A green-fingered gardener, Amy Stewart has always delighted in the sight of freshly cut flowers, but she grew increasingly curious and uneasy about the journey those flowers take to reach her bouquet. In Gilding the Lily, Stewart introduces us to the people, places and plants that make up this multi-million-pound industry, from a lily grower in the American Northwest to the rose fields of Ecuador and the tulip greenhouses in Holland. Gilding the Lily is a page-turning enquiry into the controversial practices that lie behind each bloom, including the treatment of the workers in the fields and greenhouses, the issue of patenting and the use of pesticides, and the financial forces that drive the quest for the "perfect" flower. It is also a wonderful story about the romance and the reality of growingand cultivating flowers.

"The Edible Flower Garden" is a beautiful collection of flowers that can be used for cookery: from candied violets and roses to decorate appetizers and cakes, to nasturtiums for a colorful shrimp salad, to day lily buds, pink clover, and wild mustard flowers that are tossed together in a spectacular stir-fry.

Modern Dried Flowers is a contemporary guide to the sustainable art of preserving and styling stems. Versatile, chic, environmentally mindful, affordable and low maintenance - there are many reasons to love dried flowers. Whether for weddings and special events or simply to bring a touch of ethereal charm to your home, these timeless, reimagined arrangements can bring a room to life. Modern Dried Flowers offers nature-led inspiration and step-by-step instructions to gain all of the basic skills, tools and techniques necessary to grow, cut, dry and style your stems to perfection. Author and celebrated florist Angela Maynard is a founding leader of the classic craft's revival, and here she reveals her secrets and dispenses expert advice so that you too can master the art of everlasting beauty and wow-worthy decor, no matter what your style. In this practical and visually stunning guide, you will find: 20 beautifully photographed projects, from wearable keepsakes to majestic seasonal centrepieces; Tips to get creative with the leftover materials; A handy index of suitable flowers which outlines characteristics, symbols and best combinations. Play with texture and colour, discover unusual blooms and botanicals, and create something truly original that lasts a lifetime.

The authors recommend a selection of classic and new fern cultivars. They focus on designing with ferns in a range of garden settings and combining them with companion plants. This book includes an extensive plant list with 100 of the top-performing varieties, inspiring photography and a useful list of the best places to see and buy ferns.

You don't need a sprawling garden to brighten your life with flowers. Bloom will show you how any space, no matter how small, can be transformed into a colourful oasis with flowering plants. The ultimate guide to beautiful blooms, Lauren and Sophia from Leaf Supply have tips for care, selection, styling and arrangement. A guide through the seasons, Bloom has everything you need to create flowering gardens indoors or on balconies. * Practical information on the best light, soil and care requirements * Details of when to plant and when flowers bloom * 60+ flowering plant profiles * Interviews with plant-lovers who have filled their homes with blooming plants

Orchids, the epitome of floral beauty, have long inspired poetry, adventure, art and scientific discovery. In Orchid Muse, historian and home orchid grower Erica Hannickel brings together fascinating tales of the orchid-smitten throughout history, along with tips on growing the exotic blooms at the centre of each account. Consider, for instance, Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria, the two most powerful women in nineteenth-century Europe, who shared a passion for Coelogyne cristata. John Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Raymond Burr, the actor famed for playing Perry Mason, cultivated thousands of orchids, introducing captivating new and unusual species. Transporting the reader from hazardous Amazonian journeys to a seedy dime museum in Gilded Age New York's Tenderloin, from the glories of the palace gardens of Chinese Empress Cixi to the island of Bourbon, where the vanilla orchid thrives, Orchid Muse spans the world, exploring our enduring fascination with these exquisite flowers.

Discover how to keep your garden in the best of health. Ideal for first-time gardeners, Grow Pests & Diseases contains everything you need to know to prevent and treat a wide range of plant pests, diseases, disorders, and more. Far more than a simple list of treatments, this book shows you how to keep plants in top condition, recognise the signs of ill-health, and decide whether or not intervention is needed, while the fully illustrated ailment directory is organised by symptom and plant type for quick and easy identification. Packed with practical, jargon-free know-how, this easy-to-use guide has everything you need to know to help your garden Grow.

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!

Flamboyant, intriguing, beautiful and exotic, orchids have evolved to become the largest family of plants in the world. This classic book, written by two of the world's leading orchid authorities and now updated, presents everything you need to know to identify, choose and display these delightful flowers successfully. It contains guidance on tools and equipment; feeding and watering; and dealing with pests and diseases. A directory describes and illustrates a wide range of species and hybrids, providing information on habitat, size, flowering time and growing requirements. With over 600 exquisite photographs, this is the definitive guide to growing these well-loved plants.

An easy to use and comrehensive primer on the perennials that grow best in Georgia. Over 380 perennials suited to the region; 530 brilliant full-color photographs; info opn planting, growing, recommended varieties, problems and pests; detail on light, water and nutrient needs and how and when to start your plants. A Quick Reference chart provides info at a glance on color, blooming, height, hardiness and light & soil requirements

Orchids fascinate. Parts of the orchid flower have shapes unlike any other flowering plant, and the sheer number of species means that their variety is seemingly endless, with an ability to interbreed and create ever more fantastical forms. Extraordinary Orchids reveals some of the bizarre life-styles and interactions that botanists have uncovered amongst different categories of orchids: the epiphytic orchids, the ground-dwelling ones, the insect-mimicking ones and those whose lifestyles are so closely bound to their interactions with insects and birds. Many orchid common names refer to the shape-shifting forms of the orchid flower - the 'man-orchids' or 'monkey orchids' are so called because of their resemblance to the primate form. Orchids lend themselves to depiction, and botanical artworks of them abound. Who could resist painting or drawing such intriguing shapes? Sandra Knapp examines each category of orchid in turn and all are illustrated with stunning artwork from artists such as Ferdinand and Franz Bauer, Arthur Harry Church, Sydney Parkinson, Henry Fletcher Hance, John Russell Reeves, and images taken from James Bateman's The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.

Discover everything you need to know to grow your garden in containers. Even if you only have a balcony or small patio, you can grow more than you ever thought possible in pots, wall planters and hanging baskets! This is your no-fuss guide to container gardening. Are you interested in making your outdoor space greener but don't know where to start? This urban gardening guide for beginners will help you choose and care for more than 80 different plant varieties, all specially chosen for their ability to thrive in containers. Discover the quickest way to bring nature into your home all year round! From suntraps to shady corners, this easy gardening guide will show you how to brighten up even the trickiest areas with beautiful plants. You don't have to be a horticulture expert to get started, this indispensable reference book will take you through every single step! It includes: - Tips on how to care for more than 80 different container plant varieties - Packed with practical, jargon-free know-how and simple gardening techniques - Easy-to-follow format to help grow your gardening knowledge Let It Grow! Gorgeous, full-colour photography provides plenty of inspiration and styling ideas! Expert tips and step-by-step instructions on every page help make sure that you care for your plants in the right way for them to flourish. Grow Containers shows you how to leverage every square inch of your gardening space. It's perfect for first-time gardeners, especially renters and small homeowners with paved-over gardens. Complete the Series: Make your green-fingered dreams a reality with the Grow series from DK. Learn how to sow, grow and harvest vegetables successfully in Grow Easy Veg, or discover how to garden more sustainably in Grow Eco-Gardening. Alternatively, there are more titles to explore such as Grow Pruning & Training and Grow Houseplants.

My Unicorn Garden is bursting with crafts and activities perfect for children. Created with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the UK's leading gardening charity, this amazing book is packed with fun things to make and do both indoors and outdoors. It's time to get your green-hooves ready with your favourite unicorn friends! Paint a unicorn plant pot Create fantastic flower pressings Make your own mini unicorn garden Discover the wonderful secrets of gardening with magical, mythical unicorns! These unicorns are off on a garden tour to learn all about plants, wildlife and top gardening tips. The unicorns 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 daisy chain and winter wreath!

This encyclopaedia features the most beautiful blooms from around the world, including annuals and perennials, trees, orchids, shrubs, ground covers, bromeliads, and bulbs.

No other group of flowers captures the imagination like orchids. Found worldwide in nature, and grown by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, orchids have lured explorers into remote lands, have inspired philosophers and artists, and have provided raw material for big business, plant breeders and gardeners of every kind. Ultimate Orchid presents these magical plants in all their splendour and diversity.

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, the American Orchid Society and international orchid experts, Ultimate Orchid includes more than 400 dazzling photographs that present a cross-section of the orchid world. the authoritative text contains essential facts and fascinating details on all of the major orchid groups. Beginners and seasoned fanciers alike will find inspiring and useful information throughout the book.

• More than 400 colour photographs presented in intricate detail
• The Smithsonian Institution and the American Orchid Society provide expert information and insight
• Special sections cover orchid history, growing techniques and orchid show judging

This book focuses on roses that are particularly suited to small gardens, those that are more compact or less rampant in habit, those that are repeat flowering and that offer interest even when not flowering. It also includes advice on how and where to plant and what to grow with roses.

Brighten your garden all year round with a wide variety of bulbs. Ideal for first-time gardeners, Grow Bulbs contains everything you need to bring year-round colour into your garden with bulbs. Learn how to plant, care for, and divide your bulbs, create stunning displays including naturalistic drifts and eye-catching containers, and choose from a huge range of bulbs, corms, and tubers with the book's handy seasonal directory. Packed with practical, jargon-free know-how, this easy-to-use guide has everything you need to know to help your garden Grow.

A rose is one of the most beautiful, versatile, and rewarding plants that a gardener can grow, but with over 30,000 different types of roses available to gardeners across the world, how do you find the right one for your garden? RHS Roses is a joyous celebration of this garden icon, which brings together stunning photography of rose gardens and displays with expert advice on how to choose, grow, and enjoy roses in any garden, anywhere! With passion and petals on every page, you can explore: - Author Michael Marriott brings an unrivalled level of expertise to this title, with easy to follow instructions and accessible text that readers can trust -The content and layout will showcase the different types of roses available to readers, as well as how to grow them. -The inspiring range of roses available and the essential contribution they bring to a garden -"Rose selector" that gives you the key information about roses for your garden - from front of border beauties to shady wall show-offs. New to roses and don't know where to begin? No worries, DK has got you covered! This invaluable guide teaches gardeners how they can make the most of their garden's unique qualities, from practical considerations like soil and climate to the mood and style of the space. Central to the book is the "rose selector" section, which features 200 profiles showcasing the best varieties for different uses, climates, and characteristics like scent and hips. As one of the world's leading rosarians, with more than 35 years' experience and a close association with the internationally renowned David Austin Roses, author Michael Marriott showcases his expertise and insight with stunning photography, to provide the ideal book for gardeners who love, grow, and want to know more about their favourite flower.

This vividly written and lavishly illustrated book challenges many cherished beliefs about the rose. It looks set to establish itself as the definitive history of the Queen of Flowers. Ever since Sappho planted roses at the shrine of Aphrodite, no flower has captured the imagination in quite the same way. Wherever it has grown, human beings have projected on to it their dreams and aspirations. Celebrated as a sacred symbol and as a token of womanhood, the rose unites Venus with the Virgin Mary, the blood of Christ with the sweat of Muhammad, the sacred and the profane, life and death, the white rose of chastity and the red rose of consummation. In The Rose, the acclaimed horticultural historian Jennifer Potter shows what, exactly, gives this most fragrant flower its potency in societies around the world. Beginning her story in the Greek and Roman empires, she travels across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas to unravel its evolution from a simple briar of the northern hemisphere to the height of cultivated perfection found in rose gardens today. Whether laying bare the flower's long association with sexuality and secret societies, questioning the Crusaders' role in bringing roses back from the Holy Land, or hunting for its elusive blooms in the gardens of the Empress Josephine at Malmaison, Jennifer Potter reveals why this flower, above all others, has provoked such fascination.

Gardening Under Lights details everything a gardener or hobbyist needs to know to garden indoors. Part One starts with the basics of photosynthesis, the science of light, and how to accurately measure how much light a plant needs. Part Two provides an overview of the most up-to-date tools and gear available. Parts Three and Four offer tips and techniques for growing popular ornamental plants (orchids, succulents, bonsai, and more) and edible plants (arugula, cannabis, oregano, tomatoes, and more) independent of the constraints of volatile outdoor conditions. Gardening Under Lights is a highly-detailed, accessible guide for seed starters, plant collectors, and anyone who wants to successfully garden indoors.

Acre-for-acre, flowers are the most profitable--as well as the most beautiful--crop on the farm. In "The Flower Farmer" expert flower grower Lynn Byczynski provides a complete introduction to raising a cornucopia of cut flowers for home use and for sale to retail customers, florists, and other markets.
The book offers detailed, manageable plans for flower growing on a scale ranging from a backyard border to a half-acre commercial garden. It will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, including:
Home gardeners who want growing tips from professionals, so that they can enjoy an abundance of flowers year-round in fresh and dried bouquets
Passionate gardeners and small-scale growers who want to raise and sell cut flowers in season for additional income
Small commercial farmers who want to increase farm revenue or even make a living from selling field-grown, specialty cut flowers.
"The Flower Farmer" provides a clear, realistic look at both the benefits and the challenges of growing flowers organically for local markets. Chapters include information on:
The best varieties of cut flowers--an A-Z list of more than one hundred recommended annuals and perennials, spotlighting the cultivars that are grown by professional flower farmers
How to cut, store, and preserve flowers for long-lasting beauty
How to dry flowers for crafting or for a dried-flower business
Flower-arranging basics from a designer's perspective
Extending the season with woody shrubs and trees
Marketing options for commercial growers, including sales at farmer's markets, supermarkets, florists, and wholesalers.
Sprinkled throughout are profiles of successful flower farmers--from Vermontto California, Texas to Wisconsin--each of them providing a unique perspective proving that growing flowers can be as profitable as it is satisfying.

A book that debunks the popular myth that William Wordsworth was, first and foremost, a poet of daffodils, Wordsworth's Gardens and Flowers: The Spirit of Paradise provides a vivid account of Wordsworth as a gardening poet who not only wrote about gardens and flowers but also designed - and physically worked in - his gardens. Wordsworth's Gardens and Flowers: The Spirit of Paradise is a book of two halves. The first section focuses on the gardens that Wordsworth made at Grasmere and Rydal in the English Lake District, and also in Leicestershire, at Coleorton. The gardens are explored via his poetry and prose and the journals of his sister, Dorothy Wordsworth. In the second half of the book, the reader learns more of Wordsworth's use of flowers in his poetry, exploring the vital importance of British flowers and other 'unassuming things' to his work, as well as their wider cultural, religious and political meaning. Throughout, the engaging, accessible text is woven around illustrations that bring Wordsworth's gardens and flowers to life, including rare botanical prints, many reproduced here for the first time in several decades.