From Valentine's offerings to aphrodisiacs, love philtres and symbols of everlasting love, the romantic gifts of plants have forever been harnessed in the pursuit of love.Fantasy and folklore are rich with the role flowers, fruits and herbs play in our love lives - with plants and affairs of the heart always being intertwined. Whether used by unrequited admirers brewing potions or brides carrying bouquets to symbolise lifelong passion, discover over 60 enchanting s...

A whimsical and imaginative catalog of fantastical beasts and creatures of myth and legend from around the world-complete with a code that needs cracking to uncover the mystery of the monster atlas!One day a collection of very old maps is found in a dusty library. They show where in the world monsters and creatures from mythology and folklore can be found. According to the notes left with the maps, they were made by Cornelius Walters, an intrepid explorer from the ...

Take a trip into the world of hallucinogenic plants in this latest addition to Kew's Witch's Garden series.From ancient ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon to substance-fuelled partying in the Summer of Love, psychoactive plants have been used for thousands of years for everything from shamanic ceremonies to staying awake. The Psychedelic Garden is a fascinating exploration of these incredible species that, for centuries, have helped shape the way we ...

A romantic journey through forty captivating gardens lost to time.All over the world, once-flourishing horticultural spaces have been abandoned and forgotten. From the once-crumbling grandeur of the Villa d’Este and the magic of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, to the sculptural surrealism of Las Pozas and the colourful rebirth of Le Jardin Majorelle, there are countless gardens around the world with fascinating stories to tell.Author and journ...

There is more folklore, mythology and magic associated with our trees and forests than with any other living things.Known throughout the world as dark and wild places where witches make mischief and eerie creatures dwell, forests are also places of sanctuary for the ancient magic and the most enchanting species of trees.Kew: Witch's Forest is a beautifully illustrated, captivating journey through the magical woodland and its stories, from birch bro...

A beautiful folk history of the weird and wonderful orchard, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the author of Witch's Garden.READERS' PRAISE FOR THE WITCH'S GARDEN SERIES:"This book is a thing of beauty""Quirky and very informative... What a gem!""Very readable with fabulous pictures""A must for anyone interested in folklore, herbalism or...

Gardens both real and imagined have long captured our imaginations. They are places of mystery and magic, beauty and danger, romance and revelation; writers have used them to reflect longing and create unforgettable moments of drama, escape, and wonder.Literary Gardens explores thirty of the most atmospheric and emotionally charged gardens in literature. From The Secret Garden and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Rebecca and

Explore the wonderful world of some of the most incredible natural forms on our planet—fungi.At the center of countless superstitions, folkloric tales, and magical beliefs, as well as appearing in recipes and medicines both traditional and modern, mushrooms have incredible powers. The Magic of Mushrooms shows that from saving lives to expanding the mind, the potential of these fascinating organisms should not be underestimated.

The Witch's Garden describes over fifty of the world's most powerful, harmful, legendary, and storied plants—from the screaming mandrake to calming St John's Wort, to predicting the weather with seaweed, the creation of salves for broken hearts, sore heads, protection from evil spirits, and to even induce immortality.Wise women, apothecaries, witches, herbalists: whatever you like to call them, those who cultivate plants for their apparent mystical properties have existed ...

In literary legend, Faustus is the quintessential occult personality of early modern Europe. The historical Faustus, however, was something quite different: a magus—a learned magician fully embedded in the scholarly currents and public life of the Renaissance. And he was hardly the only one. Anthony Grafton argues that the magus in sixteenth-century Europe was a distinctive intellectual type, both different from and indebted to medieval counterparts as well as contemporaries like the engin...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs**: Learn to spot the endlessly unfolding clues and signs that reveal the hidden ways nature changes every day of the year**We all notice the flowers of spring, longer days of summer, colors of autumn, and snowfalls of winter. But have you observed the way that water tends to run clearest in June? Did you know that...

'Pure pleasure'Independent'A rich read'Evening Standard'A delight'Sunday TelegraphTHE REMARKABLE STORY OF VICTORIA FINLAY'S QUEST TO UNCOVER THE MANY SECRETS HIDDEN INSIDE THE PAINTBOX.On her travels she visited remote Central American villages where women still wear skirts dyed with the purple tears of sea snails; learned how George Washington...