This book is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated history of herbal texts throughout the world from ancient cultures through the seventeenth century.

A "herbal" by definition is a book that is descriptive of plants and the term did not come into use until the sixteenth century. The production of herbals is closely connected to the history of early printing and offers the finest examples of this art and craft. However, the earliest records of ancient Egypt, Sumer and China all reflect a tradition of works of botanicals and their medicinal properties long before printing. The author's survey begins with a work called "De materia medica" written in the first century which is still extant and as the final authority on pharmacy for 1500 years is the most important herbal ever written.

The study of herbals offers a rich history of the culture and beliefs from the folklore and science of medieval and classical worlds.

Botany for gardeners offers an explanation of how plants grow. What happens inside a seed after it is planted? How are plants structured? How do plants adapt to their environment? How is water transported from soil to leaves? Why are minerals, air and light important for healthy plant growth? How do plants reproduce? The answers to these and other questions about complex plant processes, written in everyday language, allow gardeners and horticulturists to understand plants from the "plant's point of view". An appendix on plant taxonomy, glossary and make this an essential reference book for serious gardeners.

This is the first comprehensive and up to date guide to clematis in Australia and New Zealand. Clematis, the Queen of Climbers, has become popular in our temperate climate. Most gardens boast at least one much-loved plant and they are especially appreciated for their affinity with roses. The rules are few, easy to follow and will lead to spectacular results. There is information on: Planting; Pruning; Propagation; Pests; Diseases and Companion planting. There are beautiful colour photographs illustrating most of the clematis described.

Replicating the climate of an orchid's native habitat is a key to the successful culture of a species and its hybrids. This ingenious book provides monthly rainfall and temperature data for the varied habitats of more than 1200 species of "Dendrobium," supplemented by detailed cultural recommendations based on the observations of experienced growers.

The only book any homeowner needs when considering an irrigation system for a lawn, this complete handbook, written by a master plumber in clear, non-technical language, addresses all types of irrigation systems--from the simple to the high-tech--including overhead, surface, and underground irrigation equipment. 50 illustrations & photos.

Known through several editions simply as "the fern bible," this classic covers identification, propagation, cultivation, and landscape uses of ferns. The heart of the book is a selection of 132 hardy and tender species suitable for gardens in various climates or in the greenhouse.

Carolyne Roehm shares her passion for flowers in hundreds of exquisite photographs. Inspired by Irving Penn's iconic 'Flowers', Carolyne has carefully photographed close-ups of her gorgeous blooms and paired them with images of her arrangements, table settings, and her abundant gardens at Weatherstone, her 18th-century Connecticut estate.

Allen Lacy has gathered together a colorful sampler of American gardening writing from Thomas Jefferson to our own day. Among the fifty-two writers represented are such national treasures as Celia Thaxter, Neltje Blanchan, Elizabeth Lawrence, and Katherine S. White.

A hands-on guide to using flower essences in magick, spellcraft, alchemy, and healing * Provides detailed instructions for making single-flower essences and magickal and therapeutic essence blends * Shares new magickal uses for flower essences, from creating sacred space to dressing candles to preparing incense, as well as how to use essences in meditation, potions, spells, spagyrics, and ritual * Includes a detailed directory of 100 flower and plant essences, complete with astrological, elemental, and magickal correspondences In this practical guide to using flower essences in witchcraft, alchemy, and healing, Nicholas Pearson provides detailed instructions for making and using flower essences based on traditional Western magick practices. He shares new uses for essences--from creating sacred space to dressing candles to preparing incense--and explains how to use them in meditation, potions, spells, spagyrics, and ritual. He shares exercises for connecting more deeply to the energies of the green world and exploring how essences can be used in traditional sacraments of witchcraft like the Great Rite. In the hands-on formulary, the author provides recipes for essence combinations for the eight sabbats and formulas based on familiar blends like traditional flying ointments of European witchcraft. He shares his method for creating flower essence spagyrics--alchemical preparations made from the body, mind, and soul of the plant that offer the highest vibrational potency for therapeutic and spiritual uses. Pearson also provides a detailed directory of 100 flower and plant essences, complete with astrological, elemental, and magickal correspondences and the therapeutic indications for each essence. Weaving together magickal herbalism, traditional plant lore, and flower essence therapy, this guide allows you to see flower essences not just as vibrational remedies but also as powerful tools for transformation, magick, and spiritual practice.

One fateful day in 1996, upon discovering that five freight cars' worth of glittering corn have reaped a tiny profit of $18.16, young Forrest Pritchard undertakes to save his family's farm. What ensues--through hilarious encounters with all manner of livestock and colorful local characters--is a crash course in sustainable agriculture. Pritchard's biggest ally is his renegade father, who initially questions his son's career choice and eschews organic foods for sugary mainstream fare. But just when the farm starts to turn heads at local markets, his father's health takes a turn for the worse. With poetry and humor, this timely memoir tugs on the heartstrings and feeds the soul long after the last page is turned.

All kinds of garden plants – shrubs, climbers, roses, hedges and trees – need pruning to improve their shape and condition, and to encourage more flowers and fruits.

Whether you are starting a new garden, maintaining established plants or renovating a neglected garden, this essential guide to pruning will come to your assistance time and again.

A leading light in the field of medicinal herb cultivation, The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm is the first cultivation guide of its kind, and presents invaluable information for growers interested in producing high-quality efficacious herbs in all climates of the US, with the historical connectedness of ancient practitioners.

It has become increasingly important-especially as the market for herbal medicine continues to grow-that we transition to local and domestic medicinal cultivation. Increasingly there are concerns in regards to not only the quality but the purity of imported herbs, and wild herbs picked for medicinal purposes are ever more endangered than in past years both at home and abroad.

Peg Schafer, longtime grower and teacher, guides readers with information on propagating, cultivating, and harvesting Chinese herbs, and presents fascinating new scientific data that reveal the age-old wisdom of nature and the traditional systems of Chinese medicine. Through 79 detailed herb profiles--all tested and trialed on Schafer's certified organic farm-Schafer offers easy-to-follow information, suitable for both growers and practitioners, for growing efficacious wild-simulated herbs. Also included is important information on species conservation, crop integration, and how to avoid the introduction of invasive species. Sidebars on traditional medicinal uses for each herb and delicious recipes are also featured throughout.

Vegetable and CSA farmers will find this book of great interest for adding value-added crops to their repertoire, and beginner growers looking to incorporate medicinals into their gardens will find this an invaluable guide to understanding where herbal medicine comes from, and will make eating-your-medicine more accessible than ever.

Contrarreste los efectos del "mal de ojo," limpie su nueva vivienda de energA-as negativas, incremente su poder de seducciA3n, interprete sus sueAos profA(c)ticos. Obtenga todo lo que desea a travA(c)s de Hechizos y Conjuros. Por medio de velas, hierbas o cualquier cosa que tenga a la mano, aprenderA la prActica de la magia folklA3rica basada en viejas tradiciones europeas y africanas.

Plants and gardens play a central role in life on Earth. They have provided food, clothing, shelter, medicines, employment, leisure and enjoyment throughout history. Both also have many symbolic uses in art, mythology and literature, making plants and gardens the perfect theme for the Designer Bookbinders fourth International Competition held at the Bodleian Library in 2022. The chosen theme also celebrates 400 years since the founding of Oxford Botanic Garden. This beautiful catalogue features richly illustrated texts and finely printed volumes which are bound with skill and creativity using varied materials by binders from all over the world. The fourth in a series following on from 'Bound for Success' in 2009, 'Prize Volumes' in 2013 and 'Heroic Works' in 2017, 'A Gathering of Leaves' is a celebration of the stunningly inventive winning bindings featured alongside all the competition entries.

A journalistic tour de force, this wide-ranging collection by the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography "Stilwell and the American Experience in China" is a classic in its own right.
During the summer of 1972--a few short months after Nixon's legendary visit to China--master historian Barbara W. Tuchman made her own trip to that country, spending six weeks in eleven cities and a variety of rural settlements. The resulting reportage was one of the first evenhanded portrayals of Chinese culture that Americans had ever read.
Tuchman's observations capture the people as they lived, from workers in the city and provincial party bosses to farmers, scientists, and educators. She demonstrates the breadth and scope of her expertise in discussing the alleviation of famine, misery, and exploitation; the distortion of cultural and historical inheritances into ubiquitous slogans; news media, schools, housing, and transportation; and Chairman Mao's techniques for reasserting the Revolution. This edition also includes Tuchman's "fascinating" ("The New York Review of Books") essay, "If Mao Had Come to Washington in 1945"--a tantalizing piece of speculation on a proposed meeting between Mao and Roosevelt that would have changed the course of postwar history.
"Shrewdly observed . . . Tuchman enters another plea for coolness, intelligence and rationality in American Asian policies. One can hardly disagree."--"The New York Times Book Review"

This companion book to 'Natural by Design' concentrates on over two hundred plants, individually photographed and profiled. The key to any successful garden is knowing the plants, the conditions that nurture them, and the care that must be taken in their propagation, cultivation, transplanting, and pruning. Knowing the native and adaptive plants of the region and how best to use them in the landscape will enable the gardener to create gardens of self-sustaining beauty.

Plants play a critical role in how we experience our environment. They create calming green spaces, provide oxygen for us to breathe, and nourish our senses. In The Nature of Plants, ecologist and nursery owner Craig Huegel demystifies the complex lives of plants and provides readers with an extensive tour into their workings. Beginning with the importance of light, water, and soil, Huegel describes the process of photosynthesis and how best to position plants to receive optimal sunlight. He explains why plants suffer from overwatering, what essential elements plants need to flourish, and what important soil organisms reside with them. Readers will understand the difference between friendly and hostile bacteria, fungi, and insects. Sections on plant structure and reproduction focus in detail on major plant organs?roots, stems, and leaves?and cover flowering, pollination, fruit development, and seed germination. Huegel even delves into the mysterious world of plant communication, exploring the messages conveyed to animals or other plants through chemical scents and hormones. With color illustrations, photographs, and real-life examples from his own gardening experiences, Huegel equips budding botanists, ecologists, and even the most novice gardeners with knowledge that will help them understand and foster plants of all types.