Trees, wildflowers and plants: general interest Books

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Book SynopsisThis lavishly illustrated book reveals the lives of the people who assembled the greatest botanical collection of the Early Modern period, with stories of adventure and discovery across every continent. Sir Hans Sloane's herbarium, housed at the Natural History Museum in London, is probably the most extensive herbarium collection of its kind. It exemplifies the rich history of exploration and discovery in the period preceding Cook's voyages, and it remains of considerable scientific and historical value today. Assembled between the 1680s and 1750s, it comprises an estimated 120,000 pressed plant specimens. More than 300 people contributed to its development across more than 70 countries.

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Book SynopsisFrom the creator of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science, comes a nonfiction picture book series ready to grow young scientists by nurturing their curiosity about the natural world--starting with what's inside a flower.Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers--from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry.In the launch of a new nonfiction picture book series, Rachel Ignotofsky's distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about flowers.

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Book SynopsisBased on a twenty-year survey organised by the Botanical Society of Scotland, this is the most extensive and authoritative Flora of Edinburgh and the Lothians to be published since 1927. In addition to a complete Flora of vascular plants in the three Lothian vice-counties, the book includes: specialist chapters on topics ranging from fungi to ferns and from geology and climate to ethnobotany, a substantial Bryophyte Flora of Edinburgh and the Lothians, a discussion of land use changes and the ecological and phytogeographical indications from the survey, a description of the survey and details of the methods used in the compilation of the Flora, and thirty colour and black and white plates, nearly 400 distribution maps and other illustrations.Trade ReviewA mine of information!detailed and authoritative !very readable !The sheer breadth of the information in this volume must make it an invaluable asset to any naturalist interested in lowland Scotland. A handsome and inexpensive volume that handles well ! This is a book that Scottish and northern botanists will not wish to be without. Useful and attractive book. I salute the organisational skill which defined the project's framework and maintained interest over such a long period, producing at the end a book which will indeed be 'of value to Scottish society' ! It is a very valuable contribution to Scottish botany and sets a high standard for future local Floras. A mine of information!detailed and authoritative !very readable !The sheer breadth of the information in this volume must make it an invaluable asset to any naturalist interested in lowland Scotland. A handsome and inexpensive volume that handles well ! This is a book that Scottish and northern botanists will not wish to be without. Useful and attractive book. I salute the organisational skill which defined the project's framework and maintained interest over such a long period, producing at the end a book which will indeed be 'of value to Scottish society' ! It is a very valuable contribution to Scottish botany and sets a high standard for future local Floras.Table of ContentsPreface; List of Plates; List of Authors; Chapter 1. Lothian Landscapes, Geology, Climate and Soil, P. A. Furley and K. A. Smith; Chapter 2. Fossils and Pollen: Indications of the Past Plant Life of the Lothians, W. J. Baird; Chapter 3. Moorland, Wetlands and Forest in the Lothians: The Growing Influence of Humans, P. M. Smith; Chapter 4. Microfungi of the Lothians, S. Helfer; Chapter 5. Macrofungi of the Lothians, R. Watling; Chapter 6. Stoneworts of the Lothians, N. F. Stewart; Chapter 7. Seaweeds of the Lothians, M. Wilkinson; Chapter 8. Lichens of the Lothians, B. J. Coppins; Chapter 9. A Bryophyte Flora of the Lothians, D. F. Chamberlain; Chapter 10. Ferns and Fern Allies of the Lothians, A. F. Dyer and H. S. McHaffie; Chapter 11. The Earlier Study of the Plants of Edinburgh and the Lothians, P. M. Smith; Chapter 12. The Botany of the Lothians Project, M. P. Cochrane, R. O. D. Dixon, J. Muscott, and P. M. Smith; Chapter 13. A Flora of the Lothians, J. Muscott, D. R. McKean and H. E. Jackson; Chapter 14. Casual and Invasive Aliens, D. R. McKean; Chapter 15. Notes from the Vice-counties, J. Muscott, D. R. McKean, A. J. Silverside and H. E. Jackson; Chapter 16. Phytogeography of the Lothians, P. M. Smith; Chapter 17. The Habitats, Distribution and Ecology of Plants in Edinburgh and the Lothians, P. M. Smith; Chapter 18. Land Use in the Lothians, G. Russell; Chapter 19. Ethnobotany of the Lothians, G. E. Kenicer and T. M. Darwin; References; List of Contributors to the Botany of the Lothians Project; Gazetteer; List of Synonyms; Index of Flora; General Index.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first ever Flora of the Glasgow area that relates how plants have changed over time.Trade ReviewThis beautifully illustrated local Flora is the culmination of 15 years' work...Professor Dickson is always happy to give his opinion on controversial matters and this makes this work all the more readable." -- Douglas McKean Plentifully illustrated by black-and-white photographs and old maps and prints, also 23 colour plates of maps, habitats and individual plants ... A most thorough account, drawing on some 15 years of field work, and a sound basis for future research and conservation. Of outstanding interest. This beautifully illustrated local Flora is the culmination of 15 years' work...Professor Dickson is always happy to give his opinion on controversial matters and this makes this work all the more readable." Plentifully illustrated by black-and-white photographs and old maps and prints, also 23 colour plates of maps, habitats and individual plants ... A most thorough account, drawing on some 15 years of field work, and a sound basis for future research and conservation. Of outstanding interest.

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Book Synopsis“With the twinned calamities of climate change and mass extinction weighing heavier and heavier on my nature-besotted soul, here were concrete, affordable actions that I could take, that anyone could take, to help our wild neighbors thrive in the built human environment. And it all starts with nothing more than a seed. Bringing Nature Home is a miracle: a book that summons butterflies.' —Margaret Renkl, The Washington Post  As development and habitat destruction accelerate, there are increasing pressures on wildlife populations. In his groundbreaking book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Luckily, there is an important and simple step we can all take to help reverse this aTrade ReviewAn informative and engaging account of the ecological interactions between plants and wildlife, this fascinating handbook explains why exotic plants can hinder and confuse native creatures, from birds and bees to larger fauna. -- Ann Lovejoy Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20071011 I want to mention how excited I am about reading Bringing Nature Home. ... I like the writing - enthusiastic and down-to-earth, as it should be. -- Elizabeth Licata Garden Rant 20071114 An eloquently written theory, offering recommendations for conservation to gardeners everywhere. Buffalo Spree 20071201 We all know where resistance to natives, reliance on pesticides, and the cult of the lawn still reign supreme: suburban America. And suburban America is where Doug Tallamy aims the passionate arguments for natives and their accompanying wildlife contained in his wonderful book. -- Elizabeth Licata Garden Rant 20071202 Filled with beautiful photographs of insects, plants, and birds and hard data presented in an easy-to-read style, 'Bringing Nature Home' will persuade all of us to take a look at what is in our own yards with an eye to how we, too, can make a difference. It has already changed me. -- Kay Charter Traverse City Record-Eagle 20071205 Makes a powerful case for native plants in our landscapes. This is a fascinating look at how importing exotic plants into your garden can negatively affect native birds, bees, and wildlife. Tallamy offers an engaging argument for the power of gardeners to contribute to maintaining biodiversity. -- Maia Eisen Tacoma East King Trailhead 20070101 A fascinating study of the trees, shrubs, and vines that feed the insects, birds, and other animals in the suburban garden. -- Anne Raver New York Times 20071206 Tallamy explains eloquently how native plant species depend on native wildlife. ... Dedicated gardeners will find his descriptions of the plants and insects (bird food) interesting. San Luis Obispo Tribune 20071221 This book not only shows how important native plants are but also how easy they can be to incorporate into a landscape plan. -- Marianne Binetti Seattle Post-Intelligencer 20071206 A book that plant lovers as well as insect lovers can enjoy. Wild Foods Forum 20080101 Tallamy builds his case with research-based facts enhanced with engaging personal stories. ... [He] offers inspirational native design ideas with a focus on creating balanced landscapes and increasing biodiversity. ... Logical and convincing, this book is an essential guide for anyone interested in increasing biodiversity in the garden. -- Deborah Smith-Fiola American Gardener 20080101 Filled with beautiful photographs of insects, plants, birds, and hard data presented in an easy-to-read style, Bringing Nature Home is a book every conservationist should read carefully. -- Kay Charter Windstar Wildlife Institute Blog 20080203 Tallamy's tome is school-in-a-book for the nursery acquisitions person, the plant aficionado, the individual looking for the most effective and sensible way to grow a natural garden and support the environment. Bloomin' News 20080301 What a delight ... to acknowledge that the voice of reason - and an eloquent one at that - has entered the fray. ... Fascinating insight that's presented in an engaging manner perfectly tuned for gardeners of every stripe. ... Worth your while. -- Felicia Parsons Northern Gardener 20080301 If you cut down the goldenrod, the wild black cherry, the milkweed and other natives, you eliminate the larvae, and starve the birds. This simple revelation about the food web - and it is an intricate web, not a chain - is the driving force in Bringing Nature Home. -- Anne Raver New York Times 20080306 With Carsonic remonstrance, Tallamy communicates a hopeful message: it's not too late to save the ecological community of fauna and the answer is as simple as replacing foreign plants with natives. -- John Bagnasco Garden Compass 20080401 This informative book delivers an important message for all gardeners: Choosing native plants fortifies birds and other wildlife and protects them from extinction. -- Jessie H. Barry Wild Bird 20080501 I rank this as the most important gardening book I've read. It's about ecology and about gardening, but it's more than that. It's both inspiring and sobering. -- Janet Allen Upstate Gardeners' Journal 20080301 Easy, thought-provoking, and stimulating to read. -- Ilene Sternberg Green Scene 20080501 Reading this book will give you a new appreciation for the natural world - and how much wild creatures need gardens that mimic the disappearing wild. -- Val Cunningham Minneapolis Star Tribune 20080611 Provides the rationale behind the use of native plants, a concept that has rapidly been gaining momentum. The impact on our environment is huge. The text makes a case for native plants and animals in a compelling and complete fashion. -- Joel M. Lerner Washington Post 20080628 People in the gardening world are calling Douglas W. Tallamy's book on native plants the next Silent Spring, Rachel Carson's 1962 book that warned of the dangers of chemical pesticides and helped launch the modern-day environmental movement. -- Bill Cary Westchester Journal News 20081107 I am reading [this] with great enjoyment. ... I am finding new ideas in his book and continued inspiration to talk about the problems and the answers. -- Judy Brinkerhoff Petaluma Argus-Courier 20081106 [A] book that opened my eyes. ... Tallamy illustrates well how gardeners have contributed greatly to tipping the environment off balance and how they are equally able to turn the trend. -- David Bare Statesville Record & Landmark 20081227 Opens our eyes to an environmental problem of staggering proportions. Fortunately, it also shows us how we can help. -- Judy Brinkerhoff Petaluma Argus-Courier 20090507 You can look at this book as a manifesto explaining why we should favor native plants, but it's much more than that. It's a plan to sustain the endangered biodiversity and even more, it's a plan to transform suburbia from an environmental liability to an environmental asset. -- Raz Godelnik Eco-Libris Blog 20090608 A delight to read and a most needed resource. -- Cheryl Cadwell Warwick Beacon (Warwick, RI) 20090723 This book will not only foster a love of the outdoors in all who read it, but also create a deeper understanding and appreciation of the intricate web of wildlife outside your door. -- Andy Bennett Cabin Life 20090901 We may not be aware that there is more to the need for natives than concern about invasive species that upset an ecosystem. According to Tallamy, a balanced ecosystem needs more insects. It is when the balance of the system is disrupted that problems arise. -- Pat Leuchtman Recorder 20081213 A call to arms. There is not much ordinary citizens can do to create large new preserves. But we can make better use of the small green spaces we have around our houses. While the situation in the United States is quite serious, Tallamy offers options that anyone with a garden, even a postage-stamp-sized one like mine, can do to help. -- Tammar Stein St. Petersburg Times 20090124 Tallamy makes such a compelling case for the importance of insects to birds that I've completely changed the way I garden. From now on, insect attractors are my first choices. -- Val Cunningham Birding Business 20081201 Illustrates well how gardeners have contributed greatly to tipping the environment off balance and how they are equally able to turn the trend. ... Plants and insects are integrally intertwined. Understanding the beauty of these relationships deepens our appreciation of our gardens and the important role we play. -- David Bare Winston-Salem Journal 20081227 The book that is going to change how gardening is conducted over the next century. Ants, Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Nature Blog 20090508 Doug Tallamy's book is a gift. It's not the kind of gift wrapped with a pink ribbon and a tiny rose tucked into the bow. It's the kind of gift that shakes you to your core and sets you on the path of healing. Your garden. Your planet. One plant at a time. Open it. -- Kathryn Hall Plant Whatever Brings You Joy 20090908 Buy, borrow, or steal this book! It is essential reading with ideas that need to become part of our understanding of how life works on this planet. Prairie Moon Nursery Blog 20090925 This is the 'it' book in certain gardening circles. It's really struck a nerve. -- Virginia A. Smith Philadelphia Inquirer 20091218 My book of choice of the year. -- Sally Cunningham Buffalo News 20091218

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Book SynopsisA book to treasure that will delight tree lovers: from those who talk to trees to those who cannot name a tree!Table of ContentsPistolbush Duvernoia adhatodoides; Weeping boerbean Schotia brachypetala; Pride-of-de-kaap Bauhinia galpinii; Wildpear Dombeya rotundifolia; Wild-pomegranate Burchellia bubaline; Transvaal gardenia Gardenia volkensii; Pompontree Dais continifolia; Transva

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Book SynopsisLearn how to de-stress, relax and connect with the wildness you can find on your doorstep even in urban and suburban settings.Increasing workload, nervous tension, trouble sleeping? Wondering whether there is more to life? You're not having a mid-life crisis. Like so many others, you are feeling the call of the wild.Today's urban living makes it easy for us to feel divorced from nature. This practical book is filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs that will get you out and about whatever the weather.Featuring a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful projects, all with nature at their heart, you'll be surprised how much wildness you can find on your doorstep when you know where to look.Organised by month, Urban Wild's simple, seasonal, step-by-step activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you increase your potential for health and well-being and take your first steps on Trade ReviewGorgeous new book… packed with tips to help even the most ardent city dwellers connect with the natural world. * Daily Mirror *This beautifully illustrated book promises to “get you out and about” with first steps towards a lifelong relationship with flora and fauna. * BBC Countryfile *…includes a wide range of activities to help you connect with the wildness close to home. * Countryside Magazine, Book of the Month *Organised by month, this book’s simple, seasonal activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you learn how to de-stress and reconnect with the natural world on your doorstep. * Easy Gardens *Offers a plethora of ideas on how you too can reconnect with nature even if you live in a city. * Irish Examiner *Filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs, to get you out and about whatever the weather. * Garden News *For both avid nature lovers and novice outdoorspeople, Urban Wild unlocks the beauty available right under our noses, no matter where we live. -- Melissa Norstedt * Booklist *With nature at their heart, [step-by-step activities] provide a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful seasonal projects. * Garden News *Table of ContentsThe planting of the seed A note on safety January Take a tree shower Sounds of nature Landscape navigation Wild pot-pourri February Micro-pilgrimage Valentines for the birds Animal tracking Home spa facial March Be out in a storm (or at least watch one) Make a spring flower bouquet Plant a nectar bar Eat wild spring pesto Spring wild weather activity: Homemade reed diffusers April Plant something and watch it grow Watch for the first swallows Make nettle cordial Foraged pakoras May Make daisy oil Sleep in a hammock Make a natural gratitude journal Honour your feet June Make rose petal gin Make elderflower champagne Afternoon tea ceremony Find a sit spot Summer wild weather activity: Make herbal gin bags July Get to water Make mojito jellies Savour a plant Cloud watching August Go camping Look at the stars Sit by a fire Swim in the sea September Wild herbal balms Bountiful berries and the art of eating mindfully Wild mocktails Rose hip vinegar Autumn wild weather activity: Make a plaster print October Wild berry jelly Make a bulb lasagne Autumn light photography Carve a pumpkin November Make something and burn it Scrumped apple pies Go on a night walk Plant a tree (even indoors) December Christmas wreath walk Bake bread on a skillet See a sunrise Know when enough is enough Winter wild weather activity: Make an ice glob Further reading Resources Image credits Index

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Book SynopsisWhere mountains meet ocean in Alaska's Alexander Archipelago, white skeletons of dead yellow cedar trees stand prominently amidst a verdant landscape of old-growth forests. Researchers spent nearly three decades deciphering the cause of the majestic species' death and uncovering climate change as the culprit. Lauren E. Oakes, a young scientist at Stanford University, was one of them. But even as she set to record the demise of a species, she soon found herself immersed in an even bigger, and totally unexpected, story: how the people of Alaska were adapting to the tree's disappearance, and how the tree itself, seemingly doomed, was adapting to a changing world. In Search of the Canary Tree is the story of six years that Oakes and her team spent in the Alaskan wilds, studying thousands of trees and saplings along the archipelago of southeast Alaska. Far from losing faith in the survival of our woodlands, she discovered the resiliency of forgotten forests, flourishing again after years of destruction and decomposition. And, through deep encounters with loggers, naturalists, Native weavers, and enthusiasts of the yellow cedar, Oakes discovered how the people of Alaska were determined to develop new relationships with the emerging environment. Where many scientists and commentators have found in climate change an unmitigated disaster, Oakes found beacons of hope even in the disorienting death of a species. Above all else, Oakes shows us that, although we can respond to climate change with either fear or denial, we can also find in it a new world, and one that doesn't necessarily have to be for the worst. Eloquent, insightful, and deeply heartening, In Search of the Canary Tree shows how human and natural resilience can help preserve ourselves, even in our rapidly changing world.

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Book SynopsisAuthor Leigh Joseph, an ethnobotanist and a member of the Squamish Nation, provides a beautifully illustrated essential introduction to Indigenous plant knowledge. Plants can be a great source of healing as well as nourishment, and the practice of growing and harvesting from trees, flowering herbs, and other plants is a powerful way to become more connected to the land. The Indigenous Peoples of North America have long traditions of using native plants as medicine as well as for food. Held by the Land honors and shares some of these traditions, offering a guide to: Harvesting herbs and other plants and using them topically North American plants that can treat common ailments, add nutrition to your diet, become part of your beauty regime, and more Stories and traditions about native plants from the author’s Squamish culture Using plant knowledge to strengthen your connection to the land you live on Early chapters introduce you to responsible ways to identify and harvest plants in your area and teach you how to grow a deeper connection with the land you live on through plants. In the plant profiles section, common plants are introduced with: Elegant, line-drawn botanical art for each plant Information on their characteristics and range How to grow and/or harvest them How to use them topically and as food Special features with recipes for food and beauty products along with stories and traditions around the plants This beautiful, full-color guide to Indigenous plants will give you new insights into the power of everyday plants. Trade Review“This will deepen readers’ appreciation for the restorative power of the outdoors.” * Publishers Weekly *“Exceptionally well written, illustrated, and organized, providing the reader with informative insight into the power of everyday plants for good health and medical applications.” * Midwest Book Review *“Generously thorough and lovingly illustrated guidebook to Indigenous plants for the absolute beginner to the seasoned expert. ... This book is the perfect place to begin a lasting friendship with plants!” * Spirit Bound Press *"In this beautifully illustrated herbal guide, Indigenous ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph’s Held by the Land facilitates experiential learning that honors lineage, land, and ways of knowing." * Journal of the American Herbalists Guild *Table of ContentsCONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Building Botanical Relationships CHAPTER 2: Teachings from Plants CHAPTER 3: Identifying Plants to Build Your Home Apothecary CHAPTER 4: The Mindful Harvest CHAPTER 5: Botanical or Land-Based Mindfulness Practices INTRODUCTION Reflections on Indigenous Plant Knowledge & Building Relationships Plant Profiles & Recipes TREES Amabilis Fir Bigleaf Maple Black Poplar or Cottonwood Grand Fir Pacific Crab Apple Spruce Western Hemlock Western Red Cedar SHRUBS Beaked Hazelnut Blackcap Blueberry Bog Cranberry Devil’s Club Highbush Cranberry Labrador Tea Ocean Spray Red Elderberry and Blue Elderberry Red Huckleberry Red-Flowering Currant Salal Salmonberry Saskatoon Berry Soapberry Tall Oregon Grape Thimbleberry Trailing Blackberry Wild Rose FLOWERING HERBS Bare-Stem Desert Parsley or Biscuitroot Broad-Leaved Plantain Camas Cattail Cow Parsnip Fireweed Nodding Onion Northern Rice Root Stinging Nettle Wapato Wild Ginger Wild Strawberry Yarrow FERNS, HORSETAILS, LICHENS & SEAWEEDS Beard Lichen Common Horsetail Licorice Fern Red Laver CONCLUSION Botanical Glossary Appendix References Acknowledgments About the Author About the Recipe Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisFive writers capture the majesty and grandeur of California’s famed redwoods Originally published in celebration of Save the Redwoods League’s 100th anniversary, and here newly adapted for a trade audience, The Once and Future Forest explores the grandeur of the redwood ecosystems that sustain California and the deep love they have engendered in scientists, writers, artists, and the general public. At the heart of this celebration are five expansive essays by Gary Ferguson, David Harris, Meg Lowman, Greg Sarris, and David Rains Wallace. These pieces discuss a multitude of topics, including the fascinating science of redwoods, the League’s history of redwoods conservation, and the big trees’ significance to Indigenous cultures; but what unites the essays aside from their theme is awe. Readers will be inspired to protect these majestic beings and to look for a more ecologically informed future.Table of ContentsContents INTRODUCTION BY Sam Hodder David Harris, MY REDWOOD CONFESSION Gary Ferguson, GUARDIANS OF THE GIANTS Greg Sarris, THE ANCIENT ONES Meg Lowman, THE SCIENCE OF GIANTS David Rains Wallace, REDWOOD TIME

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