Books about Specialized from Amazon.com

In 1975, Let it Rot! helped start the composting movement and taught gardeners everywhere how to recycle waste to create soil-nourishing compost. Contains advice for starting and maintaining a composting system, building bins, and using compost. Third Edition. 267,000 copies in print.

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Price: $7.54 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"There's no such thing," my ace-gardener mom said when I told her about Weedless Gardening. I think author Lee Reich would agree that the title is a bit misleading (there will always be some weeds). Also a bit misleading are the blurbs from the publisher, which stop short of calling the book "ground-breaking" only because Reich's system is based on the total eschewal of tilling or otherwise turning over the soil. The building blocks of his philosophy have been in use for decades in one way or another: from low-till commercial farming techniques (which sometimes also involve firebombing the soil with herbicide) to simple green composting with knocked-down cover crops. But in Weedless Gardening Reich takes it all the way, no tilling, no herbicide unless absolutely necessary--all while providing everything the home gardener needs to know about cover crops, composting, and drip irrigation. In every section Reich lists mail-order and Internet sources for supplies.

The benefits of cover crops, composting, and planting in beds rather than rows are widely known, and they're dealt with in depth here. More controversial is Reich's injunction to rigorously preserve the natural layering of the soil--even when pulling up weeds, dead annuals, or old corn stalks. He makes a good case: tilling under weedy areas kills existing weeds in the short term, but turning over the dirt exposes more weed seeds to sunlight and air, and more of them will germinate; better to kill them first by mowing and self-composting or smothering them with mulch. In addition, Reich explains, water in broken-up, uniform soil tends to flow straight down; water in undisturbed soil travels more slowly, in different directions--down and sideways--thus more efficiently reaching roots. Installing a drip irrigation system further decreases water use (the book includes detailed instructions and formulas for calculating water-flow and timing) and, like many of Reich's recommendations, apparently works best when practiced in concert with his no-till, "top-down" method.

What isn't clear is how effective his system can be in an area that has been worked over by indifferent landscapers or that has already been tilled over and over for years. How long will it take for that plot's soil to resettle into something resembling its pretilled state? If my mom starts "weedless gardening" now, will she be wading through a forest of weeds or, worse, buying tasteless corn at the supermarket come August? --Liana Fredley.
Price: $4.92 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The secrets of plants that cling, grip, and climb, from the inventor of the vertical garden.

Patrick Blanc, an artist with a green thumb, has created dozens of his admired botanical tapestries in public and private spaces around the world, including the Marithé & François Girbaud boutique in Manhattan; the Jean Nouvel-designed Quai Branly Museum in Paris; the aquarium in Genoa; the Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok; and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. In this luscious, oversize, all-color book, he explains how to create plant walls using more than one thousand plants, drawing on his observation of natural milieus, his technique of growing on vertical surfaces, his savoir faire, and his passion for plants. 300 color illustrations..
Price: $31.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $11.93 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is among the first books published by Timber Press, and after more than two decades it continues to be one of our signature bestsellers. A comprehensive source of information on the culture, identification, and nomenclature of Japanese maples, it describes each of the 320 cultivars of Acer palmatum and 60 cultivars of other Japanese maple species, plus briefly mentions 150 promising new plants. The index lists every horticultural name published, ensuring that Japanese Maples will continue to be the foremost reference book on this wonderfully versatile collection of ornamental plants. This fully updated third edition has been revised by Peter Gregory and is even more international than its predecessors. It adds approximately 100 important new maple hybrids and selections that have been introduced since the last revision by Vertrees in 1987, bringing to nearly 400 the total number of plants described. Nomenclature has been updated to conform to current standards, many additional photographs have been included, and descriptions have been rearranged for greater ease of reference..
Price: $31.47 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Updated to reflect the most recent actual tests, this new edition of the SHSAT manual prepares eighth grade academic achievers for the competitive test that qualifies them to enter New York City’s Specialized High Schools. The schools include the Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Stuyvesant High School. The manual presents approximately 600 problems with answers and detailed solutions. Also included are three full-length practice SHSAT tests, four half-length tests, a set of Math Diagnosers that will help identify and correct student weaknesses, and a series of Skillbuilders that specifically focus on each of the SHSAT’s sections. Solutions are given for all problems. Students will also profit from the book’s practice exercises for the test’s Logical Reasoning section, as well as the authors’ recommended study tips and test-taking advice..
Price: $10.84 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From advice on evaluating and selecting plants, to assessing plant health, and troubleshooting, this comprehensive guide is any readers step-by-step entry into this ancient and beautiful living art. Covers over 50 varieties of plants and trees which can be cultivated into captivating miniatures.

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Price: $8.93 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Revised and updated

Hydroponics for the Home Gardener is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to growing organic, healthy vegetable, herbs and house plants without soil.

Clearly illustrated with black and white line drawings, the book covers every aspect of home hydroponic gardening including:

• Building a hydroponic system versus buying a kit
• Plant propagation and indoor pollination
• Outdoor hydroponics, recipes, and much more.

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Price: $8.68 [Notify me when price goes down.]