Designed to aid in the identification of over 4250 cultivated trees, shrubs and climbers of the world, this reference guide provides easy-to-access photographic information on a vast range of plants. The guide briefly descibes each genus, providing details of the country of origin, climatic preference, planting use and propogation method. Photographs of relevant species for that genus are shown along with a brief text giving their common name or names and typical characteristics and growth habits. All the plants are listed in alphabetical order by genus.

The Green Thread: Dialogues with the Vegetal World is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in the emerging field of Plant Studies. The volume is the first of its kind to bring together a dynamic body of scholarship that shares a critique of long-standing human perceptions of plants as lacking autonomy, agency, consciousness, and, intelligence. The leading metaphor of the book-"the green thread", echoing poet Dylan Thomas' phrase "the green fuse"-carries multiple meanings. On a more apparent level, "the green thread" is what weaves together the diverse approaches of this collection: an interest in the vegetal that goes beyond single disciplines and specialist discourses, and one that not only encourages but necessitates interdisciplinary and even interspecies dialogue. On another level, "the green thread" links creative and historical productions to the materiality of the vegetal-a reality reflecting our symbiosis with oxygen-producing beings. In short, The Green Thread refers to the conversations about plants that transcend strict disciplinary boundaries as well as to the possibility of dialogue with plants.

Farmers once knew how to make a living fence and fed their flocks on tree-branch hay. Rural people knew how to prune hazel to foster abundance: both of edible nuts and of straight, strong, flexible rods for bridges, walls and baskets. Townspeople cut beeches to make charcoal to fuel ironworks. Shipwrights shaped oaks to make hulls. In order tp prosper communities cut their trees so they would sprout again. Pruning the trees didn't destroy them. Rather, it created healthy, sustainable and diverse woodlands. From these woods came the poetic landscapes of Shakespeare's England and of ancient Japan. The trees lived longer. William Bryant Logan travels from the English fens to Spain, California and Japan to rediscover and celebrate what was once a common and practical ecology-finding hope that humans may again learn what the persistence and generosity of trees can teach.

Cheerful and warm, this Cactus Notecard Set by favourite illustrator Maria Carluccio is right on trend with your other favourite stationery/home fashion designs. Our notecards are blank inside and are the perfect way to drop a note to a loved one or friend to say thank you or just a simple hello. 10 notecards - blank inside - in 1 lovely hand-painted image Foil accents 10 classic white envelopes Packaged in an easy portable clear acetate box Card measures 127 x 101 mm Box measures 131 x 109 x 15 mm We choose the best images from well-known classic and contemporary fine artists, plus talented emerging illustrators and designers from around the globe. Maria Carluccio has received multiple awards for her work from the New York Society of Illustrators and 3x3 magazine. Her artwork can be seen on children's books, gift products, wall decor, and fabric.

The definitive, fully-illustrated guide to the trees of Britain and non-Mediterranean Europe. This brand-new field guide to the trees of northern Europe contains some of the finest original tree illustrations ever produced. The introduction contains illustrations of the main leaves, buds, and firs you are likely to find, and these provide the starting point for identification by leading you to a 'key' species. Within each tree family there is a list of key species and a guide to the most important features to look for when identifying a particular tree from that family. Then individual species are clearly described and a detailed illustration is given on the same page. Covering all the tree species found outside the major arboretums, from the olive tree to the eucalyptus, this is one of the most important tree guides to have appeared in the last 20 years. The illustrations are annotated with essential identification features, and the text highlights the most important things to look for to aid fast and accurate identification. There is also coverage of all the species native to Southern Europe.

The word 'aliens' can be used in many ways, to invoke fear, dislike and fascination. For biologists it is used to indicate organisms that have been introduced by people to new territories. In the British Isles alien plants are common, conspicuous, pestiferous, beautiful, edible - and can be both useful and harmful. Over the last fifty years, the study of alien plants has progressed from an eccentric hobby, enabling amateur botanists to increase the total of wild plants that they could record, to the full-blown sciences of invasion ecology and alien genetics. Alien species no longer present an optional extra, but must be accepted as an integral part of mainstream botanical investigation. The amount and breadth of data that has been accumulated on alien plants in the British Isles is exceptional. The subject has become familiar both to naturalists and the general public, due to such diverse topics as damage to the environment by Japanese Knotweed and New Zealand Pigmyweed, the attraction of bees and butterflies to cities by such plants as Buddleja, the court cases involving Leylandii hedges, the threats to the purity of our native Bluebell by the mass planting of its Spanish relative, and the cultivation of new sorts of Christmas tree. In this important addition to the New Naturalist series, Stace and Crawley provide a comprehensive overview of the many plants that have become an integral part of the British wild flora and a unique insight into why alien plants are so important.

Another volume in the popular New Naturalist series, this book covers all aspects of the plant life of Britain and Ireland.

Gardening can be frustratingly shrouded in secrecy. Fickle plants make seemingly spontaneous decisions to bloom or bust, seeds sprout magically in the blink of an eye, and deep-rooted mysteries unfold underground and out of sight. Understanding basic botany is like unlocking a horticultural code; fortunately learning a little science can reveal the secrets of the botanical universe and shed some light on what's really going on in your garden.
"Practical Botany for Gardeners" provides an elegant and accessible introduction to the world of botany. It presents the essentials that every gardener needs to know, connecting explanations of scientific facts with useful gardening tips. Flip to the roots section and you'll not only learn how different types of roots support a plant but also find that adding fungi to soil aids growth. The pruning section both defines "lateral buds" and explains how far back on a shoot to cut in order to propagate them.
The book breaks down key areas and terminology with easy-to-navigate chapters arranged by theme, such as plant types, plant parts, inner workings, and external factors. "Great Botanists" and "Botany in Action" boxes delve deeper into the fascinating byways of plant science. This multifaceted book also includes two hundred botanical illustrations and basic diagrams that hearken to the classic roots of botany.
Part handbook, part reference, "Practical Botany for Gardeners" is a beautifully captivating read. It's a must for garden lovers and backyard botanists who want to grow and nurture their own plant knowledge.

'An important book and a pleasure to read.' - Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path 'You will never look at a tree in the same way again after reading this mesmerising book. Gooley drops learning as lightly as blossom falls in spring.' - John Lewis-Stempel 'Tristan Gooley has done trees the greatest service.' - Isabella Tree 'It was a lightbulb moment! I thought I knew my local woods - I walk there almost every day. But it's a thrill to see it through fresh eyes, to develop a much deeper understanding.' - Peter Gibbs, Chair of BBC Gardeners' Question Time 'Wherever you are - city or wilderness - if you want to understand the secrets of trees you pass, this is the book to read...Tristan has the rare gift of explaining the most complex ideas with humour and deep insight.' - Peter Thomas, Emeritus Reader in Plant Ecology at Keele University, author of Trees Do two trees ever appear identical? No, but why? Every small difference is a clue. Each tree we meet is filled with signs that reveal secrets about the life of that tree and the landscape we stand in. The clues are easy to spot when you know what to look for, but remain invisible to most people. In How to Read a Tree, you'll discover the simple principles that explain the shapes and patterns you can see in trees and what they mean. And you'll learn rare skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in a town or a wilder spot. As the author of the international bestsellers The Walker's Guide and How to Read Water, Tristan Gooley knows how to uncover the phenomena worth looking for. He has been instructing people in the art of reading trees for two decades and this book includes signs that will not be found in any other book in the world. Once you have learned to see these things it is impossible to unsee them. We will never look at a tree the same way again.

The nineteenth-century roots of environmental writing in American literature are often mentioned in passing and sometimes studied piece by piece. Scribes of Nature: Writing the Environment in Nineteenth-Century American Literature brings together numerous explorations of environmentally-aware writing across the genres of nineteenth-century literature. Like Lawrence Buell, the authors of this collection find Thoreau's writing a touchstone of nineteenth-century environmental writing, particularly focusing on Thoreau's claim that humans may function as "scribes of nature." However, these studies of Thoreau's antecedents, contemporaries, and successors also reveal a range of other writers in the nineteenth century whose literary treatments of nature are often more environmentally attuned than most readers have noticed. The writers whose works are studied in this collection include canonical and forgotten writers, men and women, early nineteenth-century and late nineteenth-century authors, pioneers and conservationists. They drew attention to the conflicted relationships between humans and the American continent, as experienced by Native Americans and European Americans. Taken together, these essays offer a fresh perspective on the roots of environmental literature in nineteenth-century American nonfiction, fiction, and poetry as well as in multi-genre compositions such as the travel writings of Margaret Fuller. Bringing largely forgotten voices such as John Godman alongside canonical voices such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson, the authors whose writings are studied in this collection produced a diverse tapestry of nascent American environmental writing in the nineteenth-century. From early nineteenth-century writers such as poet Philip Freneau and novelist Charles Brockden Brown to later nineteenth-century conservationists such as John James Audubon and John Muir, Scribes of Nature shows the development of an environmental consciousness and a growing conservationist ethos in American literature. Given their often surprisingly healthy respect for the natural environment, these nineteenth-century writers offer us much to consider in an age of environmental crisis. The complexities of the supposed nature/culture divide still work into our lives today as economic and environmental issues are often seen at loggerheads when they ought to be seen as part of the same conversation of what it means to live healthy lives, and to pass on a healthy world to those who follow us in a world where human activity is becoming increasingly threatening to the health of our planet.

_________________ 'BRITAIN'S FINEST LIVING NATURE WRITER' - THE TIMES WINNER OF THE THWAITES WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2015 What really goes on in the long grass? Meadowland gives an unique and intimate account of an English meadow's life from January to December, together with its biography. In exquisite prose, John Lewis-Stempel records the passage of the seasons from cowslips in spring to the hay-cutting of summer and grazing in autumn, and includes the biographies of the animals that inhabit the grass and the soil beneath: the badger clan, the fox family, the rabbit warren,the skylark brood and the curlew pair, among others. Their births, lives, and deaths are stories that thread through the book from first page to last.

Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile is a volume of high-quality botanical art depicting the rich diversity and beauty of Chile’s unique forested areas where for the last 25 years the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has engaged in collaborative research and conservation initiatives. Featuring 81 unique watercolour paintings painstakingly and accurately record the minutest of details to bring alive the beautiful plant life of a fascinating part of the world.

'My favourite book of the year' - Kate Humble, Radio Times 'This is a book for literary connoisseurs, fact-lovers and environmentalists. In short, it is a book about trees and people, for everyone.' - BBC Countryfile 'Eclectic, brilliant and beautifully written, David Haskell reboots our aromatic memory reminding us of how our lives are intertwined with the wonder of trees. A treat not to be sneezed at.' - Sir Peter Crane, FRS 'Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree is a transportive olfactory journey through the forest that sets the sense tingling. Every chapter summons a new aroma: leaf litter and woodsmoke, pine resin and tannin, quinine and bay leaf - life in all its glorious complexity. David George Haskell is a knowledgeable, witty and erudite companion, who takes us by the hand and leads us through the world, reminding us to breathe it all in. This book is a breath of fresh air.' - Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree takes you on a journey to connect with trees through the sense most aligned to our emotions and memories. Thirteen essays are included that explore the evocative scents of trees, from the smell of a book just printed as you first open its pages, to the calming scent of Linden blossom, to the ingredients of a particularly good gin & tonic: In your hand: a highball glass, beaded with cool moisture. In your nose: the aromatic embodiment of globalized trade. The spikey, herbal odour of European juniper berries. A tang of lime juice from a tree descended from wild progenitors in the foothills of the Himalayas. Bitter quinine, from the bark of the South American cinchona tree, spritzed into your nostrils by the pop of sparkling tonic water. Take a sip, feel the aroma and taste three continents converge. Each essay also contains a practice the reader is invited to experience. For example, taking a tree inventory of your own home, appreciating just how many things around us came from trees. And if you've ever hugged a tree when no one was looking, try breathing in the scents of different trees that live near you, the smell of pine after the rain, the refreshing, mind-clearing scent of a eucalyptus leaf crushed in your hand. Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree also contains everyday practices the reader is invited to experience. For example, taking a tree inventory of your own home, appreciating just how many things around us came from trees. And if you've ever hugged a tree when no one was looking, try breathing in the scents of different trees that live near you, the smell of pine after the rain, the refreshing, mind-clearing scent of a eucalyptus leaf crushed in your hand.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

'Flora' contains 20 essays on the history of key plant families, including cacti, daffodils, iris, magnolia, poppies, roses, tulips and waterlilies. It explains how plants have adopted remarkable behaviours for survival in a variety of harsh habitats and also tells the remarkable stories of the adventurous botanist explorers who braved disease, slave traders, wars, jungles and other dangers to collect plants now commonly grown in our own gardens. 'Flora' is graced with hundreds of stunning colour illustrations selectedfrom the vast collection of original botanical paintings held at the Natural History Museum, London.

First published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

“Unlike the standard nature guides that explain how to recognize common animals, Nature stresses the web of interrelationships that link the regional flora and fauna. This affectionate examination of some of North America’s most spectacular surviving old-growth forests will delight backpackers and armchair naturalists.� —Los Angeles Times Book Review Everything you ever wanted to know about the flora and fauna of Southeast Alaska is contained in the third edition of this lively field guide to the natural world, from bears to banana slugs, mountains to murrelets. The authors, who are both Alaskan residents and biologists, combine scientific research with personal experiences to make a definitive field guide for residents of or visitors to Southeast Alaska. The unique features of the book include: In-depth information about how wildlife coexists with the environment Detailed discussions of mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, fungi, and plants Detailed map of wilderness areas in Southeast Alaska More than 200 black-and-white illustrations A bibliography, list of common and scientific names, and an index New to this edition: More than 100 new illustrations, many never before published, as well as new maps and photos Major expansion of sections on geology, old-growth forests, marine mammals, and amphibians Fifty-two new sidebars—written in the first person to give the text a more personal touch­—that describe recent findings or experiences. Sweeping updates and elaborations to chapter narratives—often thanks to technology unknown in 1992. In-depth guide to Southeast Alaska’s flora and fauna; more than an identification manual, Nature explores how the species and habitats encountered in the woods and waters of Southeast Alaska fit into the bigger picture.

Die Suider-Afrikaanse subkontinent is besonder ryk aan inheemse boomspesies (sowat 2100) wat in grootte wissel van struikagtiges tot oeroue, hooggroeiende reuse. Baie van die boomspesies en die natuurlike omgewing waarin hulle voorkom, is al deeglik bestudeer en gedokumenteer in bele algemene beskikbare publikasies. Inligting oor hulle hour is egter beperk en nie maklik toeganklik vir die algemene publiek nie. Hierdie boek bevat inligting oor die hourkenmerke en houteienskappe van 140 Suider-Afrikaanse houtsoorte (134 inheemse en ses uitheemse spesies).

Inhabiting a whole kingdom of their own, fungi can be found in every ecosystem. They carpet the forest floor, and different types of fungi decompose matter, feed plants, and even change animals' behaviour.

Their beautiful mushrooms come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Fungal stories include the greening of the Earth, when fungi helped plants first grow on land, and the mass destruction of crops through fungal disease. From the villains of the upcoming bananageddon to plastic-eating eco-warriors, there are over 1.5 million known fungus species, and a huge, unknown number of unnamed "dark" types. Some are even found inside animals - helpful fungi break down food in animal guts, but others take over their hosts' bodies.

This book of fabulous fungi will intrigue and amaze young readers, and open their eyes to the fungi thriving all around them.

The grass family, known as Poaceae, is probably the most important plant family on earth. Grasses were the first food plants to be cultivated by man. Grass crops, such as maize, wheat, rice and sugarcane are still our most important food source to farm animals and the large herds of grazing animals in the wild. The identification of grasses becomes important during land management as the various grass species differ in their grazing value and other ecological functions. Furthermore, weedy grasses react differently to different herbicides and therefore need to be correctly identified. This title, Guide to grasses of southern Africa, is the most comprehensive colour identification guide to the common grasses of southern Africa and includes, among others, the following features: descriptions and illustrations of the 320 most important grasses in southern Africa, an easy-to-use grass identification key, more than 1 000 excellent photographs in full colour, thirteen short, fully illustrated introductory chapters with general information on grasses, common names of grasses in indigenous languages, icons that enable the reader to obtain certain information at a glance.

Featuring 60 superb color plates, this is an easy-to-use photographic identification guide to the 51 orchid species native to Britain and Ireland, including their various forms, and 9 species of uncertain provenance. The text includes key identification information, flowering and germination times, and differences between similar species and subspecies. Color distribution maps show where each species has been seen in the past 25 years, while the accompanying text indicates its current location. It is a comprehensive photographic guide to the orchids of Britain and Ireland, covering the 51 species recorded, including all the varieties and subspecies, as well as 9 species of uncertain or doubtful provenance. It contains 60 stunning color plates that show the whole plant and close-up views of flower spikes and individual florets. Each species account covers the identification of the plant, highlighting potentially confusing species. Where appropriate, details are given of the hybrids recorded and a summary of the taxonomic status. The species accounts also include information on habitat requirements, pollination, and conservation. Color distribution maps and a summary of the flowering period(s) accompany the text for each species. Additional illustrated sections cover orchid biology and ecology, protection, conservation, and hybrids. The innovative, easy-to-use format aims to help the orchid enthusiast, whether beginner or expert, to identify any species they encounter.

Forest Schools need not be just for children. Here is the ultimate guide for how adults can enjoy the benefits of outdoor learning too. Have you always wanted to know how to start a campfire, forage for (the right) fungi, or know how to tie a good knot? Or would you like to expand your horizons - and lower your stress levels - by building a dry stone wall, fashioning a bow and arrow, or beachcombing for shells? Forest schools for kids originated in Scandinavia as outdoor, play-based learning groups and, as the benefits of nature play became internationally recognised, quickly became established around the world. But why should kids have all the fun? Connecting with green spaces, trees and plants can lift our spirits, improve stress and relax our brains - in short, playing outside is good for everyone. Forest School for Grown Ups shows you can learn new skills and practise forgotten ones from finding your way in the woods to whittling utensils and carving sculptures; from trapping and smoking game to making and using a divining rod, from building a bird box, or insect house, to simply just climbing trees. Beautifully designed and illustrated, Forest School for Grown Ups provides the perfect resource for anyone wanting to enjoy spending quality time outdoors.

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.

A much-loved classic of nature writing from environmentalist and the author of Waterlog, Roger Deakin, Wildwood is an exploration of the element wood in nature, our culture and our lives. 'Breathtaking, vividly written . . . reading Wildwood is an elegiac experience' Sunday Times 'He writes nature as a blackbird sings, or a bird of prey rides thermals - effortlessly.' Reader Review ________________ From the walnut tree at his Suffolk home, he embarks upon a quest that takes him through Britain, across Europe, to Central Asia and Australia, in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with wood and trees. Meeting woodlanders of all kinds, he lives in shacks and cabins, travels in search of the wild apple groves of Kazakhstan, goes coppicing in Suffolk, swims beneath the walnut trees of the Haut-Languedoc, and hunts bush plums with Aboriginal women in the outback. Perfect for fans of Robert Macfarlane and Colin Tudge, Roger Deakin's unmatched exploration of our relationship with trees is autobiography, history, traveller's tale and incisive work in natural history. It will take you into the heart of the woods, where we go 'to grow, learn and change. ________________ 'Enthralling' Will Self, New Statesman 'Extraordinary . . . some of the finest naturalist writing for many years' Independent 'An excellent read - lyrical and literate and full of social and historical insights of all kinds' Colin Tudge, Financial Times 'Enchanting, very funny, every page carries a fascinating nugget. Should serve to make us appreciate more keenly all that we have here on earth . . . one of the greatest of all nature writers' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday