· 2019
Home Gardener's Trees & Shrubs is the essential guide to selecting, planting, improving and maintaining trees and shrubs in the garden. No matter what the type of garden or outdoor space, trees and shrubs are usually featured. This is because they are so versatile. Depending on the species chosen, shrubs and trees can form the background to a garden, be a focal point or add height to an overlooked garden. Whatever your garden needs, a tree or shrub can provide it. This book details the basics of choosing, buying, planting, establishing and transplanting. A comprehensive plant directory has A-Z lists of species within different categories - seasons, color, size etc. The final section of the book looks at how to care for shrubs and trees, giving practical advice on how to prune and clip, and the pests, diseases and other problems to watch out for.
· 2011
The lives of bees are interwoven with our own, but how much do you know about them? Which scents do bees prefer? How do bees transport pollen? How far can bees fly? Do specific colours attract bees? Do bees prefer native flowers? Bees are a delight to see in the garden on warm summer days, buzzing as they flit from flower to flower. They are also vital for the future of the planet and without their dedicated pollinating skills, many crops would eventually fail. Then there is honey – a near-miraculous elixir that in earlier generations was an integral part of life as a sweetener and food preserver. It can be fermented with water and yeast to create mead, a drink that has been enjoyed for thousands of years. The Bee-Kind Garden reveals the many facets of the lives of bees, including their hives, flight patterns and defence. It is filled with helpful information on important topics such as which flowers are best for attracting bees to your garden, beekeeping equipment and guidance for extracting honey as well as the art of talking to bees. It also celebrates the charming proverbs, limericks and verse bees have inspired. This delightfully illustrated book is a homage to bees and to ensuring that they continue to live in harmony with humans in bee-friendly gardens.
· 2017
Home Gardener's Small Gardens is the essential guide to improving a small garden and turning the most modest-sized space into a stunning outdoor area. It offers lushly illustrated strategies for making the most of a confined space—whether backyard, terrace or courtyard. Get started with an informative discussion of small garden types, appropriate plants, problems and opportunities, design, and planning. The excitement truly begins with a look at the wide variety of stylistic options. The gardens range from Mediterranean to wildflower, secluded to low-maintenance, container to balcony. And a plant directory covers it all: summer-flowering annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, small trees, climbers, water plants, bamboos, culinary herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even more. For a finishing touch, there's practical information on garden construction, with step-by-step instructions for making paths, patios and other garden structures.
· 2015
With delightful illustrations and fascinating facts aimed at young readers, this children’s book explores the natural world of riverbanks. Have you ever wondered how and why beavers build their dams, how otters live, or how frogs come to be? Now you can find out! This charming picture book teaches young children what it’s like to be an animal living on and in the water. With each turn of the page, this volume reveals dozens of adorable illustrations, educational captions, and vocabulary words. From beavers and otters to snakes, frogs, newts, and more, children will love learning all about these busy aquatic animals and the amazing lives they live! This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book
· 2017
Learn how to identify pests & diseases and take the appropriate actions to keep your garden safe—with an emphasis on non-chemical methods. Home Gardener’s Garden Pests & Diseases is the essential guide to identifying, targeting, and banishing common pests and diseases from the garden. All gardeners know the disappointment of finding their flowers nibbled, or their prized produce riddled with rust. Armed with this essential guide, you can stop the destruction. Get acquainted with all the common pests and diseases that afflict ornamentals, vegetables, fruits, and houseplants, and learn the best ways to deal with them. The effective options include both biological controls—increasingly popular in the gardening world—as well as the better-known organic and chemical methods. At-a-glance checklists explain which ailments generally afflict various plant types, from roses and rock-garden plants to soft fruits and vegetables.
· 2023
The benefits of foraging for food are far and wide. Whether you're looking for ways to become more self-sufficient, save money, or develop healthier habits, A Guide to Wild Food Foraging is an extensive on-the-go directory of more than 100 profiles for wild plants, herbs, fruits, nuts, mushrooms, seaweeds, and shellfish. Each profile provides tips on identification, seasonality, location, what and when to harvest, and how to prepare and use them in delicious recipes. Most of these foods are within reach -- however, you've got to know what you're looking for and where to go and when. This compact field guide has all the information you need alongside new, high-quality photographs and illustrations to help you identify a wholesome and natural food store, all for free. Forage fresh, local foods so you can eat better, save money, learn a useful survival skill, and have fun in the process!
· 2016
Home Gardener's Orchids is the essential guide to choosing and growing orchids successfully in any climate. Orchids have a reputation for being hard to grow, but this comprehensive manual will lead gardeners straight to the best variety to cultivate in their climate, and provide all the necessary information to make their flowers flourish. Dozens of dazzling photographs showcase many of these exotic blooms, while detailed sections discuss how to raise them indoors and in growing cases, as well as in greenhouses, and give plenty of advice on watering, misting, composts, heating and cooling, repotting, and dealing with pests and diseases. This remarkable illustrated A-to-Z features important tips for every orchid, and includes notes on whether it's easy to grow and where to grow it, what temperature it needs, and much more.
Packed with practical advice from leading cultivation specialists, this concise, easy-to-use book covers virtually every aspect of garden design and maintenance—from choosing a plot to selecting plants, maximizing space and building raised beds. Plant Combinations for an Abundant Garden shows how to create productive gardens by selecting the perfect plant combinations. A comprehensive plant directory provides handy information on summer-flowering annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, small trees, climbers, water plants, bamboos, culinary herbs, fruits and vegetables. Practical advice and step-by-step instructions are included for building up layers of soil with mushroom compost, covering weeds with mulch, protecting plants with nets and plastic and much more. With more than 300 gorgeous color photographs, illustrations and diagrams, this book is a must for busy gardeners everywhere.
· 2014
A charming and beautifully illustrated book, exploring the facts and folklore of gardening, its history and curiosities. Gardening is an age-old craft, steeped in mystique and peppered with handed-down wisdom, often derived from 'sons of the soil' who grew cabbages larger than their neighbours. If you think gardening has become too scientific and wonder where all the hands-on experience and wonder has gone, this book mines a rich seam of folkloric advice. A Miscellany for Garden-Lovers takes a stroll through gardening curiosities from ancient Egyptian wisdom and the world of garden gnomes to rhymes and healing gardens. It is packed with information on the history of gardening and the development of tools and practices, as well as garden curiosities and folklore. Illustrated with stunning historical woodcuts and drawings throughout, this makes a perfect gift for anyone with an interest in gardens. This fact-drenched insight into gardening history will enthral you with its diversity – from digging soil and keeping bees to early plant hunters and weather rhymes.
· 2017
"Grow a garden inside! Houseplants bring life and color to any room, and with the right care you can successfully cultivate everything from succulents and bonsai to foliage, flowers, and fruit. Here is everything you always wanted to know about houseplants packed into one easy-to-use volume. Horticulturist David Squire provides simple, step-by-step instructions on choosing the right plants and helping them thrive, with tips on propagation, repotting, grooming, and pest control. The heart of the book is a well-illustrated plant directory that offers a fresh perspective on more than 300 popular varieties, arranged by houseplant families. Each entry features a color photograph for identification; the plant's botanical and common names; its height, spread, optimum climate and light; and propagation tips. Other essential information on feeding, watering, and grooming is covered in a handy quick reference icon panel. Inside The Houseplant Handbook: Complete guide to caring for houseplants, written by an expert horticulturist. User-friendly reference, rich in practical advice on every stage of indoor gardening. Explains how to achieve lasting success with flowering and fruiting plants, cacti, succulents, palms, cycads, bulbs, bromeliads, and ferns. Step-by-step instructions on selection, watering, feeding, presentation, repotting, grooming, propagation, and pest control. Comprehensive Plant Directory covers more than 300 species with color identification photos, botanical and common names, and essential advice. Quick reference panels provide each species' required summer and winter temperature and light conditions, its watering and fertilizing needs, and propagation tips. "