The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature and foraging enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly found mushrooms and toadstools in Britain and northern Europe.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show the distinguishing features of each mushroom and toadstool, including details of size, habitat and when it can be found...

This one-stop practical guide will show you how to identify, pick and cook edible mushrooms. To make your progress easier, it comes in a handy format with colour photos and expert advice throughout.From identifying and picking edible mushrooms to growing your own mushrooms, from recipes for seasonal dishes to important information on poisonous species, this book provides all the helpful information you need to relish the exhilarating experience of collecting wild mushrooms....

Mushroom collecting is becoming increasingly popular, and while a comprehensive identification guide is essential, the folklore, facts and fables, recipes and stories that have accumulated since ancient times create part of the charm of these strange organisms. Oddly, these facts have never been compiled in one book.Collins Mushroom Miscellany is a compilation of all of the fascinating biological facts – a mushroom holds the record for the largest spreading single organism covering...

During the long, cold December weeks leading up to Christmas, as we spend our time frantically panicking about the financial side of the festive season, it's all too easy to forget the traditional nativity story. The real meaning of Christmas and the traditions that have existed for generations are shunted aside as we worry about how many shopping days we have left and how we're going to fit that monster turkey into the oven.In this charming book, Patrick Harding breathes new life i...

When you’re a forty something old male, newly single and looking to meet mature women on-line, you need to understand the rules of engagement. What women are looking for and how they approach such connections may surprise you. Behind these digital personas are women who are more complicated and evolved than those you will have met before. Through such encounters you will learn something about life.Steve Palmer had lived the archetypal middle-class life. After graduating from UC Ber...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly seen trees, whether they are out on the town or strolling through the countryside.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show not only the overall shape of the tree but also details of leaf shape, flowers, fruits and bark.Features...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for aspiring foragers. Over 100 edible plants are listed, fully illustrated and described, together with recipes and other fascinating details on their use throughout the ages.Practical advice on how to pick along with information on countryside laws and regulations on picking wild plants helps you to plan your foray with a ...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature enthusiasts keen to identify the wild flowers they might encounter on a walk along the coast or in the mountains, or a ramble through woodland, fields or wetlands.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show the parts of the flower, stem, leaf and fruit, including both common and scien...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for keen birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts to identify the most commonly seen species in Britain and Europe.Authoritative text and beautiful photographs show the distinguishing features of each bird, including notes on appearance, colour and distinctive features, and information on juveniles, range and habitat, nests, call...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly seen butterflies and moths in Britain and northern Europe.Authoritative text, beautiful photographs and detailed illustrations show the distinguishing features of each butterfly and moth to aid identification.Features information on size, habitat, geographical...

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.This is the perfect pocket guide for nature enthusiasts keen to identify the most commonly seen insects in Britain and northern Europe.Authoritative text and beautiful photographs show the distinguishing features of each insect to aid identification.Features information on size, habitat, geographical range and months when they can be spotted, as wel...

A practical guide to finding and preparing food from hedgerows, parks, fields, woods, rivers and seashore. Aimed at the beginner, it also has a wealth of tips for the enthusiast, and, unlike other books on wild food, covers foraging in the urban environment as well as the countryside.The book shows the reader 'Where, How and When' to find the best edible berries, leaves, flowers, mushrooms, seaweed, shellfish and snails, with clear and full instructions on what is safe to eat. ...