.

Spending time in nature is scientifically proven to be good for us - the benefits are endless and it has the power to make us feel better both physically and emotionally.

Organized by season, The Wild Handbook provides a thoughtful collection of activities to get you back in touch with nature and improve your physical and mental wellbeing. It's an antidote to the stresses of modern life - activities include stargazing, wild swimming, various seasonal crafts, forest bathing, foraging and filling your home with natural materials and air purifying plants.

Whether you live in the middle of a city or out in the countryside, you'll find practical ideas to suit your lifestyle. Illustrated with atmospheric color artwork, this beautiful gift book makes a wonderful present for the nature-seeker in all of us.

Get a thorough & professional introduction to Permaculture Design in only a few sittings reading The Permaculture Student 1 set. Following the directions and guides, you can start your own permaculture oasis - no matter your climate or growing situation.

The Permaculture Student 1 condenses the certification requirements of a standard Permaculture Design Certification course into a reference manual that costs a fraction of an in-person or online permaculture design certification course. You can find The Permaculture Student 1 being used by individuals of all ages and teachers in elementary schools, high schools, and homeschools. It is a reference manual rather than a traditional textbook of units and assignments, so it is easier to use in designing. Colorful, scientifically accurate, and engaging illustrations are found throughout the pages. Written by a professional educator with years of classroom experience and curriculum design with a team of professional reviewers and editors.

A catechism is a way of teaching the Faith that strengthens the bonds of unity in our Church and, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, enlivens the faith of the People of God.

In the same spirit, Master Gardener and certified greenhouse grower Margaret Realy's A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them will help you create a garden that is more than just a landscape. Filled with an array of plants for all seasons and climates, this beautiful book shows you how to create a faith-based garden that symbolically expresses the teachings of our faith and leads you into prayer.

Presenting accurate plant culture that is easy to understand, aesthetically pleasing, and grounded in Catholic history and tradition, A Garden Catechism is perfect for beginning and experienced gardeners alike. Entries for each plant include:

• Vintage-style color botanical drawing
• Symbolism from Christian literature, art, and folklore
• Horticultural information including each plant's unique characteristics, habitat needs, and attributes (such as fragrance, seasonal color, and butterfly/pollinator attractant)
• Expert tips for successful growth and care

Plus, you'll find a wealth of useful information about gardening basics, how to craft a prayer garden, and selecting the right plants for your vision and space.

This unique, comprehensive resource combines the heritage of our Faith and the joy of gardening in a way that is accessible to anyone.

Let's get growing!

For a handy, all-encompassing gardener's resource that includes traditional garden journal worksheets and prayer journaling pages and has everything you need to design and maintain a prayer garden, check out Realy's Planting with Prayer: The Catholic Gardening Handbook (OSV, 2025).

Whether your garden consists of large raised beds or a few pots on the patio, Kathryn K. Fontenot's The Louisiana Urban Gardener offers easy guidelines and useful tools to jump-start and maintain small yet bountiful gardens.

Beginning and sustaining a successful home garden in an urban environment can be a daunting prospect, but Fontenot eliminates the guesswork with tips on testing and preparing soil, guidelines on what to purchase from local garden centers, and basic techniques, schedules, and strategies to produce a thriving crop. From where to plant for the best juicy home-grown tomatoes to how to organically protect against pests to when to grow fragrant oregano and rosemary, this resource offers definitive answers and ensures that novices have all the expertise they need to enjoy Louisiana's year-round growing climate.

The Louisiana Urban Gardener includes:

Guidance on choosing the best location for your garden
Tips on garden design for containers, raised beds, and in-ground gardens
Advice for preparing the best soil for your garden
Strategies for managing insects, disease, and weeds
Season-by-season instruction on what to plant and when to harvest
An appendix on Louisiana gardens to visit for inspiration

Tending to pots of young peas, sharing a fresh summer watermelon with friends, or bringing extra beets and kale to coworkers on a winter day are just a few of the rewards of gardening. The Louisiana Urban Gardener gives everyone, from young professionals to retirees, the knowledge they need to enjoy all the pleasures of homegrown food.

Homegrown Tea explains how to grow a large variety of plants in your own garden, on a balcony or even on a window sill could become your tea cupboard. It shows you how to grow your tea from seeds, cuttings, or small plants, as well as which parts of the plant are used to make tea. Liversidge lays out when and how to harvest your plants, as well as information on how to prepare the plant, including how to dry tea leaves to make tea you can store to last you throughout the year. As a guide to using tea to make you feel better, there are nutritional and medicinal benefits. Finally, there is an illustrated guide to show how to make up fresh and dried teabags and how to serve a delicious homegrown tea. It is sustainable way to look at a beverage, which is steeped in history and tradition.

Sample drinks include well-known plants such as rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus, and lavender, as well as more obscure ones like chicory, angelica, apple geranium, and lemon verbena.

Are you thinking about moving to a country homestead, but have no idea how to start planning?

Do you want to raise your level of self-sufficiency, but live in a small city apartment and don't know how to do it?

Just imagine what it would be like if you didn't have to rely on municipal power or water grids (or pay those expensive bills every month).

Not to mention the joy and health benefits of growing your own organic food, instead of being forced to buy supermarket food infused with dangerous chemicals and pesticides.

Does this sound like a lot of work?

You're right. It is.

Planning your homestead journey can take weeks, or even months if you're a complete beginner.

You would have to read numerous books, research the farthest corners of the Internet, and spend thousands of dollars on consultations.

And even after all that planning, there are no guarantees that you wouldn't miss something crucial... something that would make a huge dent in your budget and make you regret starting this blasted thing in the first place.

That's how it goes for most first-time homesteaders -- they make mistakes, lose money, learn from the experience, and spend more money to make it right.

If you don't want to be one of them, you've come to the right place.

You don't have to plan everything yourself. Actually, you don't have to plan anything yourself.

We've done it for you.

In The Homesteading Handbook, you will discover:

• A diverse range of different ways to live your homesteading dream, even if you can't afford moving to the country
• The best US states to live in when homesteading or going off-the-grid
• A complete guide to utility options for homesteaders, including renewable energy and water sources
• Exactly how you can avoid making expensive beginner's mistakes when planning your homesteading paradise
• Different ways to become completely food independent -- even if you don't own a lot of garden space
• How to deal with medical emergencies when you live in an isolated area
• Types of homestead properties (and how to choose the right one for yourself)
• How to become a homesteader on a small budget

And much more.

No matter your motivation, financial situation, or living arrangements, homesteading is a great option for anyone who wants to gain any level of independence -- whether that's a small taste or complete control of your lifestyle.

Even if you live in a city apartment, this book will spark your imagination, and show you how to make the most of what you have to become thoroughly self-sufficient.