Gardeners have a unique role to play in easing the growing pressures on
our natural world. Eco gardening can lessen our overconsumption of
natural resources, reduce waste, cut energy use, and make a positive
contribution to slowing climate change. Working in harmony with nature,
eco gardeners can create beautiful and resilient gardens that shrink our
'carbon footprint' while nurturing vibrant, biologically rich growing
spaces that build soil and boost biodiversity, and can grow edible crops
that both improve health and encourage a sense of self-reliance. Each
page of this planet-friendly book is bursting with inspirational ideas
for creating your own eco garden on any scale - from a small courtyard
to a large garden or allotment. Find out how to make soil-building
compost from kitchen and household waste, how to save energy by
harvesting rainwater, and how to utilize sunlight in your garden.
Discover earth-friendly organic techniques that improve biodiversity and
attract pest-eating animals and insects. Learn about the value of using
recycled and reclaimed materials for landscaping. Six eco garden
'greenprints', each packed with environmentally friendly ideas, include
a city courtyard, an intensive food garden, dry and rain gardens, and an
eco allotment. Find out how to grow food, from microgreens and potatoes
to vertical vegetables and fruits. Simple and fun projects include
making a pond and a wildlife hotel, turning a lawn into a wildflower
meadow, and planting a 'fedge' . A fully illustrated directory of 80
plant species will help you to choose the best plants for your eco
garden, from flowers for attracting beneficial insects to shrubs that
provide winter food for birds. A calendar of care shows you at a glance
what jobs need doing and when throughout the year. Packed with hands-on
practical advice, 500 specially commissioned photographs and original
illustrations, this eco-friendly book is for everyone who wants to have
a beautiful and productive backyard that won't cost the earth. - How to
reduce your garden's 'carbon footprint' andcreate a greener, more
ecologically sustainable andclimate-friendly garden by working with
nature - Explains how to establish a garden ecosystem, harvestand store
rainwater, maximize the use of sunlight, andchoose sustainable
landscaping materials - Includes step-by-step advice for making paper
pots, controlling weeds, composting with worms, makingplant foods and
sowing and planting vegetables - Detailed 'greenprints' show planting
schemes for citycourtyards, food gardens, allotments, dry gardens
andrain gardens, as well as how to eco-fit an existing garden - Features
a fully illustrated directory of 80 plantspecies chosen for their
eco-friendly benefits, fromflowers, shrubs and hedging plants to
vegetables, tree fruits and herbs
