A colourful, illustrated celebration of wild plants around the world, and why we should love them not loathe them, with 50 graphic illustrations by Paul Farrell. To call a plant a weed is doing it a real injustice. It's simply a wild plant that is not deliberately cultivated, growing where it is not wanted. By this definition, virtually any plant outside a carefully tended garden is a weed. The intolerance of weeds is a mark of how we have turned our backs on nature and urbanized our land and lives. In this enlightening survey, illustrator Paul Farrell uncovers the wild beauty in weeds and explains the benefits of rewilding ourselves a little. Weeds can be medicine, food, and an important aid for wildlife. One person's weed is another's wild beauty. Paul's brilliant modernist illustration style shows us dandelions, thistles and feverfew in a whole new light. Each of the 50 weeds featured is accompanied by a quirky history and its uses in medicine, cooking, arts and even industry. Sample contents: US/Canada weeds: Dandelion; Daisy; Groundsell; Chickweed; Nettle; Wild carrot; Sumac. UK/Europe weeds: Foxglove; Deadly nightshade; Yarrow; Rosebay willowherb; Herb Robert; Scarlet Pimpernel; Violet; Wood Sorrel; Red valerian; Common knapweed

First published in 1931 by renowned horticulturalist Arthur Johnson, Plant Names Simplified has become an established classic. Presented in a glossary format, this pocket-sized reference book gives the name, pronunciation and classification of common plants and the meaning behind the Latin origins of the name. This enables the reader to learn how the terms should be spelled and pronounced correctly and provides an explanation of why plants like Helianthus hirsutus is so called - because it is hairy! Plant Names Simplified 3rd Edition is a reliable resource for gardeners of all abilities, park managers, botanists, ecologists, garden designers and horticultural practitioners and students.

An exploration of how plant behavior and adaptation offer valuable insights for human thriving. We know that plants are important. They maintain the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They nourish other living organisms and supply psychological benefits to humans as well, improving our moods and beautifying the landscape around us. But plants don't just passively provide. They also take action. Beronda L. Montgomery explores the vigorous, creative lives of organisms often treated as static and predictable. In fact, plants are masters of adaptation. They "know" what and who they are, and they use this knowledge to make a way in the world. Plants experience a kind of sensation that does not require eyes or ears. They distinguish kin, friend, and foe, and they are able to respond to ecological competition despite lacking the capacity of fight-or-flight. Plants are even capable of transformative behaviors that allow them to maximize their chances of survival in a dynamic and sometimes unfriendly environment. Lessons from Plants enters into the depth of botanic experience and shows how we might improve human society by better appreciating not just what plants give us but also how they achieve their own purposes. What would it mean to learn from these organisms, to become more aware of our environments and to adapt to our own worlds by calling on perception and awareness? Montgomery's meditative study puts before us a question with the power to reframe the way we live: What would a plant do?

Succulents for Beginners is the perfect introduction to this friendly and forgiving plant family. Misa Matsuyama--the bestselling author of The Gardener's Guide to Succulents--shows you how to plant and maintain the most popular varieties of succulents and cacti with reassuring advice and minimum fuss. This book has over 200 clear, color photos and illustrations and is absolutely packed full of all the basic information you need to keep succulents thriving, including: A detailed month-by-month growing guide explaining all the planting and maintenance steps--everything from propagating and basic watering to repotting and group planting A clear overview of the basic seasonal types and most popular succulent families and their particular characteristics Which plants, tools, soils, and containers to use for the best results Answers to frequently asked questions, giving clear, concise solutions to the most common issues encountered by beginners A special section on how to create a healthy environment for your plants so you can enjoy them for many years to come Inspiring and creative ways to display your succulents in different rooms and locations--indoors or outdoors The month-by-month format and simple, yet thorough, instructions will have you referring to this handy resource again and again. Gorgeous photos and helpful tips invite you to bring more and more of these plants into your life.

Love houseplants? Want to know how to care for them but don't know where to start? Then this book is for you. Over 120 of the most popular houseplants available today are featured in this easy to use guide, with a page devoted to each plant and full colour photography throughout. Find out the ideal spot for your plant in the home, how often it should be watered and fed plus lots more besides. Whether your thing is for succulents and cacti or you can't resist an orchid or fern there is information on caring for them all, plus concise advise on re-potting, propagation and how to deal with pests and diseases. Having spent thirty years working in the pot plant and cut flower industry author Su Whale learnt that there were generally only two questions customers asked when purchasing a houseplant. First was, `where can I put it?' the second, `how often should I water it?' If you are that person and are looking for a straightforward, practical guide to houseplant care, which will provide you with the answers to those questions, (and much more besides!) then this book is for you.

The numerous species of hebe offer a huge variety in colour, shape, size and form, and are becoming increasingly popular with gardeners. This A-Z guide lists traditional and modern varieties of the versatile evergreen shrub, with colour photographs displaying the range available.

The Field Guide to the Succulent Euphorbias of southern Africa by Alma Moeller and Rolf Becker is a pioneer publication on euphorbias in southern Africa. It is a beautifully illustrated, full colour identification guide that makes it easy for the layperson as well as anybody interested in the flora of southern Africa to identify a particular species. The Guide contains: Introductory chapters containing general information about the species characters, how to identify an euphorbia, growing euphorbias in cultivation, gardening with euphorbias, medicinal and other uses, herbaceous species and invaders. Detailed descriptions of 224 species, including emphasis on distinguishing features, habitat, distribution maps, conservation status, scientific and known common names, as well as notes on similar species. Similar looking species are grouped together in 18 species groups, based on easily recognisable morphological characters. Group 19 contains previously undescribed species, and Group 20 contains species of uncertain status. More than 870 full-colour photographs and illustrations. Taxonomic classification. Glossary and index to scientific and common names.

Hot, parched summers, water restrictions, sprinkler bans: how can we maintain our beloved gardens in such adverse conditions? Drought has become a serious issue, but with a little planning, gardeners can ease the problem and still achieve a fabulous display of color, form, and fragrance. These tips for the water-saving garden offer a variety of great ways to choose and use plants that thrive in an arid environment. Filled with magnificent illustrations, it details design ideas, soil-enhancing possibilities, and hints on watering wisely. Find out how to have an efficient container or kitchen garden, and which trees, shrubs, and border plants work especially well when it's dry. A large A-to-Z of low-water plants offers all the possibilities any gardener could want.

In The Flower Hunter, Lucy Hunter takes us on an inspirational journey through a year in her garden and artist's studio set among the mountains of North Wales. Lucy's evocative, gently humorous words accompany her glorious photographs and exquisite floral arrangements, as she encourages the reader to marvel at the intricate cycles of the natural world, develop their own innate creativity and to look for beauty in the everyday. Her garden provides the raw materials for Lucy's floral artistry - breathtaking naturalistic arrangements with the painterly beauty and flourish of a Dutch still life. Simple projects accompany Lucy's text, from drying garden flowers for an autumnal wreath to making your own journals and natural dyes to assembling lavish arrangements that showcase the voluptuous beauty of garden roses. Lucy believes that we all have a creative voice buried deep within. The Flower Hunter will encourage you to find your own creativity and help it to blossom.

"Hilton Carter's love for plants is infectious... His lush and exuberant displays are inspiring reminders that plants can be so much more than neat little containers on a window sill." Grace Bonney, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Design*Sponge Take a tour through Hilton's own apartment and other lush spaces, filled with a huge array of thriving plants, and learn all you need to know to create your own urban jungle. As the owner of over 200 plants, Hilton feels strongly about the role of plants in one's home - not just for the beauty they add, but for health benefits as well: 'having plants in your home not only adds life, but changes the airflow throughout. It's also a key design element when styling your place. For me, it wasn't about just having greenery, but having the right variety of greenery. I like to see the different textures of foliage all grouped together. You take a fiddle leaf fig and sandwich it between a birds of paradise and a monstera and.... yes!' You will be armed with the know-how you need to care for your plants, where to place them, how to propagate, how to find the right pot, and much more, and most importantly, how to arrange them so that they look their best. Combine sizes and leaf shapes to stunning effect, grow your own succulents from leaf cuttings, create your own air plant display, and more.

This book introduces us to the author's top 80 perennial leafy green vegetables and will be of interest both to traditional vegetable and even ornamental gardeners. It includes recipes inspired by local traditional gastronomy. This book takes us on an original and inspiring adventure around the temperate world, introducing us to the author's top 80 perennial leafy green vegetables. We are taken underground gardening in Tokyo, beach gardening in the UK, and traditional roof gardening in the Norwegian mountains...There are stories of the wild foraging traditions of indigenous people in all continents: from the Maori of New Zealand and the rich food traditions of the Mediterranean peoples to the high altitude food plants of the Sherpas in the Himalayas. Around the World in 80 Plants will be of interest both to traditional vegetable and ornamental. A thorough description is given of each vegetable, its traditions, stories, cultivation, where to source seed and plants, and how to propagate it.Sprinkled with recipes inspired by local traditional gastronomy, this is a fascinating book, an entertaining adventure, and a real milestone in climate-friendly vegetable growing from a pioneering expert on the subject.

The Herb Gardening Handbook gives you the know-how of what herbs to buy, what to plant them with, how to use them and even how to make herbs look good, no matter the space available. Beginning with a simple guide of how to get started and the best growing conditions for herbs, The Herb Gardening Handbook is a stylish guide to 12 herb projects that will suit everything from indoor window ledges to balconies and gardens. From the Cocktail Herb Garden, which focuses on the botanicals that will make summer cocktails and drinks all the more fragrant to the Pizza Pantry Garden where readers will grow everything needed to create delicious pizza toppings. There are also projects looking to make a positive impact on the environment, such as the Bee Buffet, which will feature tasty herbs that pollinators will love to be a part of. Using widely accessible herbs as well as suggestions for more interesting varieties and including stunning photography, this book is perfect for gardening beginners, as well as seasoned pros looking to learn some new tips and tricks on how to make the most of herbs.

Now in paperback, Herbs in Bloom is a delightful A-Z selection of 80 favorite groups of flowering herbs. Full of detailed information on how to grow each herb from seed or cuttings, the book offers systematic advice on site selection, soils, transplanting, and other practical concerns. Over 700 herbs are included in all. In the author's words, "It is my aim to convince fellow gardeners that herbs also have beautiful flowers and can be used to advantage anywhere in the landscape."

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.

The National Trust looks after many of Britain's most important and beloved buildings - its sheds. They lurk in the shadow of grand country houses; they brave the elements on the tops of cliffs; they have inspired famous writers and housed everything from beehives to birdwatchers. These beautiful, inspiring and eccentric structures are as individual as their owners. A Victorian coastal shed in Cornwall is where the Reverend Hawker went to write verse, and smoke opium. It's also the smallest building cared for by the National Trust. George Bernard Shaw's shed could be rotated throughout the day to make the most of the sun, while sculptor Barbara Hepworth used hers for napping in. Rather than a place in which to create, many of these sheds are the creation. Alongside the literary writing dens and horticultural hideaways there are also floating sheds, coastguards' sheds, artists' studios, summer houses, beach huts, camping pods, bothies, teahouses, follies and much more.

James Gregory, a seedsman from the early 1800, describes and details his methods and experiences of growing onions commercially. The information contained in the book is just as relevant today to gardeners with vegetable plots and allotments, as it was to the commercial growers of the time. His advice on soil types, manure, sowing and planting, hoeing and weeding will help any vegetable grower achieve good crops without the use of modern chemical applications.

It is one thing to produce tomatoes or pumpkins - or any other fruit or vegetable for the table - as they come into season, but it becomes another when you realise that most crops in the garden arrive in gluts with no more to be had for another year unless you do something about it. This book shows you how to make the best use of your highly nutritious, home-grown produce. Bob begins in the garden, showing you how to achieve a more continuous crop as well as how to extend your harvest. He then steps into the kitchen to demonstrate the best way to preserve and cook your crop by bottling, drying, jamming and smoking it. He uses his intimate and comprehensive knowledge of each crop to advise you on how best to treat it and store it. Try making fruit leathers, which are great for kids; freeze your own apple juice so you can have it every day of the year; experiment with making liqueurs and wines; preserve nuts in chocolate, and many, many more ingenious ideas.

Today's gardeners want a bit of everything--vegetables, fruit, medicinal herbs, flowers for pollinators, and even chickens for eggs. The dream is to build a diverse landscape that serves multiple functions, but achieving that goal can be intimidating and overwhelming. Homesteader Leah M. Webb shares her strategy for implementing a homestead plan in seven stages by starting small and gradually adding more features each year. The Seven-Step Homestead takes readers through the process with a series of doable steps, beginning with establishing one or two raised beds of the easiest vegetables to grow, and gradually building up to the addition of fruit trees and berry bushes on hugelkulture mounds, a coop full of chickens, and a winter's worth of storage crops. Step-by-step photos from the author's own homestead, accompanied by her hard-earned advice and instruction, make this a one-of-a-kind guide for anyone who aspires to grow more of their own food.