Book picks similar to
Growing House Plants: Kew Mini by Kay Maguire
plants
gardening
non-fiction
diy
Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet
Chauney Dunford - 2015
Apartment dwellers, schoolteachers, and anyone else who wants to grow a lot of food in a little space will find a great small garden resource in Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet.Small-space gardeners, find your start in Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet, packed with information on window boxes, potted plants, patio gardening, raised beds, small square-foot gardening, container gardening, and everything else related to growing your own small garden. Whether you want to grow a full garden, grow tomatoes, grow an herb garden, or just pick up great tips for small gardens, Grow All You Can Eat in 3 Square Feet is the resource you need.Reviews:"Beautiful color photographs and step-by-step instructions distinguish this guide to growing vegetables, fruit, and herbs in small spaces." - Library Journal
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses
Daniel Chamovitz - 2012
The renowned biologist Daniel Chamovitz builds on the original edition to present an intriguing look at how plants themselves experience the world—from the colors they see to the schedules they keep, and now, what they do in fact hear and how they are able to taste. A rare inside look at what life is really like for the grass we walk on, the flowers we sniff, and the trees we climb, What a Plant Knows offers a greater understanding of their place in nature.
Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning: What, When, Where & How to Prune for a More Beautiful Garden
Cass Turnbull - 2004
This second edition of her definitive illustrated guide adds 40 percent new material, with more coverage of different kinds of trees, shrubs, and ground covers and how to prune them for health and aesthetics. The book is organized around the most common types of plants found in Northwest gardens: evergreen and deciduous shrubs; bamboos and tea roses; rhododendrons, camellia and other tree-like shrubs; hedge plants like boxwood and heather; clematis, wisteria and all those vines; and detailed information on trees by species from dogwoods to weeping cherries. In her trademark witty style, Turnbull also addresses tools, landscape renovation, and design errors. Included too are her amusing Ten Commandments for gardeners, which feature such treasures as "Thou shalt not weed-whip the trunk of thy tree, nor bash it with thine mower, nor leave anything tied on thy tree or the branches of thy tree, as is done in the land of the philistines."
Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles
Paul Suarez - 2006
There are more than twenty contributors including Christine Field, Jessica Hulcy, Dr. Raymond Moore, and Dr. Ruth Beechick.
Poems to Learn by Heart
Ana Sampson - 2013
But do you know the rest of the verse, or even the rest of the poem?An anthology to warm the coldest heart or charm the least romantic soul, this is a collection of poems (or in some cases, extracts) that are not only memorable, but lend themselves to being learned by heart.This is the perfect book for anyone with even the vaguest interest in poetry, providing a wonderful opportunity to revisit those much-loved lines remembered from earlier days.
Allez Allez Allez: The Inside Story of the Resurgence of Liverpool FC, Champions of Europe 2019
Simon Hughes - 2019
He takes them to Chapel Street, where the club’s business is determined, and to America, where it is owned. He takes them into Anfield, where many of the most important moments are defined, and he takes them on to the pitches of the Premier League and the Champions League, as we revisit how Liverpool stormed their way to the top of the Premier League this season.
The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live & Why They Matter
Colin Tudge - 2005
There are Douglas firs as tall as skyscrapers, and a banyan tree in Calcutta as big as a football field.From the tallest to the smallest, trees inspire wonder in all of us, and in The Tree, Colin Tudge travels around the world—throughout the United States, the Costa Rican rain forest, Panama and Brazil, India, New Zealand, China, and most of Europe—bringing to life stories and facts about the trees around us: how they grow old, how they eat and reproduce, how they talk to one another (and they do), and why they came to exist in the first place. He considers the pitfalls of being tall; the things that trees produce, from nuts and rubber to wood; and even the complicated debt that we as humans owe them.Tudge takes us to the Amazon in flood, when the water is deep enough to submerge the forest entirely and fish feed on fruit while river dolphins race through the canopy. He explains the “memory” of a tree: how those that have been shaken by wind grow thicker and sturdier, while those attacked by pests grow smaller leaves the following year; and reveals how it is that the same trees found in the United States are also native to China (but not Europe).From tiny saplings to centuries-old redwoods and desert palms, from the backyards of the American heartland to the rain forests of the Amazon and the bamboo forests, Colin Tudge takes the reader on a journey through history and illuminates our ever-present but often ignored companions. A blend of history, science, philosophy, and environmentalism, The Tree is an engaging and elegant look at the life of the tree and what modern research tells us about their future.
The Invisible Garden
Dorothy Sucher - 1999
Dorothy Sucher explores both her corner of Vermont and the many aspects of gardening - the satisfaction of shaping a landscape, the spirit of generosity in a land-based community, and the individuality expressed in a neighbour's flowerbeds.
Who Killed Little Johnny Gill?: A Victorian True Crime Murder Mystery
Kathryn McMaster - 2016
He's your son. You wave goodbye to him one morning as he disappears into the swirling fog. And then he is gone. Forever.
This gripping historical crime fiction novel, based on fact, is set in Bradford, England,1888. It explores the horrific murder of Johnny Gill; a murder and mutilation so gruesome, it stuns a nation. Even hardened detectives are affected by its savagery, swiftly comparing it to the work of Jack the Ripper. "Who Killed Little Johnny Gill?" is Kathryn McMaster's debut novel. It is a noir page-turner that immediately immerses you in a maelstrom of emotions, keeping you in suspense as Chief Detective Constable Withers and his dedicated team of British detectives try and gather sufficient evidence to bring a conviction against their suspect. In 1888, police procedures and knowledge of Forensic Science are rudimentary and juries are exposed to persuasive newspaper reports and public opinion. Will justice prevail, or will the guilty walk free? This is one crime fiction novel you won't be able to put down until the last page is turned!
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Robert M. Sapolsky - 2017
Sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise moment a behavior occurs, and then hops back in time from there, in stages, ultimately ending up at the deep history of our species and its evolutionary legacy.And so the first category of explanation is the neurobiological one. A behavior occurs--whether an example of humans at our best, worst, or somewhere in between. What went on in a person's brain a second before the behavior happened? Then Sapolsky pulls out to a slightly larger field of vision, a little earlier in time: What sight, sound, or smell caused the nervous system to produce that behavior? And then, what hormones acted hours to days earlier to change how responsive that individual is to the stimuli that triggered the nervous system? By now he has increased our field of vision so that we are thinking about neurobiology and the sensory world of our environment and endocrinology in trying to explain what happened.Sapolsky keeps going: How was that behavior influenced by structural changes in the nervous system over the preceding months, by that person's adolescence, childhood, fetal life, and then back to his or her genetic makeup? Finally, he expands the view to encompass factors larger than one individual. How did culture shape that individual's group, what ecological factors millennia old formed that culture? And on and on, back to evolutionary factors millions of years old.The result is one of the most dazzling tours d'horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted, a majestic synthesis that harvests cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines to provide a subtle and nuanced perspective on why we ultimately do the things we do...for good and for ill. Sapolsky builds on this understanding to wrestle with some of our deepest and thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, morality and free will, and war and peace. Wise, humane, often very funny, Behave is a towering achievement, powerfully humanizing, and downright heroic in its own right.
Never Put a Cactus in the Bathroom: A Room-by-Room Guide to Styling and Caring for Your Houseplants
Emily L. Hay Hinsdale - 2021
Potted plants can uplift a living space with serious mood-boosting power, reducing stress, improving air quality, and even providing fresh herbs for that next meal! But first, you have to keep them alive. Never Put a Cactus in the Bathroom shows you how to maximize these health benefits and decorate like a pro, all while covering the essentials of plant care and maintenance. Full of home design and practical plant care tips, this illustrated guide helps you choose the right plants for your space, from succulents and spider plants to pothos and ZZ plants. Inside you’ll find: -Plant Care Instructions including watering instructions for popular types of plants and a guide to repotting your new plant babies -Over 70 Plant Recommendations from the easy peace lily to a dramatic monstera, feel like a pro as you design your perfect indoor garden -The Room-by-Room Guide covering which herbs and veggies can be grown in your kitchen to, yes, why you should never put that cactus in your bathroom -Crafting a Healthy Home with plants through purifying the air, adding beautiful aromas, and bringing a little nature inside -Beautiful Illustrations to ignite your own creativity and inspiration as you plan your newest addition to your home! Perfect for fans of Wild at Home, Urban Jungle, and Wellness by Design, this book will give plant lovers the tools and confidence they need to bring houseplants into every corner of their homes, improve their quality of life, and turn their home into a natural sanctuary.
Smart Soapmaking: The Simple Guide to Making Soap Quickly, Safely, and Reliably, or How to Make Luxurious Soaps for Family, Friends, and Yourself
Anne L. Watson - 2007
Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure that working with lye is too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down. No matter which of these fits you, you'll find -Smart Soapmaking- practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap from scratch with the least fuss and bother. With both customary and metric measurements, plus a list of suppliers in five countries, -Smart Soapmaking- is the first truly international book on the craft! ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the first author to have introduced modern techniques of home soapmaking and lotionmaking to book readers. She has made soap under the company name Soap Tree, and before her retirement from professional life, she was a historic preservation architecture consultant. Anne and her husband, Aaron Shepard, live in Friday Harbor, Washington. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ******RECOMMENDED BY THE HANDCRAFTED SOAP & COSMETIC GUILD****** -Should become THE book for soapmaking. . . . It's about time someone wrote a book like this. Most are idealistic and inaccurate. This book has a wonderful common sense approach that is SO long overdue. . . . I can recommend it with 100% confidence.- -- Susan Kennedy, Oregon Trail Soaps, Rogue River, Oregon -Smart it is . . . . A simple, no-nonsense book that cuts through the curmudgery of stifling soap bibles like no other.- -- Shellie Humphries, Harstine Island, Washington -Way overdue. . . . A gift of common sense caution, proven methods, tried-and-true shortcuts, and some excellent recipes as well, for both the professional/experienced soapmaker and the eager beginner.- -- Deb Petersen, Shepherd's Soap Co., Shelton, Washington -A great book for beginners, with clear and easy instructions.- -- Anne-Marie Faiola, Bramble Berry Inc., Bellingham, Washington -I learned more from Smart Soapmaking than from any other soaping book, and I have read quite a few. . . . It's written with the average person in mind, not a chemistry major. Directions are very simple and easy to understand. It really takes the mystery out of making soap.- -- Jackie Pack, Stuart, Virginia -Groundbreaking . . . . Anne L. Watson [is the] universally respected and loved author/crafter/curator of this lost art for thousands of aspiring soapers . . . . Unquestionably the best book with which to begin. To be precise, it's probably the most accessible, most reader-friendly, and most immediately useful container of information a first-time soapmaker could hope to find.- -- Wishing Willow (blog)
Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants
Fez Inkwright - 2021
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage! In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and funghi. Going from A to Z, she covers everything from apple (think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”) and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel, which emits toxic fumes, to oleander (a deadly ornamental shrub), with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself. This enthralling treasury is packed with insight, lore, and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome, its use in religion and magic, and common antidotes—making this perfect for gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches, and scientists alike!
The Hyper-Grace Gospel: A Response to Michael Brown and Those Opposed to the Modern Grace Message
Paul Ellis - 2014
It extends beyond what you can conceive or imagine. Just as you cannot measure the universe, you cannot fathom the limits of His love for you. Grace is how God’s love appears. God’s grace is extreme, super-abundant, and over-the-top. His hyper-grace exceeds your wildest dreams. In this book, Paul Ellis draws a line between the muddled messages of manmade religion and the hyper-grace gospel of Jesus Christ. Drawing on insights gleaned from more than 40 grace preachers, he addresses common misperceptions and accusations some have made against the modern grace message. The Hyper-Grace Gospel will leave you marveling at the relentless love of your Father. It will show you how to walk in His amazing grace and help you rediscover the joy that is found in Jesus.
A Buzz in the Meadow: The Natural History of a French Farm
Dave Goulson - 2014
Brilliantly reviewed, it was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for the best nonfiction book of the year, and debuted the already renowned conservationist's ability to charm and educate, and tell an absorbing story. In A Buzz in the Meadow, Goulson returns to tell the tale of how he bought a derelict farm in the heart of rural France. Over the course of a decade, on thirty-three acres of meadow, he created a place for his beloved bumblebees to thrive. But other creatures live there too, myriad insects of every kind, many of which Goulson had studied before in his career as a biologist. You'll learn how a deathwatch beetle finds its mate, why butterflies have spots on their wings, and see how a real scientist actually conducts his experiments. But this book is also a wake-up call, urging us to cherish and protect life in all its forms. Goulson has that rare ability to persuade you to go out into your garden or local park and observe the natural world. The undiscovered glory that is life in all its forms is there to be discovered. And if we learn to value what we have, perhaps we will find a way to keep it.