The gnarled, immutable yew tree is one of the most evocative sights in the British and Irish language, an evergreen impression of immortality, the tree that provides a living botanical link between our own landscapes and those of the distant past. This book tells the extraordinary story of the yew’s role in the landscape through the millennia, and makes a convincing case for the origins of many of the oldest trees, as markers of the holy places founded by Celtic saints in the early medieva...

The botanical history of Britain and North West Europe has a dark and a light side. Plants have been used as weapons to harm people, taken deliberately as addictive drugs and also employed as tools in witchcraft and used as magical amulets. Yet many of these same plants have been medicinally vital to numerous European communities; as the author notes, frequently the only difference between a benevolent medicine and a poison is dosage. In this book, which is richly illustrated with modern c...

The author of The Drunken Botanist "offers practical and tantalizing composite views of toxic, irritating, prickly, and all-around ill-mannered plants" ( Booklist ).American Horticultural Society Book Award WinnerChosen One of the Best Gardening Books of the Year by the Washington Post and National Pub...

From the author of the New York Times bestseller* Why You Shouldn?t Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless (or Gross) Information About Your Body: the be-all and end-all compendium of odd, quirky, and otherwise nauseating information.H ere is another thoroughly distasteful yet utterly compelling book from the author of the New York Times (extended list) bestseller Why You Shouldn?t Eat Your Boogers and Other Useless (or Gross) Information...

With quick and easy instructions, Guinea Pig Care will help you set up a home for your guinea pig and provide you with all the necessary information you need to know to keep your new family member happy and healthy.

An A-to-Z journey through a wide variety of herbs and their fascinating history of medicinal and culinary uses—includes illustrations!Discover some unique additions to your garden in this reference filled with fascinating facts, unexpected lore, elegant prose, and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ellen Buchert.From popular herbs like basil, lavender, and peppermint to lesser-known choices like meadowsweet and soapwort, this is a treasury that reveals h...

This first aid guide is provided as a set of general instructions in using the materials included in the average first aid kit. It should be noted that this guide is also for the treatment of minor injuries, and that these general instructions are consistent with current standard first aid practices.

This incredibly diverse compendium contains just about everything you'll ever need to know about the properties and provenance of herbs and spices of the world. From amara dulcis to yarrow, all-heal to viper's bugloss, Breverton's Complete Herbal is a modern day treasury of over 250 herbs and their uses.Terry Breverton provides a reworking of a Nicholas Culpeper classic text for a modern day audience. Arranged alphabetically, this book describes over 250 herbs and spices as well as...

In ancient Ireland there were 365 different parts to the body, and a different plant to cure each part. So the wild plants of Ireland are bound up in our culture and folklore from the earliest times. To arry a four-leaved shamrock brings luck in gambling, while putting nine ivy leaves under her pillow means a girl will dream of her future husband. Here plants are described in seasonal order, a perspective dating back to our ancestors. Different aspects of plant folklore are examined follow...

"Readers who enjoy plants and offbeat tales will find Brown's book a happy mix" ( Publishers Weekly).Mankind has always had a morbid fascination with poisonous plants. Over the centuries, poisonous plants have been used to remove garden pests—as well as unwanted rivals and deceitful partners. They have also been used for their medicinal qualities, as rather dangerous cosmetics, and even to help seduce a lover when perceived as an aphrodisiac. Some of these...

This book contains a classic guide to pig farming that presents the reader with all the fundamental information they would need to know abut keeping and breeding pigs for pleasure or profit. It covers every aspect of the subject from stock selection to common ailments and how they can be avoided, making it ideal for novice breeders and owners alike. “The Handbook of Modern Pig Farming” is not to be missed by collectors of vintage agricultural literature. Contents include: “Type And Breed”,...

A book for both armchair gardeners and the more active variety. It describes the way English gardens evolved over the centuries, reflecting the social changes experienced from the earliest times to the turn of the nineteenth century. It also gives a brief history of nearly 50 of the most popular garden flowers, telling the stories behind their arrival in England and the ways we used them before they became purely ornamental.It has something to offer readers interested in:gard...