Even if you've killed every house plant in the past, plant-cultivator and stylist Jason Chongue will show you that it's really not that difficult. Covering everything from basic plant care and re-potting, to plants suited to pets and propagating, this book will help remove your fear of gardening and inspire you to create you own indoor oasis. It includes profiles of 25 ideal tropical indoor plants, organised from the most low-maintenance species through to the more exotic and labor-intensive plants. On top of this, the book offers styling advice including how to decorate different rooms in your home with plants, as well as suggestions on pots and planters to give your plants more personality. Throughout the book, you'll also find interviews with 'Plant People' from around the world, who provide an insight into their unique relationships with house plants. Indoor gardening really is this simple and fun!

    Half-digested pieces of eel and water vole skull on your head is not a good look. Just so you know.'Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds is all about comedian Bailey's love of birds. A visual feast - it is packed with illustrations, sketches and notes by Bailey - as well as informative, it is funny and insightful, and positively crackles with energy, knowledge and wit as he takes us on a journey around the British isles, zooming in on those birds that enthuse him the most. Whether it's what they eat, where they fly to or how they communicate, these birds are always fascinating, and Bailey introduces us to their weird and wonderful ways in a manner that is always entertaining. If you're a parent who'd like to appear a bit clever when your child asks you the name of a bird; if you want to find a new and healthy hobby that takes you outdoors; or whether, quite simply, you want to understand a bit more about our natural environment and have a laugh at the same time, this is the perfect companion book to have.Alongside music and stand-up, one of Bailey's favourite pastimes is birdwatching, which he has been doing since he was a child in the West Country. His fondest memories are of family outings with parents, grandparents and cousins, ticking the birds off in his little Observer's Book of Birds. As he has said about those formative years, 'birdwatching gave a purpose to the day and a love of the natural world which has carried on into my adult life'. A beautifully and originally designed hardback, it will delight Bailey's fans as well as those who like a bit of armchair escapism.

    Birders will find it indispensable: this single, portable volume features more than 750 species, along with more than 2,000 stunning images by leading nature photographers showing birds in their natural habitats. Captions highlight important field marks, and comprehensive species accounts describe habitats, behavior, flight, migration, songs, and plumages. Other features include: more than 600 maps showing bird distribution in every season; strategies for watching and identifying birds; a complete species index plus a quick-flip index; a glossary of terms; and a checklist of birds. The guide’s unique waterproof cover makes it especially valuable for use in the field.

    Yet, while common, oak woodlands are anything but ordinary. In a book rich in illustration and suffused with wonder, author Kate Marianchild combines extensive research and years of personal experience to explore some of the marvelous plants and animals that the oak woodlands nurture. Acorn woodpeckers unite in marriages of up to ten mates and raise their young cooperatively. Ground squirrels roll in rattlesnake skins to hide their scent from hungry snakes. Manzanita's rust-colored, paper-thin bark peels away in time for the summer solstice, exposing sinuous contours that are cool to the touch even on the hottest day. Conveying up-to-the-minute scientific findings with a storyteller's skill, Marianchild introduces us to a host of remarkable creatures in a world close by, a world that rustles, hums, and sings with the sounds of wild things.

    All of them - hikers, hunters, fishermen, campers, and canoeists - are drawn to the woods for some special reason. Yet few of them see the forest as a whole, as the web of life it truly is. Here, from New York Times bestselling author Richard M. Ketchum, is the extraordinary story of forests and the trees that comprise them.

    Anyone who's ever quailed at the thought of buying a two-by-four or suspected that his (or her) dwelling is breaking down out of spite will be charmed, educated and entertained by this delightful history and how-to of the house.

    Instead you'll be able to absorb the most important content and begin applying it immediately after just one day!

    This book shows how easy it is to fill our gardens with everything from foxes, frogs and mice, to butterflies, ladybirds and thousands of fascinating creepy-crawlies.

    His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbors' spruce monocultures.In this book, Holzer shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a holistic system on the farm itself, but how to make a living from it. Holzer writes about everything from the overall concepts, down to the practical details.In Sepp Holzer's Permaculturereaders will learn:How he sets up a permaculture systemThe fruit varieties he has found best for permaculture growingHow to construct terraces, ponds, and waterwaysHow to build shelters for animals and how to work with them on the landHow to cultivate edible mushrooms in the garden and on the farmand much more!Holzer offers a wealth of information for the gardener, smallholder or alternative farmer yet the book's greatest value is the attitudes it teaches. He reveals the thinking processes based on principles found in nature that create his productive systems. These can be applied anywhere.

    They're tried and tested home remedies that have been used over the years and that work! If you're realising that doctors and their drugs aren't always the best medicine and you're looking for a better, cheaper way to take care of your health and the health of your family then this book is a great start.

    With clear and easy-to-understand exercises, The Piano Handbook is perfect for anyone interested in learning the piano or improving their skills. It provides fresh material and techniques in styles ranging from classical to jazz, rock, bebop and fusion, and gives new players everything they need to learn and enjoy the piano. This book's innovative tutorial approach covers classical and contemporary music styles in an integrated way, and the companion audio brings the playing techniques and concepts to life. A full-color photo gallery illustrates the history of the piano and its essential recordings. The book also includes access to audio downloads of selected examples and pieces. This hardcover, deluxe edition also features semi-concealed spiral binding so the book stays open on the piano. The Piano Handbook prepares you not just to play, but to perform and not just as a pianist, but as a complete musician.

    Scott doesn’t just show you which sliders do what (every Lightroom book will do that). Instead, by using the following three simple, yet brilliant, techniques that make it just an incredible learning tool, this book shows you how to create your own photography workflow using Lightroom: Throughout the book, Scott shares his own personal settings and studiotested techniques. Each year he trains thousands of Lightroom users at his live seminars and through that he’s learned what really works, what doesn’t, and he tells you flat out which techniques work best, which to avoid, and why. The entire book is laid out in a real workflow order with everything step by step, so you can begin using Lightroom like a pro from the start. What really sets this book apart is the last chapter. This is where Scott dramatically answers his #1 most-asked Lightroom question, which is: “Exactly what order am I supposed to do things in, and where does Photoshop fit in?” You’ll see Scott’s entire start-to-finish Lightroom 5 workflow and learn how to incorporate it into your own workflow. Plus, this book includes a downloadable collection of some of the hottest Lightroom Develop module presets to give you a bunch of amazing effects with just one click! Scott knows first-hand the challenges today’s digital photographers are facing, and what they want to learn next to make their workflow faster, easier, and more fun. He has incorporated all of that into this major update for Lightroom 5. It’s the first and only book to bring the whole process together in such a clear, concise, and visual way. Plus, the book includes a special chapter on integrating Adobe Photoshop seamlessly right into your workflow, and you’ll also learn some of Scott’s latest Photoshop portrait retouching techniques and special effects, which take this book to a whole new level. There is no faster, more straight-to-the-point, or more fun way to learn Lightroom than with this groundbreaking book.

    Learn which types of hens lay the most eggs, have friendly and calm personalities, and fit well in small city back yards. Written by the author of the best-selling Fresh Food From Small Spaces book, a former columnist for Urban Farm magazine. (Updated 2012 Version)Topics Include:• How This Information Can Help You• Rainbow Eggs: White, Blue, Green, Dark Chocolate Brown, and More• Importance of Hatching Eggs and Handling Chicks Early• Each Chicken is an Individual• Best Breeds: 12 types of hens that lay lots of eggs, have friendly and calm temperaments, and fit in city backyards• Bonus: 5 Exotic Poultry Chicken Breeds for backyards: wait ‘till you see these!• Resources Section: Links to additional information on chicken breeds, plus where to obtain your chickensBe Sure to Read This Before You Get ChickensThinking about getting chickens? Not sure what kind is best? If you’re ready to learn which types of hens lay lots of eggs on a regular basis, make good pets, and fit happily in small sized yards, you’ve come to the right place. This e-booklet provides you with information on 12 types of chickens which are best suited for a small back yard flock. Plus Bonus Section: 5 Exotic Breeds for BackyardsAlso included is a bonus chapter covering 5 Exotic Poultry Chicken Breeds which are also suitable for backyards. If you've never seen a bird that looks like a chicken crossed with a turkey, another one with a head resembling a feather duster, a third that looks more like a rabbit than a chicken, a hen that lays dark chocolate brown eggs, and a one pound chicken 6-12 inches tall that people keep as an indoor pet, then prepare to meet some new friends! Amazingly, each of these has a friendly personality and all can make good pets. There’s a lot of free information online about different kinds of chickens. It’s great to have this available, but sorting through it can take a lot of time. When I decided to get chickens, I spent many hours researching different chicken breeds in books and on the Internet. At the time, I had a small yard in the city. The only thing I knew about chickens was that the hens lay the eggs and the roosters make most of the noise!From my research, I learned that there are as many as 175 different kinds of chickens in the world. However, only 12 chicken breeds met my criteria, which were:• Regular and prolific egg layers• Comfortable in an enclosed coop and run area• Preferably, not too loud • Friendly around peopleSave Time and MoneyIt would take you at least two or three hours just to find this information, even before you sort through, read, and analyze it. Instead, I’ve put all the important stuff in this short booklet (which only appears longer because of all the chicken pictures, another essential element for people choosing breeds). I’ve summarized the lengthy raw material from my own research, selected the best breeds for backyards, and presented this information in a format you can use. Don't Get the Wrong Kind of Chickens!Be sure to read this booklet before you get chickens!Don't make the mistake of getting the wrong kind of chickens for your small yard. The wrong kinds can eat lots of food, get fat, and lay few eggs. They can be loud, aggressive, obnoxious, or scared of people. The right kinds will lay eggs almost every day, stay calm and quiet, let you pick them up and pet them, and will not mind being kept in a coop and fenced area!

    In this handy guide to breeds, feed, coops, and care, the Litts take you under their experienced wings and share the secrets to: Picking the breeds that are right for you • Building a sturdy coop in one weekend for $100 • Raising happy and hearty chicks • Feeding your flock for optimal health and egg nutrition • Preventing and treating common chicken diseases • Planning ahead for family, neighborhood, and legal considerations • Whipping up tasty egg recipes from flan to frittata With everything that first-timers will need to get started—along with expert tips for more seasoned keepers—this colorful, nuts-and-bolts manual proves that keeping chickens is all it’s cracked up to be.

    And it's not as hard as we may think! This hand written and drawn book of charming tutorials is both fun and accessible. It's full of simple skills that anyone can and should learn. From creating tinctures and salves to concocting all-natural cleaners and body products to gardening basics, this book is great for anyone looking to live more simply, create a comfortable nest, and truly do it yourself.