News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Here are some recent addtions to our collection on the subject of gardening. It’s all about the inspiration to learn this month – everything from low-anxiety gardening, permaculture, plants in pots, propagation, how to attract bees and even aquaponic gardening for the adventurous!

Slow gardening : a no-stress philosophy for all senses and seasons / Felder Rushing ; foreword by Roger B. Swain.
Though the title suggests that this will be a guide to low-maintenance, low-anxiety gardening, garden lecturer and author Rushing (Passalong Plants) invites gardeners to make enjoyment and creative expression central to the gardening experience. Whether one loves strict formality or careless chaos, Rushing delightfully urges gardeners to follow their own bliss in the garden. Beginning gardeners will benefit from his hard-won tricks of the trade, proven plant combinations, and easy maintenance plans. The more experienced will appreciate his tips on making compost, propagating plants, and engaging all the senses in the garden.  126 color photos. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved (Publisher Weekly)
Organic gardening for dummies
Reduce a garden′s impact on both the environment and the wallet – Organic Gardening For Dummies shows readers the way to ensure a healthy harvest from an environmentally friendly garden. It covers information on the newest and safest natural fertilizers and pest control methods, composting, cultivation without chemicals, and how to battle plant diseases. It also has information on updated equipment and resources. It helps the reader to plant organically year–round, using herbs, fruits, vegetables, lawn care, trees and shrubs, and flowers.Protect wildlife and help pollinators in a garden. Grow a range of organic vegetables, fruits and flowers and  manage pests in an eco–friendly way. (Amazon.co.uk)
Visual encyclopedia of garden techniques: all the essential gardening tasks are shown step by step, with over 950 clear colour photographs and illustrations This comprehensive practical book begins with simple design ideas and advice about planning your garden and information on using a huge variety of plants, as well as guidance on planting and pruning. This book then builds on this basic knowledge to suggest more spectacular ideas for gardens from wildlife ponds and water features to rock gardens. There is advice on growing fruits and vegetables and making the most from your greenhouse. The final section covers the skills you need to keep your garden in tip-top shape, from weeding, feeding and pest control to propagation, and includes a year-round checklist of essential tasks. (Amazon.co.uk)
Sepp Holzer’s permaculture : a practical guide to small-scale, integrative farming and gardening ; [translated from the German by Anna Sapsford-Francis]. Sepp Holzer farms steep mountainsides in Austria 1,500 metres above sea level. His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbours’ spruce monocultures. In this book, Sepp shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a holistic system on the farm itself, but how to make a living from it. He writes about everything from the overall concepts, down to the practical details. He reveals the thinking processes based on principles found in nature that create his productive systems. These that can be applied anywhere. (Amazon.co.uk)
Aquaponic gardening: a step-by-step guide to raising vegetables & fish together A  combination of the best of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponic gardening is an amazingly productive way to grow organic vegetables, greens, herbs and fruits, while providing the added benefits of fresh fish as a safe, healthy source of protein. This is the definitive do-it-yourself home manual, starting with an overview of the theory, benefits and potential of aquaponics, this book goes on to explain: system location considerations and hardware components; the living elements – fish, plants, bacteria, and worms; and, putting it all together – starting and maintaining a healthy system.  Anyone interested in taking the next step towards self-sufficiency will be fascinated by this practical, accessible and well-illustrated guide. (Amazon.co.uk)
How to grow plants in pots / Martyn Cox.
The essential guide to growing plants in small spaces, indoors and out. Dress up your patio with flowers, create your own vegetable patch on a balcony or bring impact and style to your conservatory with RHS How to Grow Plants in Pots.  Troubleshoot any problems that you may encounter using the handy help section and find solutions for common plant diseases and pests to keep your pots looking perfect. No matter how large or small your space, RHS How to Grow Plants in Pots will give you all the information you need to create your own Garden of Eden. (Amazon.co.uk)
The gardener’s guide to propagation : step-by-step instructions for creating plants for free, from propagating seeds and cuttings to dividing, layering and grafting / Richard Rosenfeld ; photography by Peter Anderson.“A complete practical guide to propagating your own flowers, trees, shrubs, climbers, wet-loving, bog and water plants, and vegetables and herbs” (Syndetics summary)

The bee garden : how to create or adapt a garden to attract and nurture bees / Maureen Little.Bees play a vital and irreplaceable role in pollinating our flowers, fruits and vegetables. The more bees in your garden the healthier, more productive and more pleasant a place it will be. (Syndetics summary)