Cannabis sativa is best known as the source of marijuana, the world’s most widely consumed illicit recreational drug. However, the plant is also extremely useful as a source of stem fiber, edible seed oil, and medicinal compounds, all of which are undergoing extremely promising research, technological applications, and business investment. Indeed, despite its capacity for harm as a recreational drug, cannabis has phenomenal potential for providing new products to benefit society a...

Flowers are universally admired. Flowers are the leading gift expressing love and respect. They prominently decorate our homes and cities, and they accompany all of the major events in human affairs, from birth through marriage and bereavement. Flowers are also of tremendous economic importance, representing billion-dollar industries in numerous countries. Hundreds of thousands of plant species produce flowers, but relatively few dominate the world of cultivated ornamental plants. Top ...

Some animals and plants injure or kill millions of people annually, others cause trillions of dollars in property damage and loss. Such harmful species are understandably hated. However, the vast majority of the planet’s millions of species are disliked simply because of how they look and act. This bias is endangering numerous species that play important roles in maintaining both the natural ecosystems and the human economies of the world. In Defense of the World’s Most Despised Specie...

Many edible plants considered exotic in the Western world are actually quite mainstream in other cultures. While some of these plants are only encountered in ethnic food markets or during travels to foreign lands, many are now finding their way onto supermarket shelves. Top 100 Exotic Food Plants provides comprehensive coverage of tropical and semi

Many North American plants have characteristics that are especially promising as candidates for expanding our food supply and generating new economically competitive crops. This book is an informative analysis of the top 100 indigenous food plants of North America, focusing on those species that have achieved commercial success or have substantial market potential. The book's user-friendly format provides concise information on each plant. It examines the geography and ecology, history, ec...

Do you have an old grapevine that needs training? A forsythia that has become too leggy? Evergreen shrubs that threaten to push through your first-floor windows? Have you just purchased a new home and feel mystified by the pruning chores ahead? If so, help is here in Pruning Trees, Shrubs & Vines.Pruning is one of the best things you can do for your plants and trees, if it's done the right way. When pruned regularly and properly, your plants stay vibrantly healthy. Floweri...

Discover the complex and fascinating inner world of the mighty oak tree with this engaging nature book!The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practi...

Paint Watercolors that Shine!Make the most of watercolor's fresh, vibrant nature through light, color and contrast. In the first few chapters, artist Soon Y. Warren helps you lay the groundwork - everything from choosing and lighting subjects to color theory and perspective. Then, follow along with a thrilling series of step-by-step demonstrations to put your ideas into action for paintings that shine!• Learn how color, value, contrast and ...

You won't believe the incredible drawings you can create using common pencils and the special techniques illustrated in this book. These methods are so easy that anyone-from doodler to advanced artist-can master them in minutes! Step by step, you'll learn how to capture the look of metal, glass, weathered wood, skin, hair and other textures. Two detailed start-to-finish demonstrations show you how to use these textures to create drawings that look so real they seem to leap right off the pa...

How often do I need to water my Bonsai tree?Should I prune my tree?Although caring for a Bonsai tree is not nearly as difficult as most people believe, you need to learn about some basic techniques in order to keep your tree thriving. Our beginners guide contains all the essential information you need in order to succeed. It covers the basic techniques, well illustrated with over two hundred images, and explains everything you need to know in an understandable way.Th...

The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the right plants for pollinators, protect them from pesticides, and provide abundant blooms throughout the growing seas...

A guide to propagation from the author of The New Shade Garden, with over 500 photographs: "My bible for rejuvenating plants." —Anne Raver, The New York TimesFor people who love gardens, propagation—the practice of growing whatever you want, whenever you want—is gardening itself. In Making More Plants, one of America's foremost gardening authorities, presents innovative, practical techniques for expanding any plant collection, along with m...