This publication is the result of more than six years of hard work by a dedicated group of European urban forest and tree experts. The editors are indebted to the national experts of COST Action E12 Urban Forests and Trees and to the others who have contributed to the various chapters in this publication. Ultimately, 59 authors from 21 European countries feature in this book. The European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) and in particular its Secretariat deserve our gratitude for their support in establishing an active European community of urban forestry experts. In our work to prepare this publication, we have been assisted by Karen Sejr, who provided crucial editorial support. We are also grateful to Jette Abel, Birgit Brynjolf, Jette Alsing Larsen, and other colleagues at the Danish Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, KVL. Without their contributions, the work could never have been completed. Words of gratitude also go to the publisher, Springer, who have supported the idea to publish a first European reference book on urban forests and urban trees from the very start, and who showed patience during the long production process."

A New Leaf: Curated Houses Where Plants Meet Design is a celebration of the modern and stylish homes that reinvent the humble houseplant as a coveted design object. The book spotlights 18 houses around the world (including United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy and Brazil), each illustrated with a selection of images of the entire home with particular emphasis on their plantlife. Each section includes an interview with the owners, walking the reader through the plant choices they made and the impact they had on their unique aesthetic. Pip McCormac's informative text and Jen Haslam's expert curation make A New Leaf invaluable to interior design lovers and those seeking inspiration on how to incorporate plants in their lives.

Throughout history flowers have been an integral part of human survival and culture - as food, for medicine, to express feelings, as symbols, to commemorate and celebrate, and to decorate. Their shapes, colours, scents and textures have always attracted us, as they do animals and insects. Flowers are used as luxury spices (saffron), and as colouring and flavouring agents - marigolds fed to chickens make eggs more yellow and lavender was Elizabeth I's favourite flavour of jam. Flowers are full of symbolic meaning: violets represent modesty, daises purity and daffodils unrequited love. And they have always played an important role in culture through myths and legends, literature and the decorative arts. This delightful new book brings together 100 of the world's flowers to tell their remarkable stories. Each flower is richly illustrated in colour and accompanied by facts about each species and what role it has played in our culture and history.

This work shows how to create enchanting outdoor spaces for all ages, combining the needs of children and pets with the adult desire to cultivate a beautiful garden. It is a quick reference on all aspects of planting and maintaining a garden, including advice on habitats and soil-types, co-ordinating colour and foliage, and identifying and dealing with pests. Practical tips and instructions are presented in topic-based spreads. The book offers a practical and realistic approach to organic alternatives as well as conventional gardening methods.

Learn which orchid plants to choose, how to obtain them, and how to cultivate them, either in a greenhouse or in the home.

Providing a guide to the cultivation of both the terrestrial and epihytic orchid species growing in South Africa, this volume includes numerous hints, illustrations and photographs to help simplify the process. Detailed growing notes are given for over 60 terrestrial and over 40 epiphytic species.

This book takes the houseplant look outside by exploring the wonders of lush, green, foliage plants that are hardy in the garden. Unlike flowers which fade, these big-leaved, larger-than-life plants provide year-round impact for decades and small, urban gardens that are well protected are the perfect home for them. Expert horticulturist Philip Oostenbrink has been an enthusiastic grower for years and in this book recommends the best hardy, foliage plants for texture, leaf shape and colour. Jungle gardens can be shady and immersive, sunny and open or somewhere in between and there are plants suited to all these environments including purple-leaved bananas, desert-island palms, spiky agaves, architectural Pseudopanax and succulents such as Echeveria and Aeonium. Beautiful special photography by Sarah Cuttle features standout jungle gardens that demonstrate how to combine foliage plants effectively and create backdrops and container displays that make the plants pop. This book is the irresistible next step for all houseplant addicts and for all who are ready to embark on their very own jungle adventure.

Why plant a vegetable garden with the same old tomato and cucumber plants that everyone else has? Small Fruits in the Home Garden is your home gardener?s guide to growing and harvesting small fruit for personal enjoyment. The contributors to this book provide the necessary information and helpful hints for you to grow many new varieties of small fruits, that have wonderful flavor but may not be suitable for commercial production, right at home. Now you can harvest the tastiest varieties at their peak flavor! In Small Fruits in the Home Garden, you?ll see how small fruits can enhance not only your diet, but also your garden and landscape. You?ll learn how strawberry plants, for example, make wonderful perennial borders along paths and walkways and how currants, gooseberrries, and blueberries serve as "edible" hedges that are especially lovely in the summer when their branches are laden with colorful fruit. Each chapter of this unique handbook provides detailed background and growing information on a particular fruit, with special attention to: climate soil pests water table preplant operations planting management pruning fertilizing liming wateringSee how growing and harvesting small fruit can provide you with something nutritious and beautiful that doesn?t demand too much free time. With Small Fruits in the Home Garden, you, too, can easily manage and enjoy small fruit growing.

This volume is a lunar calendar and descriptive text that guides the novice planter through the world of planting, sowing, tending and harvesting vegetable and fruit plants according to the lunar and zodiacal cycle.

This book offers everything readers need to know to grow tasty organic fruit outdoors - whether in a garden, allotment or on their window ledge! It is suitable for beginners and includes a comprehensive directory. This latest title, from a growing and successful series, is by an UK author. What could be better than the enjoyment of tasting your own sweet, succulent, home-grown fruit? Most people have got room to grow some kind of fruit - whether it be a small apple tree in a front garden, a grape vine up a trellis or strawberries in a window box. Gardeners seeking a concise, easy-to-follow approach to fruit growing and maintenance need look no further; this book will provide all the practical advice and information that they need. With guidance on which fruits to choose, when and how to plant, propagate, harvest and store them, plus a comprehensive directory of popular varieties to grow - it won't be long before readers are discovering the delights of their own home-grown organic fruit.

For those without the time or stamina to spend hours maintaining a garden, well-known experts Alan and Gill Bridgewater offer an easy-care method with minimal digging and weeding. They show how to make raised beds, build up soil with mushroom compost, cover weeds with mulch, and protect plants with nets and plastic--all using organic methods whenever possible. A must for every gardener.

If you want a vibrant, chemical-free vegetable garden, companion planting is the solution. Did you know tomatoes produce a natural insecticide that can help protect carrots against pests? Or that planting mint near lettuce can repel slugs? Every gardener knows that the key to an abundant harvest in their vegetable garden is controlling pests and disease, while still maintaining a healthy growing environment. But it is possible to have a healthy, thriving vegetable garden without using dangerous chemicals? It is, as long as you know how to pair up the right plants. Organic gardeners have known for years that planting the right plants together is the key to minimizing pests, improving soil quality, and increasing the yield of their gardens, and almost any vegetable you can grow likely has a beneficial companion. Companion planting is the ideal way to avoid using chemicals, while still increasing the efficiency of your garden. Expert organic gardener Brian Lowell will teach you how to use plants to create a beautiful, vibrant vegetable garden that will be free of toxic chemicals. Here's what you'll find inside: Handy companion planting pairings for all of the most common garden vegetables Practical, simple photography and colorful illustrations for dozens of beneficial planting configurations Expert advice from a master gardener that is specifically designed for beginners Loads of troubleshooting tips for fixing common issues with companion-planted gardens Tips for setting up the perfect vegetable garden, including practical advice on watering, soil management, troubleshooting, and more

Medicinal plants and plant-derived medicine are widely used in traditional cultures all over the world and they are becoming increasingly popular in modern society as natural alternatives to synthetic chemicals. As more and more natural remedies are being commercialised, there is a need for a user-friendly reference guide to the plants and their products. The book gives the reader a bird's eye view of more than 350 of the bestknown medicinal plants of the world and their uses, in a compact, colourful and scientifically accurate reference text. It provides quick answers to the most obvious questions: Where does this plant originate? What does it look like? In which culture is it traditionally used? What is it used for? Which chemical compounds does it contain? How safe is it? What is known about its pharmacological activity? What evidence is there that it is effective? The authors also provide short overviews of the various health conditions for which medicinal plants are used and the active compounds (secondary metabolites) found in the plants and their modes of actions.

Bring the beauty of succulents to your home or office with this on-trend DIY succulent magnet set. * SPECIFICATIONS: Includes everything you need to create succulent magnets including 3 faux succulents, 3 corks with pre-drilled holes, and 1 sheet of magnets with strong adhesive backing * BOOK INCLUDED: 32-page, fully illustrated mini book on succulents * UNIQUE GIFT FOR SUCCULENT LOVERS: An easy, on-trend DIY craft * SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS: Perfect for crafters of all ages and skill levels-no green thumb required! * PORTABLE: Small size allows for crafting fun anytime, anywhere

As gardeners become increasingly concerned with both drought and water conservation, plants that love the sun are an attractive option. From white flowering hawthorns to richly scented wisteria, they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, with endless potential for producing stunning planting schemes. You'll find success with this vividly illustrated volume, which shows how to select the best sun-friendly varieties and plant them with confidence--whatever your experience. After explaining exactly how sunlight affects plants, it discusses creating the small amount of necessary shade; choosing and buying trees, shrubs, and flowers; preparing the soil; maintaining the plants, and solving common problems. A huge and beautiful A-Z directory covers annuals, biennials, and bedding plants; bulbous plants; perennials, climbers, conifers, and more.

Saffron is a Cape Town-based plant guru who is obsessed with plants, and she has over 500 of them. After years of amassing them, she put her knowledge to the test by writing "Jungle Problems," a user-friendly guide that will teach plant parents everything they need to know to keep their plants healthy and thriving.

Designed for gardener’s who want to know the secret language of their leafy friends, this fantastic guide will teach readers how to quickly diagnosing any issue with their plants, from the cause of their mysterious yellowing to the cause of their defiant wilting.

Saffron's Jungle Problems is jam-packed with helpful hints, brilliant solutions, and colourful illustrations. This is a fantastic resource which will turn any home gardener into the ultimate botanical investigator.

Add a touch of green to your office, bookshelf, coffee table or dorm room with these adorable mini ecosystems! A Beginner's Guide to Terrariums shows you how to create your own glass container gardens with easy-to-understand instructions and over 230 inspiring lifestyle photos. With this guide you'll learn all the basics, including how to: Decorate using a variety of plants Combine plants, rocks and other objects to achieve just the right look Choose the right container for your plants Care for a variety of plants, including low-maintenance ones like succulents, air plants and mosses This book includes 52 projects that teach you how to create a wide variety of terrariums--from open-air containers, like bowls, to jars and hanging decorations. No matter how you choose to display them, terrariums are a whimsical, easy and inexpensive addition to your home.

This guide from the experts of Kew Royal Botanical Gardens is filled with tips and advice to help you grow your best vegetable garden ever! In this book Kew's Kitchen Gardener, Helena Dove, combines practical elements with inspiration and beauty to make a comprehensive and informative guide with all you need to know to master theart of growing vegetables. She shows how to grow some of the most popular staple crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, radishes and rocket, and also some more unusual and exciting choices such as oca, tomatillo, seakale and yacon. She gives easy to follow instructions on how to be a successful vegetable gardener, plus 12 exciting projects to try throughout the year including forcing rhubarb, creating an asparagus border and growing in raised beds. From sowing, to planting young plants, to hardening off and harvesting, find out what you need to do and when, to produce the most magnificent harvests. All the advice is underpinned by the expertise and authority of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and illustrated from Kew's world-famous botanical collection. With this book, you wil be able to reap a rich bounty of delicious vegetables from just a few packets of seed and some fertile ground! This book is from the Kew Experts series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. Other titles include: Companion to Medicinal Plants, Guide to Growing Bulbs, Guide to Growing Fruit, Guide to Growing Orchids, Guide to Growing Roses, Guide to Growing Succulents and Cacti, Guide to Growing Trees, Guide to Growing Herbs and Guide to Growing House Plants.