Urban Homesteading discussed on April 4th

"Composting Inside and Out" is beneficial to anyone who grows houseplants, maintains a large garden, or participates in community gardening. The practical guide will teach why it's important to compost, the many methods of composting, and the benefits of turning trash into soil nutrients.

Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But "Food Not Lawns" doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In "Food Not Lawns," she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.

The Beekeeper's Bible is as much an ultimate guide to the practical essentials of beekeeping as it is a beautiful almanac to be read from cover to cover. Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one's own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Fully illustrated with how-to photography and unique etchings, any backyard enthusiast or gardener can confidently dive into beekeeping with this book in hand (or daydream about harvesting their own honey while relaxing in the comfort of an armchair).

In a book that she considers her life's work, veteran gardener and naturalist Sally Roth takes the chance and happenstance out of backyard birding. Readers learn what design features and edible treats will tempt particular bird families so that their birdbaths and feeders will be overflowing with the visitors of their choice. Bird-by-Bird Gardening includes nineteen garden designs for attracting specific bird families - such as hummingbirds, nuthatches, swallows, thrushes, or wrens - as well as water projects and feeder recipes for each bird family. With Rodale's best-selling bird author to guide them, bird lovers will soon have their favorite birds lingering longer in the backyard - and revisiting year after year.