Details
Urban Gardening For Dummies
1. Aufl.
14,99 € |
|
Verlag: | Wiley |
Format: | EPUB |
Veröffentl.: | 24.01.2013 |
ISBN/EAN: | 9781118502440 |
Sprache: | englisch |
Anzahl Seiten: | 368 |
DRM-geschütztes eBook, Sie benötigen z.B. Adobe Digital Editions und eine Adobe ID zum Lesen.
Beschreibungen
<b>The easy way to succeed at urban gardening</b> <p>A townhouse yard, a balcony, a fire escape, a south-facing window—even a basement apartment can all be suitable locations to grow enough food to save a considerable amount of money and enjoy the freshest, healthiest produce possible.</p> <p><i>Urban Gardening For Dummies</i> helps you make the most of limited space through the use of proven small-space gardening techniques that allow gardeners to maximize yield while minimizing space.</p> <ul> <li>Covers square-foot gardening and vertical and layered gardening</li> <li>Includes guidance on working with container gardening, succession gardening, and companion gardening</li> <li>Offers guidance on pest management, irrigation and rain barrels, and small-space composting</li> </ul> <p>If you're interested in starting an urban garden that makes maximum use of minimal space, <i>Urban Gardening For Dummies</i> has you covered.</p>
<p>Introduction 1</p> <p>About This Book 1</p> <p>Conventions Used in This Book 2</p> <p>What You’re Not to Read 2</p> <p>Foolish Assumptions 3</p> <p>How This Book Is Organized 3</p> <p>Part I: Urban Gardening 101 3</p> <p>Part II: Gardening Basics 4</p> <p>Part III: Places and Ways to Garden 4</p> <p>Part IV: Growing Plants in the City 4</p> <p>Part V: Growing to Perfection 5</p> <p>Part VI: The Part of Tens 5</p> <p>Icons Used in This Book 5</p> <p>Where to Go from Here 6</p> <p><b>Part I: Urban Gardening 101 7</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1: Gardening in the City 9</b></p> <p>Knowing the Basics of Soil Prep 9</p> <p>Finding the Many Places to Garden the City 10</p> <p>Growing All Kinds of Plants in The City 11</p> <p>Trees and shrubs 12</p> <p>Edibles 12</p> <p>Annual flowers 13</p> <p>Perennial flowers and roses 13</p> <p>Lawns and groundcovers 14</p> <p>Exploring the Down and Dirty of Growing 14</p> <p>Weeding and mulching 15</p> <p>Watering 15</p> <p>Pest patrol 15</p> <p><b>Chapter 2: Reaping the Benefi ts of Urban Gardening 17</b></p> <p>Enjoying Local Produce from Urban Food Gardens 18</p> <p>Looking at places to grow food 18</p> <p>Checking out urban food gardening projects 19</p> <p>Creating Healthy Cities 22</p> <p>Reducing pollution 22</p> <p>Making cities more livable 25</p> <p>Improving the neighborhood 26</p> <p><b>Chapter 3: The Urban Microclimate 27</b></p> <p>The Sunny City: Working with the Sun and Warmer Urban Temperatures 27</p> <p>Taking advantage of seasonal solar angles 28</p> <p>Dealing with solar glare 29</p> <p>Minimizing the Heat Island Effect 29</p> <p>The Windy City: Working with Seasonal Urban Wind Patterns 32</p> <p>Taking Macroclimate and Microclimate Conditions into Account in Your Garden 34</p> <p>Knowing your hardiness zone 34</p> <p>Considering your own microclimatic conditions 35</p> <p><b>Part II: Gardening Basics 37</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 4: Getting to Know Your Soil 39</b></p> <p>Determining Your Type of Soil 40</p> <p>Understanding the different soil types 40</p> <p>Figuring out what you have 41</p> <p>Checking Your Soil’s Drainage 42</p> <p>Performing a percolation test 43</p> <p>Mastering the metal rod test 43</p> <p>Discovering Your Soil’s pH Level 44</p> <p>Finding Out What Lies Beneath the Soil 45</p> <p>Doing a little digging (literally and fi guratively) 46</p> <p>Protecting yourself from soil contaminants 46</p> <p><b>Chapter 5: Feeding and Fertilizing Your Soil 51</b></p> <p>Organics 101: Plant Matter 52</p> <p>Adding a Little Something Extra to Build Soil Fertility: Animal Manure 54</p> <p>Making Compost and Growing Soil 56</p> <p>Composting safely in the city 56</p> <p>Choosing a container 57</p> <p>Building your pile 58</p> <p>Troubleshooting common composting problems 59</p> <p>Composting with worms 60</p> <p>Giving Your Plants and Soil a Boost with Fertilizers 62</p> <p>Getting to know the “big three” in commercial fertilizers 62</p> <p>Wet versus dry fertilizers 63</p> <p>Applying a side dressing of fertilizer 65</p> <p><b>Chapter 6: Getting Your Hands Dirty: Planting How-To 67</b></p> <p>Planting Annual Flowers and Veggies 67</p> <p>Starting with a raised bed 68</p> <p>Deciding whether to buy seeds or transplants 70</p> <p>Making a seed-starting schedule based on frost dates 71</p> <p>Growing your own seedlings 73</p> <p>Picking out transplants 74</p> <p>Planting your annual or vegetable garden 75</p> <p>Planting Trees and Shrubs 78</p> <p>Buying a tree or shrub 78</p> <p>Digging the hole and planting 79</p> <p>Getting your trees and shrubs off to a good start 82</p> <p>Planting Perennial Flowers, Bulbs, and Roses 83</p> <p>Buying and planting perennial flowers 84</p> <p>Buying and planting bulbs 84</p> <p>Buying and planting roses 86</p> <p><b>Part III: Places and Ways to Garden 89</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 7: Creating an Outdoor Room 91</b></p> <p>Analyzing Your Outdoor Space 92</p> <p>Fencing In Your Space 92</p> <p>Planning Your Outdoor Room 93</p> <p>Creating Your Garden Entrance 93</p> <p>Installing moon gates for a Zen-like feel 94</p> <p>Showing off your space with garden arbors 95</p> <p>Opting for other types of entry features 96</p> <p>Defining the Uses for Your Outdoor Room 96</p> <p>Creating a Focal Element 97</p> <p>Using a unique plant 98</p> <p>Creating serenity with a water feature 99</p> <p>Going with a man-made feature 100</p> <p>Turning Recycled Materials into Chic and Useful Garden Art 101</p> <p>Using yard sale items 101</p> <p>Repurposing materials (Reusing junk) 103</p> <p>Considering Interactive Garden Art 104</p> <p>A garden sundial 104</p> <p>Music in the garden 105</p> <p><b>Chapter 8: Containing Your Gardening 107</b></p> <p>Surveying Container Options 107</p> <p>Cool commercial containers 109</p> <p>Hanging, balancing, and other interesting containers 110</p> <p>Bathtubs, birdcages, bicycles, and more 111</p> <p>Selecting Soil for Your Container 112</p> <p>Planting a Container 113</p> <p>Prepping your pots 114</p> <p>Planting your containers properly 114</p> <p>Jazzing Up Your Containers 116</p> <p>Placing containers for visual interest 116</p> <p>Coordinating colors 117</p> <p>Cool container combos 117</p> <p>Taking Care of Your Container Plants 119</p> <p>Watering 119</p> <p>Maintaining your containers 120</p> <p>Moving containers 122</p> <p><b>Chapter 9: A Garden with a View: The Rooftop Garden 123</b></p> <p>Finding Out the Rooftop Gardening Basics 124</p> <p>Why grow up? Reviewing reasons for planting on the roof 124</p> <p>What’s your type? Choosing a green roof or roof garden 125</p> <p>How much is enough? Looking at your limits 126</p> <p>What’s next? Getting started and developing a plan 129</p> <p>Designing a Rooftop Garden or Green Roof 131</p> <p>Structural considerations: Making sure your roof won’t cave in 132</p> <p>Managing rainwater 133</p> <p>Deciding what to grow 135</p> <p>Planning electrical service and lighting 137</p> <p>Transporting materials 137</p> <p>Staying In Bounds with a Rooftop Container Garden 138</p> <p><b>Chapter 10: Going Vertical in Your Garden 141</b></p> <p>Discovering the Benefits of Growing Vertical 141</p> <p>Facing the Challenges of Growing Vertical 142</p> <p>Rethinking Your Space: Up, Down, and All Around 143</p> <p>Getting Plants to Grow Up 144</p> <p>Vertical structures: Providing a place to climb 144</p> <p>Growing vertical veggies and fruits 150</p> <p>Giving Containers a Lift 151</p> <p>Understanding the special considerations for vertical container gardening 151</p> <p>Choosing vertical containers 151</p> <p><b>Chapter 11: Apartment Gardens 155</b></p> <p>Balcony Gardens 155</p> <p>Using containers on your balcony 156</p> <p>Creating a picture frame garden 158</p> <p>Using flowerbox planters 159</p> <p>Indoor Gardening 161</p> <p>Creating an indoor herb garden 161</p> <p>Growing under lights indoors 163</p> <p>Practicing indoor plant care and watering 164</p> <p><b>Chapter 12: Community Gardening and Urban Farming 165</b></p> <p>Community Gardening 101 165</p> <p>A brief history of community gardening 166</p> <p>How community gardening works 167</p> <p>Starting a Community Gardening Program 167</p> <p>Selecting a site 168</p> <p>Developing your site 168</p> <p>Organizing the garden 169</p> <p>Managing the garden 169</p> <p>Urban Farming = Urban Renewal 169</p> <p>Benefits of gardening together 171</p> <p>Avoiding down zoning 171</p> <p>Marketing Locally 172</p> <p>Selling produce at farmers’ markets 172</p> <p>Participating in farm-to-school initiatives 172</p> <p>Selling to local restaurants 173</p> <p>Hosting harvest festivals 173</p> <p>Creating community gatherings and celebrations 173</p> <p>Sharing a Garden 174</p> <p>Gardening with roommates 174</p> <p>Volunteering for others 175</p> <p>Hiring out as an urban farmer 175</p> <p>Planting a row for the hungry 175</p> <p>Going from Pavement to Parks 176</p> <p>Reclaiming urban green space 176</p> <p>Creating urban parklets 178</p> <p><b>Part IV: Growing Plants in the City 179</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 13: City Setting, Country Food 181</b></p> <p>Making a Veggie Garden Plan 181</p> <p>Choosing a site for your vegetable garden 181</p> <p>Sizing up your garden: How big is big? 182</p> <p>Laying it all out 183</p> <p>Keeping Your Veggies Happy 183</p> <p>Feeding 184</p> <p>Weeding, mulching, and watering 185</p> <p>Raising the Top City Vegetables 185</p> <p>Leafy greens 186</p> <p>The tomato family: Eggplants, peppers, and other relatives 186</p> <p>Melons, squash, and other vining vegetables 188</p> <p>Root vegetables 189</p> <p>Peas and beans 190</p> <p>Cabbage, broccoli, and more 192</p> <p>Easy herbs 192</p> <p>Extending the Season 194</p> <p>Succession planting: Lettuce forever! 195</p> <p>Intercropping: The space between 195</p> <p>Protecting plants in cool weather 196</p> <p><b>Chapter 14: The Annual Flowering of the City 199</b></p> <p>Understanding Annuals 199</p> <p>Siting Your Annual Flower Garden 200</p> <p>Figuring out whether your garden can</p> <p>support sun- or shade-loving annuals 200</p> <p>Prepping and planting 201</p> <p>Considering color 201</p> <p>Thinking about texture and fragrance 202</p> <p>Growing flowers for cutting 203</p> <p>Growing Annuals in Containers 203</p> <p>Choosing Annual Flowers for All Seasons and Soils 205</p> <p>Cool spring and fall flowers 205</p> <p>Summer flowers 207</p> <p>Flowers for every soil 209</p> <p>Caring for Your Annuals to Keep a Continuous Flower Show 210</p> <p>Watering 210</p> <p>Weeding 211</p> <p>Fertilizing 211</p> <p>Deadheading 212</p> <p>Pruning 212</p> <p>Keeping them up 213</p> <p>Using Succession Planting to Maintain Your Annual Flowers 213</p> <p><b>Chapter 15: Perennial Flowers, Roses, and Bulbs in the City 215</b></p> <p>Getting to Know Perennials, Roses, and Bulbs 215</p> <p>Finding a Permanent Planting Spot 216</p> <p>Considering sun, soil, and exposure 216</p> <p>Going with containers 217</p> <p>Choosing Perennials Fit for City Living 218</p> <p>Sun-loving perennial fl owers 219</p> <p>Shade-loving perennial fl owers 221</p> <p>Growing and Maintaining Perennial Flowers 222</p> <p>General care and maintenance 222</p> <p>Providing a little extra support 223</p> <p>Divide and multiply 224</p> <p>Enjoying La Vie en Rose 224</p> <p>Selecting the best city roses 225</p> <p>Growing and caring for roses 226</p> <p>Lighting Up Your Garden with Bulbs 227</p> <p>Finding a spot for bulbs 228</p> <p>Finding the best spring flowering bulbs for the city 228</p> <p>Determining the best summer flowering bulbs for the city 229</p> <p>Caring for bulbs 229</p> <p><b>Chapter 16: Growing a Tree in Brooklyn 231</b></p> <p>Selecting City-Friendly Trees 231</p> <p>The best deciduous trees 232</p> <p>Evergreen tree options 234</p> <p>Growing Some Shrubbery 235</p> <p>Looking at ways to use shrubs in your yard 235</p> <p>Discovering some great city shrubs 236</p> <p>Keeping Your Trees and Shrubs Fit 239</p> <p>Watering and fertilizing 239</p> <p>Pruning 101 240</p> <p>Growing City Fruits 242</p> <p>Finding the best fruit trees for the city 243</p> <p>Keeping those tree fruits growing 244</p> <p>Keeping Berry Bushes in the City 245</p> <p>Choosing the best city berries 245</p> <p>Staying berry healthy 248</p> <p><b>Chapter 17: Lawns and Ground Covers 249</b></p> <p>Selecting the Right Grass 250</p> <p>Cool-season grasses 250</p> <p>Warm-season grasses 252</p> <p>Seed versus sod 253</p> <p> Caring for Your Lawn 255</p> <p>Looking at city mowers 255</p> <p>Mowing correctly 256</p> <p>Maintaining your lawn 257</p> <p>Patching up paradise 259</p> <p>Ground Cover Alternatives 259</p> <p>Lawns versus ground covers 259</p> <p>Cityside ground covers 260</p> <p>Planting and caring for your cover 261</p> <p><b>Part V: Growing to Perfection 263</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 18: Weeding and Mulching Your Plants 265</b></p> <p>Winning the War on Weeds 265</p> <p>Identifying weeds and knowing why you should care 266</p> <p>Stopping weeds before they’re a problem 267</p> <p>Controlling weeds once they’re large 269</p> <p>Mulching 101 269</p> <p>Types of mulch 270</p> <p>Mulching correctly 273</p> <p><b>Chapter 19: Watering Your Garden 275</b></p> <p>Conserving Water 275</p> <p>Knowing how much you need to water 276</p> <p>Using less water 277</p> <p>Harvesting Water 278</p> <p>Installing a rain barrel 279</p> <p>Utilizing gray water 279</p> <p>Creating a rain garden 280</p> <p>Delivering Water to Your Plants 282</p> <p>Hoses and cans 282</p> <p>Watering wands 282</p> <p>Trigger nozzles 283</p> <p>Soaker hoses 283</p> <p>Drip irrigation 284</p> <p>Sprinklers 286</p> <p>A few other watering methods to try 287</p> <p><b>Chapter 20: Controlling Urban Garden Pests 289</b></p> <p>Knowing the Good Guys 290</p> <p>Bringing in beneficial insects 290</p> <p>Attracting birds to your yard 291</p> <p>Encouraging bees to stick around 292</p> <p>Being Proactive to Control the Bad Guys 293</p> <p>Designing your garden to prevent problems 294</p> <p>Deciding whether you really have a problem 294</p> <p>Dealing with Insect Pests in Your Garden 295</p> <p>Know your bug 296</p> <p>Managing your pests without sprays 300</p> <p>Using safe sprays 303</p> <p>Spotting and Treating Diseases 304</p> <p>Knowing whether you’re really dealing with a disease 304</p> <p>Preventing damage in the first place 305</p> <p>Being aware of some common diseases 306</p> <p>Finding the safest sprays for diseases 308</p> <p>Critters in the Bean Patch 309</p> <p>Identifying animal damage 309</p> <p>Figuring out which common city animals to watch for 310</p> <p><b>Part VI: The Part of Tens 311</b></p> <p>Chapter 21: Ten Tools for Urban Gardeners 313</p> <p>Chapter 22: Ten Kid-Friendly Ways to Garden in the City 319</p> <p>Chapter 23: Ten Tips to Manage a Sustainable Urban Garden 325</p> <p>Index 331</p>
<p><b>Paul Simon</b> is a nationally recognized landscape architect, public artist, horticulturist, master gardener, and urban designer. <p><b>Charlie Nardozzi</b> is a nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, and radio and television personality.
<p><b><i>Learn to:</i></b> <ul> <li>Make the most of limited space with vertical growing tips, rooftop gardens, and more</li> <li>Add beauty and color to your landscape with annuals, perennials, and bulbs</li> <li>Grow the freshest, healthiest produce possible</li> </ul> <p><b>The easy way to succeed at urban gardening</b> <p>A townhouse yard, a balcony, a south-facing window even a small inner-city apartment can be a suitable location to grow some yummy edibles, develop a colorful flower garden, or create an outdoor room. <i>Urban Gardening For Dummies</i> helps you make the most of what you have through the use of proven small-space gardening techniques that allow gardeners to maximize their use of urban spaces. <p> <b><li>Urban Gardening 101</b> get an overview of urban gardening, including soil preparation, planting, choosing urban-friendly plants (including edibles), and plant placement</li> <b><li>Dig in</b> discover everything you need to know about soil, from analyzing soil types and understanding soil pH to how you can build good soil with manure, organic fertilizers, and compost</li> <b><li>Get a green thumb</b> find the lowdown on the urban microclimate, local weather patterns, and how you can actually influence weather conditions at micro-levels to benefit the health of your urban garden</li> <b><li>Oh, the places you'll grow</b> get creative with container gardening and find funky and functional ways to garden on building rooftops, balconies, and with vertical growing strategies</li> <p><b>Open the book and find:</b> <ul> <li>The many benefits of urban gardening</li> <li>Tips on planting annual plants and veggies, trees and shrubs, and perennial flowers</li> <li>The 4-1-1 on community gardening and urban farming</li> <li>How to create an outdoor room</li> <li>The scoop on using fertilizers</li> <li>Techniques for container and vertical gardening</li> <li>Composting tips and soil growing</li> <li>Tricks for keeping weeds and pests at bay</li> </ul>