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.

Moss, stone, trees, and sand arranged in striking or natural-looking compositions: the tradition of establishing and refining the landscape has been the work of Japanese gardeners and designers for centuries. In Japanese Gardens and Landscapes, 1650-1950 Wybe Kuitert presents a richly illustrated survey of the gardens and the people who commissioned, created, and used them and chronicles the modernization of traditional aesthetics in the context of economic, political, and environmental transformation. Kuitert begins in the Edo period (1603-1868), when feudal lords recreated the landscape of the countryside as private space. During this same period, and following Chinese literary models, scholars and men of letters viewed the countryside itself, without any contrivance, as the ideal space in which to meet with friends and have a cup of tea. Stewards of inns, teahouses, and temples, on the other hand, followed increasingly cliched garden designs prescribed in popular, mass-produced pattern books. Over the course of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the newly wealthy captains of industry in Tokyo adopted the aesthetic of the feudal lords, finding great appeal in naturalistic landscapes and deciduous forests. Confronted with modernization and the West, tradition inevitably took on different meanings. Westerners, seeking to understand Japanese garden culture, found their answers in the pattern-book cliches, while in Japan, private landscapes became public and were designed in environmentally supportable ways, all sponsored by the government. An ancient, esoteric, and elite art extended its reach to every quarter of society, most notably with the extensive rebuilding that occurred in the aftermath of the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 and the end of World War II. In the wake of destruction came a new model for sustainable public parks and a heightened awareness of ecological issues, rooted above all in the natural landscape of Japan. Featuring more than 180 color photographs and reproductions, Japanese Gardens and Landscapes, 1650-1950 illustrates a history of changes and continuities across a span of three centuries and makes an eloquent case for the lessons to be learned from the Japanese tradition as we face the challenges of a rapidly changing human habitat.

For beginning gardeners and homeowners, this handbook shows you exactly how to plan, build, and plant a simple raised bed. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions make it easy and ensure success! In just a weekend, using a few basic materials and minimal building skills, you can set up a complete garden bed adapted for vegetables, flowers, or herbs.

A stunning guide to growing, harvesting, and arranging gorgeous dahlia blooms from celebrated farmer-florist and New York Times bestselling author Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret Flower Farm.

World-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to growing, cultivating, and arranging gorgeous dahlias. These coveted floral treasures come in a dazzling range of colors, sizes, and forms, with enough variety for virtually every garden space and personal preference, making them one of the most beloved flowers for arrangements.

In these pages, readers will discover:

• Expert advice for planting, harvesting, and arranging garden-fresh dahlias
• A simple-to-follow overview of the dahlia classification system
• An A–Z guide with photos and descriptions of more than 350 varieties
• Step-by-step how-to’s for designing show-stopping dahlia bouquets that elevate any occasion

Traces the evolution of Renaissance philosophy and aesthetics, architecture, horticulture and social attitudes as reflected in the villas and gardens of the Medici family. Allowing the reader to see an alternative way to see the development of the Renaissance. This book shows the evolution of the Medici villas, from defensive farms through humanist retreats to princely palaces, charts the rise of a family from humble farmers to European royalty enabling students to see how a family could rise through the classes in early modern Italy. The Medici spearheaded the movement to rediscover the classical world; in so doing they promoted the humanist philosophy of living in harmony with nature, evolved a new ideal of villa life and created the template for Renaissance architecture. Offering students and readers alike, a clear example of how the classical world influences the Renaissance world.

Traces the evolution of Renaissance philosophy and aesthetics, architecture, horticulture and social attitudes as reflected in the villas and gardens of the Medici family. Allowing the reader to see an alternative way to see the development of the Renaissance. This book shows the evolution of the Medici villas, from defensive farms through humanist retreats to princely palaces, charts the rise of a family from humble farmers to European royalty enabling students to see how a family could rise through the classes in early modern Italy. The Medici spearheaded the movement to rediscover the classical world; in so doing they promoted the humanist philosophy of living in harmony with nature, evolved a new ideal of villa life and created the template for Renaissance architecture. Offering students and readers alike, a clear example of how the classical world influences the Renaissance world.

Fill Your Garden with Color! Everyone wants color in their garden, but each gardener's preferred palette is unique. How do you choose the right one for your garden, and how do you find the plants that will help you fulfill your vision? The Gardener's Palette, published in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, shares an entirely new way for home gardeners to confidently incorporate color at home. Award-winning garden designer Jo Thompson offers 100 evocative and fresh palettes, pairs them with beautiful images of professionally designed gardens, and breaks them down with charts showing the exact plants used. Thompson also provides full growing specifications for every plant to allow home gardeners to successfully re-create these stunning gardens.

The definitive reference guide to garden design, its rich history, and the creative art of gardening - a luxuriously illustrated A-Z compendium of more than 200 garden elements, styles, features, and ornaments for gardeners around the globe With its easy-to-use A-Z format, The Garden examines over 200 modern and historical garden styles, features, types and ornaments, with definitions and informative descriptions and more than 500 spectacular images. This accessible, inspirational book is perfect for both amateur gardeners and specialists alike. Its entries, written by garden expert and historian Toby Musgrave - author of Phaidon's bestselling book The Gardener's Garden - range from Allee, Borrowed Landscape and Coastal Garden, to Minimalism, New Perennial Planting, Pool, Vista and Xeriscape Garden and form a unique, illustrated 'glossary' for gardeners, featuring more than 400 gardens, both public and private, iconic and lesser known. Examples include spaces such as the Baroque gardens of Versailles and rarely published tropical courtyards from contemporary designers, alongside artist creations such as Frida Kahlo's courtyard in Mexico and Derek Jarman's coastal garden in Dungeness, England. Alongside the work of private garden owners and makers, the book also showcases the work of emerging and eminent designers, including Andrea Cochran, Emily Erlam, Raymond Jungles, Dan Pearson, and Piet Oudolf. Whether creating an English cottage garden or tending a Japanese Zen landscape, the range and beauty of The Garden will inspire gardeners and garden lovers everywhere as never before.

'Delightful... Pavey writes with warmth and spirit, and brings this space to life' Penelope Lively 'Captivating and grounded... If this book was not as much a pleasure to write as it is to read, I'll eat my hat and gardening glove' Observer After years spent living amid the thrum of London, Ruth Pavey yearned to reconnect with the British countryside and she endeavoured to realise her long-held dream of planting a wood. Touring to the West Country in the late 1990s, Pavey found herself in the Somerset Levels. On seeing this expanse of reclaimed land under its wide, soft skies she was struck by its beauty and set-out to plant a wood, tree by tree. She bought four acres, and over the years transformed them into a haven where woodland plants and creatures could flourish an emblem of enduring life in a changeable world. A Wood of One's Own is the story of how she grew to understand and then shape this derelict land into an enduring legacy a verdant landscape rich with wildlife. Interwoven with Pavey's candid descriptions of the practical challenges she faced are forays into the Levels' local history, as well as thoughtful portraits of its inhabitants both past and present. Accompanied throughout by the author's evocative hand-drawn illustrations, A Wood of One's Own is a lyrical, beguiling and inspiring story; a potent reminder of nature's delicate balance, and its comforting and abiding presence.

The complete home reference for everything you need to know about gardening--from soil and fertilizers to planting and landscaping--is now available in a convenient, compact size. Charmingly illustrated with 1,000 illustrations and photographs, Garden Wisdom & Know-How is packed with must-have information including techniques for maintaining a garden year-round; harvesting herbs; designing by bloom season; turning garden refuse into garden rewards; building teepees, trellises, and other plant supports; and much more. Chapters are organized into topics such as garden techniques and tricks; the flower garden; the edible garden; container gardening; garden design and landscaping; and attracting wildlife. With nearly 1,000 pages of indispensable information from the editors of Rodale Gardening Books, Garden Wisdom & Know-How is a comprehensive guide for both the novice and experienced gardener.

A comprehensive and lushly photographed guide to growing and using healing plants, including recipes, from the founder of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine This is the ultimate reference for anyone looking to bring the beauty and therapeutic properties of plants into their garden, kitchen, and home apothecary. Both informative and accessible, it covers how to plan your garden (including container gardening for small spaces); essential information on seed propagation, soil quality, and holistic gardening practices; 30 detailed profiles of must-know plants (including growing information, medicinal properties, and how to use them); foundational principles of herbalism; step-by-step photographic tutorials for preparing botanical medicine and healing foods; and 70 recipes for teas, tinctures, oils, salves, syrups, and more. Packed with sumptuous photography, this book will appeal to home gardeners who want to branch out to culinary and medicinal herbs, home cooks and those interested in natural wellness, and novice and skillful herbalists alike.

When is a marigold not a marigold? Where in Great Britain is a harebell a bluebell? What does a Burdock have to do with velcrose? And what does a dandelion have to do with teeth? In this delightful little book, historian Gerald Ponting reveals the fascinating stories at the heart of many wild flower names. From names made up by Shakespeare to names based on appearance or medicinal properties, prepare to be amused, informed and amazed.

To create a garden that gives pleasure throughout the year is the goal of every garden-maker. The greatest designers maintain that it is the garden in winter that sets the scene for the remainder of the year. Designing and Creating a Winter Garden takes the reader through the process of designing a new garden from scratch or re-working an existing garden, with winter as the key, formative season. The first part of the book deals with design considerations and ideas, including: assessing the site and its opportunities and constraints; designing the basic framework for winter; making use of low, winter light and using sparkling colour; pots, containers and statuary in the garden, and finally the maintenance of the garden in winter. The second part comprises a detailed catalogue of suggested plants and their uses, grouped into: evergreens; winter-flowering trees, shrubs and perennials, including those that are strongly scented; shrubs with coloured and textured bark and finally, unusual, striking plants to use as focal points. This book sets out to inspire both garden designers and enthusiastic gardeners to create a garden that is as captivating in winter as it is during the remainder of the year.

Take a tour of historic California garden design via this classic book. Released in 1914 the book offered yesterdays reader ways to plan and beautify the city lot, suburban grounds, and country estate. For todays historic home owner, there are 50 garden plans and 103 illustrations of actual gardens from photographs taken by the author. Of special interest are photos of outdoor furniture, lighting, and trellises. This book is a wealth of imagery and ideas about Arts & Crafts era sensibilities, Japanese gardens, and Mission-influenced landscape design.

Aimed at a new generation of indoor gardening enthusiasts, this book is a perfect guide for anyone keen to see their plant offspring thrive. Plants have found popularity in the small home, and are being proclaimed the new stars of Instagram. This attractive little book is ideal for the novice "plant parent," providing tips on how to choose plants, and above all how to care for them and keep them thriving. Indoor-plant experts and Instagrammers Erin Harding and Morgan Doane bring the subject to life alongside their beautiful photographs of happy plants in the home.

Engineer and plant parent for more than thirty years, Raffaele Di Lallo knows that the world of houseplants can be full of confusing myths and conflicting care advice. But, as a master problem solver, Di Lallo is here to teach you that your own two eyes are your best source for reconciling every plant problem. His surprisingly simple observational practices and an understanding of key habitat and care concepts will make any reader feel like a plant whisperer. From choosing the right plants for your home and perfecting light and humidity levels to mastering watering, potting and propagation, Di Lallo demystifies every aspect of plant parenting. Providing handy case studies and advice for troubleshooting common mistakes, such as yellowing leaves and overwatering, Houseplant Warrior helps readers develop their own problem-solving skills. Complete with profiles of favourite and lesser-known houseplants, this book is a veritable bible of houseplant care tips for all levels of green thumb.

'This is a clearly presented work, with accessible topic headings and plenty of good advice sprinkled with engaging personal anecdotes. The message at the book's heart is to adopt a greener way of being and to see oneself as part of nature, not removed from it. On this point it is exceptional, distinguishing itself from many of the green gardening books written in recent years.' The English Garden magazine 'Conversational, interesting, and personal ... it reaffirms the link between what we love to do and why we should be doing it with nature, the planet and our health in mind.' RHS The Garden magazine If you want a sustainable garden and a better relationship with nature, A Greener Life is the guide you need. Packed with inspirational images and practical tips, the book covers garden planning, organic composting and vegetable growing, as well as sustainable planting, rewilding and wildlife-attracting environments. Learn traditional gardening techniques like propagating and growing from cuttings to make your garden self-sustaining, and discover plants that attract hover flies, bees and butterflies. With Jack Wallington's warmth and expertise on every page, this is an ideal book for new gardeners seeking greener practices.

The Gardener's Guide to Growing Penstemons is a wide-ranging study of a diverse genus. It provides an up-to-date and authoritative overview of a rather complicated classification, a useful chapter on botany which provides helpful tips for identification and a detailed history of the plant including a special chapter on the history and development of the cultivars. Gardeners will derive much of interest from the chapters on garden cultivation, propagation, plant association and pests and diseases while chapters on breeding and the role of the plant in Australasia, South Africa and continental Europe further broaden the scope of this comprehensive book. Specialists and gardeners alike will profit from the detailed plant descriptions, which include full information about garden cultivation, of a comprehensive range of cultivars and species.

The first in what is an excellent series of books photographed by Geoff Nicholls. A beautifully illustrated guide to 107 plants and some of the butterflies, birds and mammals found in forests of South Africa. The text provides notes on the plants, utilization and gardening, as well as scientific and common names in local languages. This lightweight 72 page book with 170 full colour photographs will be a delight to gardeners, tourists, environmentalist and educationalists alike. This book is designed to cover plants in the forests of South Africa and highlight the beauty, value and importance of our forests with a view to promoting long term conservation and sustainable management. It provides an easy introduction to the plants and main animals of this forest biome. A biome is a large natural region or ecological community, each with its own distinctive vegetation shaped by differences in climate and topography. There are nine biomes in South Africa: desert, fynbos, nama-karroo, succulent karroo, succulent thicket, Indian Ocean coastal belt, grassland, savanna and forest. Forest is the smallest biome, only 1/2% of the land mass. Additional information on each plant will also be found in Elsa Pooley's best selling field guides to Trees which is out of print and currently under revision, also Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal, and Mountain Flowers of the Drakensberg and Lesotho.

'Clever... valuable introduction to the study of plant science.' - Gardeners Illustrated RHS Botany for Gardeners is more than just a useful reference book on the science of botany and the language of horticulture - it is a practical, hands-on guide that will help gardeners understand how plants grow, what affects their performance, and how to get better results. Illustrated throughout with beautiful botanical prints and simple diagrams, RHS Botany for Gardeners provides easy-to-understand explanations of over 3,000 botanical words and terms, and show how these can be applied to everyday gardening practice. For easy navigation, the book is divided into thematic chapters covering everything from Plant Pests, and further subdivided into useful headings such as 'Seed Sowing' and 'Pruning'. 'Botany in Action' boxes provide instantly accessible practical tips and advice, and feature spreads profile the remarkable individuals who collected, studied and illustrated the plants that we grow today. Aided by this book, gardeners will unlock the wealth of information that lies within the intriguing world of botanical science - and their gardens will thrive as a result. This is the perfect gift for any gardener. Contents Includes... The Plant kingdom Growth, Form and Function Inner Workings Reproduction The Beginning of Life External Factors Pruning Botany and the Senses Pest, Diseases and Disorders Botanists and Botanical Illustration ... And Much More!

This book is for all gardeners (be they amateur or professional), garden designers and landscape architects, who want to learn how to create and maintain a protective environment suitable for any type of plant they wish to grow. From large scale glasshouses, shelters and living boundaries, to modest cold frames and greenhouses, this book will equip readers with the knowledge to manage their protected space successfully and sustainably. Coverage includes: managing light, heat and humidity; the climate future and sustainable practices; soil husbandry and alternatives, including hydroponics; health and hygiene in protected spaces and finally, understanding biodiversity and encouraging natural allies. Industry insights from experts and professionals at internationally renowned gardens and leading manufacturers, as well as exceptional research from NASA, MIT and other leading universities, explore what's happening at the cutting edge of horticulture and how this knowledge can be applied in your own garden.