Poisonous species have intrigued and beguiled people throughout history, and this fascinating book takes readers on a world tour of 50 dangerous plants and fungi.Across cultures and throughout history, humans have harnessed the toxic properties of plants and fungi - from creating lethal poisons and powerful medicines, to utilizing them for spiritual and ritualistic purposes.The Atlas of Deadly Plants is lavishly illustrated and explores the stories...

The Allotment Keeper's Handbook is a no-nonsense guide to managing your own organic vegetable patch. Packed with invaluable advice, from how to choose an allotment and test its soil to knowing your chickweed from your chicory, it offers an enjoyable and inspiring shortcut through the trials, errors and frustrations of starting a kitchen garden. Dispensing with the strict calendar-based advice usually found in gardening manuals, Jane Perrone steers a carefree course through the gardener's y...

Have you ever wondered why the leaves of the Swiss cheese plant have holes? How aloe vera came to be harnessed as a medicinal powerhouse? Or why – despite your best efforts – you can’t keep your Venus flytrap alive?You are not alone: houseplant expert Jane Perrone has asked herself those very questions, and in Legends of the Leaf she digs deep beneath the surface to reveal the answers. By exploring how they grow in the wild, and the ways they are understood and used by the...

Poisonous species have intrigued and beguiled people throughout history, and this fascinating book takes readers on a world tour of 50 dangerous plants and fungi.Across cultures and throughout history, humans have harnessed the toxic properties of plants and fungi - from creating lethal poisons and powerful medicines, to utilizing them for spiritual and ritualistic purposes.The Atlas of Deadly Plants explores the stories and uses of some of the mos...

The Wild Garden was first published in 1870 but it is still hugely relevant to our gardens today. He introduced the world to the concept of wild gardening - naturalising hardy plants from Europe and North America and introducing them in ways that allow their natural way of growing to shine - that is still being implemented in the 21st century.This is the third edition of the book that was published in 1883.

"This combination of history, mythology, lore, science and sheer entertainment takes us on a tour of the world's most unusual plants." — Sacramento BeeThe Big, Bad Book of Botany introduces a world of wild, wonderful, and weird plants. Some are so rare, they were once more valuable than gold. Some found in ancient mythology hold magical abilities, including the power to turn a person to stone. Others have been used by assassins to...

"A captivating page-turner of a book that blends history, science, and chemistry together into an evocative story." —Stephen Buchmann, author of What a Bee KnowsA fascinating exploration of the natural history of scent and human perceptions of fragrance from the viewpoint of plant and pollinator.Plants have long harnessed the chemical characteristics of aromatic compounds to shape the world around them. Frankincense resin from the...

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.

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.

The astonishing story of how animals use medicine and what it can teach us about healing ourselvesAges before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature’s pharmacy to heal themselves. Doctors by Nature reveals what researchers are now learning about the medical wonders of the animal world. In this visionary book, Jaap de Roode argues that we have underestimated the healing potential of nature for too long and shows how th...

In Honey Bees: Letters From the Hive, bee expert Stephen Buchmann takes readers on an incredible tour. Enter a beehive--one part nursery, one part honey factory, one part queen bee sanctum--then fly through backyard gardens, open fields, and deserts where wildflowers bloom. It's fascinating--and delicious!Hailed for their hard work and harmonious society, bees make possible life on earth as we know it. This fundamental link between bees and humans reaches beyond biology to...

An inspirational and beautifully illustrated book that tells the stories of 80 plants from around the globe.In his follow-up to the bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori takes another trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of plants by revealing how their worlds are intricately entwined with our own history, culture and folklore. From the seemingly familiar tomato and dandelion to the eerie mandrake and Spanish 'moss' of Lou...