For fans of "The Tulip" and "Orchid Fever," a captivating account of big business, adventure and family intrigue in the horticultural world.
For over a century and across five generations, one Scottish family pioneered the introduction of hundreds of new plants into gardens, conservatories and houses and became the foremost European cultivators and hybridizers of their day. The story begins in 1768 when a Scotsman named John Veitch went to England to find his fortune, starting out as a gardener for the aristocracy. Realizing that horticultural mania had begun to spread throughout the population, Veitch and his wife opened a nursery and began to send the first commercial plant collectors to North and South America, Australia, India, Japan, China and the South Seas. These plant collectors were among the first people allowed into the countries of the Far East and the tales of their travels, many of them perilous and some fatal, are wonderful adventure stories. Combining an historian's eye for detail with a flair for storytelling, the author charts the fortunes of one family and through them tells the fascinating story of the modern garden.

The four essays that make up this book take as their subject gardens of the Middle Ages and Renaissance whose traces are still visible, in varying degrees, at sites in Italy and France: Palermo and Rome, the Vaucluse and Hesdin. Traces only, as these gardens have long since been emptied of the life whose insistent motion gave them shape and in the intervening years have been transformed in such a way as to entangle and obscure significant moments of their past. Yet these moments were also refracted in other media - images and texts - that may be used to bring the past into focus again in the landscape itself. The following book attempts precisely this. Its modus operandi is an experiment, crossing the constitutive acts of the discipline of archaeology - excavation and reconstruction - with the protocols of the history of art, as it will involve, in a continuous circuit, both the identification and the interpretation of salient witnesses of the past. This experiment may derive from archaeology and the history of art, but its subject belongs to the field of landscape studies, which has truly burgeoned in recent years under the auspices of a provisional and yet ever-widening constituency of disciplines and initiatives, including garden history, cultural geography and environmental science, as well as anthropology and the histories of art and architecture, literature, material culture and performance. As landscape has become an increasingly independent field of inquiry, however, it has tended to take on the character of an autonomous form like that of the arts, whose methods of theory and criticism have become ensconced in the academy. This book will take a differnt path. The landscape it seeks to narrate, in four discrete episodes, stands not alone, as an independent and integral creation, but as an installation within a more enduring environment in much the same way that temporary "ambient architecture" - the architecture of the stage set, the showroom and the festival - stands within the framework of building and city. - from the Author's Prologue. 238 pages. Acknowledgments, prologue, notes, bibliography and index. 78 color and black & white illustrations. Art history, aesthetics, cultural studies, landscape studies.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.

More than fifteen thousand rose species and cultivars are grown worldwide. Every one of these plants has its own distinctive name, given perhaps by the person who first picked it for a sweetheart, a botanist who dissected it long ago or a horticulturist who nurtured it. Douglas Brenner and Stephen Sanniello tackle the thorny task of digging up the history behind rose names. Their stores are filled with enough romance, tragedy, mystery and scandal to satisfy even those who would never dream of actually tending a plant. For instance, did you know the gallica rose's perfume wafted through Pliny's Roman villa and lulled Marie Antoinette on the night before her wedding, or that roses in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were mainly raised for medicinal purposes? With ornate vintage art and photographs, "A Rose by Any Name" unearths the roots or rose lore and reveals how people, communities and cultures across the globe and throughout the ages have identified the living things that matter to them most.

Die tien uit tien tuinmaakreeks dek 'n verskeidenheid tuinonderwerpe in 'n gerieflike klein formaat wat sommer byderhand gehou kan word terwyl jy tuinmaak. Die reeks is 'n uitvloeisel van die skrywer se besoeke en lesings aan tuinbouklubs op dorpe wat strek van Pongola in die ooste tot Lambertsbaai in die weste, en vanaf Vryburg in die noorde tot by Caledon in die suide. In elke dorp is daar unieke uitdagings wat werklik van tuinmaak 'n spesialisstokperdjie maak - dink aan die kalkgrond in die Vryburg / Mafikeng area, die brakwater by Olifantshoek en Kimberley, en die ysige winters en warm, droe somers van Middelburg in die Karoo om maar net 'n paar voorbeelde te noem. Maar ten spyte van die magdom probleme is daar in elke dorp asemrowende tuine, en wonderlike tuiniers wat 'n passie vir tuinmaak het. Hierdie reeks wil alle tuiniers, reg oor die land, inspireer en toerus met die kennis om self 'n pragtuin te skep. In elke titel word die geheime van suksesvolle tuinmaak in tien sleutelbeginsels saamgevat. Onderwerpe in die reeks sluit in:beplanning van die tuin; die keuse van plante vir die tuin; voorbereiding van die tuin; besproeiing in die tuin; dammetjies in die tuin; fokuspunte in die tuin; kompos in die tuin; beligting in die tuin.

Originally published in the 1920s. One of the earliest titles ever published on fern gardening and culture. The author was a well known gardening expert with many books to her credit. Contents Include: Ferns in General - Fern Collecting - How to Form an Outdoor Fernery - Cultivation of Rock Ferns - Cultivation of Marsh Ferns - Ferns in Pots - The Fern House - The Fernery at the Fireside - Management of Fern Cases - The Art of Multiplying Ferns - British Ferns - Cultivation of Greenhouse and Stove Ferns - Fifty Select Greenhouse Ferns - Thirty Select Stove Ferns - Gold and Silver Ferns - Tree Ferns - Fern Allies. The book is well illustrated. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Pocket Guide Fynbos features over 300 of the most spectacular and commonly seen species
from South Africa’s renowned floral kingdom – all in one handy, easy-to-use guide.

The species are presented in detail, with each entry featuring:

• succinct descriptions of the plant and its habitat, comparisons with similar species
• and fl owering times
• full-colour photographs and distribution maps
• floral key, using symbols to denote main identifying features
• interesting facts about species.

This comprehensive text contains a definitive guide on the cultivation of mushrooms. A fascinating and accessible treatise on the topic, this rare book constitutes a brilliant mycological handbook and contains everything one needs to know about the growing of mushrooms. Perfect for beginners and intermediate growers alike, Modern Mushroom Cultivation is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the subject. Chapters comprised herein include: Where Mushrooms can be Grown, Composts and Methods of Composting, Making the Beds, Methods of Pasteurizing the Compost, Mushrooms Spawn, Casing the Beds, Routine Management, Grading and Packing, and Diseases and Pests. This scarce book has elected for republication because of its immense educational value, and is proudly republished here with a new introduction to the topic.

Many gardeners today would like to create more wildlife-friendly gardens, but may feel restricted by their situation, or put off by assuming that they will have to make huge changes to an established plot. This practical book will scotch any myths about wildlife gardening, and encourage everyone, wherever they garden, to invite wildlife to share their outdoor spaces. There are practical ideas for gardens of all sizes and in varied situations, with a special chapter on wildlife gardening in towns: the smallest shady garden can support a range of wildlife and even a window-box or hanging basket in an urban apartment block can make a difference, if you ensure ingredients like extra food in winter, plants that sustain insects and bright or aromatic plants are planted to attract animals and keep them returning. From the best sites for ponds to the right plants to feed various fauna, this book should ensure both you and the wildlife enjoy your garden as fully as possible.

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.

With over 40 projects to make your own creative containers, let Frances Tophill show you how to use often overlooked pots to their full potential and transform your garden - whether you've only got a modest balcony, small square of patio or just a windowsill. There is always room for a bit of greenery in your life. Whether it's growing herbs to add a fresh touch of flavour to your cooking or planting succulents to display on your windowsill, containers help you to bring nature to the most inhospitable and smallest of spaces. Frances covers a range of different planting schemes and types of container, from urns and troughs to chimney stacks and hanging baskets. She delivers expert advice on what to grow - from bonsais, bulbs and bamboos to tumbling and creeping plants and flowers - and shows you how to make a living wall, a pond in a metal trough or even your own bespoke containers. With Frances's creative ideas, you can transform any garden into a host of inspirational and unique pots and plants.

Discover the fascinating stories behind around 300 species of wildflowers, and marvel at a botanical beauty and diversity you never knew existed.

Did you know that orchids existed alongside dinosaurs? And that 30,000 plant species are used as medicine worldwide? In this stunning book, leading botanist Chris Thorogood brings you closer to 300 species of wildflower through fascinating facts, plant profiles, and detailed illustrations. More than just meadows, discover wildflowers that are pollinated by birds, that look like stones, and that feed on the creatures around them.

Humans have had a close relationship with wildflowers throughout history from growing dahlias as crops and comfrey as medicine, to carrying posies to ward off the plague and roses down the aisle. Bringing together natural history, culture, food, medicine and technology, this fascinating book will open your eyes to the botanical wonders all around us. With a guide to the wildflowers growing in every habitat, identification notes, a grow-your-own guide and more, this is the ultimate flower-lover's companion.

Forest Gardening (or agroforestry) is a way of growing edible crops with nature doing most of the work. A forest garden imitates young natural woodland, with a wide range of crops grown in vertical layers. Species are chosen for their beneficial effects on each other, creating a healthy system that maintains its own fertility, with little need for digging, weeding or pest control. The result of this largely perennial planting is a tranquil, beautiful and productive space. This book is a bible for permaculture and forest gardening, with practical advice on how to create a forest garden, from planning and design to planting and maintenance. It explains how a forest garden is designed from the top down: the canopy layer first, then the shrub layer, the perennial ground-cover layer, the annuals & biennials next, the climbers and nitrogen fixers and finally the clearings, living spaces and paths. Whether in a small back garden or in a larger plot, the environmental benefits of growing this way are great. Forest Gardens are a viable solution to the challenge of a changing climate: we can grow food sustainably in them without compromising soil health, food quality or biodiversity. Forest gardens: store carbon dioxide in the soil and in the woody biomass of the trees and shrubs. enable the soil to store more water after heavy rains, minimizing flooding and erosion. boost the health of the ecosystem, ensuring a balance of predators and beneficial insects because mixed planting is crucial to the scheme. allows the soil to thrive because it is covered with plants all year round. Creating a Forest Garden includes a detailed directory of over 500 trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, annuals, root crops and climbers. As well as more familiar plants such as fig and apple trees, blackcurrants and rosemary shrubs, you can grow your own chokeberries, goji berries, yams, heartnuts, bamboo shoots and buffalo currants. Forest gardens produce fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, salads, herbs, spices, firewood, mushrooms, medicinal herbs, dye plants, soap plants, and honey from bees. This book tells you everything you need to create your own forest garden with beautiful illustrations and helpful tips throughout.