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Seeds: The Definitive Guide to Growing, History, and Lore
The life of a garden begins and ends with a seed. Explanations of virtually everything that happens in between - including germination, indoor and outdoor cultivation, and seed collection for all types of plants - can be found in Seeds: The Definitive Guide to Growing, History, and Lore.
Author Peter Loewer leads the reader on a seed odyssey that spans from the early genetic experiments of Mendel to the growth of large seed companies, as well as tales of intrepid seed collectors who go to extraordinary lengths to procure rare seed specimens. Practical advice is not overlooked as different methods are outlined for starting all types of seeds at home. Detailed instructions are provided for cold frames, sterilizing dirt, seed storage, indoor to outdoor transplanting, and germinating seeds in a range of mediums.
Unlike any other book on the subject, Seeds artfully blends a wide scope of hands-on gardening techniques with scientific information and folklore. The result is a comprehensive tome on the subject of seeds replete with listings of seed nurseries, seed exchanges, and even poetry related to seeds.
Interviews and anecdotes throughout reveal a delightful band of eccentrics from all over the globe who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of seeds, as well as to the beautiful gardens spawned from their collections. Fully illustrated with the author's elegantly sculpted line drawings, Seeds is the only book to explore this subject in such depth.
Author Peter Loewer leads the reader on a seed odyssey that spans from the early genetic experiments of Mendel to the growth of large seed companies, as well as tales of intrepid seed collectors who go to extraordinary lengths to procure rare seed specimens. Practical advice is not overlooked as different methods are outlined for starting all types of seeds at home. Detailed instructions are provided for cold frames, sterilizing dirt, seed storage, indoor to outdoor transplanting, and germinating seeds in a range of mediums.
Unlike any other book on the subject, Seeds artfully blends a wide scope of hands-on gardening techniques with scientific information and folklore. The result is a comprehensive tome on the subject of seeds replete with listings of seed nurseries, seed exchanges, and even poetry related to seeds.
Interviews and anecdotes throughout reveal a delightful band of eccentrics from all over the globe who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of seeds, as well as to the beautiful gardens spawned from their collections. Fully illustrated with the author's elegantly sculpted line drawings, Seeds is the only book to explore this subject in such depth.
230 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Peter Loewer
55 books5 followersH. Peter Loewer is a writer, graphic artist, photographer, and botanical illustrator who deals with books on natural history, gardening, great gardeners, and science for children.
He graduated from the Albright Art School of the University of Buffalo with a degree in graphics and a minor in art history. Upon graduation he was awarded the Max Beckmann Fellowship to the Brooklyn Museum Art.
In 1973 he wrote the first book on ornamental grasses, Growing and Decorating with Ornamental Grasses, then in 1994 he published the first book on nocturnal flowers for bloom and fragrance, called The Evening Garden. His book, The Wild Gardener, was named one of the best 75 garden books of the 20th Century by the American Horticultural Society. Dealing with a few of the nation's horticultural greats, he also wrote and illustrated Thoreau's Garden and Jefferson's Garden. He has a monthly call-in garden show on public radio in Asheville, and is on-air with morning host Ken Adams the first and third Thursday of the month, talking about unusual plants and horticulture lore. He is also the contributing editor for Carolina Gardener magazine and a popular speaker.
Today, Mr. Loewer teaches art at the North Carolina Arboretum, Montreat Elderhostel, AB-Tech, and every three years at Penland School in Spruce Pine. He also practices printmaking, and works on pen and colored-pencil renderings of native plants and their pollinating insects.
He graduated from the Albright Art School of the University of Buffalo with a degree in graphics and a minor in art history. Upon graduation he was awarded the Max Beckmann Fellowship to the Brooklyn Museum Art.
In 1973 he wrote the first book on ornamental grasses, Growing and Decorating with Ornamental Grasses, then in 1994 he published the first book on nocturnal flowers for bloom and fragrance, called The Evening Garden. His book, The Wild Gardener, was named one of the best 75 garden books of the 20th Century by the American Horticultural Society. Dealing with a few of the nation's horticultural greats, he also wrote and illustrated Thoreau's Garden and Jefferson's Garden. He has a monthly call-in garden show on public radio in Asheville, and is on-air with morning host Ken Adams the first and third Thursday of the month, talking about unusual plants and horticulture lore. He is also the contributing editor for Carolina Gardener magazine and a popular speaker.
Today, Mr. Loewer teaches art at the North Carolina Arboretum, Montreat Elderhostel, AB-Tech, and every three years at Penland School in Spruce Pine. He also practices printmaking, and works on pen and colored-pencil renderings of native plants and their pollinating insects.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 23, 2011
The beginning reads a bit like a high school text book, lots if information on how seeds grow and how to collect them. I was looking more for a book on growing vegetable but it more leaning toward garden flowers shurbs etc.....
Displaying 1 of 1 review