Trees have inspired a very special magical alphabet and divinatory system, Ogham. This beautiful and mysterious writing system is very much a part of the world of the Celts. Its association with the God Ogma points to its importance to the Celtic priesthood known as the Druids and their nature wisdom, their ancient and magical relationship with trees and with sacred groves. Woods have this ability to rejuvenate and heal, to smooth away stress and anxiety, and as you linger under the trees a dreamlike quality develops, and you find your mind drifting in ways associated with the practice of meditation, the brainwave patterns change, and the rhythms of your body seem to slow and strengthen. Come with us for a walk in the woods, explore the primeval forests of the mind, meet the beautiful and magical trees of the world, and find out how they might communicate their wisdom to us.

"What vegetables can I plant as winter crops? How can I avoid bitter bolting lettuce? When is the best time to cut back rhodos? How do I overwinter my geraniums and fuchsias? What fastgrowing evergreen hedge will work for my narrow urban yard? How late can I plant spring-flowering bulbs? What should I do about the chafer infestation that is destroying my lawn? Why aren't my berries bigger? What fruits and vegetables grow best in patio pots?"
These are just a few of the burning questions that renowned gardening expert Wim Vander Zalm answers again and again as owner of two Art Knapp Plantland garden centres and a long-time regular on CKNW's "The Bill Good Show."
"Just Ask Wim " covers horticultural concerns about all kinds of plants: vegetables, fruits and berries, herbs, annuals and perennials, shrubs, trees, hedges and vines, plus how to grow a healthy lawn organically . . . or replace the troublesome turf with one of many other groundcover options. Wim also shares organic pest and weed management ideas, common-sense pruning tips, fertilization and soil-building advice, plus his often-requested mulch recipe.
Friendly, funny and always down to earth, Wim is the guy to ask whenever there is a need to know about how to make the most of any garden--urban or otherwise. In addition, his comprehensive "Get It Done " checklist takes the reader right through the year, month by month, pinpointing just what to do and when for a stress-free, successful gardening experience.

'I absolutely adore Clare Nolan's approaches to garden planning and creative use of color in her designs. This gem is sure to delight any flower lover.' - Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm Planting cut flowers brings that 'grow-your-own' excitement to a whole new level - being able to step out of the back door and pick a single stem for beside the bed or pull together a posy for a friend is a joy. In this beautifully designed book, brimming with inspirational photographs, Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular homegrown displays that will fill your home with colour and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round. She takes the mystique out of what to grow and guides you through the entire process - from choosing the plants to suit both your garden and home decor and laying out your cutting patch, to planning ahead so you get your perfect palette of colour, texture and shape to play with at the right time. A whole chapter on arranging will inspire you to create spectacular arrangements for your home without the need for complicated floristry techniques.

This publication is an excellent resource regarding legal responsibilities of private property owners, municipalities, private tree companies, practicing arborists, or public companies. While not a substitute for specific legal advice, general information concerning trees and the rights and requirements of property ownership are discussed in relationship to situations often encountered by arborists.

This is without doubt the most comprehensive field guide to the orchids of Britain and Europe. Every one of the 216 species and 30 subspecies are described and illustrated with superb colour photographs. For each species there is a close up photograph of the flower head and a more distant view showing the whole plant. There are also nearly 200 line drawings which highlight particular identification features. The text describes each species, as well as giving detailed information on habitat, flowering season, and distribution.

In this book, Dan Torre explores the intriguing and multifaceted natural, cultural and social history of the orchid. Orchids are one of the largest families of plants - approximately 8 per cent of all the Earth's flowering species. They are known for their beautiful flowers with bright colours, delicate forms and delicate fragrances. However, when we look deeper into their world, we find that they are much more than an elegant flowering plant and behave in unexpected ways that no other flowers do. Philosophers have contemplated them; countless artists have celebrated them; millions of people have cultivated them, displayed them and even consumed them. Orchids occupy our thoughts, our stories, our societies, our greenhouses, our florists, our supermarkets and our homes. And that is merely the beginning.

The Helford River, Cornwall is a place of wonder and delight: one of the very few places in England where ancient woodland meets the sea. "This is oak country, and the oaks have that surprising variety of size and shape that only Cornwall and Devon oaks can offer. Smooth wooded hillsides, subtly mottled with the different greens or browns of individual oak-trees, sweep down to high-water mark." So begins Oliver Rackham's book covering 25 woods, predominantly in the north of the Lizard peninsula, including: Bonallack, Calamansack, Devichoys, Grambla, Gweek, Merthen, Reskymmer, Trelowarren, Tremayne and Treverry. He brings to life the curious industrial and cultural history of this unique area, and shows how these woods have survived and what the future may have in store. Illustrated throughout with photographs, maps and diagrams, this forms the second volume in the regional series The Ancient Woodlands of Britain. This book is published in collaboration with the Woodland Trust.

Get back to nature with this easy to use guide to Britain's greenery. From the experts at Westonbirt Arboretum in the depths of the Cotswolds, with one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, comes this beautiful pocket guide covering 100 popular wild plants and flowers. Categorised by type of plant, the simple layout ensures that this text is easy to use 'on the go'. Meadow Saffron, Sweet Woodruff and Solomon's Seal are just a few examples of the vibrant entries - each accompanied by two beautiful images and a short description. Illustrated with enchanting colour artwork, depicting each plant and their individual bloom or sprig, this covetable book will educate and entertain with text by two leading experts from the Arboretum and the Forestry Commission.

In 2006, the award-winning Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand was published to widespread acclaim and quickly became a modern classic for New Zealand botanists, gardeners and art-lovers. By popular demand, this accessible, affordable new edition presents a beautiful selection of 163 full-colour, full-page reproductions of Audrey Eagle's botanical paintings for new readers to discover and existing fans to savour. Every plant is depicted in full colour, including Eagle's many detailed enlargements which show the flowers, leaves and seeds of each plant in technically superb detail, while an appendix containing comprehensive notes, drafted in consultation with expert botanists, gives information on every plant. A fresh introduction gives new insights into Audrey Eagle and her life's work, and sets her place in the prestigious history of the botanical illustration of New Zealand's unique native flora.

Woody plants and cacti are vital staple foods for cattle, deer, and other wildlife in drought-prone South Texas. Ranchers, hunters, and land managers who need to identify these plants relied on A Field Guide to Common South Texas Shrubs (published by Texas Parks & Wildlife Press and distributed by UT Press), which is no longer in print. Responding to ongoing demand for the book, Richard B. Taylor has completely updated and expanded it with seven new species, new photographs, and a quick plant identification key. Common Woody Plants and Cacti of South Texas is an easy-to-use plant identification field guide to fifty species that comprise an estimated 90 percent of the region's woody canopy cover north of the Rio Grande Valley. The species accounts include photographs, descriptions, values to livestock and wildlife, and nutritional information. The book also provides historical perspectives and information on brush management techniques and strategies, as well as habitat appraisal. All of these resources will enable readers to analyze stocking rates for deer and cattle, evaluate a prospective hunting lease, or buy property.

Marfa Garden is a full-color celebration of more than sixty flowering plants of the Chihuahuan Desert and neighboring regions. Marfa, the internationally acclaimed arts and cultural mecca in Far West Texas, sits squarely in the Chihuahuan Desert-North America's second largest at 140,000 square miles spanning northern Mexico, West Texas, and parts of New Mexico and Arizona. The desert is a surprising showcase for colorful plant diversity. Presented in a style reminiscent of naturalist Karl Blossfeldt's Art Forms in Nature, the book includes an array of vines, grasses, trees, herbs, shrubs, cacti, and succulents ranging from the little known to the popular to the iconic. Photographs show the plants in year-round cycles, with buds, complex foliage, unfolding blooms, seed pods, and winter texture and color. Also included is a discussion of each plant's common and scientific names, historical information, garden use, USDA classification, and other helpful details. A visual appendix of detailed botanical and gardening information consists of illustrations relating close-up botanical details. Everyday gardeners, naturalists, landscape designers, architects, and anyone interested in dry gardens or the Southwest will find great value and joy in Marfa Garden.

Learn to identify Texas trees with this handy field guide, organized by leaf type and attachment. With this famous field guide by award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela, you can make tree identification simple, informative, and productive. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of trees that don't grow in Texas. Learn about 180 species found in the state, organized by leaf type and attachment. Just look at a tree's leaves, then go to the correct section to learn what it is. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. Book Features 180 species: Every native tree plus common non-natives Easy to use: Thumb tabs show leaf type and attachment Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan's Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images This new edition includes updated photographs; expanded information; a Quick Compare section for leaves, needles, and silhouettes; and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab Trees of Texas Field Guide for your next outing-to help ensure that you positively identify the trees that you see.

Learn to identify Arizona trees with this handy field guide, organized by leaf type and attachment. With this famous field guide by award-winning author and naturalist Stan Tekiela, you can make tree identification simple, informative, and productive. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of trees that don't grow in Arizona. Learn about 135 species found in the state, organized by leaf type and attachment. Just look at a tree's leaves, then go to the correct section to learn what it is. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. Book Features 135 species: Every native tree plus common non-natives Easy to use: Thumb tabs show leaf type and attachment Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan's Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images This new edition includes updated photographs; expanded information; a Quick Compare section for leaves, needles, and silhouettes; and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab Trees of Arizona Field Guide for your next outing-to help ensure that you positively identify the trees that you see.

With 523 species of native, introduced, and adventive grasses, Texas has by far the most diverse grass flora of any of the fifty states. Gould's full and systematic treatment of Texas grasses is the definitive guide to this vast and complex subject. Over the past few decades, research in grass anatomy, cytology, reproduction, distribution, and ecological relationships, together with better international communication among the grassland-oriented nations, has brought many changes in the accepted names of U.S. grass species. Dr. Gould's classification of Texas grasses reflects both modern advances in the understanding of phylogenetic relationships and the current decline of provincialism in the selection of grass names. Presented here are keys to and botanical descriptions of all grasses in Texas that grow regularly or occasionally out of cultivation. Supplementing the botanical descriptions are 328 line drawings, including a map of Texas' ten vegetational areas, and three photographs. Also included are a listing of the subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species of Texas grasses, an introductory review of the parts of the grass plant, a glossary of botanical terms, a listing of references cited, and an index to both scientific and common plant names. The book is intended to serve both the professional botanist and researcher and the rancher or naturalist with little or no special training in plant classification.

This elegant and easy-to-use guide is an updated and amended revision of Lauren Brown's seminal Grasses: An Identification Guide, which was first published in 1979. While maintaining the spirit and goals of the original edition-a portable, straightforward, and user-friendly guide for naturalists and plant enthusiasts-the new edition features more than one hundred grasses, sedges, and rushes that are presented with line drawings and color photographs, concise descriptions, and details on the uses of various plants throughout history. In addition, the authors are careful to highlight the subtle differences in similar species to avoid confusion, as well as offering relevant notes on plant survival strategies, invasiveness, and how different plants fit within the broader ecological landscape. Devoid of technical jargon, this volume is an indispensable tool for those curious about the often-overlooked grasses, sedges, and rushes that surround us.

Can you tell which plants are safe to eat? Which trees are best to shelter under a storm? How do you tell a deciduous and coniferous tree apart? In his charming new book, bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben takes you on a journey of discovery. From learning what creatures lurk beneath tree roots to finding your way around the woods without a compass, this is a captivating guide to navigating the wonders of the wild.

Reverence takes on a new meaning in this original memoir of an avid gardener walking the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago has been a journey for pilgrims for more than 1,000 years, testing-to varying degrees-their spirit, faith, and physical endurance. Lyndon Penner's attention lies elsewhere. A renowned gardener and lover of literature, he revels in the plants, trees, and flowers that tell the history of the people and ecology of northern Spain. Brimming with wry observations-of nature, himself, and other pilgrims on the road- The Way of the Gardener reveals the beauty and the darkness of the human condition while underscoring the deeply fascinating nature of nature itself. This textured work makes for perfect armchair-or garden-reading.

Rosemary is for remembrance; sage is for wisdom. The symbolism of plants - whether in the ancient Greek doctrine of signatures or the Victorian secret language of flowers - has fascinated us for centuries. Contemporary herbalist Maia Toll adds her distinctive spin to this tradition with profiles of the mysterious personalities of 36 herbs, fruits, and flowers. Combining a passion for plants with imagery reminiscent of tarot, enticing text offers reflections and rituals to tap into each plant's power for healing, self-reflection, and everyday guidance. Smaller versions of the illustrations are featured on 36 cards to help guide your thoughts and meditations.

This tabbed booklet focuses on Texas wildflowers, with detailed photographs—organized by color—to help you easily identify the wildflowers you see. At the cabin, in the park, or on a hike, keep this tabbed booklet close at hand. Created by noted botanist and travel writer George Oxford Miller, the booklet features only wildflowers of Texas. When you see a wildflower in nature, open the corresponding colored tab and view photographs of just a few wildflowers at a time. The easy-to-use format and detailed photographs, with key markings of more than 150 species, help to ensure positive ID for even casual observers. The pocket-sized format is much easier to use than laminated foldouts, and the tear-resistant pages help to make the book durable in the field. Book Features: Pocket-size format—easier than laminated foldouts Professional photos of flowers in bloom Similar colors grouped together to ensure that you quickly find what you’re looking for Leaf icons for comparison and identification Easy-to-use information for even casual observers As part of the Adventure Quick Guides series, Wildflowers of Texas is portable and durable. Designed for ease of use, every page in the spiral-bound guide features several full-color, professional-quality images, as well as short blurbs of text that provide the basic details needed for positive identification. Adventure Quick Guides are pocket-sized, so they are convenient to bring along on camping trips and other outings.