An Orchard Odyssey is a gloriously illustrated resource for fruit-lovers everywhere. Packed with inspirational ideas and practical advice, it shows how orchard living can be incorporated into every lifestyle, no matter how busy or short of space you are. Covering fruit in the environment, orchard heritage, and the role of the trees in garden and landscape design, An Orchard Odyssey shows you how to plant and care for your trees. Full of inspiring facts and promoting the 'five trees' orchard principle, it redefines what an orchard is.

Greening the Victorian Urban WorldWhether we consider the great London Planes which are now the largest trees in many British urban streets, the exotic ornamentals from across the globe flourishing in numerous private gardens, the stately trees of public parks and squares or the dense colourful foliage of suburbia, the impact of trees and arboriculture upon modern towns and their ecosystems is clear. From the formal walks and squares of the Georgian town to Victorian tree-lined boulevards and commemorative oaks, trees are the organic statuary of modern urban society, providing continuity yet constantly changing through the day and over the seasons. Interfacing between humans and nature, connecting the continents and reaching back and forward through time to past and future generations, they have come to define urbanity while simultaneously evoking nature and the countryside. This book is the first major study of British urban arboriculture between 1800 and 1914 and draws upon fresh approaches in geographical, urban and environmental history.It makes a major contribution to our understanding of where, how and why trees grew in British towns in the period, the social and cultural impact of these and the attitudes taken towards them

While the act of pruning is simple enough, knowing where and when to prune can confound even experienced gardeners. For more than half a century, Robert Sanford Martin's "How to Prune Fruit Trees" has been the go-to guide for pruners of all levels of expertise. As one reviewer noted, "This book simplifies what other books complicate. It has a small amount of text paired with line drawings that help break pruning tasks down into something you can easily understand." Martin has judiciously pruned his words to make his advice as clear and simple as possible. His guidance in the art of cutting back and thinning out has been responsible for the preservation of countless healthy trees and orchards. Maximize your fruit production-whether you are growing apples, almonds, plums, pomegranates, or any of over 40 varieties of fruit trees discussed in this book-by making the right cut every time.

In this enhanced edition, additional information from H. H. Thomas's "Pruning Made Easy" explores the treatment of roots, side shoots, sub-laterals, standards, cordon trees, and other aspects of plant care. Well illustrated and clear, this book will become your indispensable guide for year-round pruning success and should have a place in the library of both seasoned and amateur gardeners.

This beautifully illustrated book on landscape gardening addresses shrubs and how to determine which you should plant among your perennials and where. Shrubs provide the foundation for a pleasing, yet low-maintenance garden. They are long-lived, have the ornamental appeal of perennials, and provide variety in color, size, shape, and texture, as well as shelter and berries for birds. Shrubs can make attractive arrangements indoors and provide seasonal variation through the entire year. Gillian Harris s illustrations are botanically correct works of art that make this book absolutely irresistible."

Hydrangeas are booming in popularity as home gardeners appreciate their long season of bloom, ease of maintenance, and dazzling variety of flower colors and forms. This book reveals the best species for landscaping uses and the best varieties for both fresh and dried flower arrangements. Unique in their ability to change flower color depending on soil composition, hydrangeas are the chameleons of the plant world. Color mysteries are cleared up along with recommendations for achieving the best blues, pinks, purples, and whites in the home garden. With more than 250 vivid color photos, the book offers clear and expert advice on planting, pruning, and providing basic care. Learn the best time to cut hydrangeas for fresh bouquets and when and how to harvest them for dried flowers. With single-topic chapters and answers to frequently asked questions, this is a handy and easily accessible guide for both beginning and experienced gardeners.

The sight of a wild landscape covered with heathers in full bloom is breathtaking, so it is little surprise that people have found ways of introducing these rewarding plants into their gardens. Here they excel, offering color in the drabbest months and a huge diversity of height, habit, and other valuable characteristics in return for modest cultural demands.
This comprehensive and highly informative account encompasses the heaths and heathers of the closely related genera "Calluna, Daboecia," and "Erica, " whose shared characteristics and similar cultural requirements make them broadly compatible in a variety of garden situations. These plants have enhanced people's lives for millennia and a full discussion of their naming, uses and other interactions with humans is explored in detail. A fascinating account of the unique ecological niche they occupy including their remarkable adaptation to make use of the nitrogen and phosphorus unavailable to most other plants provides a fitting context for discussion of their specific cultural needs. With more than 700 cultivated varieties of "Calluna" alone, selecting the right heather for the right place can be daunting. The detailed selection of cultivated hardy heathers conveniently provides gardeners with the best garden performers while further lists allow them to search for heathers for specific qualities, such as heat tolerance, ground cover, or early summer blooming. Design options for displaying heathers at their best in the garden are provided along with advice on spacing, pruning, propagation, pests, and diseases.
In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated work, classic wild-collected cultivars are described alongside the latest introductions to produce an invaluable reference that will inspire heather enthusiasts and gardeners for generations to come.
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For the enthusiastic amateur or experienced rhododendron grower, this landmark reference provides the keys to the accurate identification of the nearly 300 rhododendron species widely in cultivation. An extensive introduction places the work in context as it examines the history of "Rhododendron" classification and gives a full survey of plant structures throughout the many species. Species are listed in systematic order, so that similar species occur close to each other in the text. These are fully described, including complete citations of previous references and notes on the occurrence of wild-origin specimens in cultivation. Beautiful photographs include close-up shots of flower and leaf, microscope images of leaf surfaces, and easy-to-use diagnostic keys, making this the indisputable volume for plant identification. A milestone in the identification of rhododendrons, this will become an essential reference for botanists, nurserymen, and enthusiasts.

An authoritative book that arms the reader with all the information necessary for the proper selection, planting, and care of magnolias. This is a black-and-white edition.

Towns and cities are where most of us live, work and play, and although we recognize the value of the trees standing on the corner, or in the park, or framing the cathedral, most of us are unaware that they are a vital part of our urban life-support system. This invaluable book is essential reading for all those who wish to discover why trees are present in our population centres, how urban life in Britain has engulfed them in the last 200 years, why life is so difficult for urban trees, what their role is, and how we should care for them and include them in our urban future.

This full-color, user-friendly field guide covers the basics involved in the collection, cleaning, and storage of tree, shrub, and vine seeds. Learn from an expert how to overcome pests when storing seeds, and handle environmental factors that may threaten the integrity of your seeds. An introduction to identifying different varieties of seeds will make collecting easy for beginner and experienced collectors alike. Over 160 close-up color photographs of seeds gathered from trees, shrubs, and vines are included in this encyclopedia-style guide. Each entry identifies the seed's family, common name, species, genera, and origin, and includes collection methods, a description of the number and color of seeds, useful hints for collection, and notes on growing the source plant. Gardeners around the world will appreciate this useful field guide when harvesting nature's bounty and preserving its genetic material for years and gardens to come.

The American elm, elegant and highly adaptable, was an essential feature of America's cultural landscape for more than a century, forming great verdant parasols above--and giving its name to--streets all across the nation. The elm became a defining element in the spatial design of America's villages, towns, and cities, first in New England, and--with the westward transit of Yankee culture--eventually throughout the United States. This fascinating and generously illustrated book traces the elm's transformation from a fast-growing weed into a regional and national icon, and shows how Elm Street satisfied America's quest for a pastoral urbanism imagined since the time of Jefferson.