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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Plant life: general
"Cel grows her beautiful flowers with art and soul." -- Shane Connolly, floral designer and author Prepare the ground, sow seed, nurture, harvest and fill your home with beautiful flowers. Growing flowers can bring colour and life to the garden, and also give you an abundance of sustainable floral material to use at home. This handbook shows you how to plan a cutting garden, grow the perfect plants for the vase and nurture them so they thrive from season to season. Whether you have a few pots or a dedicated patch, you can grow beautiful blooms and learn how to cut, condition and arrange them for garden-gathered floral designs all year round, all without the carbon footprint of most shop-bought flowers! Cut Flowers includes a directory of flowers, bulbs and foliage to grow, plus pro advice on creating dreamy designs. This title is from the Bloom Gardener's Guide series, complete and comprehensive gardening handbooks. Bloom is an award-winning independent print magazine for gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers, and winner of the Garden Publication of the Year at the Garden Media Awards 2021. Other titles in this series include Shade and Pots.
This practical pocket guide includes 194 edible fruits, nuts and seeds,
flowers, greens and vegetables, herbs, roots, whole plants, fungi,
seaweeds and shellfish that you can forage in the UK and Europe.
There has never been a better time to plant a tree! From their invaluable role in fighting climate change and cleaning the air of our cities, to the huge mental health benefits being around their leafy presence can bring, trees are at the very centre of both our urban and rural ecosystems. Written by Ben Raskin, head of horticulture at the Soil Association, and supported by Friends of the Earth UK, this earthy call-to-action teaches the practical how-tos alongside the most interesting insights to appreciate about the significance of magnificent trees. As movements to rewild the world around us gain pace, tree planting is being recognised as an empowering, practical and surprisingly simple action that each and every one of us can do in our backyard, park, local community, school, town or city. Sections in this book include: Trees and the World - This sectioncelebrates just how vital trees are, from how they help regulate the climate and absorb dangerous methane and nitrous oxide, to how they enrich soil, support wildlife and keep our city air clean, as well as the threats they face from climate change. Growing Your Own Tree - Tips on growing saplings from seed, cuttings or grafting, plus guidance on care and maintenance, from weeding and mulching to when to prune and pollard. Forty Best Trees - A guide to the top40 of our favourite trees, appreciated for their fruit and nuts, their ornamental value and the role they play in supporting wildlife, including a neat introduction to how to recognise trees by their leaf shape, flowers, seeds and fruit. Trees and Happiness - Research has revealed that trees are effective at reducing stress levels and improving our mental well-being, and this section digs into exactly how this happens. Whether you're a keen gardener, an avid environmental activist or simply want to learn more about these beautiful and powerful organisms, this must-read book illustrated by popular screen-printerRosanna Morris sends the powerful message that we can plant a tree & retree the world!
Over the years, Japanese gardeners have fine-tuned a distinctive set of pruning techniques that coax out the essential characters of their garden trees, or niwaki. In this highly practical book, Western gardeners are encouraged to draw upon the techniques and sculpt their own garden trees to unique effect. After discussing the principles that underpin the techniques, the author offers in-depth guidelines for shaping pines, azaleas, conifers, broadleaved evergreens, bamboos, and deciduous trees. Complete with abundant photographs, personal anecdotes and a wealth of advice, this unprecedented resource will inspire gardeners everywhere to transform their own trees into niwaki.
'Kimmerer blends, with deep attentiveness and musicality, science and personal insights to tell the overlooked story of the planet's oldest plants' Guardian 'Bewitching ... a masterwork ... a glittering read in its entirety' Maria Popova, Brainpickings Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. In these interwoven essays, Robin Wall Kimmerer leads general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings. Kimmerer explains the biology of mosses clearly and artfully, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us. Drawing on her experiences as a scientist, a mother, and a Native American, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as within the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.
These natural history guides have been developed to encourage young people and anyone with a budding interest in natural history to learn about the wonders of southern Africa's fascinating fauna and flora. They are an invaluable resource for the beginner, providing information at a glance: each of the species presented is described in easy-to-read text, with a photograph and distribution map. A short introduction gives context to the topic.
Die eerste volledige streekgids oor die inheemse bome wat in die Magaliesberg voorkom.
This first volume of a two-volume definitive survey of aquatic and wetland plants of the southeastern United States focuses on native and naturalized monocotyledons in the following physiographic provinces: Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains; southern Appalachian highlands, flanked on the east by the Piedmont plateau and on the west by the Appalachian plateau; the interior lowlands; and the interior highlands. Robert K. Godfrey and Jean W. Wooten provide well-written, concise descriptions and keys for the identification of seven hundred species. The text for each species includes both a statement indicating the habitats in which the plant is usually found and information about its geographical distribution. Approximately four hundred drawings supplement the text and provide additional information for proper identification. The authors use nontechnical language whenever possible and include a glossary of technical terms. The first comprehensive survey of the aquatic and wetland monocotyledons of the Southeast, this book will prove invaluable for ecologists, botanists, and nonspecialists interested in the plant life and ecology of the region.
The Complete Language of Flowers is a comprehensive encyclopedia providing the meanings, powers, facts, and folklore for over 1,001 flower species. Along with a beautiful visual depiction, each entry provides the flower's scientific and common names, characteristics, and historic meanings and powers from mythology, medieval legends, folklore, and flower poetry. For centuries, symbolic flower meanings have fascinated readers, writers, poets, and suddenly smitten couples alike. Extremely popular during the Victorian era, these floriographies flourished and versed the public on the hidden meaning of popular flowers such as: Purple Tulip-Eternal love Amaryllis-Adventurousness; Enthusiasm; Passion Daisy-Beauty and innocence; Cheer; Childlike playfulness Sunflower-Ambition; Constancy; Devotion Together with stunning full-color illustrations and two indexes, one for searching by common flower name and the other organized by meaning, this beautiful reference is a must-have for gardeners, florists, and flower enthusiasts. Whether you're looking to arrange the perfectly bespoken wedding bouquet or to understand what the yellow rose you just received from an admirer means (friendship), this updated floriography is a visual delight. Elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated, the Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia series offers comprehensive, display-worthy references on a range of intriguing topics, including birthday astrology, dream interpretation, techniques for harnessing the power of dreams, and the stories behind signs and symbols.
An inspiring, aspirational and practical guide to building fires both indoors and out. 'A cracking book' Sainsbury's Magazine 'Follow these tips and your inner caveman will be proud' Sunday Times 'A brilliantly informative guide with stylish illustrations' Yorkshire Post 'Celebrates the heart-warming properties of the hearth' Simple Things Nothing beats the companionable crackle of an open fire. Fires invite us to sit and share stories or watch in contemplative silence. We feel drawn to the flickering flames, the gentle curls of aromatic smoke and reassuring radiant heat. Snuggled under a blanket, toasting crumpets and listening to the pleasing pops of burning wood - what better way to spend a winter's evening? Or, come the summer, few pleasures are richer than cooking food, perched around a campfire, waiting for the stars to come out. But for all this talk, how many of us know how to build a fire? Would we know which kinds of trees burn best? Could we make our own firelighters or build the perfect fire stack? The Little Book of Building Fires is a richly illustrated pocket guide to sourcing, seasoning and storing firewood, choosing kindling and tinder, and how to build and light the perfect fire. From campfires to woodburners, bonfires to open hearths, this book blends practicality with personal experience and will get you back in touch with your ancient firemaking instincts.
This wild flower identification guide was first published in 1981 and is still widely accepted as the best of its kind for its combination of meticulous illustrations and the use of keys to aid recognition. For this new edition the Latin names have been revised in accordance with the current classification system. It is now published as the ideal book for the serious student of British and north-west European wild plants, providing a bridge between picture identification guides and the non-illustrated academic floras.
Agricultural production is under threat from both indigenous and alien weeds and our entire ecosystem is now being seriously threatened by these alien, invasive species. Awareness of these weeds, the regulations involved and possible control measures are now critical factors. Things change in time, more weeds appear and the scope of this edition is extended up into more central Africa.
Flora of North America North of Mexico Volume 28 - Bryophyta, part 2 - includes treatments prepared by 44 authors covering 698 species in 206 genera classified in 48 families. Descriptions for all of the families, genera, and species are provided plus occurrence maps for species are included and 53% of the species are illustrated. Keys are included to aid in the identification of genera in families and species within the genera; an overall key to the 333 genera of mosses known from North America north of Mexico is also included. Volume 28 is the seventeenth volume to be published in the planned 30-volume Flora of North America North of Mexico series. With the publication of Volume 28, plus the earlier appearance of Volume 27 - Bryophyta, part 1 - in 2007, the treatment of mosses for the Flora area is complete. The currently known moss flora has 1402 species in 333 genera classified in 81 families. For the genera, 17 (5%) are endemic to the Flora area and 273 (19.5%) of the species are endemic with 36 (2.6%) of those considered to be of conservation concern.
A photographic guide to the most commonly used and best known South African plant medicines, including their botany, main traditional uses and active ingredients. This edition has been fully updated to incorporate the latest research findings. The title includes: detailed species descriptions of more than 150 medicinal plants and their close relatives, or other species used in a similar way. Each entry includes the following information: a description of the plant, the plant parts used, medicinal uses, preparation and dosage, active ingredients and pharmacological effects. In addition, each entry includes a distribution map and a diagram of the chemical structure of the main active ingredient. More than 500 excellent photographs of the plants, plant parts used and products. Introductory chapters on, among others, cultural aspects of healing, methods of collection and storage, methods of preparation and administration. A plant list according to ailments. A glossary, detailed index and comprehensive references for further reading. This title is a must for anyone with an interest or involvement in health care and botany.
'A wonderfully personal evocation of the joys, hard work and meaning of creating a wood for wildlife, written with sensitivity and care. A delightful read.' Stephen Moss, author of The Robin: A Biography Over twenty years ago, Ruth Pavey bought four acres of scrub woodland above the Somerset Levels and set out to improve the lush haven for birds, insects and all manner of wildlife. Beneath the shade of the trees she spent two decades planting, she now reflects on the fate of her wood. As steward, she has witnessed nature's forces shifting and the abundance of species dwindling rapidly. When the rabbits suddenly vanished, she knew it was time to take a closer look at the undergrowth and what she could do to preserve the legacy of the wood for generations to come. Deeper Into the Wood recounts a year in the life of an amateur naturalist working with wildlife experts to interpret the language of the land. Ruth's hand-drawn illustrations accompany her lyrical prose, which demonstrates an appreciation for the local people and their history. This is one woman's story of inspiration, conservation, and a love of place. ***PRAISE FOR DEEPER INTO THE WOOD*** 'A rare treat of a book that warms as it informs and leads us deep into the character of one small pocket of England. Ruth Pavey writes with wit, passion and precious little sentimentality.' Tristan Gooley, author of The Secret World of Weather 'Wonderful... how love for a small woodland and respect for its local history can enhance wildlife and enrich the human spirit.' Nick Davies, author of Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature 'Ruth Pavey spins a delicate web between the many branches of her little Somerset wood. Her closely observed changes of wildlife and the changing seasons, echo a growing awareness and concern for life on Earth itself. The author's growth and metamorphosis into an amateur naturalist who has learnt to read the language of trees is profoundly inspirational.' Gabriel Hemery, author of The New Sylva 'Inquisitive and generous. Pavey shares the love of her wood, past and present, through a fascinating weave of its natural and cultural histories. This book is as companionable as it is interesting. Patrick Baker, author of The Unremembered Places
'He writes so engagingly that it's hard to imagine that actual foraging can be more attractive than reading his accounts of it. ...[This book] is a treasure. It is beautifully produced, designed and illustrated.' - John Carey, The Sunday Times Shortlisted for the Andre Simon Food and Drink Book Awards for 2019 Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain, and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season. John Wright is the country's foremost expert in foraging and brings decades of experience, including as forager at the River Cottage, to this seasonal guide. Month by month, he shows us what species can be found and where, how to identify them, and how to store, use and cook them. You'll learn the stories behind the Latin names, the best way to tap a Birch tree, and how to fry an ant, make rosehip syrup and cook a hop omelette. Fully illustrated throughout, with tips on kit, conservation advice and what to avoid, this is an indispensable guide for everyone interested in wild food, whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or are happiest foraging from your armchair.
How the prized matsutake mushroom is remaking human communities in China-and providing new ways to understand human and more-than-human worlds What a Mushroom Lives For pushes today's mushroom renaissance in compelling new directions. For centuries, Western science has promoted a human- and animal-centric framework of what counts as action, agency, movement, and behavior. But, as Michael Hathaway shows, the world-making capacities of mushrooms radically challenge this orthodoxy by revealing the lively dynamism of all forms of life. The book tells the fascinating story of one particularly prized species, the matsutake, and the astonishing ways it is silently yet powerfully shaping worlds, from the Tibetan plateau to the mushrooms' final destination in Japan. Many Tibetan and Yi people have dedicated their lives to picking and selling this mushroom-a delicacy that drives a multibillion-dollar global trade network and that still grows only in the wild, despite scientists' intensive efforts to cultivate it in urban labs. But this is far from a simple story of humans exploiting a passive, edible commodity. Rather, the book reveals the complex, symbiotic ways that mushrooms, plants, humans, and other animals interact. It explores how the world looks to the mushrooms, as well as to the people who have grown rich harvesting them. A surprise-filled journey into science and human culture, this exciting and provocative book shows how fungi shape our planet and our lives in strange, diverse, and often unimaginable ways.
The Lake District is one of our busiest national parks. Many people believe that wildness is long gone from the fells, lakes, tarns and becks, yet, within its boundaries, Jim Crumley sets out to prove them wrong - to find "a new way of seeing and writing about this most seen and written about of landscapes". With a naturalist's eye and a poet's instinct he is drawn to Lakeland's turned-aside places where nature still thrives, from low-lying shores to a high mountain oakwood that's not even on the map. Through backwaters and backwoods, Crumley traces this captivating land's place in the evolution of global conservation and pleads the case for a far-reaching reappraisal of all of Lakeland's wildness.
The unrivalled beginner's guide to identifying the most common species of tree in northern Europe. This is the perfect pocket guide for anyone who wants to identify those deciduous or evergreen species they may come across on hill or in dale, in the town or in the countryside. For each tree included in the book, there is a wealth of both textual and visual identification information. Remarkably detailed illustrations show not only the overall shape of the tree but also details of leaf shape, flowers, fruits, and bark. There's also information on the origin of each species, its height, preferred habitat, and growing conditions. Illustrations of cones, catkins, nuts, and fruits allow you to distinguish between similar species at a glance. The introduction covers the life cycle of trees, the establishment of woodland, people's relationship with forests, and how to go about identifying trees, plus the all-important question--what exactly is a tree?
A captivating cultural and scientific history of orchards, for readers of Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire and Mark Kurlansky's Salt. Throughout history, orchards have nourished both body and soul: they are sites for worship and rest, inspiration for artists and writers, and places for people to gather. In Taming Fruit, award-winning writer Bernd Brunner interweaves evocative illustrations with masterful prose to show that the story of orchards is a story of how we have shaped nature to our desires for millennia. As Brunner tells it, the first orchards may have been oases dotted with date trees, where desert nomads stopped to rest. In the Amazon, Indigenous people maintained mosaic gardens centuries before colonization. Modern fruit cultivation developed over thousands of years in the East and the West. As populations expanded, fruit trees sprang from the lush gardens of the wealthy and monasteries to fields and roadsides, changing landscapes as they fed the hungry. But orchards don't just produce fruit; they also inspire great artists. Taming Fruit shares paintings, photographs, and illustrations alongside Brunner's enchanting descriptions and research, offering a multifaceted--and long-awaited-portrait of the orchard.
Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer is known as the 'father of Texas botany.' While he was not the first botanist to collect plants for scientific examination in Texas, his collections are credited with helping botanists around the world to understand the nature, extent, and significance of the diversity of plants in the state. In partnership with Asa Gray of Harvard University, Lindheimer spent eight years collecting Texas plants to distribute to a list of paying subscribers - including places like the British Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the Smithsonian Institution. Today, no fewer than 362 plant names are based, at least in part, on Lindheimer collections, and 65 plants have been named in his honor. Lindheimer was a founding settler of New Braunfels, raising his family on the banks of the Comal River while he continued to collect and ship plant specimens. He was 'elected' as the first editor of the Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung (still published today as the Herald-Zeitung), and served from 1852 to 1872. He wrote a number of articles for the Zeitung on topics ranging from plants, climate, and agriculture to Texas Indian affairs, optimism, and teaching schoolchildren. In the last year of Lindheimer's life, one of his students worked with him to collect an assortment of his essays and articles from the Zeitung. In 1879, the collection was published as AufsUEtze und Abhandlungen von Ferdinand Lindheimer im Texas (Essays and Articles of Ferdinand Lindheimer in Texas). John E. Williams now offers the first English translation of these essays, which provides valuable insight into the natural and cultural history of Texas.
Hedgerows, moors, meadows and woods - these hold a veritable feast for the forager. In this hugely informative and witty handbook, John Wright reveals how to spot the free and delicious pickings to be found in the British countryside, and how to prepare and cook them. First John touches on the basics for the hedgerow forager, with an introduction to conservation, safety, the law, and all the equipment that you may need. Next he guides you through the tasty edible species to be found. Each one is accompanied by photographs for identification, along with their conservation status, habitat, distribution, season, taste, texture and cooking methods - not forgetting, of course, some fascinating asides and diversions about their taxonomy and history. Fifty species are covered, including bilberries, blackberries, raspberries, common mallow, dandelions, hedge garlic, horseradish, pignuts, nettles, sloes, sweet chestnuts, water mint, bulrushes and wild cherries. After this there is a section describing the poisonous species to steer clear of, with identifying photographs as well as warnings about nasty 'lookalikes'. Finally, there are thirty delicious recipes to show how you can make the most of your (edible) findings.Introduced by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, "Hedgerow" is an indispensable household reference, and an essential book to have by your side for every trip into the countryside.
A richly illustrated guide to the wildflowers and other flora of coastal Britain, Ireland and Northwest Europe The rugged and beautiful coastal regions of Britain and Ireland are among the crowning glories of these islands. Few visitors can fail to marvel at the stunning sight of Cornwall's clifftops resplendent with flowering Thrift, or be struck by the resilience of plants that thrive on the inhospitable shingle beaches of Dungeness on the coast of Kent. This field guide covers more than 600 species of wildflowers and other coastal flora found in Britain and Ireland, and coastal mainland Northwest Europe. Detailed species accounts describe wildflowers, grasses, sedges and rushes that occur on the coast or in abundance within sight of the sea. Stunningly illustrated throughout, this comprehensive, user-friendly guide also covers trees and shrubs, a range of other groups from mosses and seaweeds, and more broadly, the natural history of coastal habitats. Covers more than 600 species of flowering plants Features over 1,500 spectacular colour photos Describes other groups such as ferns, mosses, liverworts, lichens, fungi and seaweeds Provides up-to-date colour distribution maps for Britain and Ireland |
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