Some Selected Books on Organic Gardening, Lawncare, Farming, etc.
Compiled by Terry Slade
Teaming With Microbes - Jeff Lowenfels, Wayne Lewis
Subtitled: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web
2006 Timber Press 196 pages (paperback $24.95) ISBN10:0881927775 ISBN13:9780881927771
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Explains recent science behind organic concepts such as the "soil food web".
Dirt - The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth - William Bryant Logan
2006 W.W. Norton 224 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN10:039332947X ISBN13:9780393329476
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Backyard Composting - John W. Roulac
1992 Harmonius Technologies 96 pages (paperback $6.95) ISBN 0962976830
Good basic up-to-date info on making and using compost. Very easy to read.
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The Rodale Book of Composting - Grace Gershuny, Deborah L. Martin, editors
1992 Rodale Books 278 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0878579915
As "the bible of composting" this book supercedes Rodale's Complete Book
of Composting (1979), which itself superceded Rodale's The Complete Book
of Composting (1960).
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The Complete Book of Composting - J.I. Rodale and Staff
1960 Rodale 1007 pages (hardback)
Classic work with tons of info on composting.
Long out of print but easily found on eBay, etc.
Compost This Book - Tom Christopher, Marty Asher
1994 Sierra Club Books 248 pages (paperback $12.00) ISBN 087156596X
Let It Rot! - The Home Gardener's Guide to Composting - Stu Campbell
1st edition: 1975 Garden Way 109 pages (paperback) ISBN 0882660500
3rd edition: 1998 Storey 160 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 1580170234
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Mike McGrath's Book of Compost - Mike McGrath
2006 Sterling 128 pages ($9.95 paperback) ISBN10: 1042733984 ISBN13:9781042733987
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McGrath is the host of the radio show on organic gardening,
"You Bet Your Garden", and a former editor of Organic Gardening Magazine.
Secrets of the Soil - Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird
Subtitled: New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet
Revised edition 1998 Earthpulse 422 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1890693243
A collection of lots of ideas, many quite radical, including ideas from
Rudolf Steiner. The authors are well-known for their previous book
(published in the 70's), The Secret Life of Plants.
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Start with the Soil - Grace Gershuny
Subtitled: The Organic Gardeners Guide to Improving Soil for Higher Yields,
More Beautiful Flowers, and A Healthy, Easy-Care Garden.
1993 Rodale 274 pages (paperback $15.95) ISBN 0875966977
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Soul of the Soil - Joe Smillie, Grace Gershuny
Subtitled: A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers
1st edition 1983
4th edition 1999 Chelsea Green 173 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 1890132314
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Soil - Rodale Organic Gardening Basics Vol. 2
2000 Rodale 106 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0875968384
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Compost - Rodale Organic Gardening Basics Vol. 8
2001 Rodale 106 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0875968562
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Healthy Soil
1995 Taunton Press 95 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 1561581011
A collection of articles from Fine Gardening magazine.
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The Gardener's Guide to Better Soil - Gene Logsdon
1975 Rodale 246 pages (hardback) ISBN 087857106X
The Enlivened Rock Powders - Harvey Lisle
1994 Acres USA 194 pages (paperback) ISBN 0911311483
Based on ideas from Rudolf Steiner.
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Soil and Composting - Nancy J. Ondra
The Complete Guide to Building Healthy Fertile Soil - Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guides
1998 Houghton Mifflin 122 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0395862949
Secrets to Great Soil - Elizabeth P. Stell
A Grower's Guide to Composting, Mulching, and Creating Healthy, Fertile Soil for Your Garden and Lawn
1998 Storey Communications 215 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1580170080
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The Humanure Handbook - Joseph Jenkins
Subtitled: A Guide to Composting Human Manure
2nd edition - 1999 Jenkins Publishing 302 pages (paperback $19.00) ISBN 0964425890
Some might consider this an extremely radical book, others might consider it
totally basic info. For more on the subject, see also Farmers of Forty
Centuries, listed below in the Organic Farming section.
The complete text of this book is online at the author's website:
www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html
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Worms Eat My Garbage - Mary Appelhof
1st edition 1982
2nd edition 1997 Flower Press 162 pages (paperback) ISBN 0942256107
All about vermicomposting (composting with worms). The author is know as
"The Worm Woman".
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Author's website: www.wormwoman.com
Worms Eat Our Garbage - Mary Appelhof, Mary Frances Fenton, Barbara Loss
Subtitled: Classroom Activities for a Better Environment
1993 Flower Press 214 pages (paperback $22.95) ISBN 0942256050
Worm composting for kids.
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The Earthworm Book - Jerry Minnich
Subtitled: How to Raise and Use Earthworms for Your Farm and Garden
1977 Rodale 372 pages (out of print) ISBN 0878571930
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The Worm Book - Loren Nancarrow, Janet Hogan Taylor
Subtitled: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden
1998 Ten Speed Press 152 pages (paperback $11.95) ISBN 0898159946
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The Earth Moved - Amy Stewart
Subtitled: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms
2004 Algonquin Books 256 pages (hardback $23.95) ISBN 1565123379
2005 Algonquin Books 240 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 1565124685
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Amazon - paperback
Author's website: www.amystewart.com
Redesigning the American Lawn - A Search for Environmental Harmony
F. Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori, Gordon T. Geballe
1st Edition 1995 Yale University Press (paperback) ISBN 0300061978
1st Edition 1995 Yale University Press (hardback $25.00) ISBN 0300054017
2nd Edition 2001 Yale University Press 178 pages (paperback $18.00) ISBN 0300086946
A serious examination of lawns. Very important book! From the back cover:
"Americans enthusiastically plant, weed, water, spray, and mow 31 million
acres of lawn. But is our dedication to theses lawns contributing to the
serious environmental problems facing the planet? The authors in this book
argue that it is, and they offer strategies for creating and caring for
aesthetically pleasing and ecologically sound lawns." Discusses the "freedom
lawn" - whatever lives under the mower blade.
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The Lawn - A History of an American Obsession - Virginia Scott Jenkins
1994 Smithosonian Institution Press 246 pages (paperback) ISBN 1560984066
Very interesting and thorough look at the history of the modern lawn and the
lawn care industry.
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American Green - Ted Steinberg
Subititled: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn
2005 W.W. Norton 320 pages ($16.95 paperback) ISBN10:0393329305 ISBN13:9780393329308
Looks at the sociology and ecology of modern American lawn care.
(I have not yet seen this book).
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Lawn People - Paul Robbins
Subititled: How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are
2007 Temple University Press 208 pages ($23.95 paperback) ISBN10:159213579X ISBN13:9781592135790
Another sociological look at modern lawn care. (I have not yet seen this book).
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The Organic Lawn Care Manual - Paul Tukey
2007 Storey Publishing 271 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1580176496
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Down-To-Earth Natural Lawn Care - Dick Raymond
1993 Storey Communications 154 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 088268102
The author once hosted The Joy of Gardening TV show and has 50 years of
experience in lawn care. Good coverage of the subject in a "down to earth"
manner. Excellent book.
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Building a Healthy Lawn - A Safe and Natural Approach - Stuart Franklin
1988 Storey Communications 168 pages (paperback $9.95) ISBN 088265189
Good basic book on the subject.
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The Chemical-Free Lawn - Warren Schultz
1989 Rodale 194 pages ISBN 0878577998
Good basic book on the subject.
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Handbook of Successful Ecological Lawncare - Paul D. Sachs
1996 Edaphic Press 284 pages (paperback $18.95) ISBN 0963605313
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Safe and Easy Lawn Care - Barbara Ellis, editor
Subtitled: The Complete Guide to Organic Low Maintenance Lawns
(Taylors Weekend Garden Guides - Book 2)
1997 Houghton Mifflin 121 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0395813697
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Wild Lawn Handbook - Stevie Daniels
Subtitled: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn
1995 MacMillan 223 pages (hardback $22.00) ISBN 0025294458
Lots of info on replacing lawns with wildflower meadows, etc.
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Lawns - Rodale Organic Gardening Basics Vol. 1
2000 Rodale 106 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0875968376
Good, basic, easy-to-read guide. Chapters: 1 Go Organic!, 2 Getting
Ready for Planting, 3 Picking the Right Grass, 4 New Lawns, 5 Essential
Tools, 6 Mowing Tips, 7 No More Weeds, 8 Lawn Alternatives.
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How to Get Your Lawn and Garden Off Drugs - Carole Rubin
Subtitled: A Basic Guide to Pesticide-Free Gardening in North America
1st edition 1990 Harbour Publishing
2nd edition 2003 Harbour Publishing
128 pages (paperback) ISBN 1550173200
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Lawns Grasses and Ground Covers - Lewis and Nancy Hill
Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening
1995 Rodale 160 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 087596667
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Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn - Hannah Holmes
2005 Bloomsbury USA 240 pages (hardback $24.95) ISBN 1582344795
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Garden Insects of North America - Whitney Cranshaw
Subtitled: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs
2004 Princeton University Press 656 pages (hardback $99.50) ISBN 0691095604
(paperback $29.95) ISBN 0691095612
The definitive book on garden insect pests. Totally Awesome!
Lots of good color photos. Organized by what the bugs do. Chapters at
the front give info on controlling various types of insect pests.
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Amazon (paperback)
Insect Disease and Weed I.D. Guide - Jill Jesiolowski Cebenko, Deborah L. Martin, editors
Subtitled: Find-It-Fast Organic Solutions for Your Garden
2001 Rodale 308 pages ISBN 0875968678
Lots of pictures of diseases and pests.
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The Gardeners Guide to Common Sense Pest Control
William Olkwoski, Sheile Daar, Helga Olkowski
1995 Taunton Press ($19.95 paperback) ISBN 1561581496
(this is an abridged version of Common Sense Pest Control 1991 Taunton Press)
Basically a manual of IPM (Integrated Pest Management), which relies on a
variety of physical, mechanical, cultural, and biological methods to keep pests
under control, with chemicals being used as a last resort.
Tons of great info. Highly recommended.
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Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses Murphy, Colvin, Dickens, Everest, Hall, McCarty
1992 University of Florida 208 pages (paperback $8.00) ISBN 0974696307
Best book on weed identification I have found. Multiple color pictures (427
total photos) and descriptions of about 200 common lawn weeds. Though this is
specific to the south, many of these weeds would be found elsewhere.
Grassy weeds first, then broadleaf, arranged by families in
alphabetical order. Includes glossary of taxonomic terminology,
index of common names, index of scientific names, illustrations of diagnostic
features of grassy weeds (ligule, auricle, collar, sheath), and broadleaf
characteristics (leaf margins, leaf shapes, leaf attachments).
Some editions indicate published by the University of Florida, some (older?)
indicate published by University of Georgia. None of my copies
show an ISBN or copyright date. Does not seem to be available from Amazon
and not usually found in bookstores, but not really a rare book. Various
extension service offices might sell it, or search around on the web.
Can be ordered for $8 from the University of Florida Bookstore:
www.ifasbooks.ufl.edu
Weeds of the Northeast - Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal, Jopseph M. Ditomaso
1997 Cornell University Press 416 pages (paperback $29.95) ISBN 0801483344
Excellent manual for weed identification. Although it covers the American
Northeast, many or most of these weeds are found throughout the US and in
other places. Good color photos.
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Weeds of the West - Parker, Lee, Nelson, Cudney, Burril, Whitson, Dewey
1991 University of Wyoming 630 pages ISBN 0941570134
Each weed gets 2 pages - the left page is a full-color photo, the right page is
descriptive text and more color photos. Excellent reference for identifying
over 300 common and important weeds of the western US. Most of these are rural
or farm weeds rather than urban or lawn weeds. Organized alphabetically
by family name. Fun just to look at the pictures.
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Controlling Weeds - Erin Hynes
1995 Rodale Press 160 pages (hardback) ISBN 0875966675 (paperback) ISBN 0875966683
Excellent book - each weed gets a color photo. Includes info on how to control
each weed without chemicals. Out of print but easy to find cheap.
Amazon - hardback
Amazon - paperback
Controlling Weeds - Susan Roth, project editor
1989 Ortho Books / Chevron Chemical 96 pages (paperback) ISBN 0897211979
Of course this one features chemicals, but it is a pretty good ID book
with color photos. Easy to find used ones cheap.
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Weeds - Control Without Poisons - Charles Walters
1991 Acres USA 352 pages (paperback $22.00) ISBN 0911311580
Classic text on what weeds are all about. What they reveal about the
soil and how to control them. Oriented to farming.
Publishers website: Acres USA
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Weeds - Guardians of the Soil - Joseph Cocannouer
1950 Devin Adair
Explains that weeds grow for a reason and are usually trying to improve the soil.
The full text of this classic work is online here:
www.journeytoforever.org/farm_library/weeds/WeedsToC.html
By the same author: Farming with Nature
Invasive Plants - Weeds of the Global Garden - John M. Randall, Janet Marinelli
Brooklyn Botanic Garden 21st Century Gardening Series Handbook 149
1996 Brooklyn Botanic Garden 111 pages (paperback $9.95) ISBN 0945352956
Specific info on about 80 species of invasive plants - trees, shrubs, annuals,
perennials, grasses, vines, and aquatic plants. These are all non-indigenous
species that have escaped cultivation in the US. Also presented is general info
on various techniques for control and eradication. Very interesting and
important book.
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The Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Book - Thomas E. Anderson
Subtitled: A Short Natural History and Cautionary Account
1995 Acton Circle 130 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0963937189
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Outwitting Poison Ivy - Susan Carol Hauser
2001 Lyons Press 128 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 1585742732
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Weeds in My Garden - Charles B. Heiser
Subtitled: Observations on Some Misunderstood Plants
2003 Timber Press 247 pages (hardback $22.95) ISBN 0881925624
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Weeds Science: Principles and Practices 4th edition - Monaco, Weller, Ashton
2002 John Wiley 682 pages (hardback $125.00) ISBN 0471370517
Publisher's Website
An Amazon.com Listmania list of books about weeds: here
An Agricultural Testament - Sir Albert Howard
First published in England 1940, First American Edition 1943 Oxford University Press
Republished by Rodale Press 1972, 1976. Recently republished by Rodale
Super-classic. The author was knighted by the queen of England for the
discoveries he writes about here.
The Soil and Health - Sir Albert Howard
Subitled: Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease
1947 Devin-Adair Company/Rodale Books 307 pages (paperback)
Farmers of Forty Centuries - F. H. King
2004 Dover 464 pages (paperback $14.95) ISBN 0486436098
1990 Rodale Press (paperback) 0878578676
Rodale Press 379 pages (hardback)
(Dover edition subtitled: Organic Farming in China, Korea, and Japan)
(Earlier editions subtitled: Or Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea, and Japan)
Super-classic, first published in 1911. Various editions exist besides those
listed above.
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Plowman's Folly - Edward H. Faulkner
1943 Universtiy of Oklahoma Press
By the same author: Soil Development
The One-Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Subtitled: An Introduction to Natural Farming
1978 Rodale Press 181 pages (hardback) ISBN 0878572201
2004 India Press 181 pages (paperback) ISBN 8185569312
Super-classic. Very important book. Presents ideas on "do-nothing" agriculture.
Fukuoka has obtained crop yields equal to any other method without fertilizing,
plowing, tilling, composting, etc. Out of Print (except for the Indian edition)
- grab it if you see it! Can always be found on eBay, but usually goes
for high dollar (sometimes not).
Permaculture Handbook - A Designer's Manual - Bill Mollison
1997 Tagari Publications 579 pages (hardback $70.00) ISBN 0908228015
The classic original permaculture book from the creator of the concept.
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The Permaculture Way - Graham Bell
subtitled: Practical Steps To Create a Self-Sustaining World
2005 Permanent Publications 239 pages (paperback $29.95) ISBN 1856230287
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Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability - David Holmgren
2002 Holgren Design Services 286 pages (paperback $30.00) ISBN 0646418440
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Earth User's Guide to Permaculture - Rosemary Morrow
2000 Simon and Schuster 152 pages (paperback $13.00) ISBN 0684872013
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Gaia's Garden - Toby Hemenway
Subtitled: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
2001 Chelsea Green 222 pages (paperback $24.95) ISBN 1890132527
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Noah's Garden - Sara Stein
1993 Houghton Mifflin 294 pages (hardback $21.95) ISBN 0395653738
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Noah's Garden Revisited - Sara Stein
1997 Houghton Mifflin 448 pages (hardback $35.00) ISBN 0395709601
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The Apple Grower - Michael Phillips
Subtitled: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist
2nd edition: 2005 Chelsea Green 360 pages (paperback $40.00) ISBN 1931498911
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1st Edition: 1998 Chelsea Green 300 pages (hardback $35.00) ISBN 1890132047
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Agriculture - Rudolph Steiner
1993 Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association 310 pages (paperback) ISBN 0938250371
Lectures given in 1924.
Gardening for the Future of the Earth - Howard-Yana Shapiro John Harrison
2000 Seeds of Change 230 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 0553375334
A compilation of ideas from the top organic gardeners on the planet. (Bill
Mollison, John Jeavons, Alan York, Carol Deppe, Alan Kapuler, Wes Jackson,
Masanobu Fukuoka). Very cool book. Tons of important info. Highly recommended.
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Gardening When it Counts - Growing Food in Hard Times - Steve Solomon
2005 New Society Publishers 340 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 086571553X
A quote from the back cover: "A magnificent synthesis of garden science,
original garden research, and agricultural history. It shows us how to
garden like our ancestors gardened - how to grow all our family's food with
just hand labor, with just four basic hand tools, and with little or no
electricity or irrigation." Carol Deppe
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Food Not Lawns - Heather C. Flores
subtitled: How to Turn Your Yard Into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community
2006 Chelsea Green 344 pages (paperback $25.00) ISBN 193339207X
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Four-Season Harvest - Eliot Coleman
subtitled: Organic Vegetables From Your Home Garden All Year Long
2nd Revised Edition 1999 Chelsea Green 234 pages (paperback $24.95) ISBN 1890132276
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Best of Organic Gardening Edited by Mike McGrath
Subtitled: Over 50 Years of Organic Advice and Reader Proven Techniques From America's Best-Loved Garden Magazine
1996 Rodale Press 310 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0875966470
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Organic Gardening Manual J. Howard Garrett
1993 Summit 202 pages (paperback) ISBN 1565300823
Seeds of Change - Kenny Ausubel
1994 Seeds of Change 232 pages (paperback $18.00) ISBN 0062500082
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How to Grow More Vegetables - John Jeavons
Subtitled: (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) than you
ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine.
6th edition 2002 Ten Speed Press 231 pages (paperback $17.95) ISBN 1580082335
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Author's website: www.growbiointensive.org
The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book - Ruth Stout, Richard Clemence
1971 Rodale 217 pages ISBN 0878570004
Mulch, mulch, mulch.
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Lasagna Gardening - Patricia Lanza
1998 Rodale 244 pages (hardback $26.95) ISBN 0875967957
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Weedless Gardening - Lee Reich
2001 Workman 200 pages (paperback $8.95) ISBN 0761116966
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All New Square Foot Gardening - Mel Bartholomew
2006 Cool Springs Press 272 pages (paperback $19.99) ISBN10:1591862027 ISBN13:9781591862024
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Supercedes previous edition:
Square Foot Gardening - Mel Bartholomew
1981 Rodale 347 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 0878573410
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Author's website: www.squarefootgardening.com
The Truth About Organic Gardening - Jeff Gillman
Subtitled: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Bottom Line
2008 Timber Press 208 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN10:0881928623 ISBN13:9780881928624
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The Truth About Garden Remedies - Jeff Gillman
Subtitled: What Works, What Doesn't and Why
Revised Edition: 2008 Timber Press 212 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN10:0881929123 ISBN13:9780881929126
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The Garden Primer - Barbara Damrosch
1988 Workman Publishing 673 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 0894803166
A very good comprehensive basic gardening book.
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Passalong Plants - Steve Bender, Felder Rushing
1993 University of North Carolina Press 221 pages (paperback) ISBN 0807844187
A page or two each on 117 "passalong" plants, plants that are easy to share
by cuttings or seeds. These are mainly hardy plants from the south, many are
less commonly seen than in years past, and many are rarely found for sale.
A very special and fun book. And if you ever get the chance to see Felder
Rushing speak (like at a garden show), he puts on a very entertaining
presentation.
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Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths - David A. Francko
Subititled: Warm-climate Plants for Cooler Areas
2003 Timber Press 267 pages (hardback $27.95) ISBN 0881925756
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Pruning Made Easy - Lewis Hill
1997 Storey 217 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 03703800006
Good, thorough book on how to prune shrubs and trees.
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Landscaping for Wildlife - A Guide to the Southern Great Plains - Jeremy D. Garrett
2003 University of Oklahoma Press 209 pages (paperback) ISBN 0806134895
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Brugmansia and Datura - Angel's Trumpets and Thornapples - Ulrike and Hans-George Preissel
2002 Firefly Books 144 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1552095584
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Passion Flowers - John Vanderplank
3rd Edition - 2001 MIT Press 224 pages (paperback) ISBN 0262720353
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Xeriscape Handbook - Gayle Weinstein
Subtitled: A How-To Guide to Natural, Resource-Wise Gardening
1990 Fulcrum 142 pages (paperback $24.95) ISBN 1555913466
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Water-Wise Gardening - Thomas Christopher
Subtitled: America's Backyard Revolution
1994 Simon and Schuster 271 pages (hardback $25.00) ISBN 0671738569
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The Low-Water Flower Gardener - Eric A. Johnson and Scott Millard
Subtitled: Guide to Growing 270 Colorful Unthirsty Plants
1993 Ironwood Press 144 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 0962823619
Low-Water Gardening - John Lucas
1993 JM Dent 176 pages (paperback) ISBN 0460861514
In A Desert Garden - John Alcock
Subtitled: Love and Death Among the Insects
1997 W.W. Norton 186 pages (hardback $27.50) ISBN 0393041182
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Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers - Doug Ladd, photos by Frank Oberle
(A Nature Conservancy Book, A Falcon Field Guide)
1995 Falcon Press 262 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1560442999
320 color photos, descriptions of 295 species. The photos are very nice,
usually of the flowers. I always wish there were more photos, like several
for each plant, showing leaves, whole plants, seedheads, etc. But the
photos of the flowers are very good. Book is organized by color of the flower.
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Roadside Wildflowers of the Southern Great Plains - Craig C. Freeman, Eileen K. Schofield
1991 University of Kansas 280 pages (paperback $17.95) ISBN 0700604480
253 full color photos. Book is organized by color of the flower.
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Wildflowers Across America - Lady Bird Johnson, Carlton B. Lees
1993 Abeville Press 309 pages (hardback $39.95) ISBN 0896600491
Sort of a coffe table book, but lots of great color photos and lots of info.
Popular enough that you can find it cheap.
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Texas Wildflowers - Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller
1992 University of Texas 271 pages (paperback) ISBN 0292780605
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Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers - Peterson Field Guides - Niehaus/Ripper/Savage
1084 Houghton Mifflin 449 pages (paperback $18.00) ISBN 0395936128
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Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants - Thomas S. Elias, Peter A. Dykeman
1982 Van Nostrand Reinhold 286 pages (hardback $22.95) ISBN 0442222009
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Edible Wild Plants - A North American Field Guide - Thomas S. Elias, Peter A. Dykeman
1990 Sterling Publishing 285 pages (paperback 16.95) ISBN 0806974885
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Excellent book. Lots of pictures, mostly in color. Organized by season.
Includes poisonous plants section.
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America - Peterson Field Guides
1999 Houghton Mifflin 374 pages (paperback $19.00) ISBN 039592622X
Covers 370 edible plants and 37 poisonous look-alike plants.
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Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants - Bradford Angier
1974 Stackpole Books 255 pages (paperback $16.95) ISBN 0811720187
Excellent book. Each plant gets a page of text and a full-page color
illustration. Organized alphabetically by common name.
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Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West - Gregory L. Tilford
1997 Mountain Press 237 pages (paperback $21.00) ISBN 0878423591
Color photos. Alphabetical by common name. 110 edible and medicinal plants,
21 toxic plants and advanced medicines. Edibility and medicinal uses for
each plant.
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Stalking the Wild Asparagus - Euell Gibbons
1962 Alan C. Hood 303 pages (paperback $17.50) ISBN 0911469036
Classic book, popular in the 60's/70's.
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Guide to Wild and Usefull Plants - Christopher Nyerges
1999 Chiago Review Press 237 pages (paperback) ISBN 1556523440
Black and white photos.
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Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie - Kelly Kindscher
Subititled: An Ethnobotanical Guide
1987 University of Kansas 276 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0700603255
Covers about 80 plants. Lots of info on food uses and cultivation. Black
and white drawings.
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Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants - Tom Brown Jr.
1985 Berkley Books 241 pages (paperback $12.00) ISBN 0425100634
Covers about 45 plants. No plant illustrations. Lots of practical info.
The author is one of the top experts on wilderness survival.
The author's website:
www.trackerschool.com
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Handbook of Edible Weeds - James A. Duke
1992 CRC Press 246 pages (hardback) ISBN 0849342252
Covers about 100 plants. Alphabetical by genus name. Illustrated with
line drawings. Lots of info on the uses of the plants.
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Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada - Charles Francis Saunders
1976 Dover 275 pages (paperback $7.95) ISBN 0486233103
Reprint of 1934 edition. Black and white line drawings. Includes chapter on
acorns as human food.
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Eat the Weeds - Ben Charles Harris
1995 Keats Publishing 254 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0879836261
Originally published in 1969. No illustrations. Covers about 150 plants.
Several pages on acorns.
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It Will Live Forever - Bev Ortiz
Subtitled: Traditional Yosimite Indian Acorn Preparation
1991 Heyday Books 148 pages (paperback $11.95) ISBN 0930588452
Full details of how one tribe of Native Americans used acorns for food.
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Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not-So Wild) Places - "Wildman" Steve Brill
1994 Harper 336 pages (paperback $15.36) ISBN 0688114253
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Author's website: www.wildmanstevebrill.com
Cornucopia II: A Sourcebook of Edible Plants - Stephen Facciola
1st Edition: 1990 Kampong Publications 677 pages (paperback $35.00) ISBN 0962808709
2nd Edition: 1998 Kampong Publications 713 pages (paperback $40.00) ISBN 0962808725
Amazon
Healing Wise - Susan S. Weed
1989 Ash Tree Publishing 295 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0961462027
Amazon
Author's website: www.susanweed.com
This book differs from many other books on weeds and edible plants in that
instead of small bits of info on many plants, only 7 plants are covered, and
each gets a whole chapter. The plants are: Burdock, Chickweed, Dandelion,
Nettle, Oatstraw, Seaweeds, and Violet. Very special book. The author has
some other books as well.
Eastern / Central Medicinal Plants - Peterson Field Guides - Stephen Foster, James A. Duke
1990 Houghton Mifflin 365 pages ISBN 0395467225
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The Secret Teachings of Plants - Stephen Harrod Buhner
Subitled: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature
2004 Bear & Co 313 pages (paperback $18.00) ISBN 1591430356
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The Lost Language of Plants - Stephen Harrod Buhner
Subtitled: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines for Life on Earth
2002 Chelsea Green 336 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 1890132888
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Chelsea Green
Sacred Plant Medicine - Stephen Harrod Buhner
Subtitled: Explorations in the Practice of Indigenous Herbalism
1996 Raven Press 210 pages (paperback $18.95) ISBN 0970869606
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American Medicinal Plants - Charles F. Millspaugh
1974 Dover 806 pages ISBN 0486230341
This is an unabdridged reprint of a 2-volume work published in 1892.
180 plants are covered, each gets a black and white illustration
(color in the original edition).
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Indian Herbology of North America - Alma R. Hutchins
1973 Shambhala 382 pages (paperback $19.00) ISBN 0877736391
Covers over 200 plants. Alphabetically by common name. Illustrated
with black and white drawings.
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Native American Ethnobotany - Daniel E. Moerman
1998 Timber Press 927 pages (hardback $79.95) ISBN 0881924539
This book is a massive database, correllating thousands of pieces
of information. Clues to the vast plant knowledge possessed
by past inhabitants of this continent.
The main body of the book is the catalog of plants, listed alphabetically
by genus name. This is followed by a bibliography, an index of tribes,
index of usages, index of synonyms, index of common names. Drug, food,
fiber, dye and other uses are described for over 4000 plants.
There is an online database which incorporates this info:
herb.umd.umich.edu
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Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie - Kelly Kindscher
Subititled: An Ethnobotanical Guide
1992 University of Kansas 336 pages (paperback $12.95) ISBN 0700605274
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The Way of Herbs - Michael Tierra
1980 Unity Press 216 pages ISBN 0913300438
Clear and concise basic text on using herbs for healing. A classic. I
recommend this as an introduction to herbology.
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Smoke Plants of North America - M.R. Ross
2002 MultiCultural Educational Publishing Co. 192 pages (paperback $15.95) ISBN 0970372108
Very interesting book covering over 100 native herbs that can be smoked.
It was cool to find more info on mullein (Verbascum thapsus), one of my
favorite plants, which is featured on the cover, and which grows as a weed
in much of western US. Mullein is smoked to help with lung problems.
Author/publisher's website:smokeplants.com
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Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants - Christian Ratsch
Subtitled: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications
2005 Park Street Press 944 pages (hardback $125.00) ISBN 0892819782
This massive work covers over 400 plants and includes 800 color photos and
670 black and white illustrations.
Amazon
Mycelium Running - Paul Stamets
subtitled: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
2005 Ten Speed Press 339 pages (paperback $35.00) ISBN10:1580085792 ISBN13:9781580085793
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I found this book after seeing Paul's segment on the special features of
Leonardo Dicaprio's environmental documentary, The 11th Hour, in which he
briefly discusses the idea that mushroom mycelium (the underground "root"
portions of mushrooms) are a very powerful tool for building, rebuilding,
remediating, and detoxifying soil.
The author's website: Fungi Perfecti - www.fungi.com
All That the Rain Promises..And More - David Arora
subtitled: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms
1991 Ten Speed Press 256 pages (paperback $17.95) ISBN 0898153883
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Mushrooms Demystified..A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Flora - David Arora
1986 Ten Speed Press 1020 pages (paperback $39.95) ISBN 0898151694
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Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mushrooms
1981 Simon & Schuster 510 pages (paperback) ISBN 0671428497
Each species gets a half-page color photo.
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National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms
1981 Knopf 928 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 0394519922
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Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America: A Field-to-Kitchen Guide
David W. Fischer, Alan E. Bessette
1992 University of Texas Press 256 pages (paperback $35.00) ISBN 0292720807
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Tree Crops - A Permanent Agriculture - J. Russell Smith
1950 Devin-Adair 408 pages
Trees for food. Even covers acorns!
Tree Maintenance - P.P. Pirone
6th edition 1988 Oxford University Press 514 pages (hardback $40.00) ISBN 0195043707
A standard work on tree care, often just called "Pirone's".
Continually revised, many editions available.
Arboriculture - Richard W. Harris
1983 Prentice-Hall 688 pages (hardback) ISBN 0130439355
Another text on tree care.
The Complete Trees of North America - Thomas S. Elias
1980 Van Nostrand Reinhold 948 pages ISBN 0442238622
I don't know of another similar book - this is an identification guide to
all trees found in North America - not some or most, but all. It has been
out of print for a while, but copies can be found.
A New Tree Biology - Alex L. Shigo
Subtitled: Facts, Photos, and Philosophies on Trees and Their Problems and Proper Care.
2nd edition 1989 Shigo 618 pages (hardback) ISBN 0943563046
Shigo is the man when it comes to educating those who work with trees. He is
big on learning how to prune trees for the health of the tree, rather than just
for the needs of people. He also speaks of the dignity of trees - if you need to
top a tree and totally butcher it - just take it out. And of course people
should pay attention to where they plant trees. Countless trees are planted
under power lines, insuring that they will need to be butchered or removed.
Alex has played a big part in educating people about the BBC - branch bark collar
and about the fact that it is not normally desirable to apply pruning sealer
to fresh pruning cuts.
Shigo has many other tree books. Info can be found here:
www.chesco.com/~treeman/treeinfo.html
Tree Pruning - A Worldwide Photo Guide - Alex L. Shigo
1989 Shigo 186 pages (hardback) ISBN 0943563089
Shows through illustrations examples of poor pruning techniques.
Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan
Subtitled: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
2001 Random House 304 pages (hardback) ISBN 0375501290
2002 Random House 304 pages (paperback) ISBN 0375760393
Very interesting book. In four parts - apples, tulips, marijuana, pototoes.
Each example is covered thoroughly, looking at how the needs of the plants and
the needs of humans have interacted. Highly recommended.
Amazon - hardback
Amazon - paperback
Botany in a Day - Thomas J. Elpel
Subtitled: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
5th Edition 2004 HOPS Press 221 pages ISBN 1892784157
How to learn to identify thousands of plants by learning the characteristics of
the major plant families. The author is one of the top authorities on
wilderness survival, including edible plants and edible insects. Lots of cool
books and videos available fron his website.
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Publisher's website: www.hollowtop.com
Author's website: www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com
Plantwatching - Malcolm Wilkins
Subtitled: How Plants Remember, Tell Time, Form Relationships and More
1988 Roxby 207 pages ISBN 0816017360
Amazon
Botany for Gardeners, Revised Edition - Brian Capon
2005 Timber Press 240 pages (paperback $19.95) ISBN 0881926558
Basic concepts of botany explained clearly and simply by a botany professor.
Not a substitute for an actual botany textbook.
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Botany Textbooks
An excellent discussion on current botany textbooks can be found here:
/www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/89/1/172
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants - Michael A. Dirr
subtitled: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses
1st edition 1975
2nd edition 1977 526 pages (white cover w drawing)
3rd edition 1983 Stipes 826 pages (white cover w photo)
4th edition 1990 Stipes 1007 pages (green cover w photo) paper/hardback
5th edition 1998 Stipes 1250 pages hardback $65.80 paperback $57.75
Serious landscape industry reference for shrubs. Mainly just text - some
line-drawings of leaves, no photos or other illustrations of plants.
Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, An Illustrated Encyclopedia - Michael A. Dirr
1997 Timber Press 493 pages hardback $69.95
Lots of full-color photos of standard landscaping trees and shrubs.
The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation - From Seed to Tissue - Michael A. Dirr
Subtitled: A Practical Working Guide to the Propagation of Over 1100 Species
1987 Varsity Press $35.00
Tropica - Alfred Byrd Graf
Subtitled: Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees for Warm-Region
Horticulture in Cool Climate, the Summer Garden, or Sheltered Indoors
Fifth Edition 2003 Roehrs (hardback $185.00) ISBN 0911266267
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Hortica
Botanica
Hortus Third
Subititled: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada
1976 Wiley 1279 pages (hardback $150.00) ISBN 0025054708
Comprehensive reference work for plants of North American horticulture.
Publisher's website:Wiley
May have been sold to IDG Books, may still be available from Wiley.
Amazon
Southern Living Garden Book Steve Bender, editor
1st edition: 1989 Oxmoor House 512 pages (paperback) ISBN 0848720237, (hardback) ISBN 0848720172
2nd edition: 2004 Oxmoor House 640 pages (paperback $34.95) ISBN 0376039108, (hardback $39.95) ISBN 0376039094
Encyclopedia of over 5,000 plants with tons of general info.
Unlike the giant expensive volumes above, this is an easy-to-use reference
with all the basic info about all of the plants that would be commonly
encountered in gardening in the southern US. This is an essential practical
reference - the best book to get for general info on specific plants. Though it
is specific to the southern US, there would be much info of value for other
areas, as many of these plants will grow elsewhere. Most highly recommended!
The big chain hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowe's) usually have stacks of these.
I think Sam's Club has them for about $10 off list price. And Amazon has a super
discount price.
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Roadside Flowers of Oklahoma - Doyle McCoy
1976 Doyle McCoy 116 pages comb bound ISBN 0691998520
Roadside Flowers of Oklahoma - Volume 2 - Doyle McCoy
1978 Doyle McCoy 60 pages comb bound
Roadside Trees and Shrubs of Oklahoma - Doyle McCoy
1981 University of Oklahoma Press 116 pages ISBN 0806115564
About 160 species described and illustrated with color photos.
Every other page covers 3 species with 3 photos on opposite pages.
Roadside Wild Fruits of Oklahoma - Doyle McCoy
1980 University of Oklahoma Press 82 pages ISBN 0806116269
About 105 fruits described and illustrated with color photos.
Every other page covers 3 species with 3 photos on opposite pages.
Oklahoma Wildflowers - Doyle McCoy
1987 McCoy Publishing (out of print?) ISBN 0691998512
Oklahoma Botanical Literature - Forrest L. Johnson, T.H. Milby
1989 University of Oklahoma Press (out of print?) 150 pages ($18.95 hardback) ISBN 080612198X
This is a giant bibliographical listing of books and periodical articles
pertaining to Oklahoma plants.
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There is an updated online bibliography on Plant Literature of Oklahoma here:
www.biosurvey.ou.edu/pllitdesc.html
Field Guide to Oklahoma Plants - R.J. Tyrl, T.J Bidwell, R.E. Masters
subtitled: Commonly Encountered Prarie, Shrubland and Forest Species
2002 Oklahoma State University Press (out of print?) 515 pages ($25.00)
Oklahoma Gardeners Guide - Steve Dobbs
1999 Cool Springs Press 423 pages (paperback $19.99) ISBN 1888608560
Revised edition - 2005 Cool Springs Press 272 pages ISBN 1591861241
Might be a good introductory book, but I would probably recommend instead
the Southern Living Garden Book (see above).
The Perfect Oklahoma Lawn - Steve Dobbs
2002 Cool Springs Press 160 pages ISBN 1930604777
This is a "cookie cutter" book from a series with various state's names
inserted into the title. Lots of basic info, but I would recommend any of
the organic lawn care books on this page over this one, which is not
organically oriented.
Some Other Resources
My Earth Links Page has many useful links.
My Food Books Page lists some related titles.
Journey to Forever
Tons of info on organic farming and gardening, including info on lots of
books. Also many older classic books are online there.
Acres USA
Source for many interesting books on organic farming, etc. You can request a
printed catalog from their website.
Dave's Garden - Garden Bookworm Guide to Garden Books
Over 1000 gardening books reviewed.
Agroforestry Research Trust
Their publications page lists many books on forest gardening, fruit and nut
trees, useful plants, etc.
Some Publishers with Lots of Good Books on Gardening, etc:
Chelsea Green - www.chelseagreen.com
Timber Press - www.timberpress.com
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This page revised 05/07/08. This page first posted 01/28/05 (it snowed all day).