![]() |
![]() |
Your cart is empty |
||
Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Plant life: general
'This is a treasure ... Such a celebration of the wheel of the year' JACKIE MORRIS, CILIP Kate Greenaway winner of The Lost Words on The Hare and the MoonCatherine Hyde follows the journey of the bee and the sun in a calendar of glorious full colour paintings that celebrate the sensory delights of herbs and spices, seasoned with bee and plant lore. From the rising and setting of the Pleiades, from sunrise to sunset, the bee and the sun work in harmony, a miracle of nature, growth and new life. Beneath the shifting constellations, equinoxes and solstice markers, as the bee progresses from plant to flower, acclaimed artist Catherine Hyde pays tribute to the magic and mystery of nature. Snippets of ancient bee beliefs and plant folklore are complemented by paintings of ginger, cardamon, marjoram, vanilla, nutmeg, basil, juniper, lavender and many more delights. A book to treasure, and an ode to the wonder of nature.
Share the wonder of the natural world with family and friends using these stunning illustrated notecards from How to Be a Wildflower author and illustrator Katie Daisy.
"Beautiful, useful, inspirational" BBC Wildlife Book of the Month "A delight on every page" Evening Standard In 1664, the horticulturist and diarist John Evelyn wrote Sylva, the first comprehensive study of British trees. It was also the world's earliest forestry book, and the first book ever published by the Royal Society. Evelyn's elegant prose has a lot to tell us today, but the world has changed dramatically since his day. Now authors Gabriel Hemery and Sarah Simblet, taking inspiration from the original work, have masterfully created a contemporary version - The New Sylva. The result is a fabulous resource that describes all of the most important species of tree that populate our landscape. Silvologist Gabriel Hemery explains what trees really mean to us culturally, environmentally and economically in the first part of the book. These chapters are followed by forty-four detailed tree portrait sections that describe the history and the features of trees such as oak, elm, beech, hornbeam, willow, fir, pine, juniper, plane, apple and pear. The pages of The New Sylva are brought to life with truly breathtaking artwork from artist and co-author Sarah Simblet, who captures the delicacy, strength and beauty of the trees through the seasons in 200 exquisite drawings. With an interplay of black and red type on creamy paper, The New Sylva recalls all the charm of traditional bookmaking. And at a moment when it is vitally important for us to rediscover how to treasure our trees, the time for this visionary, beautiful book is now. This edition comes with illustrated endpapers and a ribbon marker.
Learn to identify backyard weeds! Hundreds of full-color photos with easy-to-understand text make this a great visual guide to learning about nearly 60 species of common weeds--toxic, edible or otherwise interesting--found in the Upper Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The species (from Dandelion to Purslane) are organized by type, so you can identify them by their visual characteristics. Plus, learn about how each weed spreads, how to control it and its possible beneficial uses. The information, presented by expert forager Teresa Marrone, is accessible to beginners but useful for even experienced wild plants enthusiasts.
Gardeners are inherently curious. They make note of a plant label in a botanical garden and then go home to learn more. They pick up fallen blossoms to examine them closer. They spend hours reading plant catalogues. But they are often unable to accurately name or describe their discoveries. A Botanist's Vocabulary gives gardeners and naturalists a better understanding of what they see and a way to categorize and organize the natural world in which they are so intimately involved. Through concise definitions and detailed black and white illustrations, it defines 1300 words commonly used by botanists, naturalists, and gardeners to describe plants. The terms include simple concepts like petal and sepal, some that apply only to a particular group of plants or to entire ecosystems, and others that are only visible under a microscope. The simple and accessible language and highly detailed black and white illustrations make this the perfect guide for anyone looking for a deeper appreciation of the wonderful world of plants.
Enhance and enrich your spiritual journey with the power of herbs. Herbs have been essential to spiritual beliefs and practices throughout time and history. From Christian Scripture to Hindu observances, Jewish ritual to early Islamic literature, Native American traditions to Buddhist symbolism, plants are seen as a blessing from God and a way to remain in harmony with Spirit. In this fun, informative and engaging guide, you will be delighted by the history of the religious and spiritual use of herbs in many faith traditions and inspired by creative ideas on how to use herbs for spiritual growth. Unique and soul-strengthening activities can teach you how to: Create herbal art inspired by your faith Craft herbal wreaths, pillows and soaps from herbs selected for their spiritual qualities Prepare herbal teas, infused oils, meals and condiments with herbs chosen for their ability to nurture, strengthen and heal Make candles infused with herbs that promote balance and centering Nourish the soul with herbal sachets and potpourri Use incense and smudge sticks to imbue clarity and purity Design a simple herb garden of plants chosen from among different spiritual traditions Construct spaces in which to use herbs for reflection and meditation
Learn how to de-stress, relax and connect with the wildness you can find on your doorstep even in urban and suburban settings Increasing workload, nervous tension, trouble sleeping? Wondering whether there is more to life? You're not having a mid-life crisis. Like so many others, you are feeling the call of the wild. Today's urban living makes it easy for us to feel divorced from nature. This practical book is filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs that will get you out and about whatever the weather. Featuring a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful projects, all with nature at their heart, you'll be surprised how much wildness you can find on your doorstep when you know where to look. Organised by month, Urban Wild's simple, seasonal, step-by-step activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you increase your potential for health and wellbeing and take your first steps on a journey of discovery towards a lifelong connection with the natural world.
The state flower, the Indian Paintbrush, is one of thousands of species of plants growing in the diverse ecosystems found throughout the state. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers and also includes an ecoregion map featuring prominent botanical sanctuaries. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.
A passionate and informative celebration of trees and of man's ingenuity in exploiting their resources: the perfect gift for anyone who cares about the natural world. Trees are marvels of nature, still-standing giants of extraordinary longevity. In a beautifully written sequence of essays, anecdotes and profiles of Britain's best-loved species (from yew to scots pine), Max Adams explores both the amazing biology of trees and humanity's relationship with wood and forest across the centuries. Embellished with images from John Evelyn's classic Sylva (1664), The Wisdom of Trees a gift book that will delight anyone who cares about the natural world and our interaction with it.
This practical pocket guide is packed with information on 200 species of fungi found in Britain and the near Continent. There's an incredible variety that exists within the world of fungi, from the better-known groups such as the boletes and russulas, to more esoteric and often strangely shaped types like bracket fungi, clubs, corals, puffballs, stinkhorns and elfcups. Each species account in this guide contains accurate artworks that show details such as fungi shape and other aspects of appearance that change during their lives. A concise written account further outlines size, description, habitat and the season in which each fungus may be found. The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick and precise identification, making this book an indispensable reference in the field as well as at home. It is compact enough to fit in the pocket, yet packed with essential information for nature enthusiasts.
Stop and smell the roses with this delightful flower spotter guide. Know your geraniums from your pansies! This beautiful flower identification book features over 150 British and European flower species along with a simple, visual approach to help you tell them apart with absolute ease. With its compact, portable format, this nature book is designed for ease of use anywhere - ideal for nature lovers everywhere. Here's what's inside: - Similar flower species are shown together for quick comparison and identification - Fully-illustrated introductions explain the basics of flower identification - what to look for and how to tell the difference between similar wildflower species or specimens - Overview pages on main features give readers more detailed information on how to make an accurate identification - The at-a-glance finder at the back shows thumbnails of the species grouped in an intuitive way for ease of reference Call all flower enthusiasts! Are you interested in identifying the wildflowers you encounter on your walks along the coast or in the mountains, woodlands or fields? Look no further than What's That Flower? Detailed text, beautiful photographs and stunning illustrations show different parts of the flower - from the stem to the petals. Flower type overviews show you what to look for where and similar flowers are shown side by side for quick comparison and identification. It's the perfect flower encyclopedia for beginners but also a handy reference guide for the more seasoned flower lovers.
History, literature, and botany meet in this delightful tour of how humans have relied on plants to nourish, shelter, heal, clothe, and even entertain us. Did you know that During World War II, the US Navy paid kids to collect milkweed's fluffy white floss, which was then used as filling for life preservers? And Native Americans in the deserts of the Southwest traditionally crafted tattoo needles from prickly pear cactus spines. These are just two of the dozens of tidbits that Tammi Hartung highlights in the tales of 45 native North American flowers, herbs, and trees that have rescued and delighted us for centuries.
Nature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one's own backyard over the course of a year. In weekly letters, Angela Douglas shares the joys and curiosities of a decidedly ordinary patch of green in upstate New York cultivated through the art of "strategic neglect"-sometimes taking a hand to manage wildlife, more often letting nature go its own way. From the first flowers of spring to cardinals singing in the winter, Douglas shows us the magic of welcoming unexpected plant and animal life into one's backyard. A paean to the richness we find when we stop to look and let be, Nature on the Doorstep celebrates the role humble backyards play both in conservation efforts and in an expanded appreciation of the living world.
An inspirational and beautifully illustrated book that tells the stories of 80 plants from around the globe. In his follow-up to the bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori takes another trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of plants by revealing how their worlds are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. From the seemingly familiar tomato and dandelion to the eerie mandrake and Spanish 'moss' of Louisiana, each of these stories is full of surprises. Some have a troubling past, while others have ignited human creativity or enabled whole civilizations to flourish. With a colourful cast of characters all brought to life by illustrator Lucille Clerc, this is a botanical journey of beauty and brilliance. 'A beautiful celebration of the plants and flowers that surround us and a quiet call to arms for change' The Herald 'This charming and beautifully illustrated book takes readers on a voyage of discovery, exploring the many ingenious and surprising uses for plants in modern science and throughout history' Kew Magazine 'With beautiful illustrations from Lucille Clerc, this captivating book traverses the globe via plants: nettles in England, mangoes in India and tulips in the Netherlands' Daily Mail
The state flower, the ancient bristlecone pine, is one of thousands of species of plants growing in the diverse ecosystems found throughout Nevada. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 140 familiar and unique species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers and also includes an ecoregion map featuring prominent botanical sanctuaries. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by visitors and residents alike. Made in the USA.
A book of Baobabs contains: a selection of stories handed down through the ages by the peoples living near trees in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Australia; fascinating botanical and biological facts about the baobab; instructions for growing one's own baobab (if the size and location of one's garden is suitable ).
The ancient trees of the British Isles form a distinct and fascinating group. In this little book their form and character are carefully described by Welsh border woodsman Andy Thompson. With rare early engravings of seeds and branches, leaf shapes, typical tree outlines and common timber uses, printed on the highest quality recycled papers, this is an unusual, useful and beautiful book. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.
Orchids, the epitome of floral beauty, have long inspired poetry, adventure, art and scientific discovery. In Orchid Muse, historian and home orchid grower Erica Hannickel brings together fascinating tales of the orchid-smitten throughout history, along with tips on growing the exotic blooms at the centre of each account. Consider, for instance, Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria, the two most powerful women in nineteenth-century Europe, who shared a passion for Coelogyne cristata. John Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Raymond Burr, the actor famed for playing Perry Mason, cultivated thousands of orchids, introducing captivating new and unusual species. Transporting the reader from hazardous Amazonian journeys to a seedy dime museum in Gilded Age New York's Tenderloin, from the glories of the palace gardens of Chinese Empress Cixi to the island of Bourbon, where the vanilla orchid thrives, Orchid Muse spans the world, exploring our enduring fascination with these exquisite flowers.
'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.
Have you ever sat and watched a plant? The very idea itself might seem strange. We like to watch things that move, that do something. But in fact, plants are doing a great deal too - plants behave, as animals do - they are just doing it on a very different timescale. They cannot move about freely like animals do, so they grow into space instead and make new chemicals to interact with the species around them. Not only that, but what causes them to do these things, what drives this behaviour, is far more similar than we humans, with our speedy, animal-centric perceptions, have always assumed. If we learn to look differently, we might be amazed at what we find. We are dismantling the traditional hierarchies of nature: we are becoming increasingly aware of the interior lives of other species and how much we share with them. We are also coming to understand that there are many more ways to be intelligent than we have previously believed. We can't see ourselves as the only, privileged intelligent life on Earth any more. And if we are to save the global biome, we must not. PLANTA SAPIENS opens up the plant kingdom like never before and will transform how you view other forms of life, to see plants as allies in tackling global problems rather than as mere resources; as teachers from whom we can learn about our own minds.
A unique and useful reference guide to some of the more common and best color-producing dye mushrooms of North America. The book includes step-by-step instructions to the process from collecting the mushrooms to dyeing the wool. There is an accurate and up-to-date description for each species along with over 200 color photographs. The scope of this work goes beyond the identification of species. The authors provide information about dyeing equipment, mordants, preparing and dyeing the wool, and the dazzling array of colors that can be obtained from mushroom.
Set off on a spellbinding expedition into the deep, dark woods... Page after page of this book is packed with vintage drawings that portray the enchanting beauty of a wild, ancient wood. Journey down snaking pathways, beneath towering trees, and amongst glorious plants and wildlife to uncover the odd magical surprise. Get creative! Adorn your personal items with more than 1,000 images of forest life, including intriguing toadstools, elegant trees, and even fantastical elves and more. Create gorgeous artwork and stationery, or simply enjoy this book as an exquisite keepsake.
Plants in Design emerged from Brad E. Davis's and David Nichols's love for plants and well-designed landscapes and a previous frustration with landscape design guidebooks. While most landscape and garden design resources focus either on design principles or on plant materials, the unique strategy of Plants in Design provides a palette of options organized by mature size and scale, covering many genres of plants from grasses to herbaceous perennials, woody shrubs and trees, and even annuals and interior plants-all of which are necessary for consideration when composing a well-designed landscape. Plants in Design combines two fundamental components of landscape and garden design: (1) principles and uses of plant material (e.g., color, line, texture), and (2) resource information for analyzing and selecting a broad range of plant materials, from annuals and ground covers to shrubs and trees, for southern landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9). Introductory chapters discuss plants and their uses in creating outdoor landscapes in settings ranging from small-scale applications (e.g., courtyards, walkways) to medium- and large-scale projects (e.g., streetscapes, parks). Richly illustrated with approximately 1,750 color photographs, Plants in Design depicts plant shape, form, characteristics, and landscape use, both to aid identification and to envision how individual plants might appear in a composition. The authors promote the use of native species to benefit native wildlife and point out the dangers of many nonnative plants widely used in the past and now threatening natural ecosystems. Featuring five hundred southern landscape plants organized into fifteen categories, ranging from large trees to ferns and flowering annuals, plant accounts include scientific and common names, hardiness zones, flowers and fruit, growing conditions, and pests and diseases. The guide also includes drawings, a hardiness zone map, glossary, bibliography, index, and design-use tables for quick reference. |
![]() ![]() You may like...
Rare Americana Relating to the American…
Wilberforce 1855-1937 Eames
Hardcover
R833
Discovery Miles 8 330
|