In the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long.

Trees are familiar components of many landscapes, vital to the healthy functioning of the global ecosystem and unparalled in the range of materials which they provide for human use. Yet how much do we really understand about how they work? This 2000 book provides a comprehensive introduction to the natural history of trees, presenting information on all aspects of tree biology and ecology in an easy to read and concise text. Fascinating insights into the workings of these everyday plants are uncovered throughout the book, with questions such as how are trees designed, how do they grow and reproduce, and why do they eventually die tackled in an illuminating way. Written for a non-technical audience, the book is nonetheless rigorous in its treatment and will therefore provide a valuable source of reference for beginning students as well as those with a less formal interest in this fascinating group of plants.

Gangadharan Menon gave up advertising after 28 years to take up his first and second love: teaching and travel. He now teaches at Rachana Sansad College of Applied Arts, Mumbai, and does travel photography and travel writing. His articles have been published in The Hindu, The Times of India, DNA, Hindustan Times, Mid-day, and in Hornbill, the journal of Bombay Natural History Society. Through his writings he encourages people to discover the joy of travelling in India, a country that is made up of many countries. He can be contacted on [email protected]

With this latest addition to the Expert series, readers get the information needed to choose the plants that best suit their garden's fertility and available space.

Create a foliage-driven garden that dazzles! Although seductive, flowers, by their fleeting nature, are a fickle base to provide long-lasting gardens with year-round interest. Tackle this problem with the advice in Gardening with Foliage First. Learn how to first build a framework of foliage and then layer in flowers and other artistic elements as the finishing touches. This simple, recipe-style approach to garden design features 127 combinations for both sunny and shady gardens that work for a variety of climates and garden challenges.

One of today's best gardening writers presents a visually beautiful guide to working with perennials and helping them flourish.

Resource added for the Landscape Horticulture Technician program 100014.