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Seed Library Reading Book List

Adults and Teens:


by Mel Bartholomew

Rapidly increasing in popularity, square foot gardening is the most practical, foolproof way to grow a home garden. That explains why author and gardening innovator Mel Bartholomew has sold more than two million books describing how to become a successful DIY square foot gardener. Now, with the publication of All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition, the essential guide to his unique step-by-step method has become even better.


Mel developed his techniques back in the early 1980s and has been teaching them throughout the world ever since. In the process, he has made improvements and refinements and continually adapted his practices to keep pace with modern times.


In this new volume, Bartholomew furthers his discussion on one of the most popular gardening trends today: vertical gardening. He also explains how you can make gardening fun for kids by teaching them the square foot method. Finally, an expanded section on pest control helps you protect your precious produce. Rich with new full-color images and updated tips for selecting materials, this beautiful new edition is perfect for brand-new gardeners as well as the millions of square foot gardeners who are already dedicated to Mel’s industry-changing insights.




by Brian Lowell

If you want a vibrant, chemical-free vegetable garden, companion planting is the solution.


Did you know tomatoes produce a natural insecticide that can help protect carrots against pests? Or that planting mint near lettuce can repel slugs? Every gardener knows that the key to an abundant harvest in their vegetable garden is controlling pests and disease, while still maintaining a healthy growing environment. But it is possible to have a healthy, thriving vegetable garden without using dangerous chemicals? It is, as long as you know how to pair up the right plants. Organic gardeners have known for years that planting the right plants together is the key to minimizing pests, improving soil quality, and increasing the yield of their gardens, and almost any vegetable you can grow likely has a beneficial companion. Companion planting is the ideal way to avoid using chemicals, while still increasing the efficiency of your garden. Expert organic gardener Brian Lowell will teach you how to use plants to create a beautiful, vibrant vegetable garden that will be free of toxic chemicals.




by Claus Dalby

Beauty, charm, and simplicity are the hallmarks of the Scandinavian planting techniques featured in Containers in the Garden.


Celebrity gardener and Danish floral designer Claus Dalby shares his signature container gardening style in this gorgeously illustrated book. His distinctive use of a single plant species in each pot, with dozens of planted pots collected together, creates elegant and eye-catching garden displays. Partnered with an abundance of textures and often a monochromatic color palette, Claus’s container gardens change with the seasons. By combining flower and foliage colors with beautiful pottery and layered displays, the results are nothing short of extraordinary.


In Containers in the Garden, the English-language version of his top-selling Danish gardening book, Claus shares his best-kept secrets so that you, too, can create the container garden of your dreams. Season by season and color by color, you’ll learn how to plant, organize, tend, and share your potted plantings. Whether your display is on the front steps or the back patio, the simple yet bold design methods found here create unique garden features that are a joy to behold.




by Misilla dela Llama

Four-Season Food Gardening hands you all the know-how you need to make growing food 365 days a year your new superpower!


Unlike most other vegetable gardening books on the market, this one approaches the subject through the lens of what you can grow during each of the four seasons, even if you live in a cold climate. Using season-extension techniques, such as cold frames, mini hoop houses, and thick mulches, combined with a thoughtful mixture of annual and perennial crops, you’ll discover that eating from your backyard through all 12 months is possible.


With a hearty dose of enthusiasm and expertise, author Misilla dela Llana of YouTube’s Learn to Grow channel presents this season-by-season guide to growing edible plants, covering everything from what tasks and what crops are best for each harvesting season to step-by-step DIY projects for structures and methods to temper weather extremes. With Four-Season Food Gardening you can keep on growing, no matter what challenges Mother Nature presents.


Inside, you’ll find info on:

  • Veggies you can harvest in the dead of winter

  • Foods that come from perennial plants you harvest from for many years

  • How to build and use cold frames and other season extenders to prolong your harvest

  • Tips for incorporating layers of edible plants to maximize space

  • Pruning, planting, and maintenance advice for dozens of crops

  • Seasonal maintenance and harvesting know-how from a pro

Build a forest of food in your backyard and reap the delicious rewards for years to come!




by Christie Purifoy

Much more than a how-to flower gardening book (though you will learn how to), Garden Maker is for those who want to grow beautiful things that reflect the glory and majesty of the Creator and bring a little bit of heaven down to earth.

From the beginning God made a garden, so it’s no surprise if you feel closer to Him with your hands in the dirt and the sun on your back. There is something profoundly soul-satisfying about creating and cultivating beauty. If you long to experience more splendor in your life, you can grow some of your very own.


Join kindred spirit Christie Purifoy as she helps you unearth the simple delights of growing garden flowers, from preparing and planning to creating beautiful bouquets and other arrangements. Lavishly photographed and lovingly written, this all-seasons guide invites you to discover the innumerable joys and wonders to be found in the flower garden.




by Alan Buckingham

In tune with the popular move toward fresh, local, and homegrown food, The Kitchen Garden lets you get the most from your garden and helps to dramatically reduce the amount you spend on produce at the supermarket.


This new edition of the bestselling guide from Alan Buckingham is filled with seasonal advice, essential to-do lists, and essential fruit and vegetable crop planners. Discover how to grow fresh, seasonal produce in your garden all year round, and take the uncertainty out of your harvest with clear, reliable gardening advice for every month.


In-depth crop planners show you when to sow and how to cultivate more than 60 herbs, fruit, and vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, and apples. Month-by-month alerts help you guard against the season's garden pests and diseases to ensure a top-quality harvest. Prioritize key tasks, learn crop rotation techniques, and try step-by-step garden projects, such as sowing peas in guttering and making your own compost bin.


Ideal for first-time vegetable growers, urban gardeners, and seasoned gardeners alike, The Kitchen Garden has everything you need to know to make the most of your plot.





by Juliet Diaz

All it will take is for you to slow down and pay attention to the world around you and, I promise, you will find the world within you.


Indigenous seer, gifted plant whisperer, and Witchery author Juliet Diaz invites you to walk the path of the Plant Witch. Journey far beyond the basic medicinal and magical properties of plants, deep into Mother Earth's drumming heart. Drawn from ancestral practices passed down by generations of teachers, the lessons in this book will awaken your intimate connection with nature, your ancestors, your guides, and to your true self through the powerful magic of plants.


Even as humans forget our place in nature's rhythm and cause harm to our Earth Mother, the spirits of plants still call out to us, appear in our dreams, and inspire us as they push through cracks in cement-resilient and determined to thrive. From abre camino and acacia to yucca and ZZ plant, each has unique personality and wisdom to share if we are only willing to listen.





by Caleb Warnock

Stop wasting money on store-bought seeds and create a garden you can truly call your own. With easy-to-follow instructions for lettuce, beans, corn, onions, and much more, you'll soon be creating your very own heirloom plants that will keep your garden growing strong and your family eating well. Learn how to save only the best from all your vegetables and create a wealth of seeds your family can use for years to come.











Children:

by Kari Cornell

Grow your own fruits and vegetables from nothing but kitchen scraps! Rather than throwing away leftovers from food in your kitchen, you can use them to grow more. Learn how to turn a single sweet potato into a pot full of them. Grow a salad from the end bit of lettuce and a lemon tree from a single seed. Several of these projects require nothing more than a jar, a windowsill, and a few pieces of food that would otherwise end up in the trash or compost. Step-by-step drawings and photographs make it easy to follow along, and fun recipes will help you enjoy the fruits of your labor.





by Alys Fowler

With over 30 fun, easy to follow and rewarding growing projects, foraging activities, experiments and arts and crafts activities, you'll never be bored again!


From growing your own air plants to foraging for edible flowers, gardener, TV presenter and forager Alys Fowler will take you through a range of indoor and outdoor activities that are sure to ignite a lifelong passion for plants! You don't need a garden or any fancy equipment - a homemade pot and watering can, seeds from the kitchen cupboard and a sunny windowsill will do.


With Alys's expert guidance you can grow your own avocado tree, make wildflower seed paper, forage for tasty roots to add to your favourite recipes and even grow neon pink beetroot in the dark! Welcome to the wonderful world of plants - what will you discover?




by DK

Grow It, Cook It is the children's cookbook that starts with the seed of a good idea. More than a cookbook, this innovative book offers a fresh approach to healthy eating by getting children involved in food right from the start. Children will learn that when they eat a carrot, they're biting into a root; salads are made up of leaves; and berries are the fruit and seeds of plants, encouraging an early appreciation of food and its origins.

The recipes in the book take the homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs and use a variety of cooking methods and store-bought ingredients to transform them into truly homemade meals. All the "crops" can be grown in pots, so young chefs don't even need a large garden to enjoy Grow It, Cook It.



by C. Krezel

Enthusiastic young gardeners have the opportunity to develop a green thumb and experience the joys of gardening in this how-to guide for kids. With 18 time-tested, proven projects gleaned from the author's experience as director of "The Good Earth Kids' Club," kids learn how to create a year-round assortment of container gardens that are simple to make, are fun to work on, and in many instances make great gifts. Organized by season, the container gardens run the gamut from "Great Big Garden Bowls for Mom" and "Father's Day Fountains" to sand art terrariums and special occasion holiday containers. In addition to providing the basics on plants and gardening, this helpful guide also includes a glossary of terms, a listing of plants used in the book, a list of resources, and numerous photographs to show kids that they're proceeding on the right path as they create their individual containers.


by DK

In this colorful guide featuring 30 easy gardening projects, kids will learn to grow their own fruits and vegetables, attract wildlife such as butterflies and bees, and recycle household items into animal habitats and fun decorations. Whether they've got a big backyard or just a windowsill, kids can grow all sorts of plants with this beginner's gardening book.


Packed with step-by-step activities, this book teaches children ages 5-8 how to grow garden staples like tomatoes, pumpkins, and zucchini with photographic examples. Each project includes a complete materials list, planting guide, and tips on harvesting your fruits and vegetables, providing plenty of support for kids from start to finish. The book also offers advice on creating creature-friendly spaces within your garden, such as a bee hotel, a ladybug sanctuary, and a home for frogs and toads. By caring for the wildlife around them, kids can grow to better understand the relationship between humans and nature, and how we can support local habitats wherever we happen to live.


Beyond the gardening basics, Let's Get Gardening also helps kids learn about conservation, recycling, and sustainability through simple, hands-on projects. From making mini greenhouses out of leftover glass jars, to growing strawberries in an old pair of rain boots, to repurposing an empty milk carton as a hanging bird feeder, there are so many practical ways for kids to help cut waste and reduce pollution. So grab your potting soil and let's get gardening!

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