As climate change worsens and the environment continues to suffer, Douglas W Tallamy offers a solution that calls on the joint efforts of mankind. By advocating a grassroots approach to conservation, this guide for the everyday homeowner outlines practical and effective methods for planting native flora to provide more habitats for regional wildlife. Highly approachable and full of personality, Nature’s Best Hope not only educates you on the importance of maintaining biodiversity and how to revitalise a backyard but also invites you to partake in a
large-scale restoration of ecosystems.
FROM MALAY GARDEN TO TABLE:
FAMILIAR FRAGRANCES, FAVOURED FLAVOURS
By Wazir Jahan Karim + Nurilkarim Razha
Written by a Malaysian mother-and-son duo, this vibrant title is an intergenerational account of the family’s Penang garden and the fragrant, beautiful, edible sprouts found within. Discover the history of traditional Malay gardens and the foraging culture that influenced their culinary roots, contemporary methods and medicinal uses for edible plants, as told by Prof Emerita Dr Wazir Jahan Karim. Paired with these lively, informative excerpts are accounts from Michelin-selected Jawi House’s own executive chef Nurilkarim Razha, as well as 40 recipes that make use of home-grown greens, organic flavours and heritage dishes.
See also: Hear, here
THE SECRET GARDEN
By Frances Hodgson Burnett
An oldie but goodie that never fails to delight readers of any age, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s famous story about 10-year-old Mary Lennox rediscovering joy through her connection with nature has awoken a love for plants in many a young mind. The defiant orphan arrives stubborn and unhappy to her new home, but soon softens up as she discovers the key to a private walled garden and eagerly resolves to tend to the bushes and vines. This heartwarming tale of healing a family by rejuvenating the land around them speaks to the ultimate pastoral fantasy within all our hearts.
See also: By the book
IKEBANA: THE ART OF ARRANGING FLOWERS
By Shōzō Satō
Poised, disciplined and elegant, the Japanese practice of floral arrangement has long been considered a classical art of refinement. Literally translated as “giving life to flowers”,
the craft has evolved over the centuries to encompass various styles, turning from an object of aristocratic appreciation to a widely enjoyed pastime all over the world. Late ikebana expert Shōzō Satō’s illustrious text, now updated for the modern demographic, helpfully covers its origins, schools of thought, tools and basic techniques. Follow the detailed yet beginner-friendly tutorials within to compose breathtaking living sculptures.
THE CONTEMPORARY GARDEN
By Phaidon Editors
This eye-catching coffee table read from Phaidon Editors is a magnificent celebration of the world’s most stunning green spaces. Spanning 300 estates and curated by industry experts, The Contemporary Garden includes public icons such as the High Line and Changi Airport Garden, in addition to private spaces owned by celebrities and designed by renowned landscape architects. The edifying inscriptions and large-format images will take you through an impressive array of modern garden styles, demonstrating the evolution of landscape aesthetics and our shifting relationship with the natural world.
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THE BOTANISTS OF THE SINGAPORE
BOTANIC GARDENS: THE FIRST 100 YEARS
By K M Wong et al
A Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the island nation’s most fascinating attractions, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is honoured in a reflective chronicle of its beginnings and long journey of scientific pursuit. This anthology is a compilation of writings from 11 of the institution’s most influential botanists over the years, explaining their contributions across multiple areas of the field, including plant science, classification and natural history. Collected by three esteemed botanical researchers and one highly regarded ecologist, this incredibly enlightening tome is a testament to Singaporean science and scholarship.
FLORIOGRAPHY: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO THE VICTORIAN LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
By Jessica Roux
This gorgeously illustrated New York Times bestseller is a must-have encyclopaedia for the horticulturally inclined or soon-to-be bride. Each page holds sumptuous, full-colour drawings of more than 100 blooms and herbs alongside their meanings, origins, suggested pairings and bouquet inspirations based on historic uses and hidden codes. Mysterious, playful and utterly fascinating, this book is an informative venture into the old art of flower language as a means of exchanging messages sub rosa, and is sure to give those hoping to dabble in covert romanticism some ideas for an upcoming communiqué.
LITERARY GARDENS: THE IMAGINARY
GARDENS OF WRITERS AND POETS
By Sandra Lawrence
From the whimsical labyrinths of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to The Great Gatsby’s lavish, ostentatious party lawns, literature has long tangoed with the allure of lush landscapes. In this lyrical compilation, narrated by Sandra Lawrence and enriched by Lucille Clerc’s artwork, the verdant spaces of fiction are presented as areas of nostalgia, emotion, peace and even tension, each informed by the characters and plots that flow through them. A perfect gift for the avid reader and naturalist, this short but satisfying read looks beyond the words of both famous and lesser-known textual gardens.
