HAWTHORN: Simple things to do with the plants around you
CLARE GOGERTY
David & Charles (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 all editions, available now
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: Throughout the year, the hawthorn tree gives shelter to birds, and then feeds them into the fall with its vibrant red berries. Steeped in myth, the hawthorn is a magical tree. In The Little Wild Library: Hawthorn, discover how to make the most of this ancient and useful tree, with recipes and makes to try throughout the year.
Introducing The Little Wild Library: Hawthorn—a captivating pocket-sized guide to the magical and practical hawthorn tree. Known for its frothy white blossoms in spring and vibrant red berries in autumn, the hawthorn is a beloved tree that provides shelter, food, and enchantment throughout the year. From the moment its blossoms appear in May, to the fall when its berries brighten the hedgerow, this book reveals how to forage, craft, and cook with this ancient tree, all while uncovering its deep roots in myth and folklore.
Whether you're new to foraging or looking to connect with the ancient plants of the hedgerow, The Little Wild Library: Hawthorn is the perfect introduction to this magical tree. With its blend of practical foraging advice, seasonal projects, and enchanting folklore, this guide will inspire you to embrace the hawthorn’s many gifts and explore the natural world around you.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: While this book is aimed squarely at the European hawthorn species...multiple...the North American hawthorns don't appear to be all that different from theirs, and grow quite widely around the entire US.
Everything about hawthorns is appealing to me; I've smelled them and seen them dressed in their spring finery, and looked at the pretty leaves the rest of the year. Anything that will garner more positive notice of them seems to me to be a very good thing indeed.
An inexpensive gift item for an outdoorsy giftee; someone concerned about how to live off the land; and a lover of pretty things to keep around to lift one's spirits.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WILD ROSE: Simple things to do with the plants around you
CLARE GOGERTY
David & Charles (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 all editions, available now
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: Peeking out of hedgerows and spilling a beautiful scent, the wild rose is one of the most charming wild plants to find. A favourite of bees when the flowers are in bloom, its vibrant red rosehips are a much needed burst of colour as fall turns to winter and the landscape darkens.
In The Little Wild Library: Wild Rose, discover how to make the most of this beautiful plant, with recipes and makes to try throughout the year. Once you've found your favourite wild rose, come back as the seasons change and find new things to do with your foraged treasure—from edible treats to useful tinctures. Discover recipes that make use of robust and plump rosehips that decorate the branches in autumn, and return in the spring to forage and gather petals and flowers to explore new ways to use this most ancient of roses. All the recipes and makes are beginner friendly, making it easier and more fulfilling to engage with the natural world and form a connection to the plants and flowers that decorate our lives.
Learn how to identify the wild rose amidst its hedgerow friends from the comprehensive botanical information included, and take this pocket-sized book out on foraging adventures to help spot the rosa canina waving merrily on a spring breeze, or brightening a dull fall afternoon. Through the book, learn about the history of the wild rose, including how it got its name, and discover some of the myths, legends, and folklore attached to this beautiful plant.
The perfect beginner's guide to foraging, in a handy pocket-sized format, The Little Wild Library: Wild Rose will reveal the secrets of the hedgerow and inspire those new to foraging to experiment and explore the beautiful plants around them.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Foraging roses...sounds sacreligious, doesn't it, the way roses occupy such a central place in modern gardening. Wild roses do not resemble their cultivated cousins. Never forget that the source of every apple you've ever eaten came from that time in Kazakhstan that a horny meadowsweet got a nearby wild rose pregnant.
I'd never thought of making, or drinking, rose-petal vodka ever even once; nor had making confetti from rose petals so much as creased my cranium.
This is a beautiful, inexpensive book for the floral fan in your gifting circle.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ELDER: Simple things to do with the plants around you
CLARE GOGERTY
David & Charles (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$12.99 all editions, available now
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: A favourite of foragers, the Elder tree is the very essence of summer, with frothy blooms emerging in the late spring and filling the hedges and pathways with a glorious fragrance. As the seasons turn, the elderberry comes into its own, a delicious food for humans and animals alike, bursting with vitality and an excellent source of vitamin C.
In The Little Wild Library: Elder, discover how to make the most of this beautiful tree, with recipes and makes to try throughout the year. Once you've found your favourite elder, come back as the seasons change and find new things to do with your foraged treasure—from edible treats to useful tinctures. Beginner-friendly, the elder is the perfect plant for those new to foraging to get to know—with easy-to-follow recipes for favourite makes such as the delicate and romantic elderflower champagne.
Learn how to identify the elder amidst its hedgerow friends from the comprehensive botanical information included, and take this pocket-sized book out on foraging adventures to help spot the elder blossom bursting forth in the spring sunshine—though you'll be sure to catch its heavenly scent before you see it! As fall arrives, return to your favourite elder and gather the elderberries that shine brightly from its branches. Through the book, learn about the history of the elder, and discover some of the myths, legends, and folklore attached to this beautiful plant.
The perfect beginner's guide to foraging, in a handy pocket-sized format, The Little Wild Library: Elder will reveal the secrets of the hedgerow and inspire those new to foraging to experiment and explore the beautiful plants around them.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A gorgeous gift item. I think it's got its heart in the right place, offering sensible and whimsical alternatives to simply seeing—and smelling in this case—these startlingly lovely trees. Any of your herbalist giftees, your young hiking enthusiasts who need a reason to slow down, or really any crafting/canning/foraging enthusiast will appreciate how lovely it is.
A beautiful, inexpensive object is a good thing to have in your pocket at Yuletide.
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