276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Where the Wildflowers Grow: Shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Award

£12.5£25.00Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

Ahead of his Plant Science Lecture at the Garden Museum on Friday 25 November, adventuring botanist Leif Bersweden shares an extract from his new book Where the Wildflowers Grow: TIP: Lots of wildflower seed mixes include yellow rattle seed. Yellow rattle is parasitic to grass, so will stop grass from growing, giving your wildflower meadow a much better chance of establishing. Flowering shyly by the woodland edge, this familiar plant’s little stars of blue and pink are known to every dog-walker Leif Bersweden is a writer, botanist and science communicator with a lifelong interest in nature. He grew up in rural Wiltshire where he taught himself how to identify the local flora. With Ryan, in his search for something more then what life offered him, being bored with his marriage and finding short lived relief in the arms of others. Through many mistakes we got to learn this man, growing from self-centered to one who really cared for those he loved. Being the father in his old age that he was not in his younger years. Due to an unwanted baby, he was confronted with more than he bargained for. I really admired his growth and how he progressed as a respected man.

Bright-red London buses slid by, heading south over Westminster Bridge. I glanced over my shoulder at the Houses of Parliament and eyed the police guards cradling their enormous guns. I felt like I was trespassing in one of the most famous places in the world. ‘Sorry, officer, don’t mind me, I’m just looking for midwinter wildflowers’ is the kind of excuse that would probably only increase their suspicion if I was questioned about my activities. My concerns were interrupted, however, when I saw the Daisy: tall, bright and open- flowered. I got down on the ground to have a closer look. Leif Bersweden has always been fascinated by wild plants. From a young age, his afternoons were spent hunting for and cataloguing the plants in his local area. But it is a landscape that is fast disappearing. I received ‘Where the Wildflowers Grow’ by Vera Jane Cook via Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. This traditional favourite among scented flowers can be sought out among the limestone pavements of the Pennines. Beware though: this is among the common plants that are dangerous to dogs and cats.

Success!

Kuddos to the author for keeping me on my toes. I pretty much guessed a lot of the things that were going to happen for the first half of the book, but then things exploded and I was utterly on the edge of my seat. I had no idea how everything was going to end. I was a little mad that certain people got a HEA that really had no right to one, but what can you do? Some of those certain people DID redeem themselves in a way, but still....>.> Tread carefully to admire this brilliant-yellow flower, which lights up the marsh and woodland stream in early spring This is an extraordinary book. How many authors are able to make you feel childishly excited not just about the simple beauty of wild flowers but also about serious science and conservation? It is captivating in its joy for the natural world. Even if you don't care a jot for wild flowers, you should read it to find out how much you're missing out on – before it is too late." Locally abundant in damp meadows and thin woodland, where its distinctive pale-yellow flowers are admired each Easter. One of several species of wild rose, whose pink flowers decorate the hedgerows through which its thorny shoots have scrambled

Now a botanist, Leif decides to go on a mission, to explore the plants that Britain and Ireland have to offer and to meet those who spend time searching for them. Over the course of a year, Leif goes on a journey around the UK and Ireland, highlighting the unique plants that grow there, their history and the threats that face them. His journey takes him from the Cornish coast to the pine forests of Scotland – even to the streets of London, proving that nature can be found in the most unexpected places. A favourite woodland flower, adorning banks and Cornish hedges each spring, each plant is seen to be either male or female to the close observer. Among the marshes and riversides, look out for this quietly elegant plant with its hanging bells of maroon and yellow The Wildflowers of Britain have a new champion. Read Leif's lyrical and passionate tribute to them and be cured of your plant blindness." Now a botanist, Leif decides to go on a mission, to explore the plants that Britain and Ireland have to offer and to meet those who spend time searching for them. Over the course of a year, Leif goes on a journey around the UK and Ireland, highlighting the unique plants that grow there, their history and the threats that face them. His journey takes him from the Cornish coast to the pine forests of Scotland – even to the streets of London, proving that nature can be found in the most unexpected places. Along the way, Leif highlights the joy and positivity that can be found through understanding nature and why it is so desperately important to protect our wildflowers.Dozens of them erupted from the grassy bank outside a house on the north coast of the Isle of Wight,’ Alan added. ‘Then, I bought a house there myself and found that they grew in the rough turf of my garden, which was a dream come true. Despite their capricious nature, they remain my favourite.’ Shady hedgerows in May foam with the green and white of this familiar umbellifer, now a show-garden must-have

In November, the Yarrow Gallery will be hosting a student-led exhibition in celebration of biodiversity called “Where the Wildflowers Grow”, co-curated by pupils from the Art department, Pippa Thompson (N) and Max Lee (S). In preparation for the exhibition, Pippa and co-organiser Lucy Stubbs (N) joined the Grounds and Gardens department for the autumn sowing of wildflower banks across the school. The richly hued blooms above spotted leaves are often seen each May among banks of cowslips and primroses A good case of nominative determinism – the author’s name is pronounced “leaf” – and fun connections abound: during the course of his year-long odyssey, he spends time plant-hunting with Jon Dunn and Sophie Pavelle, whose books featured earlier in my flora-themed summer reading: Orchid Summer and Forget Me Not [review pending for the TLS]. With Dunn on Unst, Shetland, he sees not only rare flowers but close-up orcas. Like Pavelle, who he meets up with in Cornwall, he has an eye to how species will be affected by climate change and commits to doing his hunting by train and bike; there’s only so much you can see when zooming by in a car. Bersweden makes a case for spending time with plants – after all, they don’t move, so once you’ve found them you can commune in a way you can’t during, say, a fleeting mammal encounter.A special treasure to find among the dunes and marram grass, with its silvery foliage and blue flowers I really liked this, not only is he really knowledgeable, but what comes across is his enthusiasm. It is infectious to reading this makes me want to go and discover what is out in my local patch! He is utterly besotted by plants and this is evident in his prose and the pictures included in his book of him, especially when he gets to hold a bladderwort. Famously bright blue and surprisingly tall, this is another cornfield exile more commonly seen nowadays as a garden annual

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment