A comprehensive and sumptuous survey that celebrates the beauty and appeal of flowers throughout art, history, and culture The latest installment in the bestselling Explorer Series takes readers on a journey across continents and cultures to discover the endless ways artists and image-makers have employed floral motifs throughout history. Showcasing the diversity of blooms from all over the world, Flower spans a wide range of styles and media - from art, botanical illustrations, and sculptures to floral arrangements, film stills, and textiles - and follows a visually stunning sequence with works, regardless of period, thoughtfully paired to allow interesting and revealing juxtapositions between them.

A vegetable garden is not an option for everyone, and so container growing has become desirable for people with little outside space Many have discovered the love of growing houseplants and want to take their skills to another level; others are inspired by the idea of growing their own food organically and sustainably. The book covers all the essentials of growing a range of edible plants in pots, and meeting each crop's specific needs. Author Claire Ratinon brings her urban food growing expertise to this popular subject, in a book designed to appeal to new gardeners and anyone who would like to take on the rewarding challenge of growing their own dinner, even if they've only got a window box or balcony to work with.

In this engaging and fascinating exchange of personal letters, two of the most influential gardeners of all time compare notes on successes and failures in their two very different gardens. As Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto convey their gardening experiences, share gossip and discuss life and nature, the horticultural expertise of these two long-established friends and distinguished gardeners gives these inspirational letters a life of their own. Beth Chatto's garden in East Anglia is a place of pilgrimage for plant lovers, while Christopher Lloyd was one of the major figures in twentieth century gardening, transforming the gardens of his home Great Dixter in East Sussex. Friday 16 February Dear Beth, Today was straight out of my idea of heaven - the first such day this year and the first time that all the winter crocuses have opened wide, in appreciation. Armed with my kneeling pad, I dropped to my knees to savour the honey scent of C. chrysanthus 'Snow Bunting'. Rosemary Alexander, who spends more and more time at Stoneacre (the National Trust property near Maidstone, which she rents), expressed doubts on whether it wouldn't be better to concentrate on snowdrops, seeing that crocuses spend so much of their time in an obstinately closed state, loudly proclaiming 'this isn't good enough for me'. I can see her point, of course. [...] Tuesday 20 February Dear Christo, What a good thing you enjoyed your crocuses when you had the chance! Today we are blanketed in snow once more, with a wild north wind hurling stinging dry snow horizontally past the windows. Your way of having crocuses (and many other bulbs) naturalized in short grass is a far more effective way of growing them than in conventional borders. Left to seed themselves in little knots and ribbons of colour they appear like embroidery across a carpet before something else takes over the design. [...]

An enchanting guide for turning the art of gardening into opportunities for reflection and meditation. Contemplative Gardening makes the connection between tending to the earth and tending to our own souls, between caring for the planet and caring for one another. Pamela Dolan explores the myriad relationships between all living things that come to light when we dig in the soil. Whether you're an experienced gardener or one just beginning, you will be fed by this intersection of food and faith.

A photographic celebration of British wildlife and the country way of life. A Year in the Country is a book about the beauty of the British countryside, featuring stunning photography from some of Britain's greatest wildlife photographers. The book will follow the changes in nature throughout the year and revel in the joy of the British countryside. Each season presents its own gifts to the nature lover: from the trumpeting of wild daffodils in spring to the hypnotic dive and twist of starlings gathering over roosting sites in autumn. The majesty of British wildlife is captured in stunning images that evoke a timeless country existence. Part celebration of nature, part nostalgia for a slower pace of life, this book will make a stunning gift. An escape from everyday life, A Year in the Country transports its audience to a world where the sun shines and the grass is always greener.

Currently, the demand by consumption of agricultural products may be predicted quantitatively; moreover, the variation of harvest and production by the change of a farm's cultivated area, weather change, disease, insect damage, etc. is a challenge that has led to improper control of the supply and demand of agricultural products. Advancements in IoT and wireless sensor networks in precision agriculture and the cloud computing technology needed to deploy them can be used to address and solve these issues. IoT and WSN Applications for Modern Agricultural Advancements: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an essential research book that focuses on the development of effective data-computing operations on agricultural advancements that are fully supported by IoT, cloud computing, and wireless sensor network systems and explores prospective applications of computing, analytics, and networking in various interdisciplinary domains of engineering. Featuring a range of topics such as power monitoring, healthcare, and GIS, this book is ideal for IT practitioners, farmers, network analysts, researchers, professionals, academicians, industry experts, and students.

Flowers For All makes it easy to create gorgeous, modern flower arrangements that enhance everyday life with natural beauty. Celebrated floral designer Susan McLeary invites you to live a flower-filled life with botanical arrangements that encourage joy and connection. Driven by the belief that flowers should be enjoyed by everyone, McLeary does away with fussy ingredient lists and impossible-to-find botanicals. Here, she reveals the secrets to making striking, joyful floral displays using just a few ingredients. Organized into three sections - flowers for your home, flowers to gift, and flowers for larger celebrations - the book features 30 gorgeous arrangements, including an infinitely giftable monochromatic bouquet, an aromatherapy bundle to fill your space with uplifting scents, a striking centerpiece for celebratory dinner parties, and a gorgeous wreath for festive gatherings. With sections on design techniques, flower care, vessel selection, and simple-to-follow instructions for each design, you'll be empowered to make magnificent arrangements at home - whether you buy your flowers at the local grocery store or cut them from your own garden. Delivered in a petite package full of expert tips and lush photos, this stunning handbook is a must-have guide for flower lovers, decor enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to immerse themselves in nature's beauty.

As a reformatted edition, this beautifully illustrated book provides an inspirational and practical introduction to the traditions of Japanese Zen gardens, using natural materials such as wood, bamboo, rocks and pebbles. Emphasizing the value of shape in trees and shrubs with the subtlety of colour through the varied greens of foliage and moss, Serene Gardens is the only book that explains how western plants and materials can be used to achieve the natural, minimalist look so beloved by Japanese garden designers.There are instructions and tips for selecting plants and materials which are readily available, as well as plant lists and climate zone maps to aid western gardeners. As the wealth of stunning colour photographs from around the world demonstrates, Japanese garden design is concerned with a reverence for nature and the overall effect is of tranquility. Serene Gardens will help people to create much-needed oases of calm in their own outdoor spaces.

This early work is a fascinating read for any gardening enthusiast or historian, but contains much information that is still useful and practical today. It is a thoroughly recommended title for the amateur or professional fruit grower's shelf. Contents Include: Soft Fruits in the Garden; Site and Soils; The Importance of Plant Health; Spraying; Planting and Manuring; Strawberries; Raspberries; Blackberries, Loganberries and other Hybrid Berries; Blackcurrants; Red and White Currants; Gooseberries; Blueberries; Grapes Out-of-Doors; Propagation; Weed Control; Neglected Soft Fruits; Recipe for Success; Appendix: Ministry of Agriculture Publications; and an Index. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Maria Thun, a pre-eminent expert in biodynamic cultivation methods - sometimes referred to as "premium organic" - has here compiled over 100 of her best gardening tips based on 50 years' research. Find out: * how to produce abundant and tasty crops; * how special preparations can transform your soil and produce; * how the moon affects planting and growth; * the difference between 'root', 'leaf', 'blossom' and 'fruit' plants; * what the best storage methods are; and much more. Accompany the author on a journey through the seasons and discover lots of new tips and suggestions. There is a wealth of advice here for gardeners seeking to manage nature responsibly and successfully.

Paris Park Photographs features spectacular images from a dozen public parks and gardens in and near France's capital city. Exploring many of the same places that photographer Eugene Atget (1857-1927) made famous a century ago, Michael Kolster references the pleasures and pitfalls of wandering alone amongst trees and plants and sculpture, unkempt and formally designed places, tempered by the knowledge that the modern world with all its congestion is only a few short steps away. These intimate yet inherently expansive views of Paris's parks invite closer scrutiny of the encounters awaiting us at the edges of the well-worn paths defining our daily lives. Few people venture into the frame of Kolster's photographs, but the promise of a renewed sense of hope and community resides in the details of his visual encounters and the moments of his heightened attention. Each picture speaks to us as a moment in time, even as the sequence suggests a choreography of place, one that can vary daily along with the changing moods and light of each park. Paris Park Photographs is presented in a bilingual English/French edition and concludes with an afterword by Michelle Kuo. Of note is how the book's design is inspired by Walker Evans's 1938 classic work, American Photographs, making Kolster's book of immediate interest to photo and book collectors.

A journal with a perpetual diary, a manual of gardening to inform and inspire, packed with illustrations and an introduction by Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School Three quarters Charles's advice on how to grow great crops, one quarter writing space for each day. Use it year after year to make the best decisions, with your notes alongside Charles's suggestions, for future reference. Advice in the diary section is linked to each week of the season and takes you through the whole process, from clearing weeds, feeding soil and sowing to harvests and storing vegetables. * Advice on sowing and planting methods, plus raising plants at home * Best sowing dates - seeds neither fail in cold nor start too late * Advantages of no dig, saving time, giving fewer weeds and bigger crops * How to maintain control of weeds through timely mulching and hoeing * How to feed soil just once a year, for strong and healthy growth * When and how to make all the harvests, with advice on storing produce too.

The groundnut (peanut) is a crop of global economic significance, not only in the widespread geographical areas of its production, but also in the even wider areas of its processing and consumption. In this extremely important book, the crop is presented in its global context by an international group of contributors. Every chapter has been written by acknowledged experts in each of the major aspects of the crop covered. The book's contents include coverage of the economic status of the groundnut and the origin and history of its cultivation. The crop's botany, taxonomic status and agronomic aspects are covered, including pests and diseases, and thorough coverage is given to the utilization, processing and nutritional value to animals and humans. The Groundnut Crop provides a solid reference on this most important crop and should be of great use to all those involved with its cultivation and production, including agronomists, plant scientists, food scientists and technologists. As well as being a practical reference source which scientists will want to have to hand, this book should also find a place in all libraries of universities, research establishments and companies with a concern in the crop.

Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens is a complete guide to tackling one of a garden designer's biggest challenges. Whatever the size or the gradient, creating a garden on a sloping site presents lots of conflicting possibilities and potentially expensive choices. Whether home gardener or professional designer, this accessible book will guide you through the challenge, from the initial garden site assessment and survey, right through the design process to the final stages of planting. Step-by-step instructions and explanative diagrams offer readers practical solutions and tried-and-tested methods, as well as inspiration and some novel ideas drawn from sloping gardens around the UK.