Gardens are extensions of our homes, places in which we get outside to relax, entertain, and get some physical exercise. But our gardens are also extensions of the natural world. Through our gardens, as well as other neighborhood greenspaces, we can help counter some of the woes faced by larger environments: rampant development, loss of plant and animal habitat, spread of invasive species, exploitation of natural resources, air and water pollution, and the impacts of global warming. Yes, even small urban backyard landscapes can combat such man-made strains on our local environment—and it’s easy to do! In his new book, The Northwest Garden Manifesto, scientist and gardener John J. Albers provides a comprehensive guide to encourage and enable homeowners to consider the local ecosystem in their own gardens, and in their larger communities. The ideas and concepts in this book reflect the most up-to-date thinking on urban ecology and how to best make our yards reflect the natural world around us. The key to Albers’s approach is for gardeners to first assess the current state of their property and then focus on the following key principles: 1. Protect, conserve, and create healthy soil 2. Maintain healthy plants and create a sustainable landscape 3. Conserve water and other natural resources 4. Protect water and air quality 5. Protect and enhance wildlife habitat 6. Conserve energy 7. Use sustainable methods and materials Through clear explanation, practical examples, and full-color photos, Albers shows how to evaluate any yard in terms of these principles and then challenges the reader to improve each element, one step at a time. From creating better soil to starting a compost pile, attracting pollinators to adding more native plants, or creating a simple circulating water feature to building a fence from recycled wood—gardeners will ultimately turn their backyards into beautiful, healthy, and happy habitat for all.

Evergreen your landscape with the beauty and benefits of conifers Growing Conifers is a beautifully photographed, comprehensive gardening guide for selecting and cultivating conifers. Coverage includes: Conifer taxonomy, classification, and geographic distribution Selecting conifers for size, shape, color, and texture Best practices for placement and planting of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers in urban and rural gardens Growing needs and low-input maintenance Building healthy soil, minimizing water stress, and integrated pest management Benefits of conifers including habitat, water and air quality, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, and food. Conifers are often overlooked in gardening and landscaping in favor of deciduous trees and shrubs. Yet conifers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and offer tremendous aesthetic and ecological benefits for any garden. Growing Conifers is an essential, comprehensive resource for gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop beautiful, sustainable landscapes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Society Publishers is an activist, solutions-oriented publisher focused on publishing books to build a more just and sustainable future. They pride themselves on holding the highest environmental standards of any publisher in North America. In 2002, they committed to printing all their books (including their full color books) on uncoated 100% post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine-free, with low-VOC vegetable-based inks. In doing so, the Growing Conifers' print run alone saved 66 fully grown trees, 5300 gallons of water, and 28,000 lbs of greenhouse gases. When you buy New Society Publishers' books, you are part of the solution!

CLICK HERE to download sample native plants from Real Gardens Grow Natives For many people, the most tangible and beneficial impact they can have on the environment is right in their own yard. Aimed at beginning and veteran gardeners alike, Real Gardens Grow Natives is a stunningly photographed guide that helps readers plan, implement, and sustain a retreat at home that reflects the natural world. Gardening with native plants that naturally belong and thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s climate and soil not only nurtures biodiversity, but provides a quintessential Northwest character and beauty to yard and neighborhood! For gardeners and conservationists who lack the time to read through lengthy design books and plant lists or can’t afford a landscape designer, Real Gardens Grow Natives is accessible yet comprehensive and provides the inspiration and clear instruction needed to create and sustain beautiful, functional, and undemanding gardens. With expert knowledge from professional landscape designer Eileen M. Stark, Real Gardens Grow Natives includes: * Detailed profiles of 100 select native plants for the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades, plus related species, helping make plant choice and placement. * Straightfoward methods to enhance or restore habitat and increase biodiversity * Landscape design guidance for various-sized yards, including sample plans * Ways to integrate natives, edibles, and nonnative ornamentals within your garden * Specific planting procedures and secrets to healthy soil * Techniques for propagating your own native plants * Advice for easy, maintenance using organic methods

The climate of the Pacific Northwest presents its gardeners with a unique set of opportunities—ample rain, great soil, and moderate temperatures—and challenges—brief summer heat, wet winters, and ever-present slugs and snails.Growing the Northwest Garden tackles these problems in a fresh and comprehensive way. This practical handbook includes everything a home gardener needs to successfully garden in the region. It explores popular gardening styles like Japanese gardens, herbaceous and mixed borders, tropical gardens, rock gardens, and woodland gardens. Plant profiles for hundreds of ornamental plants highlight the best annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and bulbs for the region. And a comprehensive review of the region's climates, microclimates, and zones help gardeners with site selection, soil preparation, maintenance, and plant selections.

Tired of being lumped into the unwieldy category of a western garden? Frustrated by the lack of reliable, practical information about gardening in the Pacific Northwest? No longer! The Timber Press Guide to Gardening in the Pacific Northwest presents all the information a gardener—whether novice or expert—needs to keep their garden beautiful and thriving. With a combined 100 years of gardening experience in the Pacific Northwest, the authors clearly explain the unique challenges and joys of gardening in the region. By dividing the Pacific Northwest into seven subregions, they help readers to better understand the climatic and geographical factors that shape their gardens. This complete guide includes extensive profiles of plants that are ideally suited to the region, including perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs, groundcovers, roses, shrubs, trees, and climbers. The month-by-month gardening calendar describes what weather patterns to expect, what's in bloom, and what garden tasks are best done in that month. With additional chapters detailing the most common gardening problems and recommendations for effective, nontoxic ways of dealing with them, this book is nothing short of essential.

"Some of the material in this book appeared previously, in a different form, in the journal Nature"--T.p. verso.