Best Botany of Cacti & Succulents

Succulents are hot. "In her new book, Succulents Simplified:Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties , Baldwin even tells of a Jade plant that has lasted for more than two decades in her garden with various stages of neglect! "Anyone who knows Debra Lee Baldwin is aware of her extraordinary prowess as an author, writer, photographer, and artist...her book, Succulents Simplified , is a work of art." From quick and easy succulent rosettes for bouquets, to teeny tiny mint-tin gardens, to succulent-topped pumpkins there's a project in this book for even the most craft-challenged." "Debra is nothing if not passionate about succulents...In S ucculents Simplified (Timber Press) she demystifies these popular low-water beauties." When we returned home, my mother described the house to my father: "Big picture windows, but imagine having to clean them. Others were necklaces of blue-gray buttons, rubbery silver-blue roses, and sticks of green chalk with windowed tips. It became something I longed for, along with a saltwater aquarium, a hot air balloon, and an unlimited supply of chocolate marshmallows. In slanted early morning or late afternoon sun, red margins burn neon bright, spines incandesce, fuzzy filaments shimmer, and leaves reveal glowing hues of rose, orange, purple, and blue. It's a guide for novice enthusiasts, a quick reference for anyone seeking an overview, and a vehicle for presenting design ideas I'm excited about.

DIY Succulents shows you how to use beautiful and resilient plants like echeveria, sedum, and graptopetalum to craft nature-inspired home decor like rustic tabletop centerpieces and breathtaking wall art. Her work has been featured by some of the world's most popular design forums, including Norway's Svenngarden, Apartment Therapy, and BHLDN's B-Inspired blog (Anthropologie's wedding brand).

In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants. Baldwin will surely ignite a fire under green thumbs who are already drawn to this realm of intriguingly textural plants, with abundant examples of gorgeous private and nursery gardens abetted by succulent displays of starkly upright and cascading forms, ruffled leaves, and rosettes. Further instructions for the care of these drought-tolerant, fleshy-leaved plants, from agaves to aloes to yuccas, include methods for overwintering, and a list of cold-hardy cacti and succulents. In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants.

He also explains how you can make gardening fun for kids by teaching them the square foot method. "Bartholomew, author of the popular Square Foot Gardening (1981), has refined his original square-foot gardening concept by adding ten improvements, including a new location for the garden that is closer to the house, a special soil mix, and six-inch deep, 4' x 4' above-ground boxes with grids. He clearly explains the square-foot concept, from the rationale behind it (the square-foot garden takes up much less space than traditional row gardening and saves time, money, and aggravation) to how to plan the garden, build the boxes and vertical supports, and employ his planting and cultural techniques.

From Erin Benzakein, a leader in the locaflor farm-to-centerpiece movement and owner of internationally renowned Floret Flower Farm, Cut Flower Garden is equal parts instruction and inspiration—a book overflowing with lush photography of magnificent flowers and breathtaking arrangements organized by season. - Stephen Orr, editor in chief, Better Homes and Gardens. "One of the leading voices in the farmer-florist movement, Erin is a tireless advocate for locally-grown flowers. "I met Erin Benzakein more than ten years ago when she was a young mom growing sweet peas and dreaming of making her living from flowers. And now she's sharing that dream with the world - everyone from fellow flower enthusiasts to emerging farmer-florists to veteran designers yearning for a new, seasonal and sustainable model of floristry. In her debut book she not only introduces us to the basics of growing our own flowers, she shares her deep love and understanding of gardening in a way that will leave even the most doubtful grower feeling inspired to get their hands in the dirt." Her first book is deliciously gorgeous and incredibly comprehensive- combining practical advice alongside a huge overdose of seasonal inspiration. Erin Benzakein's gorgeous new book, Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden, is equal parts inspiration and education. The layout is simultaneously appealing and practical; Floret's signature lush photographs beautifully illustrate all stages of cut flower production and design through the seasons. Filled with clear growing techniques, detailed harvesting instructions and other tips of the trade, this book is a true gift to anyone wanting to generate good income from the craft of flower farming on a small-scale.

Succulents are hot. "In her new book, Succulents Simplified:Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties , Baldwin even tells of a Jade plant that has lasted for more than two decades in her garden with various stages of neglect! "Anyone who knows Debra Lee Baldwin is aware of her extraordinary prowess as an author, writer, photographer, and artist...her book, Succulents Simplified , is a work of art." From quick and easy succulent rosettes for bouquets, to teeny tiny mint-tin gardens, to succulent-topped pumpkins there's a project in this book for even the most craft-challenged." "Debra is nothing if not passionate about succulents...In S ucculents Simplified (Timber Press) she demystifies these popular low-water beauties." When we returned home, my mother described the house to my father: "Big picture windows, but imagine having to clean them. Others were necklaces of blue-gray buttons, rubbery silver-blue roses, and sticks of green chalk with windowed tips. It became something I longed for, along with a saltwater aquarium, a hot air balloon, and an unlimited supply of chocolate marshmallows. In slanted early morning or late afternoon sun, red margins burn neon bright, spines incandesce, fuzzy filaments shimmer, and leaves reveal glowing hues of rose, orange, purple, and blue. It's a guide for novice enthusiasts, a quick reference for anyone seeking an overview, and a vehicle for presenting design ideas I'm excited about.

In The Hidden Life of Trees , Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. "The matter-of-fact Mr. Wohlleben has delighted readers and talk-show audiences alike with the news — long known to biologists — that trees in the forest are social beings." — Sally McGrane, The New York Times “This fascinating book will intrigue readers who love a walk through the woods”— Publishers Weekly. "Soon after we begin to recognize trees for what they are — gigantic beings thriving against incredible odds for hundreds of years — we naturally come to ask, 'How do they do it?'. "Wohlleben’s book is at once romantic and scientific, beautifully articulating his personal relationship with the trees he has dedicated his life to. "With colorful and engaging descriptions of little-known phenomena in our natural world, Wohlleben helps readers appreciate the exciting processes at work in the forests around them." Peter Wohlleben spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice.

And because of our extraordinary appetite for more unusual and beautiful “super flowers,” plant breeders have created such unnatural blooms as blue roses and black petunias to cater to the human world of haute couture fashion. Here, he integrates fascinating stories about the many colorful personalities who populate the world of flowers, and the flowers and pollinators themselves, with a research-based narrative that illuminates just why there is, indeed, a Reason for Flowers . They are miniature chemical factories, wireless signal stations,inspiration for artists, and—of course—sustenance for the most important creatures living on the planet. "Buchmann, a prolific and ardent pollination ecologist, peels back the petals to reveal fascinating aspects of floriculture....Intensely researched, well paced, intricately detailed, and delightfully accessible, Buchmann’s exploration of this trove of living sensory delights is a boon to both casual and committed flower lovers." "With a subtitle that serves as a swift, sweet summary, [Stephen Buchmann] compresses the cultural and natural history of flowers into a few hundred graceful pages...A volume that is like a Eurail Pass that will carry you through gorgeous terrain you will want to explore in more depth." "Buchmann, a biologist specializing in pollination ecology, uses his eighth book to enthuse about the importance that flowers have played in human civilization...his excitement is both palpable and contagious...fascinating...captivating." This world-renowned explorer of nature’s inner workings will delight you while unobtrusively edifying you at the same time.” (Gary Paul Nabhan, Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable food Systems, University of Arizona ). In this attractive book, Steve Buchmann brings to life for the interested reader the many facets of their existence and their interplay with insects and other animals, informing us well about how they evolved and the roles that they play in our world.” (Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden ). How flowers influenced Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin are discussed along with examples of collaborative floral studies I've conducted with other scientists over my career.

Very often, weeds are the results of weakened turf and specific spoil problemsthe Color Atlas of Turfgrass Weeds explains why, and helps you problem-solve for effective management. One of most undesirable characteristics of weed infestation is the disruption of turf uniformity—so vital to the golf, sports field, and managed landscape industry. Weed clumps, color variation, and patches can drive turf managers crazy, and have a pronounced effect on the perceived quality of the maintenance program. Fred Yelverton , is an Associate Professor of Crop Science at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium’s digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening). --From the foreword by Andrew Weil, MD, author of Eating Well for Optimum Health “Stamets is a visionary emissary from the fungus kingdom to our world, and the message he’s brought back in this book, about the possibilities fungi hold for healing the environment, will fill you with wonder and hope.“. --Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire “This is the kind of book I love: highly factual and practical and mixed with the spiritual content that sets the great writers apart from all the rest.“. --John Norris, former deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and founder of the Bioterrorism Institute. “This is the first book to give the Kingdom of the Fungi its proper place in the scheme of things. Stamets’s visionary insights are leading to a whole new understanding of how mushrooms, scarcely seen and rarely appreciated, regulate the earth’s ecosystems.“. --John Todd, founder and president of Ocean Arks International. “This visionary and practical book should be an instant classic in... A manual for healing the earth and creating sustainable forests through mushroom cultivation, featuring mycelial solutions to water pollution, toxic spills, and other ecological challenges.