Seeing Trees celebrates seldom seen but easily observable tree traits and invites you to watch trees with the same care and sensitivity that birdwatchers watch birds. Many people, for example, are surprised to learn that oaks and maples have flowers, much less flowers that are astonishingly beautiful when viewed up close. Focusing on widely grown trees, this captivating book describes the rewards of careful and regular tree viewing, outlines strategies for improving your observations, and describes some of the most visually interesting tree structures, including leaves, flowers, buds, leaf scars, twigs, and bark. In-depth profiles of ten familiar species—including such beloved trees as white oak, southern magnolia, white pine, and tulip poplar—show you how to recognize and understand many of their most compelling (but usually overlooked) physical features.

    Over 380 genera. More than 3700 species and cultivars.Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs is the most comprehensive visual reference to more than 3700 species and cultivars. From majestic evergreens to delicate vines and flowering shrubs, Dirr features thousands of plants and all the essential details for identification, planting, and care. Color photographs show each tree's habit in winter, distinctive bark patterns, fall color, and more. Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs is a critical addition to any garden library.

    Rather than organizing plants, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, by flower color or family characteristics, as is done in most guidebooks, botanist Tim Spira takes a holistic, ecological approach that enables the reader to identify and learn about plants in their natural communities. This approach, says Spira, better reflects the natural world, as plants, like other organisms, don't live in isolation; they coexist and interact in myriad ways. Full-color photo keys allow the reader to rapidly preview plants found within each of the 21 major plant communities described, and the illustrated species description for each of the 340 featured plants includes fascinating information about the ecology and natural history of each plant in its larger environment. With this new format, readers can see how the mountain and piedmont landscapes form a mosaic of plant communities that harbor particular groups of plants. The volume also includes a glossary, illustrations of plant structures, and descriptions of sites to visit. Whether you're a beginning naturalist or an expert botanist, this guidebook is a useful companion on field excursions and wildflower walks, as well as a valuable reference. Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press

    A master communicator of the ayahuasca experience--where snakes, jaguars, subterranean beings, celestial palaces, aliens, and spacecraft all converge--Amaringo’s art presents a doorway to the transcendent worlds of ayahuasca intended for contemplation, meditation, and inspiration. Illustrating the evolution of his intricate and colorful art, this book contains 47 full-color reproductions of Amaringo’s latest works with detailed explorations of the rich Amazonian mythology underlying each painting. Through their longstanding relationship with Amaringo, coauthors Charing and Cloudsley are able to share the personal stories behind his visions and experiences with Amazonian people and folklore, capturing Amaringo’s powerful ecological and spiritual message through his art and words. With contributions by Graham Hancock, Jeremy Narby, Robert Venosa, Dennis McKenna, Stephan Beyer, and Jan Kounen, this book brings the ayahuasca experience to life as we travel on Amaringo’s visionary brush and palette.

    Each entry includes information on the plant's native habitat, its cultivation requirements, and its horticultural potential. As useful to novice growers as to collectors and those with an existing interest in succulents, this will be the standard reference for years to come.

    It’s easy, and it’s fun! Authors Robert Gough and Cheryl Moore-Gough thoroughly explain every step in the seed-saving process. Descriptions of seed biology; tips on how to select plants for the best seeds; and advice on harvesting and cleaning, proper storage and care, and propagating and caring for new seedlings are all presented with clear, easy-to-follow instructions. Chapters dedicated to individual plants contain species-specific directions and detailed information. Gardeners of any experience level will find all the information they need to extend the life of their favorite plants to the next generation and beyond.

    Plant entries provide the common and botanical name, the regions where the plant is best adapted, growth and care information, and notes on pests and disease. This practical and inspiring guide includes a variety of plants, from trees to succulents, perennials to bulbs, all selected for their wide adaptability and ornamental value. Companion plants, creative design ideas, and full color photography make this guide a must-have resource for any sustainable gardener.

    With intelligence and lyricism, the book highlights the adventure in getting to each forest and what visitors will find when they arrive. From giant hemlock groves in Pennsylvania to a lonely stand of pines in Wisconsin, each journey provides face-to-face experiences with forests containing majestic trees and a rich diversity of life. As an impassioned plea to preserve and support the few untouched stretches of forest that remain, the discussion touches upon the perseverance of these locations despite modern development, as well as the vital link between old-growth forests and humanity’s own survival.

    Throughout history, people spoke to nature, and nature communicated with them. During the Middle Ages, reading the "book of nature" was called the doctrine of signatures, which had always been an important part of interacting with nature for traditional healers and herbalists."As a child, I just knew which plant to pick up and hold to my head for a headache to go away. Once I heard about the concept of a 'doctrine of signatures, ' I would just stand silently, in awe of nature talking to me, talking and talking in her silent, direct speech. The book of nature seemed so obviously spelled out, and in oddest contrast to what I learned in medical school. My professors seemed never to have heard of nature being vibrant and alive and brimming with patterns of energy that are right there for us to understand and use.... This direct and primordial experience of being part of nature's omnipresent, cyclic course taught me more in the realm of no-words than any university ever could have." --Julia GravesThe Language of Plants covers all aspects of the doctrine of signatures in an easily accessible format, so that everyone, whether nature lovers or healers, can learn to read the language of plants in connection with healing.More than 200 color and b/w images.C O N T E N T SForewordPART ONE: THEORY1. History2. The Doctrine of Signature Today3. What Is a Signature?4. Plants as Teachers5. The Doctrine of Signature in Practice6. What Is Not a SignaturePART TWO: THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES IN PRACTICE7. Colors, the Language of Flowers8. Shapes9. Smell, Taste, Sound, Touch, and Understanding10. The Elements and the Environment11. The Planetary Signature12. Organ and Physiological Signatures13. Disease Signatures14. Animal Signature15. The Energetic SignatureAppendix: Holistic Plant StudyResourcesReferencesGeneral IndexPlant Index

    It combines practical advice with design inspiration and features step-by-step techniques with beautiful photography, as well as a planting guide to help you get the best out of your garden.Take a step towards self-sufficiency with a major section on growing your own fruit and vegetables or use the eye-catching catalogue of plants to see what you should be growing for every season and site. Plus, dedicated chapters focus on key gardening topics such as improving the soil, propogation, and problem-solving.RHS Complete Gardener's Manual is a great reference guide and a one-stop manual for both new and experienced gardeners alike.

    

    From greenswards and meadows to succulent and kitchen gardens, this book presents alternatives to the traditional lawn that can reduce water use, beautify the landscape, and attract birds and butterflies. The authors of Reimagining the California Lawn, Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O Brien, are visionary horticulturists who wrote the award-winning book California Native Plants for the Garden. With this new publication, they share their passion for water-wise plants and landscapes to help Californians discover the many possibilities and pleasures that come with reimagining the lawn. If you are thinking about removing or reducing your lawn, this inspiring book is the perfect companion to help you begin the process. Its detailed text provides information about how to plan, install, and maintain an attractive landscape that can replace your lawn and describes hundreds of water-thrifty plants from California and other mediterranean climates of the world. Reimagining the California Lawn is illustrated with more than 300 color photographs and offers a variety of plant palettes to choose from as you begin the process of creating a more sustainable landscape.

    Learn about the alchemical, magickal, and homeopathic uses of plants and experience the transformative power plant spirits have to offer us for health, wisdom, and spiritual growth.

    After years of helping clients set up spaces to grow their own fruit and vegetables they believe anyone can create their own little edible garden, in most any area. And in this easy-to-use guide they show you how simple it is!Fundamentals such as Soil, Climate, Watering, Composting, Worm Farms, Saving and Sowing Seeds, and Raised Garden Beds and Crates are all discussed comprehensively – each with a fully illustrated step-by-step activity to help you create your own little veggie patch.The complete A-Z of Edible Plants gives you vital information on more than 40 vegetables (and fruit trees), including detailed planting information, ongoing maintenance advice, tips on best companions and when to harvest. And the family activities scattered throughout the book will get the kids involved too, whether it's Making a Scarecrow, Building a Spud Tower or Growing Beans in a Bean Can.Lots of fun, and packed full of all the information you'll need (plus some hilarious tips and stories from the Little Veggie Patch boys' own experience along the way), this colourful guide is for anyone interested in growing their own food.

    These beaches offer more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery—they are alive! As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life-forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here? Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas satisfies a beachcomber’s curiosity within a comprehensive yet easily browsed guide covering beach processes, plants, animals, minerals, and manmade objects. The guide is written in a familiar style and is illustrated with distribution maps and over a thousand color photos.

    James Farmer III teaches respect for the age-old rules of flower and vegetable gardening in the Deep South (e.g., May is the time for pruning), in a fresh voice that resonates love of life and entertaining at home. Also included are delicious recipes for seasonal meals, as well as suggestions for floral arrangements and centerpieces created from the garden.

    

     Accessing detailed and accurate information on tropical plants is not always easy, yet there is a huge interest in the beautiful and fascinating flora from the tropical regions of the world. This book is the most comprehensive survey of tropical plants in a single publication to date. Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants brings together over 3,000 species of tropical plants selected to reflect the major plant groups in the tropics all over the world. It uses the most up-to-date nomenclature and systematics and arranges the species in family order, rather than by the usual alphabetical genus name, which makes identification and comparison of similar plants easier. Species descriptions include the plant's leaves, flowers, stems and fruit, as well as its native habitat, distribution, blooming season and zone. Full-color photographs illustrate the major features of the plants described. Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants is an up-to-date, comprehensive and authoritative reference for botanists, horticulturists, professional growers and tropical plant enthusiasts.

    A trip across Washington presents an array of habitats, from dripping spruce and hemlock forests along the coast to arid grasslands, shrub-steppe, and sand dune systems east of the mountains, from low-elevation outwash prairies to alpine slopes, from basalt flows and rocky islands to salt marshes and riverbanks. This book brings attention to the rarest and least understood plant species that find niches in this complex landscape.

    Everyone agrees that she's the best.Except Rosie. Rosie isn't fast, or loud, or fancy, but she's tired of hearing that Violet is the best. When their class grows pea plants, Rosie's and Violet's are the first to sprout! But Violet's is a little taller. So Rosie pushes some soil over Violet's sprout to slow it down. And for a moment, Rosie's plant is the best—but she feels terrible. And she feels even worse when she learns that Violet has the chicken pox.So for the next two weeks, Rosie waters her plant—and Violet's too. She turns them in the sun, and sings them quiet growing songs. And her teacher says that Rosie is the best gardener she's ever had. Definitely the best.This empathetic story captures every child's desire to be noticed and praised, and the subtle competitions that go on in a classroom. It's a book to swell every shy child's heart.

    A guide to using plants in your environment for their medicinal properties! Cute illustrations from Giovanni Caputo and a generally fun vibe and feel! Includes healing cuts and scrapes, burns, rashes, sunburns, building a first aid kit, gut problems, aches and pains, bugs, bruises, bleeding, parasites, and a list of further reading resources!

    This magnificently illustrated volume features 200 panoramic, full-color photographs as well as a color map for every site and at-a-glance information panels that highlight the kinds of flowers at each location and the best times to see them in bloom. The informative text gives a botanical profile of each location, and also describes the ecology and conservation status of these sites and the animal life to be found at them.A book unlike any other, Wildflower Wonders is a visual feast for travelers and armchair naturalists alike.Showcases the most spectacular wild flowerings on the planetFeatures 200 full-color photosDescribes noteworthy flower species, ecology, conservation status, and animal lifeIncludes color maps and at-a-glance information panels

    Clients—corporate, civic, and private—are committed to the creation of innovative outdoor spaces.Curated by one of the world’s leading critics of contemporary landscape design, this collection profiles work by fifty design studios through texts, up-to-date projects, easy-to-read plans, and photographs. The practices have been chosen for their innovation and their unique contribution to current debates in landscape and garden design. The selection spans well-established names, such as Patrick Blanc (France), Fernando Caruncho (Spain), Dan Pearson (UK), and Stephen Stimson (US) to smaller, lesser-known studios, such as Ossart & Maurières (France), Wette und Kunecke (Germany), and Landscape India (India).Five essays identify and explain the prevailing preoccupations and practices of today’s designers with themes that range from the recent predilection for creating new landforms to the trend towards eco- expediency.

    This second collaboration between the Peterson Field Guide series and Bird Watcher’s Digest includes tips on how to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to backyards—and how to identify them once they’ve arrived. Bill Thompson III and Connie Toops have decades of firsthand experience and have written the book in a fun, lighthearted style, providing both amateur and veteran nature watchers with need-to-know information, including where hummingbirds and butterflies live, what they eat, and the best garden plants to attract them. The species profiles of the 15 most common hummingbirds and 40 most common butterflies serve as a field guide, showing ranges, identifying marks, and preferred habitats. Full-color photographs and detailed drawings make attracting, identifying, and feeding these colorful creatures a snap.

    That sylvan place is New York City, and this is a guide to the diverse trees that line its streets.Field Guide to the Street Trees of New York City acquaints New Yorkers and visitors alike with fifty species of trees commonly found in the neighborhoods where people live, work, and travel. Beautiful, original drawings of leaves and stunning photographs of bark, fruit, flower, and twig accompany informative descriptions of each species. Detailed maps of the five boroughs identify all of the city’s neighborhoods, and specific addresses pinpoint where to find a good example of each tree species.Trees provide invaluable benefits to the Big Apple: they reduce the rate of respiratory disease, increase property values, cool homes and sidewalks in the summer, block the harsh winds of winter, clean the air, absorb storm water runoff, and provide habitat and food for the city’s wildlife.Bald cypress, swamp oak, silver linden, and all of New York’s most common trees are just a page turn away. Your evening walk will never be the same once you come to know the quiet giants that line the city's streets.

    Through gardening projects, scientific experiments, arty projects, cooking and even magic tricks, children will find out about plants, their life cycle, and structure. The book is divided into three sections:World of plants explores the amazing variety of plants, comparing their similarities and differences in plant structure, from drought-resistant plants to indoor plants. Activities include growing a loofah plant and creating a shrub sculpture.Life of plants looks at the stages of plant growth with craft and science projects from seed to maturity to decay, learning about key processes such as germination, pollination, and seasonal changes affecting plants.Uses of plants includes creating habitats as homes for wildlife, plants as a source of food for creatures and us and making papyrus paper and dying wool from blackberries.How Does Your Garden Grow? is not only full of fun projects to make and do, but is also highly educational as children learn about how the plants we see around us and take for granted everyday, either in the supermarket or park, really grow and develop.ContentsWhy be a gardener?Exciting introduction on fun, fascination and reward of growing your own flowers, fruits and vegetables, not just foryourself but also for wildlife and environment.Plant careUnderstanding what all plants need but in different amounts. Introduce symbols used in the book.SECTION 1: World Of PlantsIdentity parade: Plants made up of different parts that each have a job to do. These parts help to identify plants.Root view box: Make a root viewing box and plant dandelions to see taproot system and marigolds for fibrous root system.Top 10: Drought-resistant plants: Plants that survive on little water, so have adapted leaves, stems and roots.Colored stems: Watch how colored water progresses up a stick of celery.Leaf sculpture: Create and photograph a land art sculpture made from arrangement of simple and compound leaves.Leaf skeleton: Leaf art to show leaf parts.Top 10: House plants: Amazing leaves adapted for living indoors.Tortoise topiary: Snip and prune shrub into animal shapeFlower magic: Make feather flowers and then perform a magic trick, learning about parts of the flower.Loofah plant: Grow own loofah plant and find out about fruits and seed pods.Quiz 1Test your knowledge - quiz to identify parts of plants.SECTION 2: Life of PlantsSeasonal diary: Life cycle of plant and how it's affected by the changing conditions through the seasons.Pepper pips: Grow new plant from seeds from a pepper.Top 10: Propagating plants: A selection of propagation methods such as growing new plant from tops of a carrot or yam, cuttings and mini babies on bryophyllum plant.Corn wonder: Grow corn in a ziploc bag to observe sprouting stage.Terrarium: Watch the germination of a plant through a terrarium made from a plastic bottle.Salad hydroponics: Raft system for growing salad vegetables.Lily love: Cross pollinating from one lily plant to another.Shaped cucumbers: Grow star shaped cucumbers.Top 10: Climbing plants: A selection of decorative climbing plants.Worm bin: Using decayed plant materials to create rich compost.Quiz 2Recognize the seeds and how they disperse.SECTION 3: Uses of PlantsBee nesting box: Build a home for these great pollinators out of plants.Bird wreath: Dry flowers and make a bird feeder wreath, also using intertwined twigs, dried leaves, popcorn cobs, and pinecones.Top 10: Plants for wildlife: A selection of plants that attract wildlife.Wheat into bread: Grow wheat, harvest and grind into flour to bake into bread.Grow a vegetable soup: Grow potatoes, onions, and broccoli to make a tasty soup.Papyrus paper: Make paper from strips from a papyrus plant.Dyed scarf: Make a dye from blackberries and soak some wool, then use this to knit a scarf.Willow basket: Weave a basket made from willow or reed.Gourd vase : Grow a pumpkin, hollow it out and use as a vase.Quiz 3Work out what plants are used to make things.Glossary, Index, and Acknowledgments

    This title explains the history, inspiration and traditions of Japanese gardening and bonsai techniques using authentic examples.