Una carrellata di 100 fiori da tutto il mondo, per scoprire come hanno cambiato le nostre vite. Nel corso della Storia i fiori si sono rivelati indispensabili per la sopravvivenza dell'umanità, sia sotto forma di cibo che di medicinali, ma anche fondamentali nell'esprimere emozioni, o come simboli per commemorare, celebrare e decorare. Da sempre siamo attratti dalle loro forme, dai profumi e dai colori. Se alcuni sono spezie ricercate e costose (basti pensare allo zafferano), altri servono per tingere come l'indaco, o per preparare marmellate dai mille sapori, come quella alla lavanda che tanto piaceva a Elisabetta I d'Inghilterra... Se i fiori occupano da sempre un posto d'onore nelle leggende e nei miti, in letteratura e nelle arti figurative, nell'immaginario comune sono ancor oggi carichi di significato, come ad esempio la violetta che rappresenta l'umiltà, la margherita ambasciatrice di purezza, e il narciso che evoca un amore fatalmente non corrisposto. Accanto a vivaci illustrazioni a colori, il volume si sofferma a descrivere il ruolo storico e culturale rivestito da ogni fiore prescelto.

Gli alberi sono fonte di un'enorme varietà di beni di consumo di straordinario valore per l'umanità. Lo sapevi che un tempo si pensava che mangiare le nocciole facesse diventare più saggi? Oppure che la Melia azedarach veniva usata per fare i rosari, e per questo chiamata "albero dei rosari" o "albero dei paternostri"? In "Storie segrete degli alberi" scoprirai quali alberi i nativi americani usavano per fabbricare le loro ceste, quali foglie sono ritenute avere proprietà curative e quali alberi sono stati una fonte di cibo per millenni. Includendo un'illustrazione a colori di ogni albero, "Storie segrete degli alberi" raccoglie le conoscenze e le tradizioni a riguardo di 150 specie eccezionali in una cornucopia di antica saggezza sugli alberi.

An intimate look at the personal garden of the Dutch landscape designer renowned for his plantings at the High Line in New York City, and Lurie Garden at Chicago’s Millennium Park.

Hummelo—near the village of the same name in Gelderland in the eastern Netherlands—is visited by thousands of gardeners seeking inspiration each year. It is Piet Oudolf’s home, his personal garden laboratory, a former nursery run by his wife Anja, and the place where he first tested new designs and created the new varieties of perennials that are now widely available.

A follow-up to Oudolf’s successful Landscapes in Landscapes—Hummelo tells the story of how the garden has evolved over the past three decades since Oudolf, Anja, and their two young sons moved onto the property, with its loamy sand and derelict, wood stove-heated farmhouse, in 1982. Text by noted garden author and longtime personal friend Noel Kingsbury places Hummelo in context within gardening history, from The Netherlands’ counterculture and nascent green movement of the 1960s, to prairie restoration in the American Midwest, and shows how its development has mirrored that of Oudolf’s own outstanding career and unique naturalistic aesthetic.

Oudolf has long been at the forefront of the Dutch Wave and New Perennial Style movements in garden design, which have ecological considerations at their base. His work stresses a deep knowledge of plants, eschewing short-lived annuals in favor of perennials that can be appreciated for both structure and blooms in every season. He is credited for leading the way to today’s focus on sustainability in garden design.

The book will appeal to readers who favor beautiful, biodiverse, and ever-changing plantings: seed heads, grasses, sedges, and winter silhouettes. They will be drawn into its pages by lush photography, often demonstrating how Oudolf views his own work, and providing rare glimpses into his daily life. Short essays highlight important techniques, including scatter plants and matrix planting, and introduce other famed landscape designers—Karl Foerster, Henk Gerritsen, Rob Leopold, Ernst Pagels, and Mien Ruys—to create a full panorama of the movement Oudolf now leads.

Gli alberi sono indispensabili alla vita. Protagonisti indiscussi del paesaggio naturale e urbano così come della storia e della cultura, gli alberi forniscono cibo e riparo a uomini e animali, sono parte del ciclo che regola le precipitazioni d'acqua e svolgono un ruolo essenziale nella produzione dell'ossigeno. Una volta tagliati forniscono il legno, un materiale che da sempre accompagna l'umanità sulla strada della civilizzazione. La diversità degli alberi è parte della loro attrattiva universale. Dagli alberi si possono raccogliere fiori per ghirlande o fibre per la carta, sostanze medicinali o frutti nutrienti. Secondo antiche credenze, alcuni alberi sono dimore sacre. Tra i più grandi organismi viventi, gli alberi dimostrano una straordinaria capacità di adattamento all'ambiente, ai cambiamenti climatici e alla presenza di altre piante o animali. Scritto da Noel Kingsbury, un esperto di tematiche ambientali di fama mondiale, "La magia degli alberi" celebra la meraviglia, il mistero, la bellezza e l'utilità di questi giganti del regno vegetale. Rassegna di novanta specie diverse, il libro si sofferma sulle caratteristiche fisiche e sull'importanza storica e culturale delle piante. Una particolare attenzione è dedicata all'impatto sull'ecosistema delle specie introdotte dall'uomo. Le fotografie di Andrea Jones catturano perfettamente l'aspetto e le qualità distintive degli alberi, integrando efficacemente le informazioni del testo.

Gli alberi sono indispensabili alla vita. Protagonisti indiscussi del paesaggio naturale e urbano così come della storia e della cultura, gli alberi forniscono cibo e riparo a uomini e animali, sono parte del ciclo che regola le precipitazioni d'acqua e svolgono un ruolo essenziale nella produzione dell'ossigeno. Una volta tagliati forniscono il legno, un materiale che da sempre accompagna l'umanità sulla strada della civilizzazione. La diversità degli alberi è parte della loro attrattiva universale. Dagli alberi si possono raccogliere fiori per ghirlande o fibre per la carta, sostanze medicinali o frutti nutrienti. Presso alcune culture vi sono alberi in cui dimorano le divinità. Tra i più grandi organismi viventi, gli alberi dimostrano una straordinaria capacità di adattamento all'ambiente, ai cambiamenti climatici e alla presenza di altre piante o animali. Scritto da Noël Kingsbury, un esperto di tematiche ambientali di fama mondiale, "La Magia degli Alberi" celebra la meraviglia, il mistero, la bellezza e l'utilità di questi giganti del regno vegetale. Rassegna di novanta specie diverse, "La Magia degli Alberi" si sofferma sulle caratteristiche fisiche e sull'importanza storica e culturale delle piante. Una speciale attenzione è dedicata all'impatto sull'ecosistema delle specie introdotte dall'uomo...

The great trees of the world in glorious color.

The Glory of the Tree describes 90 species of tree that collectively span the millennia of evolution and cross the globe. Organized into six categories -- Antiquity, Ecology, Sacred, Utility, Food and Ornament -- the trees are presented in short chapters that touch on botany, history, culture and more.

An inset box gives the basic characteristics of each tree: family and species, brief description, natural origin, size, potential age and climate. A stunning full-page photograph shows a prime specimen of the tree.

The Glory of the Tree celebrates 90 trees native to regions around the world, including these:

• Antiquity: Ginkgo, Magnolia, Giant sequoia, Liquidamber, Quaking aspen, Tabaquillo
• Ecology: Birch, Red maple, Mangrove, Longleaf pine, Eucalyptus, Black locust
• Sacred: Monkey puzzle, Camphor, American elm (the "Liberty Tree"), Banyan, Cedar of Lebanon
• Utility: Sycamore, Cork oak, Sugar maple, Ebony, Rubber, Calabash
• Food: Toddy palm, Date palm, Pecan, Mango, Clove, Indian Jujube
• Ornament: Lombardy poplar, Mimosa, Handkerchief tree, Japanese Maple, Pagoda, Leyland cypress.

Beyond a glance, how much thought do we give any one tree? Do we know the species' history, what makes it unique, or even why we should care? Do we know that dinosaurs grazed on magnolia blossoms? That only after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was it learned that North America's "homegrown" apple, Malus domestica, originated in the fruit forests of Russia? Or that male black mulberry flowers eject pollen at 350 miles per hour -- half the speed of sound, and the fastest movement in the plant kingdom?

The Glory of the Tree reveals all this and much more, in full color. It is a choice selection for arborists, gardeners, tree lovers (and huggers), and all who appreciate the beauty of nature.

There is no harbinger of spring like a field or garden filled with bright yellow daffodils. But the world of the daffodil is much more than just its place in the march of the seasons. It’s a plant whose history starts with the tombs of the Pharoahs and leads to the current explosion of varieties from plant breeders seeking new colors, fragrances, and forms.

Daffodil reveals a global plant infatuation that has led to more than 25,000 cultivars available in nearly every shade of yellow (and now pink, orange, and white). Noel Kingsbury tells the tale through an engaging narrative history and plant portraits that highlight more than 200 varieties. Jo Whitworth's revealing photography shows a side of the daffodil rarely seen. Plant lovers will relish the stories and gardeners will cherish the cultivation notes, plant descriptions, and recommendations.

Planting, by famed landscape architects Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury, is a groundbreaking moment in horticulture. It is the first book to share Oudolf’s original planting plans and plant groupings and the only book to explicitly show how his gardens and landscapes are made.

An intimate knowledge of plants is essential to the success of this approach and Planting makes Oudolf’s considerable understanding of plant ecology and performance accessible, explaining how plants behave in different situations, what goes on underground, and which species make good neighbors. Extensive plant charts and planting plans will help you choose plants for their structure, color, and texture as well as the way they perform in the landscape. A detailed directory, with details each plant’s life expectancy, the persistence of its seedheads, its tendency to spread, and propensity to self-seed, is an invaluable resource.

Planting is an essential resource for designers and gardeners looking to create plant-rich, beautiful gardens that support biodiversity and nourish the human spirit.

A leading figure in the New Perennial planting movement, garden designer Piet Oudolf emphasizes plant structure as the most important aspect of a successful garden. Form and texture are valued as much as color, and perennials--prized for their beauty throughout a natural life cycle--are used almost exclusively. Oudolf challenges conventional approaches to gardening that rely on short-lived bursts of color and constant maintenance and shows the delights of working with versatile, expressive perennials to create lasting, ecologically sound panoramas that relate to the greater landscape and the shifting seasons.
 
This glorious full-color volume features twenty-three of Oudolf's most beautiful public and private gardens, including the widely acclaimed High Line and the Battery in New York City; the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park in Chicago; Wisley, the Royal Horticultural Society Garden in Surrey, England; the Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Gardens in Norfolk, England; the Trentham Estate in Staffordshire, England; Il Gardino delle Vergini at the 2010 Venice Biennale; the Dream Park in Enkoping, Sweden; and his own perpetually evolving garden in Hummelo, The Netherlands.
 
Insightful, accessible text by gardening author Noël Kingsbury places Oudolf's work in context and explains how each garden and the plants selected for it fit the specific environment. Oudolf's detailed plans provide inspiration and insight for all interested in small personal gardens and the design of large-scale public landscapes alike.

The latest techniques for planting roofs and walls to enhance our buildings and benefit the environment. The green roof industry is booming and the technology changing fast as professionals respond to the unique challenges of each new planting. In this comprehensively updated, fully revised edition of their authoritative reference, Nigel Dunnett and Noël Kingsbury reveal the very latest techniques, materials, and plants, and showcase some spectacular new case studies for the non-professional. Green roofs and walls reduce pollution and runoff, help insulate and reduce the maintenance needs of buildings, contribute to biodiversity, and provide habitats for wildlife. In addition to all this, they are attractive to look at and enhance the quality of life of residents. In Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, Revised and Updated Edition, the authors describe and illustrate the practical techniques required to design, implement, and maintain a green roof or wall to the highest standards. This informative, up-to-the-minute reference will encourage gardeners everywhere to consider the enormous benefits to be gained from planting on their roofs and walls.

Garden planners, home gardeners, and landscape designers will be turning to this
exceptional book for expert advice from the world's leading garden makers including Beth Chatto, Piet Oudolf, James Van Sweden, and Julie Mois Messervy. In this beautifully illustrated collection, Noël Kingsbury gathers their ideas on the entire design process — from choosing a garden style through planning its layout to maintaining its look over time. Encouraging a fluid approach to creativity, Gardens by Design will assist designers at all levels to understand the mechanics of plant combinations, to seek out cutting-edge and exquisite plants, and to nurture their garden's development, growth, and maintenance over time.

Practical, well written text covering every aspect of perennials for every kind of garden and soil. Over 150 colour photos and plans.

The main part of the book consists of a stylish and inspiring presentation of various concepts and "looks" in the garden and how to achieve them. The last 25 pages offer a plant directory listing a selection of climbers, ferns, grasses, perennials, trees, and shrubs that play various roles in the garden. The color photographs are positively delicious. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.