Dubbed the Bulb Hunter in a 2006 New York Times feature story, Chris Wiesinger took his passion for bulbs to vacant lots, abandoned houses, cemeteries, and construction sites throughout the South in search of botanical survivors whose descendants had never seen the inside of a big-box chain store. The vintage specimens Wiesinger sought came from hardy, historic stock, adapted to human neglect and hot climates, reappearing faithfully over decades without care or cultivation.

**Shortlisted for the 2018 Kobzar AwardShortlisted for the 2018 Frank Hegyi Award for Emerging Authors**Alexandra Risen's father dies just as she and her husband purchase a nondescript house set atop a natural gorge in the middle of the city. The garden is choked with weeds and crumbling structures. Over the years, as she undertakes the replanting, it stirs memories of her childhood when a nearby forest was her only escape from an empty home life.As Risen beats back...

"Highly entertaining…Mabey gets us to look at life from the plants’ point of view." —Constance Casey, New York TimesThe Cabaret of Plants is a masterful, globe-trotting exploration of the relationship between humans and the kingdom of plants by the renowned naturalist Richard Mabey.A rich, sweeping, and wonderfully readable work of botanical history, The Cabaret of Plants explores dozens of plant species that for millennia have ch...

One of our finest writers on one of her greatest loves. Jamaica Kincaid's first garden in Vermont was a plot in the middle of her front lawn. There, to the consternation of more experienced friends, she planted only seeds of the flowers she liked best. In My Garden (Book) she gathers all she loves about gardening and plants, and examines it generously, passionately, and with sharp, idiosyncratic discrimination. Kincaid's affections are matched in intensity only by her dislikes. Sh...

Marcus Porcius Cato (234 BC, Tusculum – 149 BC) was a Roman statesman, commonly referred to as Censorius (the Censor), Sapiens (the Wise), Priscus (the Ancient), or Major, Cato the Elder, or Cato the Censor, to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger. His manual on running a farm (De Agricultura or "On Farming")contained herein is his only work that survives completely. It is a miscellaneous collection of rules of husbandry and management, including no...

Terroir connotes a sense of place that imparts a distinctive character to wine. A central component of terroir is the soil and its immediate surroundings. Thus, an understanding of the basic properties of soils and how they function as a "living skin" on the earth's surface is of fundamental importance to grape growers and winemakers. Stripped of scientific jargon, Understanding Vineyard Soils explains to a wide audience how soils form and why they are so variabl...

This beautifully illustrated glossary comprises over 2400 terms commonly used to describe vascular plants. The majority are structural terms referring to parts of plants visible with the naked eye or with a x10 hand lens, but some elementary microscopical and physiological terms are also included, as appropriate. Each term is defined accurately and concisely, and whenever possible, cross referenced to clearly labelled line drawings made mainly from living material. The illustrations are pr...

Tulips are one of the most popular spring-flowering bulbs. Available in a huge range of colors and in a wide array of shapes, they're a mainstay of most spring gardens. They are the focus of festivals worldwide and are a sure sign spring is on the way. The Plant Lover's Guide to Tulips, by Richard Wilford of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, profiles 100 commonly available species and cultivars, and features growing information, recommendations for companion plants, and tips on how t...

With an introduction by Alan Titchmarsh, The People's Gardener is an inspiring memoir by top gardening judge Jim Buttress, that will amuse and enthral gardeners everywhere.As a judge at the RHS, Jim Buttress presides over the country's favourite flower shows, including Chelsea and Hampton Court. He also judged the Britain in Bloom competition for over twenty-five years, and was watched by millions on the BBC's The Big Allotment Challenge. But how did this practica...

"For those of you—and your numbers are growing—gardening in drought-stricken parts of the country, The Bold Dry Garden will quench your thirst for inspiration." — New York Times Book ReviewRuth Bancroft is a dry gardening pioneer. Her lifelong love of plants led to the creation of one of the most acclaimed public gardens, The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California. The Bold Dry Garden offers unparalleled access to the garden and ...

Genetic improvement has played a vital role in enhancing the yield potential of vegetable crops. There are numerous vegetable crops grown worldwide and variable degrees of research on genetics, breeding and biotechnology have been conducted on these crops. This book brings together the results of such research on crops grouped as alliums, crucifers, cucurbits, leaf crops, tropical underground and miscellaneous. Written by eminent specialists, each chapter concentrates on one crop and cover...

Long before they took to the sea and air, warring factions engaged in land-based conflicts that involved close-range combat with rudimentary defenses and weapons. As civilizations have advanced, so too have their military strategies, tactics, and weaponry. Eventually this led to the development of sophisticated land fortifications, arms, artillery, and missile systems in use today by ground troops. This insightful volume examines the evolution of warfare on land around the world, as well a...