Hardy geraniums are a staple in the garden and are among the best-loved and most widely grown plants. The Plant Lover’s Guide to Hardy Geraniums, by nursery owner Robin Parer, highlights 140 of the best species and cultivars. Featuring information on growth, care, and design, along with suggested companion plants and hundreds of gorgeous color photographs, it covers everything a home gardener needs to introduce these delightful plants into their garden.

Scented Geraniums are plants for all seasons. They are a delight in the garden, whether grown in the ground or in containers. The joy of these plants is that they can be brought indoors to overwinter, and you can take pleasure in them throughout the year. The authors offer easy-to-follow instructions for growing these olfactory delights both indoors and out, recipes and ideas for using them in the kitchen, in flower arrangements, in potpourri, and more.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.

Confusion about the genera Geranium and Pelargonium existed even before Linnaeus' binomial system of classification bundled both into the former category in 1753. Despite later evaluations that separated the two, many practitioners of alternative medicine and aromatherapists, among others, remain unaware of the distinction. Laymen and plant sales personnel are often equally in the dark, as the majority of garden center 'geraniums' are Pelargonium species and cultivars. This work aims to dispel myths and peel away layers of incorrect and muddled information which contribute to the unclear image of the genera. Geranium and Pelargonium: The Genus Geranium and Pelargonium features discussion and new information on some of the following areas: * taxonomy and history of usage and nomenclature * cultivation for essential oil production and retail purposes in different countries * phytochemistry of the genera * chemistry of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * theory and practice of distillation of Geranium and Pelargonium oils * pharmacology an therapeutic properties of Geranium and Pelargonium oils and extracts * use of Geranium and Pelargonium products in aromatherapy, perfumery, cosmetics, food processing and medicine * new research into Geranium and Pelargonium This book will be of interest to graduate students, scientists and professionals in the Geranium and Pelargonium growing and retail industry, the perfumery, food and cosmetics industries, and to those interested in Geranium and Pelargonium for alternative and conventional medical use. * Theory and practice of distillation

Quick and reliable to grow for summer colour, and well marketed, most gardeners will have at least one pelargonium in their garden or conservatory, without realising either the number or variety of species available, nor the plant's extraordinary history. The Passion for Pelargoniums reveals the fascinating and dramatic tales of those who have been involved in finding, classifying, collecting and breeding the plants. It explodes the myth that all modern versions of the plant are descended from the oldest known variety - the seventeenth-century drab-coloured P. triste, literally translated as the sad pelargonium, and reveals that 2,000 hybrids have been developed from less than a dozen plants originally imported from the East. From the contribution of L'Heritier, whom Sir Joseph Banks named 'an impudent Frenchman', to collectors like Masson and the Marquess of Blandford (known for his 'elegant emporium'), competing nurserymen determined to make both fortunes and reputations, and the burgeoning Victorian varieties as growers searched for the holy grail of the scarlet geranium, the book recounts the plant's extraordinary history. Today, while traditional white ones, doubles, 'nosegays' and 'rosebuds' still flourish, the 'lemon-scented geranium' is only one of a number of scented varieties, while pelargoniums can have flowers of pink, red, purple, yellow or black. This is the story of how the passion felt by gardeners for their plants stirred them to bitter rivalry and criminal obsession, scandal, fraud, and fast dealing, and saw polite society being rather less than polite.

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.

Identify and control dozens of common vegetable garden pests quickly and organically with the pest profiles and expert advice found in The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook.