If I did not know most of the main players I would have thought the author had a vivid and twisted imagination..”—Paul Martin Brown, author of Wild Orchids of Florida“A fascinating true story of obsession, greed, and lust for the unobtainable. Reminds me a great deal of The Maltese Falcon. This rare flower is definitely the stuff that dreams are made of.”—Ace Atkins, author of Devil's Garden and Infamous“Pittman has captured the extreme competition, unique characters, and general insanity that often typify the orchid world. The Scent of Scandal exemplifies how passion and profit can overrule common sense and the law.”—Scott Steward, former associate editor, North American Native Orchid JournalEvery year more than 100,000 people visit Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, in large part to see its vast orchid collection, one of the most magnificent in the world. But the most famous orchid in Selby’s history—the one hailed as the most significant find in a century—isn't on display. It's the one that led to search warrants, a grand jury investigation, and headlines around the country.           Discovered in Peru in 2002, the Phragmipedium kovachii quickly became the most sought-after orchid in the world. Prices soared to $10,000 on the black market and otherwise rational people bent rules and broke laws in their obsessive quest to possess it.           Award-winning journalist Craig Pittman covered this fascinating story, as it happened, for the St. Petersburg Times, Florida’s largest newspaper. In this enthralling account, he unravels the tangled web of smugglers, scientists, and federal investigators to reveal who the real criminals were in this sordid affair. He also shines a spotlight on flaws in the international treaties governing trade in endangered wildlife—treaties that often protect individual plants and animals in shipping but do little to halt the destruction of whole colonies in the wild.           With candid interviews from nearly everyone involved in the case, The Scent of Scandal unspools like a riveting mystery novel, stranger than anything in Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief or the film Adaptation. Pittman shows how some people can become so obsessed—with beauty, with profit, with fame, with the desire to own a rare flower—that even the possibility of going to prison will not deter their risking everything.Craig Pittman writes about environmental issues for the St. Petersburg Times. He is the coauthor of Paving Paradise: Florida’s Vanishing Wetlands and the Failure of No Net Loss and author of Manatee Insanity: Inside the War over Florida’s Most Famous Endangered Species.

    And definitely the sweariest.For over three years now, Esther Walker has been entertaining foodies with her hilarious Recipe Rifle blog. Charting her progress from bad cook to, well, not-so-bad cook, she is blistering honest about what works, and what doesn’t, in the kitchen. If a recipe works for her, it will probably work for you. If it doesn’t, she will swear quite a lot.Crammed full of recipes, tips for entertaining, stories of pregnancy and tales of her husband (restaurant critic Giles Coren) coming home drunk, The Bad Cook will make you laugh out loud. It will also make you want to start cooking.

     Do you want to learn to turn food scraps into valuable compost? Do you believe in taking responsibility for the food waste we create? Worm Composting is the Solution! People all over the world are using worm farming to turn their food scraps into nutrient-rich vermicompost by starting their own worm compost bin. Check out a few of the reviews for “How to Start a Worm Bin” to see what readers say about the book. ”How to Start a Worm Bin” will teach you how to: Start a Worm Compost Bin Care for Composting Worms Harvest the Worm Compost (vermicompost) Use Worm Compost in your garden soils Scroll back up and click ‘Buy Now’ to Start your Worm Bin today! “How to Start a Worm Bin” also includes: A FREE gift from the author: “Inside my Worm Composting Toolbox” Vermicomposting FAQ Worm Compost Bin Troubleshooting

    The 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge combines the ketogenic diet with effective wellness strategies for a results-driven, kick-start plan to lose weight permanently.This 21-day ketogenic diet challenge tells you what to eat and when with a clear, easy-to-follow meal plan that includes more than 100 keto-friendly recipes. To complement your diet, The 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge also offers guidance on other fundamental elements of weight loss, including exercise, sleep, and stress management.The 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge gives you the tools to jumpstart your healthier lifestyle with: An introduction to the ketogenic diet that teaches you about the foundations of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic lifestyle, plus helpful advice for maintaining the lifestyle A meal plan that maps out meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with over 100 ketogenic diet recipes and shopping lists for each week A wellness tracker that supports your weekly weight loss goals with exercise guidelines and advice for other healthy habits The 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge is an actionable plan to lose weight fast with recipes and workouts for a slimmer, healthier you.

    600 Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Quick & Hassle-Free Frying!  I bet you crave for simple, no-fuss air fryer recipes! That's why I decided to create the best air fryer cookbook with 600 delicious & easy meals, that you'll ever need to cook in your air fryer!This air fryer cookbook for beginners has plenty of content in the following categories: Lots of Poultry, Beef, and Pork air fryer recipes Quick Snacks and Side Dishes Vegetables and Vegetarian air fryer recipes Great variety of Breakfast & Lunch recipes The Most-Wanted healthy air fryer recipes for Sweets & Desserts This complete Air Fryer recipes cookbook will take care of your scarce cooking time and will show you the easiest & tastiest way towards a whole new life with your ninja air fryer.Get it now and do yourself a big favor! Get the best air fryer recipes and you will love it!

    From annuals to vegetables, lawns, trees, and perennials, simply look up any given month and you'll find a complete gardening guide for every plant category, with advice for planning, planting, care, watering, fertilizing, and overcoming problems typically encountered by Florida gardeners during that time of year. Fully illustrated with gorgeously colored step-by-step method and plant photography, this is the ideal how-to guide for Florida gardeners. Whether you're growing milkweed in Tallahassee, planting a Simpson's stopper in Orlando, or simply wondering where (or when) to start, Florida Month-by-Month Gardening helps you take your first steps toward mastering the Florida gardening landscape. Companion books Florida Getting Started Garden Guide and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening are two more excellent additions to your Floridian garden library. Discover: The best lawn care tips for southern landscapesHow to maintain plantings through the dry seasonTips for growing vegetables in Florida's unique climateAdvice on managing common Florida garden pestsCare and planting techniques for shrub and flower gardensOther titles in our popular Month-By-Month Gardening series include: Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Carolinas, Rocky Mountains, Deep South, New England, and many more.

    They're bringing back an American tradition: raising their own backyard chickens for eggs and companionship. And they care about the quality of life of their chickens. Fresh Eggs Daily is an authoritative, accessible guide to coops, nesting boxes, runs, breeding, feed, and natural health care with time-tested remedies.  The author promotes the benefits of keeping chickens happy and well-occupied, and in optimal health, free of chemicals and antibiotics. She emphasizes the therapeutic value of herbs and natural supplements to maintaining a healthy environment for your chickens. Includes many "recipes" and  8 easy DIY projects for the coop and run. Full color photos throughout. The USDA's new study of urban chicken raising sees a 400% increase in backyard chickens over the next 5 years, driven by younger adults.

     Inside, you’ll find a range of mouth-watering dishes that are quick and easy to prepare, but offer amazing taste at the same time, including: Pork and chive meat balls Spiced macadamia and chicken noodles Chicken and cabbage dumplings Cheesy green omelet Mozzarella shrimp parcels Vanilla and strawberry cheesecake And many more… Also inside the book, you’ll find all the information you’ll need on your Crock Pot, including how to use and get the most out of it, as well as how to approach the ketogenic diet to ensure success. Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard work and with The Keto Crock Pot Cookbook you can make it even easier, while cutting down the chances of failure into the bargain! Get your copy NOW!

    The time has come to look for new ways to create friendly, livable spaces around our homes. In The American Meadow Garden, ornamental grass expert John Greenlee creates a new model for homeowners and gardeners. For Greenlee, a meadow isn't a random assortment of messy, anonymous grasses. Rather, it is a shimmering mini-ecosystem, in which regionally appropriate grasses combine with colorful perennials to form a rich tapestry that is friendly to all life — with minimal input of water, time, and other scarce resources. Kids and pets can play in complete safety, and birds and butterflies flock there. A prairie style planting is a place you want to be. With decades of experience as a nurseryman and designer, John Greenlee is the perfect guide. He details all the practicalities of site preparation, plant selection, and maintenance; particularly valuable are his explanations of how ornamental grasses perform in different climates and areas. Gorgeous photography by Saxon Holt visually illustrates the message with stunning examples of meadow gardens from across the country. We've reached a stage where we can no longer follow past practices unthinkingly, particularly when those practices are wasteful and harmful to the environment. It's time to get rid of the old-fashioned lawn and embrace a sane and healthy future: the American meadow garden.

    Often covered in mud and scrapes, Shalev cultivates both nomadic plants and "house dwellers," using his own quirky techniques. He extolls the virtues of the lemon tree; rescues a precious variety of purple snapdragon from the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway; does battle with a saboteur mole rat. He even gives us his superior private recipe for curing olives. The book will attract gardeners and literary readers alike, with its appreciation for the joy of living, quite literally, on earth, and for our borrowed time on a particular patch of it--enhanced, the author continually reminds us, by our honest, respectful dealings with all manner of beings who inhabit it with us.

    You’ll learn the basics of photosynthesis, the science of light, how to accurately measure how much light a plant needs, and details about the most up-to-date tools and gear available. Also included are tips and techniques for helping ornamental plants (like orchids, succulents, bonsai, and more) and edible plants (arugula, cannabis, oregano, tomatoes, and more) thrive indoors. Whether you are a vegetable gardener who wants to extend the growing season, a balcony gardener short on outdoor space, or a specialty plant collector, Gardening Under Lights is a must-have.

    But not everyone cooks for a large family. This book (unlike those for six to eight people) hits the sweet spot. From Apples Cinnamon Fritters to Louisiana Fried Catfish, every recipe is created just for two.The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two also makes everything fast and easy. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less and they’re designed with simple prep and minimal clean-up in mind. Nutritional information, serving size descriptions and recipes for vegetarians, vegans and the gluten-free are also included. There’s so much to savor.The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two includes: Air fry 101—includes tip for getting started and trouble-shooting plus handy charts for guiding timing and temperature 100+ recipes—it’s an air fry fest featuring Chocolate Chip Zucchini, Fried Green Tomatoes, Crab Cakes with Remoulade, Apple Hand Pies and over 96 more scrumptious ideas Ingredient swaps—recipes include tips on getting the best results with ingredients you have on hand, saving time and money Weekend brunch, date night, or dinner with a friend—whatever the occasion, these tasty recipes are made to share together.

    Modeled after her grandmother, Euna Mae, Amy's big-hearted lifestyle has become noticed by a disconnected world that is drawn to her mission of using food to love, welcome, and serve those around her. Amy encourages people to open their homes and their hearts, connecting with folks over food; and she offers home cooks simple, crowd-pleasing, comfort recipes, meals that can be prepared for whatever the hospitality affair. Recipes like Brown Sugar Chili over Cheese Grits, Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, and Sam's Pulled Pork are perfect belly-fillers for gathering people in your home. And recipes like Comfort Chicken Pot Pie, Hello Dolly Brownies, and Layered Spaghetti Pie are ideal for giving to folks when they just need to feel loved. Combined with her refreshing enthusiasm and approachable recipes, Amy Hannon has ignited a passion in young cooks who are spreading their hospitality wings, and she has reignited that same passion in seasoned cooks who had forgotten how much joy comes from serving others. Love Welcome Serve, Amy's first cookbook, will encourage you to embrace hospitality so you can enjoy the life that happens when you make and serve food for your people.

    There are an increasing number of books on the market about making cheese, but none approaches the intricacies of cheesemaking science alongside considerations for preparing each type of cheese variety in as much detail as Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking.Indeed, this book fills a big hole in the market. Beginner guides leave you wanting more content and explanation of process, while recipe-based cookbooks often fail to dig deeper into the science, and therefore don't allow for a truly intuitive cheesemaker to develop. Acclaimed cheesemaker Gianaclis Caldwell has written the book she wishes existed when she was starting out. Every serious home-scale artisan cheesemaker--even those just beginning to experiment--will want this book as their bible to take them from their first quick mozzarella to a French mimolette, and ultimately to designing their own unique cheeses.This comprehensive and user-friendly guide thoroughly explains the art and science that allow milk to be transformed into epicurean masterpieces. Caldwell offers a deep look at the history, science, culture, and art of making artisan cheese on a small scale, and includes detailed information on equipment and setting up a home-scale operation. A large part of the book includes extensive process-based recipes dictating not only the hard numbers, but also the concepts behind each style of cheese and everything you want to know about affinage (aging) and using oils, brushes, waxes, infusions, and other creative aging and flavoring techniques. Also included are beautiful photographs, profiles of other cheesemakers, and in-depth appendices for quick reference in the preparation and aging room. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking will also prove an invaluable resource for those with, or thinking of starting, a small-scale creamery.Let Gianaclis Caldwell be your mentor, guide, and cheering section as you follow the pathway to a mastery of cheesemaking. For the avid home hobbyist to the serious commercial artisan, Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is an irreplaceable resource.

    This collection follows a year in the life of this community garden, reflected in recipes that are unusual without being daunting. Many of the recipes reflect everyday activitiesTurkish women rolling flatbreads or clipping the young vine leaves to make dolmades, families gathering to grill kebabs on the weekendand the spirit of the community is captured in the photographs and the dishes. The 150 imaginative and seasonal recipes include Moro favorites and new combinations such as Pigeon Smoked Duck Breast with Apples, Walnuts and Chicory; Fried Green Tomatoes with Garlic and Sweet Vinegar; and Courgette and Yoghurt Soup. This character-filled garden was bulldozed to make way for the 2012 Olympics making this a true treasure, documenting the last ever growing season for Sam and Sam and the unique men and women of Manor Garden. Includes metric measurements