There are plenty of books on how to look after houseplants but no one has shown us how, when and why these plants came to be found in our homes. In this fascinating book we learn how potted plants are as subject to fashion as pieces of furniture. For the Victorians it was the aspidistra in the front parlor; for us it is the orchid in the designer loft. We find that Wedgwood created a market for special bulb pots and that some of Conran's early designs were for houseplant containers. Then there is the story of mignonette - a modest plant but once prized in every home for its intoxicating scent. Now that scent is lost to us for ever. Catherine Horwood's novel combination of social history, plant history and the history of interior design is intriguing. Her illustrations come from a variety of unusual sources since potted plants may be found in many unexpected corners.

Aesthetically pleasing though plants are in the home or office, they can seem hard to look after, with many turning brown or dying soon after they are bought. On top of television sets, in cold draughts or dry air or in swings of temperature, they are far removed from their often exotic natural surroundings.

Catherine Horwood explores the role of houseplants and cut flowers in the home and has combined social history, plant history and the history of interior design.

The colorful, peculiar history of the houseplant—from ancient Rome to Victorian England to Instagram—a botanical adventure full of histrionic highs, devastating lows, and sensational turning points along the way. From the hanging gardens of Babylon to that fiddle-leaf fig in your living room, houseplants have been humanity's companions for a millennia. Taming the Potted Beast explores the history of our air-purifying friends with an entertaining narrative of the peculiar, often dramatic story of the cultivation and domestication of the not-so-humble houseplant. Including entertaining historical vignettes, DIY plant projects, and accessible tips and tricks for caring for your own historical houseplant collection, this book has any plant-curious reader covered. Readers will come away with practical projects, expert advice, and an understanding of the historical significance of houseplants as well as an appreciation of the cultures from which they emerged. Both fascinating and fun, Taming the Potted Beast will take readers on exhilarating botanical adventure through the ages.

Two beautifully illustrated little giftbooks Whether to escape the rat race, help save the planet, economize, or all of the above, people are heading back to the land. Backyard gardens have never been so popular, farmers markets are abundant with seasonal and local produce, and a healthy nostalgia for growing heirloom plants is in vogue. These two books embrace this idea by reacquainting the reader with the origins, nature, and peculiarities of the world's produce. Among the many revelations in their pages: apples have been cultivated by humans for at least three millennia, fresh pineapple juice can be used as a meat tenderizer, carrots were once purple, and potatoes were originally kept as ornamental rather than edible plants. Combining beautiful reproductions of the finest nineteenth-century botanical illustrations with a miscellany of fascinating facts and extraordinary histories, these are ideal giftbooks for the heirloom gardener, locavore, or conservationist. Mike Darton is a writer and editor with a passion for words, knowledge, and trivia. His published titles include a large number of dictionaries and miscellanies, such as the parody "Spott's Miscellany." He lives in the United Kingdom. Lorraine Harrison is a successful gardener and gardening writer with a passion for exotic and heirloom vegetables. Among her previous titles are" How to Read Gardens "and "The Shaker Book of the Garden."

From “Reefer Madness” to legal purchase at the corner store With long-time legal and social barriers to marijuana falling across much of the United States, the time has come for an accessible and informative look at attitudes toward the dried byproduct of Cannabis sativa. Marijuana: A Short History profiles the politics and policies concerning the five-leaf plant in the United States and around the world. Millions of Americans have used marijuana at some point in their lives, yet it remains a substance shrouded by myth, misinformation, and mystery. And nearly a century of prohibition has created an enforcement system that is racist, and the continuing effects of racially-targeted over criminalization limit economic and social opportunities in communities of color. Marijuana: A Short History tells this story, and that of states stepping up to enact change. This book offers an up-to-date, cutting-edge look at how a plant with a tumultuous history has emerged from the shadows of counterculture and illegality. Today, marijuana has become a remarkable social, economic, and even political force—with a surprising range of advocates and opponents. Over the past two decades marijuana policy has transformed dramatically in the United States, as dozens of states have openly defied the federal government. Marijuana: A Short History provides a brief yet compelling narrative that discusses the social and cultural history of marijuana but also tells us how a once-vilified plant has been transformed into a serious, even mainstream, public policy issue. Focusing on politics, the media, government, racism, criminal justice, and education, the book describes why public policy has changed, and what that change might mean for marijuana's future place in society.