The Shaker Garden: Beauty Through Utility

by Donaldson, Stephanie

• ISBN13: 9780715316108
• ISBN10: 0715316109
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: F & W Media Inc

Summary

The Shakers of the American northeast were careful and caring gardeners, and each of their village communitites was self-sufficient, growing fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables in an organic, sustainable way. In the environmenatlly aware twenty-first century we still have much to learn from the Shaker approach to gardening. The Shaker Garden provides a practical guide to creating a beautiful and productive garden, or adapting part of an existing design. Sound horticultural information combines with step by step projects, including building raised beds, creating a birdhouse, making wooden seed trays and recipes for herb flavored honey and edible flower salads. this book is an invitation to simplify, to sweep away the clutter and use natural methods and materials to create a gardein that is a rich source of food and a calm oasis for relaxation. Stephanie Donaldson has run the vegetable garden on an organic farm and also managed a large formal garden for eight years. She lives next to the sea on the south coast of England where the mild climate allows her to experiment with growing Mediterranean plants.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 6
History	p. 11
Shaker Gardens	p. 14
Setting the Scene	p. 18
Picket fences	p. 22
Paths	p. 24
Raised beds	p. 26
Plant supports	p. 29
Containers	p. 30
The shed	p. 32
Accessories	p. 36
Tools	p. 40
Paints	p. 44
The Soil	p. 48
Soil types	p. 52
Cultivating	p. 55
Growing	p. 56
Weeds	p. 59
Watering	p. 60
Pests	p. 62
Compost	p. 64
Herbs	p. 66
Medicinal	p. 70
Culinary	p. 74
Tisane herbs	p. 78
Flowers	p. 82
Flowers for drying	p. 86
Flowers for cutting	p. 90
Choosing & planting perennials	p. 93
Annual flower patch	p. 94
Edible flowers	p. 98
Birds, bees & butterflies	p. 102
Vegetables	p. 106
Root vegetables	p. 111
Squashes & pumpkins	p. 114
Potatoes	p. 118
Cabbage	p. 122
Onions, shallots & garlic	p. 124
Tomatoes	p. 126
Sweetcorn	p. 130
Beans & peas	p. 134
Salads	p. 138
Esteemed vegetables	p. 143
Companion planting	p. 146
Fruit	p. 148
Soft fruit	p. 152
Rhubarb	p. 157
Orchard fruit	p. 158
Apples	p. 162
Suppliers	p. 164
Index	p. 166
Bibliography	p. 167
Acknowledgements	p. 168
Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved.