The Brisbane Ranges area, situated 80 km west of Melbourne and 30 km north-west of Geelong, is extraordinarily rich in diversity. With basalt grasslands, heathy woodland, alluvial soils, buckshot gravel and granite rocks, it boasts more than 430 species of native plants. Wildflowers of the Brisbane Ranges contains magnificent photographs of more than 400 species, many of them orchids, including rare and vulnerable species such as the Naked Sun Orchid (Thelymitra circumsepta) and the Hyacinth ...

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Take your watercolor paintings to the next level with these great techniques. Build a foundation with basic techniques like using wet-into-wet washes and glazing and layering before moving right along to using blooms, backruns, salt and wax to create great effects. Not only will you create gorgeous paintings, but you'll have fun doing them.

Learn how to paint in four different media! Taking the first steps to learn how to paint can be a challenge, especially when beginning artists are unsure which medium best suits them. With this book, aspiring artists will discover the qualities and benefits of four painting media-acrylic, oil, pastel, and watercolor-making it easier for them to begin their artistic journey. After an in-depth introduction to the tools and materials needed for each medium, five accomplished artists guide rea...

A home grower's guide to growing orchid favorites at home.  Contains 16 original photos. 

Help your artistic talent bloom by capturing the beauty of flowers with your brushstrokes from realistic close-ups to impressionistic landscapes.From Agapanthus to Water Lily, this unique artist's reference provides easy-to-follow, plant-specific information on how to paint fifty of today's most popular flowers.• Learn to draw each basic flower shape and then paint a single detailed bloom• Gain full, practical guidance for painting each flower through ...

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...

Enjoy the scenery with fast and fun landscape painting!A summer sunset, a bubbling brook, a sea of golden wildflowers like nature itself, landscape painting doesn't have to be complicated to be beautiful. In this beginner-friendly guide, Lee Hammond shows you how to use a handful of colors, a simple three-step approach, and the friendly medium of acrylic to create charming landscapes throughout the seasons.• Step-by-step instructions for painting favorite l...

Create a tranquil nighttime retreat with a moon garden.Transform your garden into a serene haven that comes alive under the moonlight. This beginner-friendly booklet offers simple steps to design a night-blooming garden that enchants with luminous flowers and soothing fragrances after dusk.Inside, you'll learn how to:Select pale-colored and fragrant plants that thrive in low lightDesign layouts that maximize moonlight re...

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...

Written by well-known naturalists and photographers, this guide will enable the easy identification of around 1,000 of the more common insects found in the region. The carefully chosen selection represents all insect groups, with a bias towards the more prominent species, so that all the butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, damselflies and dragonflies occurring in Britain have been included. Over 700 colour photographs show the species in their natural habitats, and around 100 line-drawing...

Painting pretty, prized flowers is easier than you think!Using an uncomplicated palette and simple techniques, Mary Backer shares the secrets behind her prize-winning watercolor flowers. From first strokes to final touches, you'll learn everything you need to know to paint brilliant orange poppies, plump peonies, graceful lotus blossoms, classic roses and other garden favorites.Features:• an exciting variety of flowers and compositions, from individual flow...