Cassell's Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe

Cassell's Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe

by Christopher Grey - Wilson (Author), Majorie Blamey (Illustrator)

Synopsis

This book is the fruit of Marjorie Blamey's lifelong absorption with wild flowers and their accurate illustration. Covering all species, both native and introduced, widespread or local, north of the Alps and the Mediterranean region, except for grasses, sedges, rushes and horsetails, CASSELL'S WILD FLOWERS OF BRITAIN AND NORTHERN EUROPE is the most complete and detailed colour-illustrated guide yet for any comparable area of the globe. Majorie Blamey's flower paintings appear on the right-hand pages of the book and are minutely accurate and precise with many small details. Illustrated on the book's left-hand pages are details of flower, leaf, stem, fruit or seed, and variations in colour or form. These are keyed by numbers to the text, where asterisks indicate fuller portraits on the facing page. The descriptive text, by Christopher Grey-Wilson, perfectly complements the illustrations, and provides clear details of the size, habitat and distribution of the flowers.

$51.24

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 544
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Published: 19 Jun 2003

ISBN 10: 030436214X
ISBN 13: 9780304362141
Book Overview: The classic modern illustrated flora by a world-famous illustrator and a world-class horticulturalist.

Media Reviews
Marjorie Blamey's paintings are exquisite, done with skill and love, and they seem to capture the essence of wild flowers in a way that photographs cannot... This is a state-or-the-art reference book; but more than that, it is a joy to read with no particular enquiry in mind, just to share the artist's delight in her subjects. ORGANIC GARDENING August 03 Not only does this book promise hours of entertainment and instruction, but it is also invaluable as a reference book for when you come across that little wild flower you can't identify. Incredibly, every single identified species - all 2,400 of them - is covered, making it the most complete and detailed colour-illustrated guide yet for any comparable area of the globe. SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE July 03 With its power to charm and instruct, the art of botanical illustration holds its own against photography. For proof, turn to Cassell's Wild Flowers... A useful and delightful book. BBC HOMES & ANTIQUES Sept 03 Marjorie Blamey provides stunning paintings of the life-size flowers and also details of flower, leaf, stem, fruit or seed, and variations in colour or form. These are accompanied by descriptive text covering size, habitat and distribution of the flowers from Christopher Grey-Wilson. Not only an invaluable reference tool, this book is also beautiful to look at. COUNTRY HOUSE & HOME Sept 03 A dictionary for the serious botanist. Beautifully illustrated... GARDEN ANSWERS Autumn 2003 Descriptive text combines with lif-size paintings of wildflowers and precise illustrations of their blooms, leaves, seeds or fruit. A useful guide that is easy to follow and a real pleasure to look at. GARDENS MONTHLY Nov 03 ... the sheer range of species covered... and the generally excellent quality of the life-size paintings make this a very worthwhile addition to the botanist's library. PLANT TALK Oct 03 Marjorie Blamey's illustrations are both beautiful and informative... the quality of the illustrations are such that many readers will be drawn to browse... the text is excellent, providing useful details on plant distribution, and helpful comments regarding habitat details... a good buy. THE GARDEN Nov 03 (Reviewed with Cassell's Trees of Britain and Northern Europe) 'Two expensive but true masterpieces that will fill a long-vacant gap in your wildlife library. Superbly illustrated and written, we highly recommend them.' ACTIVE (National Trust magazine) Autumn 2003 A remarkable work and an invaluable guide to identifying all those wild plants you suddenly come across on walks, or even sometimes on the vegetable plot. Concise texts by plantsman Christopher Grey-Wilson cover size and characteristics of the plants, habitats and other essentials, while Marjorie Blamey's beautiful paintings - most of them lifesize - bring the plants to life in glowing colour. KITCHEN GARDEN Dec 2003
Author Bio
Dr. Christopher Grey-Wilson, for many years at Kew Gardens and now secretary of the Alpine Garden society. Much-travelled, he is one of the country's best-known gardeners and botanists. Majorie Blamey is by far the most successful illustrator of wild flower books in Europe. Her books have sold well over a million copies. This book is unquestionably the peak of her achievement.