The Complete Book of Ferns is filled with botanical information, indoor and outdoor growing and care information, details on propagation, display ideas, and even craft projects. This gorgeous book is authored by Mobee Weinstein, the Foreman of Gardeners at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx and a veteran guest on the Martha Stewart Living TV show and other media outlets. Houseplants in general are in ascendance, but no category is hotter than ferns. From the otherworldly Staghorns—mounted like antler trophies in homes throughout the world—to the classic Boston Ferns and newer varieties like Crispy Wave, ferns are definitely back in fashion. And to no one’s surprise. After all, ferns are among the very oldest plants on the planet, with a long and storied history. There are tens of thousands of known varieties of ferns. In the Victorian Era, ferns created an absolute craze for more than 50 years. They re-emerged as integral home décor accessories in the '50s and '60s, and who didn’t spend time in a "Fern Bar" back in the '80s? And they are back again. This comprehensive reference starts its examination of ferns 400 million years ago, when the first species of this group of spore-reproducing plants appeared on Earth, exploring their evolution and eventual incorporation into human culture, including the powers associated with them and their practical and ornamental uses. Then, after an exploration of fern botany—its parts, how it grows, its variability in size and form, habitats, propagation, etc.—you'll learn how to green your indoor and outdoor environments with ferns. Every aspect of fern care is covered: potting/planting, watering, fertilizing, pest and disease control, and more. With this knowledge absorbed, explore creative planting projects, like terrariums, vertical gardens (living walls), mixed tabletop gardens, and moss baskets. To make your survey of ferns complete, create pressed fern art, fabric wall hangings with chlorophyll-stained designs, cyanotypes, and hand-made fern-decorated paper. In the end, you will understand why this ancient plant class continues to be all the rage.

"Identifying Ferns the Easy Way: A Pocket Guide to Common Ferns of the Northeast" is an exquisitely illustrated and easy-to-use guide created to make fern identification more accessible than ever for nature lovers of all ages. This guide presents a unique method to explain how ferns are classified into five major groups. Then, these groupings are illustrated using fern silhouettes. Each of the 28 common ferns in this guide has descriptions which detail "Where it Grows," "Tips for Identification," "Can be Confused With" and "Interesting Notes." The terminology used in this book makes this guide extremely user-friendly. "Gardeners, hikers and naturalists all need this elegantly simple guide to the common fern species of the Northeast. The lineage of these plants is ancient, their charms immutable. These pages bring their identities into the light, a gift indeed." Roger B. Swain. Host, PBS -TV's "The Victory Garden""This guide offers a wonderful way for people to become acquainted with our common regional ferns. A simple, effective key and great illustrations make this a very user-friendly field guide."Tom Wessels, Professor Emeritus, Antioch University and author of "The Forested Landscape."Lynn Levine, began her career in 1978, as the first woman consulting forester in the Northeast. She has taken thousands of people into the forest to share her love of nature, and to spur others to feel the same. She has found that teaching about trees, tracks and, now, ferns, is one powerful way to spark and enhance that bond. Levine is the author of "Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Pocket Guide," and two children's books: "Snow Secrets" and "Is it Time, Yet?" She is co-author of "Working with Your Woodland: A Landowner's Guide" and "Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Tracking Guide." Briony Morrow-Cribbs launched her book illustrating career with two New York Times Best Sellers: "Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities" and "Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects." Briony's work includes etchings, prints and illustrations.

Often regarded as the 'Cinderella' of palaeontological studies, palaeobotany has a history that contains some fascinating insights into scientific endeavour, especially by palaeontologists who were perusing a personal interest rather than a career. The problems of maintaining research facilities in universities, especially in the modern era, are described and reveal a noticeable absence of a national UK strategy to preserve centres of excellence in an avowedly specialist area. Accounts of some of the pioneers demonstrate the importance of collaboration between taxonomists and illustrators. The importance of palaeobotany in the rise of geoconservation is outlined, as well as the significant and influential role of women in the discipline. Although this volume has a predominantly UK focus, two very interesting studies outline the history of palaeobotanical work in Argentina and China.