'A warm, comforting tale of family and community which brims with kindness and love' Annie Lyons 'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness... If you're looking for a feelgood novel in these difficult times, this is definitely it!' Fiona Harper The smallest things can make the biggest difference... Veronica Beecham's cottage is the neatest house on Mapleberry Lane. A place for everything, and everything in its place - that's her motto. But within her wisteria-covered walls, Veronica has a secret: she's hardly left her perfect home in years. Then her teenage granddaughter, Audrey, arrives on the doorstep, and Veronica's orderly life is turned upside down. Shy and lonely, Audrey is struggling to find her place in the world. As a bond begins to form between the two women, Audrey develops a plan to give her gran the courage to reconnect with the community - they'll form a kindness club, with one generous action a day to help someone in the village, and perhaps help each other at the same time. As their small acts of kindness begins to ripple outwards, both Veronica and Audrey find that with each passing day, they feel a little braver. There's just one task left before the end of the year: to make Veronica's own secret wish come true... A heartwarming story with community at its heart, about the little kindnesses that make the world a better place. Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Holly Hepburn! *** Readers adore Helen's heartwarming storytelling 'Enchanting... Employing all the warmth and charm of Maeve Binchy, and a special brand of kindness that she has made her own, Rolfe weaves together elements of mystery, romance, family relationships and the warmth of community in a story guaranteed to bring laughter, tears and miles of smiles' Lancashire Post 'A lovely community, full of friendship and love' 'I enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down' 'Lovely, feel-good...filled with lots of love' 'Gave you all the emotions: suspense, happiness and excitement' 'Helen Rolfe's writing brought a smile to my face' 'Loved loved loved this fabulous book' 'Full of wonderful characters, great food, a lovely location'

In this book, Lois Hole describes her 148 favorite varieties and offers practical advice on what roses to grow for fragrance, color and splendor. She also includes information on the soil, light, climate and moisture conditions required for success.

In this splendid collection of short essays, gardener, writer, and professor Allen Lacy takes readers on a series of garden excursions, beginning at home. Lacy writes of his experiences with a variety of plants--evening primrose, prairie gentian, sumac, coreopsis, fuchsias, gloriosa lilies--in his own garden in New Jersey. Then he charts his travels to other gardens, in the United States, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands. Final essays in "Farther Afield "include a discussion of garden writing, profiles of other horticulturists, and humorous pieces on cats and houseplants, and, of course, flamingoes.

Discover the joy of growing and using plants indoors and outdoors, no matter how limited your space. This beautifully illustrated book is a modern, fresh take on gardening that shows how anyone can grow their own vegetables, create a mini wildflower meadow or learn how to make the most of their houseplants. And you don't need your own garden to get started. Creating a thriving window box, choosing suitable plant pots for a desktop oasis or joining a local community garden are perfect ways to experience the joys of gardening. Learn which plants will encourage wildlife, discover what works best for your space (no matter how small), find inspiration, experiment with colour, texture and techniques. Whatever you choose to grow, you'll be doing one of the best activities there is to enhance your sense of well-being and improve your physical health - so grab those seeds, pick up the watering can and get growing!

Bulbs can provide fantastic color in your garden from early spring through fall. Here, the gardening expert provides comprehensive coverage on growing bulbs. There are 22 main entries with general growing information on all major varieties as well as 50 secondary entries "for the more adventurous." The book focuses on bulbs suitable for growing in North America but includes most major bulbs worldwide.

There's no more breathtaking signal of summer's onset than the blooming of peonies. Stunningly beautiful and relatively easy to grow, peonies are a favorite flower everywhere they can be cultivated and for good reason: the heady fragrances and enchanting colors of a peony-rich display create an immersive experience that has enamored generations of garden lovers across the world. This passion is on full display each June at the historic Peony Garden of the University of Michigan's Nichols Arboretum. Originally planted in 1922, the Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden now boasts North America's largest public collection of heirloom herbaceous peonies. The Peony Garden has become a sacred space for the Ann Arbor community, a not-to-be-missed sensation when it erupts each season, as the Ann Arbor Observer once wrote, in "a riot of color, of crimson, rose and shell pink intermingled with fluffy pompoms of creamy white." The rather short period of peak bloom-about two fleeting weeks each year-only seems to intensify the garden's appeal, drawing thousands of visitors annually to this spectacular "living museum" on campus that showcases upwards of 10,000 blossoms. Richly illustrated with hundreds of striking color photos, Passion for Peonies collects twenty short essays that celebrate the story of the Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden as well as the rich social history of peony gardening that it is an integral part of. Together these pieces comprise a love letter both to a magical public space at the University of Michigan and to the broader history and culture of peony gardening. The book will appeal to readers interested in the University of Michigan, the history of public gardens, and of course peonies!

If you're fed up with buying flowers to display and arrange at home, then look now further than this easy-to-follow, practical guide to growing your own cut flowers from gardening expert Sarah Raven (Gardener's World, The Daily Telegraph). With over 250 specially commissioned photos, top tips and step-by-step instructions, this book is the first step to having a house full of sophisticated and stylish home-grown arrangements! 'She makes it so simple. Once Sarah has had her way with you, you will never need to buy another bunch of out-of-season Kenyan roses again.' -- The Guardian 'Absolutely fantastic!' -- ***** Reader review 'A must for all flower lovers' -- ***** Reader review 'Inspirational' -- ***** Reader review 'Sarah Raven is the best!' -- ***** Reader review 'Beautifully illustrated and full of imaginative ideas' -- ***** Reader review ******************************************************************************************************* Demystifying the world of floristry, Grow Your Own Cut Flowers by Sarah Raven (Gardener's World, The Daily Telegraph) is perfect for beginner gardeners, flower arrangers wanting to grow their own flowers and experienced gardeners wanting ideas to fill a house with their harvest. With insider tips on sowing seed, conditioning flowers and putting together stylish arrangements for any occasion, step-by-step instructions, flower directories and over 250 specially commissioned photographs, this is an invaluable, practical and accessible guide to bringing a little bit of the outside into your house in a rewarding, stylish and sustainable way.

My Dinosaur Garden is bursting with crafts and activities perfect for children. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this book is packed with fun things to make and do both indoors and outdoors. It's time to get your green-claws ready with your favourite dinosaur friends! Grow dinosaur cress eggs Create a Triceratops leaf collage Make your own roar-some rock garden These dinos are off on a garden tour to learn all about plants, wildlife and top gardening tips. The dinosaurs can't wait to start exploring - and you can join them! This book is packed with fun facts and activities, so you can become a gardening expert, too. Step-by-step gardening activities - perfect for families to enjoy the garden together Easy-to-follow instructions for growing your own plants Colouring in, spot-the-difference, and make your own dinosaur mask and puppet!

A practical guide to over 100 recommended roses for Northern California. More than 300 full-color photos. The book is divided into 9 sections: Species Roses; hybrid teas; floribundas; grandifloras; old garden; climbers & ramblers; miniatures; groundcover & pavement; shrub & modern shrub

Grow Your Own Flowers inspires readers to embrace the multitude of beautiful flowers that can be planted in any garden to make a dramatic difference. It takes you on a journey from understanding how to grow flowers to buying, planting and choosing the best varieties from 100 different genera for their garden. Staking, propagating, overwintering and seed-collecting: all the techniques are explained and shown in step by step sequences. Readers can choose from hundreds of RHS recommended varieties. In this book we show how to grow, propagate and choose the best varieties from 100 choice genera.

Botanists are on the case, trying to solve the mystery of the black rose: does it exist? Has it ever? It seems that the only solid fact surrounding this flower is that people have been searching for it for centuries--and are still searching today. The first references to extremely dark red roses were made in early botanist literature, and at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, drawings of such roses were widely circulated. And, according to a spokesman of the Flowers and Plants Association, "Black flowers were beloved of the art nouveau designers at the previous turn of the century. Victorians and Edwardians at the cutting edge of fashion collected them, going to great lengths to track down exotic species." Today, the desire for unique blooms continues, prompting environmental consultant James Reynolds to write in March 2005: "Those looking for a riot of color at this year's flower shows are in for disappointment: black is back and this time it is set to take a hold over the nation's gardens. Just as floral prints have been banished from the house in favor of muted tones and minimalism, so the same is set to happen in our gardens and parks, with black flowers now the must-have item." Through extensive and detailed research, "The Quest for the Black Rose" presents the complete story of the elusive flower--from the oldest historical drawings up to the most recent developments. This publication, with its stunning photography, is sure to be treasured by any rose lover... or anyone intrigued by a good mystery.

Features over 335 annuals best suited to growing conditions in Ohio. Gardeners will enjoy the more than 400 brilliant full-color photographs in the book. They'll also benefit from the down-to-earth knowledge and extensive experience of Ohio horticulturist and garden designer Debra Knapke and Alison Beck, author of more than a dozen gardening guides.

Die kuns om spesifieke plante naby mekaar te plant sodat hulle mekaar op een of ander manier bevoordeel, word al honderde jare beoefen. Plantpasmaats is plante wat mekar help deurdat hulle 'n reuk of chemikalee afskei wat peste en plae afweer, of deurdat hulle voordelige insekte aanlok wat die omliggende plante bestuif of jag maak op skadelike insekte. Sommige plante stel weer voedingstowwe in die grond vry wat deur ander plante gebruik kan word. Het jy geweet ...Kappertjies wat saam met pampoene, skorsies en komkommers geplant word, versryf kewers, plantluise en ander insekte wat die groente beskadig. En boonop is kappertjies eetbaar! Wortels en preie is uitstekende plantmaats. Preie verjaag die wortelvlieg en die wortels jaag weer die vliee en motte wat uie en preie beskadig. Die verskillende reuke verwar die insekte en ontmoedig hulle so. Aspersies keer dat aalwurms tamatieplante se wortels aanval. Koljaner verjaag inskete en word in 'n natuurlike spuitstof teen die rooispinnekopmyt gebruik. Knoffel verjaag plantluise en is veral 'n goeie plantpasmaat vir rose. Hierdie titel beskryf meer as 100 kruie, voedsel- en medisinale plante en hulle plantpasmaats, met raad oor hoe, wanneer en waar om hulle te plant, te oes en te gebruik. Verweef in die teks is resepte vir natuurlike bemestingstowwe en spuitmiddels en inligting oor die medisinale en huishoudelike gebruike van plante. Afsonderlike afdelings dek nuttige onkruid, natuurlike spuitstowwe, deklae, bemestingstowwe en ander metodes om die grond te versterk.

Brilliant photographs and down-to-earth advice are packed into this guide to over 443 annuals suited to Michigan's climate. Szerlag and Beck provide information on light, water and nutrient needs, as well as recommendations on how and when to start your plants. This book also includes tips on planting, growing, recommended varieties, and problems and pests.

Walk into any nursery, florist, or supermarket, and you'll encounter displays of dozens of gorgeous flowers, from chrysanthemums to orchids. At one time these fanciful blooms were the rare trophies of the rich and influential-even the carnation, today thought of as one of the humblest cut flowers. Every blossom we take for granted now is the product of painstaking and imaginative planning, breeding, horticultural ingenuity, and sometimes chance. The personalities of the breeders, from an Indiana farmer to Admiral Lord Gambier's gardener, were as various and compelling as the beauty they conjured from skilled hybridization. In Visions of Loveliness: Great Flower Breeders of the Past, Judith Taylor wrote engagingly about the vivid history and characters behind eighteen types of popular flowers. In this companion volume she uncovers information about another eight familiar flowers: poinsettias, chrysanthemums, gladioli, pansies, carnations, water lilies, clematis, and penstemons. Taylor has tapped into an enormous trove of stories about extraordinary people with vision and skill who added to our enjoyment piece by piece, starting about 150 years ago. This beautifully illustrated book will please flower enthusiasts, gardeners, and history buffs alike.

An inspiring guide to transforming a small patch of ground, be it on an allotment or in a garden, into a cut flower patch which produces flowers from early spring to late autumn. Louise Curley looks at what makes a great cut flower, ideal conditions and soil and the tools you'll need. There is advice on what to grow - from favourite hardy annuals, half hardies and biennials to spring and summer bulbs to adding foliage and fillers to balance arrangements - and advice on how and when to sow, how to support your plants and tips on weeding, deadheading, pests and feeding. Growing your own means greater choice, working with the seasons and super fresh flowers. Bought flowers can be expensive and the international flower trade often means dangerous chemicals, poor working conditions for growers, demands on water resources and the 'flower miles' of worldwide airfreight. This book will help you get the most from your patch with guidance on how to cut the flowers so that they keep producing more blooms and how to look after them once they have been picked. The Cut Flower Patch is completed by a selection of flower arranging tips and sample arrangements as well as tips on finding great containers, planting plans and a helpful year planner The Cut Flower Patch won the 'Best Practical Book' at the Garden Media Guild Awards, 2014 Jason Ingram won Photographer of the Year at the Garden Media Guild Awards, 2014

The 6th Q&A series explores the incredible world of bulbs.The goal of these books is to provide gardeners with the information they need to grow beautiful plants. Questions are answered in 2-part. A short answer and a more in-depth answer.