Showing 1–12 of 691 results
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The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World’s Rarest Species
Artist/Author: Penguin Books$24.00 Add to cartFrom the world’s tiniest waterlily to the ‘Coral Tree’, Carlos Magdalena has an uncanny ability to bring rare, breathtakingly beautiful plants back from the brink of extinction. As botanical horticulturist at London’s famous Kew Gardens – the most biodiverse place on the planet – he has over 7,000 species under his care in his ‘Noah’s Ark’ plant nursery. He is highly regarded around the world for his pioneering work with waterlilies, battling to save rare specimens against man-made ecological destruction and even thieves hunting for wealthy collectors. Carlos travels to remote and dangerous locations – from the jungles of Mauritius to the most remote areas of the Australian outback – and develops groundbreaking, leftfield techniques to encourage weird and wonderful plants to propagate and prosper. In The Plant Messiah, Carlos shares his thrilling adventures, telling the stories of these incredible plants and his lifetime spent racing to save them.
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Mr Guilfoyle’s Honeymoon: The Gardens of Europe & Great Britain
Artist/Author: Hill, Diana E, Edmée Cudmore (Editors)$45.00 Add to cartExplore the grand gardens and forests of Europe and Britain with esteemed landscape designer William Guilfoyle, as he did with his wife on their honeymoon. The Guilfoyles took their Grand Tour honeymoon in 1890, at the height of William’s reputation as the architect of one of the world’s great botanical masterpieces, Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. His visits to impressive landscapes-as diverse as Kew Gardens, Versailles and the wild gardens of England-inspired a series of illustrated articles, which were published to great acclaim on his return to Australia.A celebration of William Guilfoyle – botanist, landscape designer, tourist and writer.
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Mr Guilfoyle’s Shakespearian Botany
Artist/Author: Hill, Diana, Edmée Cudmore (Editors)$45.00 Add to cartThe great William Guilfoyle, credited as the architect of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic gardens, was an eminent landscape designer, botanist and writer. Here are his collected writings on the dozens of plants, fruits and flowers William Shakespeare referred to in his plays and poems. Each entry is accompanied by Basilius Besler’s groundbreaking illustrations and delicate watercolours by Jacques le Morgues.
‘What’s in a name? That which we call a Rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.’
William ShakespeareAn extraordinary mix of Shakespearian references, Guilfoyle’s botanical lore, and lush botanical illustrations
Shakespearian Botany is a feast for those who love the bard, gardens and art.
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A Guide to Hoyas of Borneo
Artist/Author: Lamb, Anthony, Michele Rodda$55.00 Add to cartThe genus Hoya was established by Robert Brown in 1811 and was named after Thomas Hoy, gardener at Syon Park in England. Hoyas are mostly herbs with creeping or climbing stems and mostly epiphytic in trees, but some are small shrubs that do not produce climbing stems. Many produce umbels of colorful and scented flowers and because they are easy to propagate from cuttings or seeds have become popular house plants in the cooler temperate countries or garden plants in the tropics and sub-tropics.
Hoya belongs to one of the ten largest families of flowering plants – the Apocynaceae – with 5100 species, and fall into one of the five subfamilies, the Asclepiadoideae, and specifically the tribe Marsdeniae, with 26 genera. With 350–450 species, Hoya is the largest genus in the family with the main distribution of species being in the tropical forests of Malesia, where it is found growing with the closely related genus Dischidia. Borneo is one of the top 10 biodiversity hot spots in the world and Hoya diversity on the island is only surpassed by the Philippines at present. Currently it is estimated that there are about 80 species in Borneo, with 72 named, of which 67 are covered in this Guide. Of the 72 named species, 36 species, or 50% are endemic to Borneo.
Hoya are used by native people for medicinal and other purposes and medical research is now finding chemical constituents that may have future potential in the industry. Because of the colorful and scented flowers, over 100 species are now commercially available as ornamentals from nurseries that specialize in Hoya. This guide covers some aspects of their cultivation, both as outdoor climbers in gardens in tropical and subtropical counties as well as indoor house-plants in colder climates. As a result, Hoya Societies have sprung up in many countries in Europe, the USA and Australia as well as in some tropical countries such as Thailand.
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A Guide to Orchids of Laos
Artist/Author: Gale, Stephan W, Pankaj Kumar, Thatsaphone Phaxaysombath$30.00 Add to cartLaos is a landlocked country that lies at the heart of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the world’s most biodiverse and most threatened eco-regions. Until a few decades ago, virtually the entire country was clothed in tropical lowland and montane forest, a natural heritage that had enriched its culture and economy from its birth in the 14th century as the Land of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol. But local, regional and global demand for timber, wildlife, agricultural products and mineral resources has drastically modified the landscape of the Lower Mekong Basin. Protecting remaining tracts of intact natural forest to ensure ecological resilience and conserve biodiversity has become correspondingly important.
Appreciating the intricate beauty and documenting the astonishing richness of life in Laos’ natural areas are vital parts of this process, and to study the country’s orchids is an exercise in both. To date, 683 orchid species have been recorded in Laos, accounting for more than 13% of its known flora, and this list will undoubtedly grow. This handy guide book to these amazing plants provides succinct descriptions and full colour photographs to a selection of 125 native species, introducing the reader to the key morphological and ecological features that distinguish them. Variously specialised to practically all habitats, orchids have the power to captivate curious minds, unveil the workings of evolution and serve as a flagship for conservation in Laos and the wider region.
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A Field Guide to Aquatic Plants of Myanmar
Artist/Author: Tanaka, Norio, Yu Ito, Mu Mu Aung$30.00 Add to cartMyanmar (Burma) spans tropical evergreen, mixed deciduous, savanna and alpine vegetation types due to a distinct north–south polarity. Various kinds of aquatic vegetation are found in the country, from freshwater to marine environments. Being the largest lake of the country and one of the largest ones in Southeast Asia, Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State situated in the Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary (755 km2) established in 1999 accommodates rich biota including birds and aquatic plants. Inle Lake (116 km2 ) in southern Shan State is the second largest lake in Myanmar and is home to the Intha tribe, an ethnic group, which creates floating islands by using its rich aquatic plants.
Smaller scale aquatic habitats are found everywhere in the country, including ponds in Mawlamyaing (formerly Moulmein), Mon State, which houses numerous freshwater aquatic plants. The Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, is a vast basin surrounded by mountains, from which multiple streams and rivers flow into the valley; many aquatic plants such as Aponogeton, Cryptocoryne, and Hydrobryum can be found there. Off the coast of the southernmost municipally, Tanintharyi Region in the peninsular part of Myanmar, the Mergui Archipelago is known to accommodate rich seagrass beds.
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A Guide to Wild Fruits of Borneo
Artist/Author: Lamb, Anthony$33.00 Add to cartThe edible wild fruits, nuts and seeds of Borneo that are found in the different forests from coastal seashores and islands, through the lowlands and hills, to the montane forests, and on different soils, are estimated to be in the region of 500 different species. These were consumed by the many groups of people inhabiting the island, over many decades. They were the ones who had initially discovered whether different fruits, nuts and seeds were edible, and that some otherwise toxic species become edible only after cooking or fermentation processes. Botanists and taxonomists have subsequently provided the scientific names for these plants and classified most of them into their respective families and genera.
However, there are still new species being discovered in what are some of the most species-rich forests in the world, and for many genera, Borneo is their centre of diversity. Many species are rare and little known, and over 30% of plant species are endemic to Borneo. The lowland forests are particularly rich, with most of the species being trees, but treelets, shrubs and herbs also have species with edible fruits. A Guide to Wild Fruits of Borneo mostly introduces the better-known species, but to showcase this diversity, some examples of rare or little-known species are also included, resulting in a total of 34 families, 55 genera, and 109 species being illustrated.
Many of the lowland forests have now been cleared for the development of agriculture, forest plantations, towns and roads, and the diversity of varieties of some species has become greatly reduced. Though some germplasm has been conserved in agricultural stations and research facilities, much more needs to be done so that those species with good commercial potential can be selected and bred as future crops for farmers. Some species have already been researched, and selected clones made available, but there are still many more with good horticultural potential.
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Healthy Soils for Healthy Vines: Soil Management for Productive Vineyards
Artist/Author: White, Robert, Mark Krstic$140.00 Add to cartHealthy Soils for Healthy Vines provides a clear understanding of vineyard soils and how to manage and improve soil health for best vineyard performance. It covers the inherent and dynamic properties of soil health, how to choose which soil properties to monitor, how to monitor soil and vine performance, and how vineyard management practices affect soil health, fruit composition and wine sensory characters. It also covers the basic tenets of sustainable winegrowing and their significance for business resilience in the face of a changing climate.
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James Cook: The Voyages
Artist/Author: Frame, William$63.00 Add to cartA stunningly illustrated, object-centred history, this book offers a once in a generation opportunity to discover the uniquely rich Captain Cook collection of the British Library. Examines the British Library collections relating to Captain James Cook on the 250th anniversary of his Endeavour voyage. Written by leading experts with full colour illustrations throughout. Themes of cultural encounter and scientific discovery are interwoven with the personal stories of the key protagonists, including James Cook and Joseph Banks. The illustrations include drawings by all the artists employed on the voyage, as well as the only surviving paintings by Tupaia, a Polynesian high priest.
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The Tree
Artist/Author: Richard Woldendorp AM$48.00 Add to cartTrees are the biggest plants on earth, and its longest living species. In this spectacular volume, acclaimed landscape photographer Richard Woldendorp AM, explores Australian trees of all shapes and sizes. From abstract close-ups to aerials, Woldendorp’s images reveal the beauty and wonder of trees.
Richard Woldendorp AM was born in Utrecht, Holland, in 1927. He has lived in Australia since 1951. He was named Australian Photographer of the Year for his landscape photography and now specialises in photographing the Australian landscape from the air which has led to extensive travels throughout the country. His photographs have been exhibited in Australia and overseas. He was made a State Living Treasure for his contribution to the Arts
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Food Plants of the World: Identification, Culinary Uses and Nutritional Value (Revised Edition)
Artist/Author: van Wyk, Ben-Erik$90.00 Add to cartPlants and plant-derived products make up the bulk of what we eat and drink every day, and people often wonder where their favourite food or drink comes from. This scientifically accurate photographic guide provides quick and informative answers.
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Australian Native Grasses: Key Species and Their Uses (Fourth Edition)
Artist/Author: Chivers, I H and K A Raulings$25.00 Add to cartThis book will assist in identifying and understanding how some commonly found Australian native grasses can be grown and used.
There are distribution maps, plant descriptions and photographs of plants, seed heads and seeds, as well as photographs and descriptions of grass seedlings in the two or three leaf stages.
Various grasses can be used for native lawns, re-vegetation, pasture and other horticultural uses. The book includes information regarding the optimum growing conditions for each species.
