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. Read Less