A musical celebration of the garden, from chaff to grass, and all of its lowly weeds, herbs, and creatures Sylvia Legris’s Garden Physic is a paean to the pleasures and delights of one of the world’s most cherished pastimes: Gardening! “At the center of the garden the heart,” she writes, “Red as any rose. Pulsing / balloon vine. Love in a puff.” As if composed out of a botanical glossolalia of her own invention, Legris’s poems map the garden as body and the body as garden—her words at home in the phytological and anatomical—like birds in a nest. From an imagined love-letter exchange on plants between garden designer Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson to a painting by Agnes Martin to the medicinal discourse of the first-century Greek pharmacologist Pedanius Dioscorides, Garden Physic engages with the anaphrodisiacs of language with a compressed vitality reminiscent of Louis Zukofsky’s “80 Flowers.” In muskeg and yard, her study of nature bursts forth with rainworm, whorl of horsetail, and fern radiation—spring beauty in the lines, a healing potion in verse.

A celebration of the outstanding work produced by the artists of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society. Chelsea Physic Garden was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 as a resource providing plant material for the training of apothecaries. For most of its existence, the Garden has been a focus for botanists, taxonomists, students and horticulturists both for employing their skills and in training the next generation. These activities have been supported by the work of plant illustrators. It is the purpose of this book to display the work of talented late twentieth- and early twenty-first century botanical artists, members of Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, whose explicit aim is to illustrate plants in cultivation in the Garden. In 1995 the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society was co-founded by Margaret King and Wendy Page. It is a group of artists, the first cohort of which had been studying for a Diploma in botanical illustration at the English Gardening School at Chelsea Physic Garden. 'Botanical Illustration from Chelsea Physic Garden' includes selected works from the garden's archive, which now totals about 500 works. The seventy-eight illustrations reproduced include one in pen-and-ink and three in graphite (lead pencil), all examples of work by masters of their technique. Also included is one work in coloured pencil which is, even on close inspection, indistinguishable from the best water-colour painting. The plates are accompanied by notes about the uses of the plants, as well as the botanical name of the plant and its family. 78 colour

From the winner of the Griffin Prize, a richly lyrical collection of poems exploring the body's minutiae

A beautiful and accessible seasonal guide to herbalism from the historic botanic garden. Discover the best times of the year for growing specific healing herbs and also when and how to forage for wild medicine, such as water mint, St John's Wort, hawthorn berries and rosehips. Recipes are included for how to use these herbs, along with folklore stories from herb wives and hedge witches, the meanings behind their names and the history of how these natural medicines were discovered. There are plenty of tips for how to create your own medicinal herb garden, even with just a few pots, along with a biodynamic guide for sowing, planting and harvesting. Including detailed hand-drawn line illustrations to help deepen your understanding, The Herb Almanac is the perfect gift for any nature lover. CONTENTS INCLUDES: Introduction Including using herbs as seasonally appropriate remedies and tonics, an overview of herbs in folklore, wild medicine, magic, superstition, ritual, tradition and literature and herbs in religion and floriography (the language of flowers) Gathering and Using Herbs Including safe, legal and successful foraging, a brief introduction to growing your own herbs and preparing, drying and preserving herbs Witches' Brews: Poisonous Plants Including an overview of herbs with interesting stories that cannot be easily used, e.g. wormwood, hemlock and mandrake Herb Encyclopedia Including detailed information on over 50 different herbs

Moving, poetic and quietly provocative' – The Independent. City life in the early nineteenth century was never short of drama: poverty and pollution preyed on all but the lucky few, and ‘resurrection men’ prowled the streets to procure corpses for anatomists to experiment on. Life is improving, however, for young William Lang, who begins courting Jenny, a fine needlewoman, and forms an unlikely friendship with botanist Dr Thomas Brown while working in the physic garden for a leading professor of surgery.At first, William relishes the opportunity to extend his knowledge of plants and their healing properties while foraging in the countryside in the service of his new friend. The young couple’s relationship blossoms, until seeds of trouble threaten to grow out of control.

London's gardeners are twice blessed: not only do they live in one of the world's most vibrant capitals, it is also one of the most verdant. Gardens of every imaginable style, shape and size abound on rooftops, within palaces, surrounding churches, behind walls - on every piece of dry land - even if it is floating on or lapped by the river Thames. In Great Gardens of London, Victoria Summerley and Hugo Rittson Thomas collaborate to unearth the most fascinating stories of plants and people inside London's most exciting gardens. Some of the gardens are strictly private, while others are regularly open to visitors, but all can now be savoured and enjoyed along with those who know them best. Great Gardens of London is a captivating photographic portrait of the greatest gardens of the capital which are primarily closed to the public or rarely open their gates. It will feature gardens designed by some of the leading contemporary garden designers from across the world. Accompanying the photographs will be essays on the design and planting that explain the designers' inspiration and passion.

The intriguing tales of the plants that have been used to heal and cure our bodies, brought to life with beautifully surreal illustrations from Alice Smith. Since the dawn of time, people have used plants as remedies, to both positive and deadly effect. These herbal treatments have become enshrined in folklore, in old wives' tales and in the curious names we have given local species. Many have also found their way into modern medicine cabinets – but not always in the form you would expect. This book imagines a physick garden of healing plants that have been used across the globe by different generations. But were Italian Renaissance women dicing with death when they dropped belladonna in their eyes? Can comfrey really be used to heal broken bones? And can St John’s Wort scare away more than bad spirits? Taking you around the body, from the brain to the bowels, The Physick Garden introduces 80 plants with curious medicinal pasts. With striking illustrations and lively tales, this book will show thatsometimes there is method in the madness.