Product Description: Plants and gardens have always been a cornerstone of all major world religions and belief systems. The Fields of Reeds in Ancient Egypt, Eden in Christianity, the Isles of the Immortals in China and the Pure Land in Buddhist Japan are just some of the divine gardens promised to the faithful or earthly paradises imbued with symbolism and ritual...read more

A richly illustrated introduction to the art of cottage gardening explains how to design and plant a garden of one's own in a variety of styles, with full-color photographs and detailed designs for eight specific gardens representing distinctive themes and climates that come complete with a plant list and gardening tips. Reprint.

Presents the history of the vices and virtues of British gardeners, particularly those who shaped the National Trust gardens. From the obsessive to the visionary, the eclectic to the eccentric, this book explores how a range of different individuals played out their excess in a variety of gardens. It is useful for those passionate about gardens.

Explains how to transform a courtyard into the perfect personal refuge, presenting a series of stunning design ideas--along with detailed blueprints, suggestions for plantings, and full-color photographs--that reflect a range of stylistic inspiration, from an Italian Renaissance garden complete with a grotto to a tropical paradise or a Modernist oasis. Reprint.

For centuries, from foodstuffs and fabrics to medicine and industrial materials, plants have dominated trade between countries. Possession of rare spices, sweets, and narcotics could mean enviable wealth and power. In quest of these desired products and the income they brought, explorers ventured forth, risking death as they traveled unknown seas. Here is the story of seven plants--tobacco, sugar, cotton, tea, poppies, quinine, and rubber--and how Europe's hunger for them led to the Age of Empire...and turned world history upside down. Not only did these crops ensure the commercial success of America and Europe, but they became the catalyst for piracy, smuggling, addiction, and the slave trade--the darker side of the golden profits. With fascinating contemporary illustrations.

Product Description: Horticulturist, garden designer, and much-praised author Toby Musgrave (Empire of Plants), in concert with Country Living Gardener, offers an inspirational and practical look at a most picturesque garden style. "Takes readers on a worldwide tour...read more

Product Description: This is the story of the men who travelled through remote and beautiful lands, often in great peril, to collect the plants that shaped western garden design for 200 years.