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Books > Health, Home & Family > Gardening
From needle size, yarn weight, and gauge to techniques and instructions, "Knitting Essentials" is an informative booklet and the go-to guide for knitting enthusiasts. Learn the different stitches, along with interesting twists and finishing techniques to make your knit projects a success.
*THE ORIGINAL & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING ALMANAC Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including key dates, tide tables and garden tasks; constellations and moon phases; sunrises, folk songs, seasonal recipes plus a 'bun of the month'; and - because 2023 will be a good year for planet spotting - the solar system and the zodiac. The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, with this instalment following the swirling micro world of the garden pond through the year. You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close. This year's edition is illustrated by artist Whooli Chen. The geographical scope of The Almanac is Britain and Ireland PRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC: 'Lia Leendertz's classic almanac never fails to delight' - The Herald 'It's a perfect Christmas present' - Allan Jenkins, The Observer 'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight 'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof 'This book is your bible' - The Independent 'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews
By reimagining how we design and use our gardens, we can all do our bit to support local wildlife, improve our health and help tackle the climate crisis. If we all take positive steps in our gardens, no matter how small, we can all really make a difference in the world. This book focuses on the activities and planting suitable for a Scottish climate but also contains lots of useful information relevant for gardeners throughout the UK. Practical information on planning is followed by expert guidance on: Planting for wildlife in nectar-rich borders, wildflower meadows, hedgerows, trees and shrubs Building for wildlife with bird boxes, bug boxes, feeders and ponds Green gardening approaches with fruit and veg production, rain gardens, green roofs, compost making and creating new plants through propagation Attracting birds, bees, butterflies and other insects, aquatic life and nightlife
In this uniquely Southern African book, Carl Morrow and Keith Kirsten guide readers step by step into the magical realms of bonsai as a hobby, horticultural practice and art form. The contents reflect the natural progression most people follow as their interest grows, and includes keeping your first tree or two alive and thriving, the basic techniques and skills to shape your trees and add to your collection, and the advanced skills and underlying philosophy needed for advancing in the art. This edition has been revised and updated in both content and illustrative material. The species list at the end of the book is a guide to popular trees in the Southern African bonsai context and is illustrated for ease of identification. Bonsai success in Southern Africa is the perfect 'teacher' for those making their first foray into this fascinating and rewarding art, as well as for more experienced bonsai growers.
The original biodynamic sowing and planting calendar, now in its 61st year. The easy-to-view layout features detailed planting, tending and harvesting information to help growers maximise the yield and vitality of crops and plants. Trusted by generations of farmers and gardeners, the ultimate biodynamic calendar features: -- A clear layout making it simpler to plan what to do and when -- Space dedicated to detailed explanations of the recommended activities -- Information panels make it easy to use -- Clear headings and sections for fast look-ups -- Detailed planting, tending and harvesting information to maximise the yield and vitality of crops and plants -- Suitable for both seasoned biodynamic farmers and beginner gardeners -- Solar and lunar events, plus information on planetary aspects, are given dedicated space The calendar includes a pull-out wallchart that can be pinned up in a barn, shed or greenhouse as a handy quick reference.
"A genius little book! This is a fascinating guide to herbs and what to do with them - love it!" Jamie Oliver From rosemary to wild garlic, and hyssop to sea kale, our food would be poorer without the herbs we grow. Jekka McVicar is the expert on herbs and how to get the best from them, and this new pocket book is the go-to guide for chefs and gardeners across the country. In a compact and handy A-Z format, this guide will ensure you get the best out of your herb garden, providing details such as when and where to plant, how hardy each plant is, how to nurture and care for your herbs and what each herb is best used for in the kitchen. Jekka's own photography of the herbs complements the text, providing a quick and colourful reference.
The Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening includes how-to and when to information for successful vegetable gardening thoughout the gardening regions in Canada. Filled with the need to know information on planting, growing and harvesting more than 50 vegetables and herbs. Includes full-color images and helpful maps and charts.
In recent years, container gardening has taken on a new dimension, as new and vastly varied containers have become available to suit every taste. In this will advise you on the best use of container plants to enhance your garden and patio, to achieve dramatic and colourful results in small spaces, or, in larger gardens, to create focal points which link different parts of the garden. She gives practical suggestions on how containers can be used to solve problems in the garden, and hundreds of ideas for striking and unusual plant combinations. Creative containers provides a wealth of exciting and original ideas for container gardening, focusing on the following - Planning - how containers fit into the overall design of the house, patio and garden. Choosing containers, including ideas for unusual containers and instructions for making or decorating your own containers. Plant discussions - detailed descriptions of suitable container plants, suggested combinations, growing conditions, etc. Plant care and maintenance - how to make sure that your container plants flourish.
Giant perennials are show-stoppers in the garden. There is something magical about the fact that starting from nothing in spring they rise to towering heights by midsummer only to disappear again for the winter. These are plants that make a statement and can be used to provide a backdrop to a herbaceous border or as specimens to draw the eye and amaze the visitor. From the astounding gunnera, 2.4m (8ft) with its leaves as big as the biggest golf umbrella, to the spectacular verbascum (giant mullein) as tall as a tree at 1.8-2.7m (6-9ft), or the socking great Eupatorium purpureum, with 2.1m (7ft) tall stems and cinnamon pink flowers. Quite simply these plants make us feel like Lilliputians. Covering a wide range of herbaceous perennials, including some biennials and bulbs, Giant Perennials provides at-a-glance information for everything you need to know about these amazing plants. In addition to design ideas and planting suggestions, Giant Perennials has an extensive directory of these majestic plants with easy-to-use symbols that show you size, spread, planting situation, cultivation needs and hardiness. Whether you have a large country garden or a small town plot, you can give you
A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glinting red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a climbing plant that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. Bestselling author Amy Stewart takes on two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate and otherwise offend. Menacing botanical illustrations render a ghastly portrait of evildoers that may be lurking in your back (or front) garden. Drawing on history, medicine, science and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, enlighten and alarm even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.
The ultimate guide to encouraging wildlife into the garden all year round. Taking a month-by-month approach, The Wildlife Gardener's Almanac is packed with ideas, advice, tips and checklists, to give gardener's the best chance to make their contribution to conserving our native flora and fauna, no matter what size their garden. Each chapter of this beautifully illustrated book presents an introduction to the wild plants and creatures to expect at that time of the year, lists of seasonal tasks with straightforward instructions on how to carry them out, detailed profiles of plants in bloom, and a practical project aimed at encouraging more wildlife into the garden, including making a wildlife pond, building a nest box, planning a herb bed, planting a wildflower meadow and more. With appendices covering wildlife gardening in containers and suggested garden layouts, this guide offers a wealth of gardening information in an accessible format, allowing gardeners to find the advice they need, exactly when they need it.
Step into the vibrant world of Crepe Paper Blooms, Bugs and Butterflies with Miss Petal & Bloom, a.k.a. Eileen Lim. In this beautifully illustrated guidebook, internationally acclaimed artist Eileen reveals her secrets to crafting whimsical blooms and insects using 180gsm Italian crepe paper. To begin, the materials and basic techniques are broken down in detail, making this a perfect book for beginners. In the Blooms chapter, you'll learn how to create a host of flowers that will never wilt, including a sunflower, a rose, two kinds of peonies, a dahlia, a ranunculus, oriental poppies, anemones, hydrangeas and a magnificent king protea. Eileen also demonstrates simple ways to transform your handmade flowers into lovely bouquets - perfect as gifts for your loved ones. In the Bugs and Butterflies chapters, you'll be introduced to a collection of quirky crepe paper insects, such as two spectacular moths, two butterflies, colourful beetles, a dragonfly and a chubby little bumblebee, plus a fun range of display ideas. Finally, in the Potted Plants chapter, Eileen shares techniques for making a variety of plants, as well as tips on how to pot them. These include daffodils, irises, orchids, delphiniums, tulips, foxgloves and gorgeous succulents that you'll never need to water. With step-by-step photos for all projects, accompanied by full-size templates, you'll be inspired to give this addictive craft a go, and create beautiful paper blooms, bugs and butterflies for all occasions.
Orchids fascinate. Parts of the orchid flower have shapes unlike any other flowering plant, and the sheer number of species means that their variety is seemingly endless, with an ability to interbreed and create ever more fantastical forms. Extraordinary Orchids reveals some of the bizarre life-styles and interactions that botanists have uncovered amongst different categories of orchids: the epiphytic orchids, the ground-dwelling ones, the insect-mimicking ones and those whose lifestyles are so closely bound to their interactions with insects and birds. Many orchid common names refer to the shape-shifting forms of the orchid flower - the 'man-orchids' or 'monkey orchids' are so called because of their resemblance to the primate form. Orchids lend themselves to depiction, and botanical artworks of them abound. Who could resist painting or drawing such intriguing shapes? Sandra Knapp examines each category of orchid in turn and all are illustrated with stunning artwork from artists such as Ferdinand and Franz Bauer, Arthur Harry Church, Sydney Parkinson, Henry Fletcher Hance, John Russell Reeves, and images taken from James Bateman's The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala.
This book looks at the many different and beautiful species of palm trees, with suggestions on how to cultivate these special trees in your own garden. With useful tips on the required growing conditions, soil, climate, and any special needs, this guide allows you to nurture a variety of different species of palm tree. On each page, a different species of palm tree is featured with a photograph and text describing the common and Latin name, the fruit and leaves of the tree, and its size.
A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines and virtually all other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody's reach. In this book, enthusiastic experts Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs, bring us in-depth guidance on the design, construction, and planting of crevice gardens of all kinds including those suitable for containers, small gardens and public parks and in styles that encompass both naturalistic scenes and non-traditional installations. A wealth of international case studies demonstrate how crevice gardens provide multiple micro-habitats that are exceptionally well-suited to growing a wide range of desirable plants that struggle in normal garden conditions. Further examples reveal their value in the ecological re-use of waste materials such as concrete, wildlife habitat creation and for making permeable, plant-friendly alternatives to retaining walls. An illustrated A-Z that recommends 250 irresistible plants completes this comprehensive book which heralds a bold new chapter in the history of crevice garden making.
This volume collects 50 stories of gardening invention, innovation and discovery. Among them is that of Thomas Hyl, who in 1577 devised the first water sprinkler; Nathaniel Ward who began a craze for indoor gardening in 1829 with his terrarium case; and Henry Telende, who in 1720 grew England's first pineapple. From the invention of the trellis, flower pots and the waterscrew in the ancient world; via secateurs, jute string and flame guns in the Victorian age; to the Gro-Bag and Flymo of modern times, the ingenious achievements make an inspiring international collection.
A stylishly illustrated compendium of 100 herbs, designed to enrich our understanding of all their uses. This isn't just a book for the kitchen - it's for the greenhouse, the medicine cabinet, the coffee table... Award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand's Herbarium is a 21st-century reboot of the traditional herbal compendium. The visual genius behind the international bestseller The Geometry of Pasta, she has created abstract forms and vibrant colours to illustrate 100 essential herbs and to reveal their hidden properties. From bergamot, comfrey and dill to sassafras, vervain and wasabi, all types of herbs are covered; each is explained through the fascinating history of their uses and symbolism. There are tips on how to use them as seasonings and how to create healing potions, as well as advice on when and how to grow them. Herbarium celebrates all facets of herbs and all their life-enhancing properties.
The Science of Compost: Life Death and Decay in the Garden takes you on a journey into the underworld of composting. Doberski explains the science of what goes on but also promotes interest in the living organisms who provide the 'hard graft' of transforming waste organic matter. It can be hard to envisage the hundreds, thousands or millions of different organisms involved but The Science of Compost reveals the secrets of this hidden world. Gardeners are familiar with the magic of compost and it is easy to see what goes in - organic waste - and what comes out - wonderful, friable and fertile compost - but what magic causes that to happen? Doberski explains what kind of 'mysterious' and complex chemical, physical and biological processes contribute to make composting effective. He covers the structural nature of decaying and dead plant material, the micro-organisms and invertebrates contributing to decomposition, and the combination of chemical, physical and biological factors which determine rates of decay. Although not a practical manual of composting, by explaining the science of what goes on in composting Doberski provides pointers to gardeners for getting composting right.
Get ready for the shocking truth about botanical sex. Who knew that bee orchids trick insects into having sex with them, avocado flowers are female one day and male the next, and some flowers are the insect equivalent of nightclubs where males and females meet and mate? Bestselling popular science author Mike Allaby reveals over 200 of nature's most unseemly creations in this sensational expose. The sexual antics of plants are far more varied than those of people and plants have preferences and techniques for which we have no equivalent. Being rooted to the spot, many rely on pollinators for assistance and forget birds and bees, we're talking kangaroos, giraffes, and vampire bats. Botanical illustrations throw light on the gallery of pimps, hookers and gigolos who may be lurking in your back garden and spice up this compendium of scurrilous botany which - be warned - may shock the worldliest of gardeners.
An invaluable reference for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike! Beginners will love this book for its pictorial and concise approach to growing, grouping and caring for succulents and cacti to make them thrive. Experienced succulents enthusiasts will appreciate the sheer variety of plants described here--a detailed field guide to over 700 varieties, both common and exotic. Author Shoichi Tanabe walks you through all the steps from selecting your plants to potting, watering and displaying them. In this complete guide you will find everything from: Advice on selecting the right plants for your environment and lifestyle How to create attractive groupings of succulents and spaces which thrive together Tips on ensuring the right light, air flow, humidity and watering regimen Essential tools and soils as well as how and when to transplant your succulents And so much more! The plants are grouped by seasons (spring-fall or summer-winter types), when and how much to water them, their ease of cultivation, and more. Tips for cultivating each genus are included, along with plenty of advice on how to keep them healthy and vigorous. An index to all the plants makes this an indispensable guide when adding to your collection of succulents, cacti and air plants! |
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