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Solitary bees, also called wild bees, carpenter bees, or mason bees, are important pollinators. There are over 350 species of these bees in Quebec. They are the first to pollinate flowers in the spring and represent a vital link in our ecosystem. Provide them with a winter habitat! They will lay their eggs there, which will give rise to life when spring returns.

• Each insect hotel can accommodate solitary bees.
• Solitary bees are not aggressive towards humans because they have no honey to defend. More than half don't even have a stinger. They carry out their pollination work within a radius of 250 meters.
• Orient the front of the hotel to the south or southeast, with its back to the prevailing winds and sheltered from the elements, at least 30 cm from the ground.
• Pre-installed anchor on the back of the hotel for installation on a house, shed, fence, deck, etc. Avoid drilling into tree trunks. Can also be installed on a post (cedar post, fence post) using a separately sold bracket.
• Plant a beautiful variety of flowers that attract solitary bees.
• The top of the insect hotel can also accommodate ladybugs and lacewings, which are excellent predators of aphids.
• Avoid the use of pesticides and insecticides.
• Height 12 ¾ in (32.38 cm); width 7 ½ in (19.05 cm); depth 6 in (15.24 cm); Weight approx. 4 lb (1.8 kg).
• Cedar hotel made in the Eastern Townships by an artisan who has a great concern for the environment.

The organization of cities has emerged as a key to addressing the major economic, social, and environmental challenges of our time.

In recent years, urban planning has emerged as a key to addressing the major economic, social, and environmental challenges of our time. Cities are now seen as the places where all solutions are being invented.

• new economic models (circular, collaborative, resilient, etc.);
• emerging energy systems (solar, methanization, geothermal, etc.);
• innovative modes of mobility (cable transport, electric cars, bicycles, etc.);
• new cultural forms (urban art, festivals, events, etc.);
• renewed democratic practices (citizen participation, wiki city, etc.).

Eco-urbanism is this cross-cutting approach that aims to give all these spontaneous initiatives a new sense of coherence. The authors present concrete examples of cities around the world that foreshadow the eco-cities of tomorrow.

The stakes are high: according to the two authors, the organization of cities could become, in the 21st century, a "resource" as important as oil in the 20th century and agricultural land in pre-industrial societies.

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Authors: Jean Haëntjens and Stéphanie Lemoine
Publisher: Écosociété/Practical Guides Collection
Publication date: 2015
Pages: 120
ISBN 978-2-89719-213-6
Language: French

The true nature of weeds presents and reveals 15 wild plants unfairly labeled as weeds!

The True Nature of Weeds aims to shed light on often-maligned plants. It explores the relationships First Nations peoples had with certain plants and is enhanced with numerous photographs and illustrations. The book invites reflection on what leads us to classify plants, and even humans, as good or bad.

The Discovery Guide provides information on;

• their life cycle and their anatomy
• their survival strategies
• their history and geographical origin
• Their uses: edibility and medicinal aspects
• beliefs and anecdotes about them

Author: Roger Larivière
Publisher: Naturat (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada)
Publication date: May 2019
Pages:
90 color pages for the Discovery Guide,
110 black and white pages for the Botanical Notebook.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of crop protection against diseases, weeds, and insects in conventional agriculture. Based on current knowledge of the harmful effects of synthetic pesticides on the environment and health, the authors have compiled essential theoretical and practical information on all the preventive and corrective measures available to the agricultural sector, in order to equip and encourage the reduction of impacts on human and environmental health without compromising yield optimization.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of crop protection against diseases, weeds, and insects in conventional agriculture. Based on current knowledge of the harmful effects of synthetic pesticides on the environment and health, the authors have compiled essential theoretical and practical information on all the preventive and corrective measures available to the agricultural sector. Their aim is to equip and encourage the reduction of impacts on human and environmental health without compromising yield optimization. They propose integrating crop protection into production, from planning to harvest storage, and prioritizing the lowest-risk interventions all the way to the consumer's plate. In this way, the agricultural sector will develop the habit of embracing all possibilities, making the safest choices for the environment and human and animal health among physical, biological, chemical, and biotechnological methods, and finally, documenting and evaluating its practices with a view to continuous improvement toward increasingly sustainable agriculture.

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Authors: Roger Doucet and Josée Fortin
Publisher: Berger - Canadian book
Category: Humanities and Social Sciences
Publication date: 2023-09-12
Size: 20.5 cm x 23.0 cm
Pages: 504
Binding: Softcover
ISBN: 9782921416825
Language: French

Healthy soil teems with life – not just worms and insects, but a staggering amount of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms.

Good gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance.

Healthy soil teems with life—not just worms and insects, but a staggering number of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we damage the microbial life that normally sustains plants. At the same time, we become increasingly dependent on a whole arsenal of artificial substances, many of which are toxic to humans and other life forms. But there is an alternative: gardening to strengthen the soil and its food web, this fragile and complex network of living organisms whose interactions create a favorable environment for plants.

In this clear and concise book, which avoids jargon and overly technical terms, you will become acquainted with the various organisms that make up the soil food web. You will learn how to maintain and regenerate it to optimize soil quality through the use of compost, compost tea, and mulch, and which solutions to favor depending on the composition of your garden (lawn, vegetable garden, trees and shrubs, perennials and annuals, etc.).

In short, if you want to grow vigorous and healthy plants while cultivating your garden without using chemicals, this book is for you.

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Authors: Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis
Publisher: Rouergue
Publication date: 2016
Pages: 208
ISBN: 978-2-8126-1036-3
Language: French

Fascinated by your vegetable garden and edible plants, discover their history!

This unusual foray into the past of edible plants gives full meaning to the ever-growing interest in heritage varieties.

Did you know that tomatoes were tropical vines whose fruits were not always red?
Did cabbages grow in bushes?
That beans were once poisonous?

Exploring the history of the plants we eat reveals their astonishing evolutions. Since their original environment is largely located in tropical latitudes, it's understandable that our vegetables and herbs have traveled extensively in the baggage of explorers and horticulturists.

This exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the history of over fifty plant species, including tomatoes, potatoes, corn, arugula, and basil. This unusual exploration of the past of edible plants fully justifies the ever-growing interest in heritage varieties.

We must also acknowledge the work of the gardeners of yesteryear, to whom we owe the remarkable diversity of herbs and vegetables found on our plates today.

Author: Bertrand Dumont
Publisher: MULTIMONDES EDITIONS
Publication date: May 27, 2020
Pages: 300
ISBN: 978-2-8977-320-42
Language: French
Cover: Soft
Size: 13.97 x 21.59 cm (5.5 x 8.5 in)

With the globalization of the agri-food industry, we are witnessing a globalization of the invasion of non-native plants, limited only by climate and the type of activities. This book introduces us to a world where harmfulness is a function of activities (crops, pastures, livestock) and exists at varying degrees along a harm-to-benefit continuum.

Nothing is more complex than living things. Nothing is more relative than the harmfulness of a plant. And, in some plants, nothing is more variable than the characteristics of the species. Add to this picture climate change, global trade, and the introduction of new species, and you'll understand why this book is more of a short treatise on weed science than an identification guide. To help the reader learn to see and speak the language of weeds, the author guides them through the evolution and emergence of the major botanical classes and their roots in terminology, draws illuminating comparisons between species, directs attention to critical details—in short, aims to develop good instincts and reflexes for identification. Anyone seeking basic knowledge, whether in their agricultural training or gardening activities, will be delighted by this beautifully illustrated presentation of the plants that live alongside us and sometimes make our lives difficult simply by behaving as they were born to behave...

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Author: Roger Doucet
Publisher: Berger - Canadian book
Collection: Agricultural Science
Category: Technology and Engineering
Publication date: 2013-08-27
Size: 20.5 cm x 23.0 cm
Pages: 367
Binding: Softcover
ISBN: 9782921416733
Language: French

Transforming your backyard or garden into a productive and nourishing ecosystem is the goal of this essential guide!

Is your lawn looking a little too uniform for your liking? Do you dream of transforming your backyard into a little green paradise? Are you eager to get your hands dirty to contribute to the ecological effort against the climate crisis and increase biodiversity on your property? Whether you live in an urban area, the suburbs, or the countryside, this new guide will walk you through the process of creating ecological and edible green spaces in your outdoor area.

Transforming your backyard or garden into a productive and nourishing ecosystem is the goal of this essential guide!

Is your lawn looking a little too uniform for your liking? Do you dream of transforming your backyard into a verdant paradise? Are you eager to get your hands dirty and contribute to the ecological effort against the climate crisis, while also increasing biodiversity on your property? Whether you live in an urban area, the suburbs, or the countryside, this new guide will walk you through the process of creating ecological and edible green spaces in your outdoor area. From planting trees and fruit bushes to selecting plant varieties, equipment and raw materials, designing a layout, and the necessary work, to installing an irrigation system and maintaining your garden, you'll see that after a few years, your efforts will be richly rewarded!

AUTHOR(S)
Holding dual French and Canadian citizenship, Christelle Guibert is an engineer by training and a passionate gardener. She currently works as an environmental manager in the Outaouais region. *From Yard to Garden* is her first book.

Author: Christelle Guibert
Publication date: March 4, 2024
Publisher: Écosociété
Pages: 152 pages
Format: Paperback
Language: French
Subject: Architecture / Urban Planning, Lifestyle - Miscellaneous, Horticulture / Gardening, Nature / Botany
ISBN: 9782897199609

Edible gardening for all spaces.

You dream of growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. But without a large plot of land, how can you do it? The new vegetable garden answers this question.

Contrary to popular belief, most vegetable plants thrive when grown in pots, containers, and other growing mediums. Even better: with the guidance of a master gardener, they flourish!

In this unique book, Albert Mondor offers ingenious solutions for growing a variety of edible plants on balconies, terraces, rooftops, or even walls. The numerous DIY projects, illustrated step by step, will allow novice and experienced gardeners alike to have a highly productive vegetable garden, regardless of the constraints of their space.

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Author: Albert Mondor
Publisher: Les Éditions du Journal
Page: 240
Publication date: April 2018
ISBN: 9782897610517

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Unique, eco-friendly, and economical tips

In a world as evolved as ours, can we understand and solve once and for all the problem of weeding, which deprives many people of the pleasure of surrounding themselves with biodiverse gardens?

Ask yourself the real questions now: why are weeds growing on your lawn, in your garden, among your flowers? Since you've been fighting to control the weeds, are there fewer of them? Despite your constant efforts, the weeds keep coming back, again and again, and you need to stay vigilant.

Now imagine freeing yourself from all the tasks and expenses associated with weed control. This is the key contained in this book, in which expert Serge Fortier reveals the fundamental laws governing weed growth. Finally, concrete and lasting solutions!

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Author: Serge Fortier
Publisher: Éditions DE MORTAGNE
Dimensions: 15.5 x 23cm (6 x 9 in)
Page: 158, color
Publication date: 2009
ISBN: 9782890747982

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From spring to winter, picking wild plants means learning about them, getting closer to nature and enriching your daily life with healthy, local and tasty products.

Often considered "weeds," they are actually precious, interesting… and useful! One by one, Isabelle tells us about them, presenting the characteristics that allow us to identify them, their history, and their benefits. She explains how to harvest them respectfully and gives, for each one, different suggestions for use, with one or more recipes.

From spring to winter, picking wild plants means learning about them, getting closer to nature and enriching your daily life with healthy, local and tasty products.

Originally from the Lower St. Lawrence region, Isabelle Simard inherited ancestral traditions and developed a passion for the plants around her from a young age. Discovering that not everyone was as fortunate as she was, she shares her knowledge and expertise with disarming simplicity. This book, inspired by her outings throughout the seasons, brings together some sixty plants that grow wild across Quebec.

Often considered "weeds," they are actually precious, interesting… and useful! One by one, Isabelle tells us about them, presenting the characteristics that allow us to identify them, their history, and their benefits. She explains how to harvest them respectfully and gives, for each one, different suggestions for use, with one or more recipes.

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Author: Isabelle Simard
Publisher: Flammarion Québec
Publication date: 2023-09-07
Size: 16.5 cm x 21.0 cm
Pages: 256
Binding: Softcover
ISBN: 9782898111198
Language: French

How to attract beneficial insects and keep pests away?

Insects, defending our vegetable gardens!

Insects are the perfect ecological way to promote biodiversity in our gardens and vegetable patches. While some species can wreak havoc on flowerbeds, others are essential for their health. How can we tell the difference?

Albert Mondor & Daniel Gingras

Albert Mondor, horticulturist and biologist, and Daniel Gingras, entomologist, introduce novice and experienced gardeners to the fascinating world and unsuspected resources of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This guide contains, among other things:

• Several flower bed design plans that will attract beneficial insects
• Effective and eco-friendly tips for repelling pest insects
• Simple methods to distinguish beneficial insects from unwanted ones
• A directory of plants preferred by pollinating insects
• All the important elements to consider for insect farming, especially beekeeping

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Authors: Albert Mondor, Daniel Gingras
Publisher: Les Éditions du Journal
Pages: 240
Publication date: March 2021
ISBN: 9782897611040

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Here is a manual of high-level applied permaculture agricultural techniques and design to create and cultivate a human-scale farm that is profitable but above all resilient (robust, adaptive, autonomous) and productive.

** New book with slight wear due to shipping.

Being able to be self-reliant in the face of life's challenges is a constant concern for Ben Falk, and it's one of the reasons for his current renown. Another reason stems from his methods and results in regenerating the previously damaged soils of his farm.

Directly applicable to the colder temperate regions of the globe, such as France or Canada, Ben Falk's farm has already garnered attention across the United States. Located in Vermont, it serves as a productive and functional model, proving that it is possible to live a modern, resilient, and regenerative rural life on just 4 hectares. Situated on a terraced slope that conventional farmers in the area consider worthless, Ben Falk's farm is teeming with life, including fruit trees, vegetables, mushrooms, ducks, sheep, hedgerows for firewood, eco-friendly buildings, ponds, and productive rice paddies. And yes, rice is possible thanks to Ben Falk's innovations!

This book will provide you with the many strategies tested by Ben Falk and his team at the Whole Systems Research Farm, as well as experiences from sites designed and developed by Ben Falk's design office. Illustrated with numerous color photographs and detailed design diagrams, this book will shed light on:

• site selection and the design process
• adapting to changes
• gravity-fed water management systems
• the use of compost made from urine, “human manure” and biochar
• the production and storage of firewood
• human health and strategies for producing nutrient-rich foods
• the integration of perennial crops and herbivorous animals

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Author: Ben Falk
Edition: Imagine a Hummingbird
Size: 21 cm x 29.7 cm
Pages: 290 color pages
Publication date: 03/2017
ISBN: 979-10-95250-02-9

Forest gardens: an ocean of edible perennial plants.

Practice self-sufficiency at home, based primarily on perennial crops, by one of the leading teachers of permaculture. Reduce your cultivation efforts with plants that regrow each year or readily self-seed.

Insightful questions, effective and inexpensive solutions, exceptional plants… and mistakes too. This is the true story of how they transformed their 400 square meters of poor soil in a disadvantaged suburb into a lush and bountiful vegetable garden and forest garden, inspiring many around them… Follow their thought process, their trials (from the moment they bought the land), and the gradual growth of their forest garden from 2004 to 2019, step by step.

This book will also allow you to experience in everyday life what the permaculture approach can be like, thanks to a chronological life story, by the author and his roommate, soon joined by their respective partners.

A practical, surprising, fresh, motivating and truly inspiring book!

Numerous photos of plants.

Authors: Eric Toensmeier
Edition: Imagine a hummingbird
Publication date: 11/2019
Number of pages: 180
ISBN: 9791095250050

A practical guide to creating beautiful gardens all year round through the use of effective microorganisms (EM), developed by Japanese researcher Teruo Higa.

A practical guide to creating little green paradises in your gardens and on your balconies using Effective Microorganisms (EM). A book that will become an indispensable ally in your gardening practice! Developed in the 1980s by Japanese researcher Teruo Higa, an agronomist and university professor of horticulture in Okinawa, Japan, Effective Microorganisms (EM) are composed of a balanced mixture of approximately 80 species of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, some of which live off the metabolites of others.

An effective alternative to chemical products, EM (Effective Microorganisms) regenerate soils and stimulate plant growth. They are also effective in a multitude of uses, ranging from natural fertilizer and pest control to all-purpose household cleaners, animal care products, and rust removers. This practical, illustrated guide is full of advice on how to best manage different parts of a garden using invigorating biological methods for the soil. It will accompany you through the seasons in the practice of sustainable gardening, with a wealth of new ideas, including on the use of EM.

Each season demands specific tasks from us gardeners. These are described in detail in the twelve chapters, each dedicated to a month of the year: what to do in the garden, month by month; numerous tips for sowing, using fertilizers, plant care, harvesting, storage, and overwintering; and information on fruits and berries, flowers, shrubs, and water features throughout the seasons. Delicious recipes for preparing your harvest are included at the end of each chapter.

Author: Anne Lorch
Publication date: July 2018
Publisher: Golden Breath
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN: 9782840586111

It's the queen of our vegetable gardens! The favorite plant of gardeners, amateur or experienced.

The tomato!

It's the queen of our vegetable gardens! The favorite plant of gardeners, amateur or experienced! Red, yellow, green, and even black, or small, fleshy, round, oval, and juicy, tomatoes come in more than 15,000 varieties. And each one offers different flavors and aromas.

While paying tribute to this fruit-vegetable so beneficial to health, Lili Michaud tells us which varieties are best suited to our soils and climates. She offers us a vegetable gardening adventure that begins the moment the seeds are sown in pots and continues all the way to the table. The book includes valuable advice for:

• choose the varieties that best suit our tastes using a unique chart displaying more than 200 varieties;
• starting a crop, in pots or in the ground, and knowing how to maintain it;
• protect plants from diseases and harmful insects;
• recognize the right time to harvest;
• consider the best ways to cook our tomatoes;
• knowing how to preserve, dehydrate or freeze them.

The most daring gardeners will even find tricks to successfully graft and create their own new and exclusive variety.

As a bonus, around twenty healthy and delicious recipes.

For the enjoyment of gardeners, cooks and gourmets!

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Author: Lili Michaud
Publisher: MultiMondes Publishing
Dimensions: x cm (x in)
Page: 291, color
Publication date: April 2018
ISBN: 9782897730819
Language: French

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Diatoms are microscopic algae encased in a siliceous shell. Diatomaceous earth (whose active ingredient is silicon dioxide) is made from these fossilized algae ground into a fine powder. Its particles are a multitude of tiny, sharp crystals. It is used as a barrier on the ground or sprinkled on foliage to control soft-bodied pests that crawl or walk: ants, earwigs, slugs, Colorado potato beetles, and the larval stages of countless insects. Upon contact with diatomaceous earth, the insect is cut in several places and eventually dies from dehydration.

• Can be used as a barrier on the ground or sprinkled on foliage.
• Pests may take a few days to die; those that ingest diatomaceous earth die more quickly due to perforation of their digestive system.
• Apply diatomaceous earth to a dry surface that will remain dry for at least one day, but preferably for several days, as its effectiveness decreases once wet.
• Sprinkle it on the leaves or on the surface of the soil.
• Avoid flowers, as they would harm pollinating insects.
• This non-selective product can harm living organisms in the soil (e.g. earthworms); use it in a targeted manner and only as a last resort.
• Avoid using it near bodies of water due to possible drift.
• While safe for humans and pets, diatomaceous earth is potentially very irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes of the respiratory system.
• Wearing protective glasses and a mask is recommended during application.
• Do not apply in windy conditions.
• This product should be stored in a dry place, out of reach of children and animals.

Practical advice and methods for adopting Theory U. This model for managing change in organizations and individuals, through collective intelligence, proposes to follow five steps: initiate, perceive, be present, create and deploy.

Driven by hundreds of thousands of actors in the transition, more than ten thousand social innovation projects have emerged from Theory U worldwide. It is no longer just a model for managing change, but a global movement that is sparking profound transformations at all levels of our systems: economic, political, agri-food, educational, innovation...

It was therefore high time that the essentials of Theory U were made accessible to everyone!

Every action we take impacts our entire ecosystem. So how can we contribute to the necessary transformations of our world? It begins with the quality of our presence—as individuals, teams, and organizations—that we must learn to observe and feel ourselves, to be fully present to the future that seeks to emerge through us. Through concrete tools and a comprehensive method, the author helps us to envision and implement our best possible future.

Ten years after the first edition of Theory U: Renewing Leadership, Otto Scharmer revisits the essence and key principles of the U-shaped process with inspiring testimonials and concrete examples of profound transformation initiatives. He provides us with a practical guide to redefining the organization of our world in crisis, beginning with a fundamental reflection on what motivates each of us, the source of our actions.

This new reference and discovery tool for boreal flora describes with precision and passion the various uses that can be made of the plants here.

This new reference and discovery tool for boreal flora describes with precision and passion the various uses of local plants. Everything is readily available for those who want to cook, perfume themselves, use medicinal herbs, or add new flavors to everyday dishes.

Always passionate about nature and its secrets, Fabien Girard wants to share its hidden treasures with the public. This book helps us understand how flora is an inexhaustible source of knowledge, freely offered without asking anything in return.

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Author: Fabien Girard
Publisher: JCL (Quebec, Canada)
Collection: Practical Guides
Category: botany
Publication date: 2013-08
Pages: 216
Size: 15.2 X 22.9 cm / 6 X 9 in
ISBN: 978-2-89431-479-1
Language: French

Focused on wonder, Secrets of Plants allows enthusiasts to recognize, pick and use an amazing variety of plants, which they can then use, especially in cooking.

Through numerous anecdotes and experiences accumulated over time, Fabien Girard leads the reader to discover the diversity and richness hidden in our undergrowth and forests, along waterways and in fields.

Richly illustrated, full of color and pleasing to both the eye and the mind, Secrets of Plants teaches us above all that the boreal forest hides a true open-air treasure, where we must constantly smell, see, taste and touch, in order to fully grasp these gifts that Mother Nature offers us so generously.

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Author: Fabien Girard
Publisher: JCL (Quebec, Canada)
Collection: Practical Guides
Category: botany
Publication date: 2008-04
Pages: 204
Format: 152 X 229 mm (6 X 9 in)
ISBN: 978-2-89431-370-1
Language: French