Bøger af Julia Atkinson-Dunn

For some, gardening is a mysterious activity involving muck, unfathomable know-how and physical labor. To others, it is a gateway to creativity, well-being and magic. Julia Atkinson-Dunn knows what it is to stand on both sides of this fence and has channeled her discovery of gardening into a book to aid and inspire others in their own. A Guided Discovery of Gardening is a comprehensive partner in creating a garden, arranged to sweep beginner and progressing gardeners through informative basics to fascinating insights laid bare through Julia's casual, friendly and often personal writing. From introductions to plant types and taking cuttings to valuable tips for home buyers and the curation of seasonally responsive planting. Particularly relevant to temperate regions around the world including the US and Canada, rich doses of handy knowledge are intermingled with reflective essays and visual visits to some of her favourite New Zealand gardens, as well as her own. "Treat this book as your trusted friend. A place you can return to time and again for positive reinforcement as you embark on your own journey of discovering the beautiful rewards found in creating a garden, just as I have." Julia Atkinson-Dunn

This is a book about flower arranging from the perspective of a gardener. Harvesting from the garden means short, wonky stems, bruised petals, insects crawling out of blooms and the open invitation to claim a weed or vege as vase fodder. Unlike the demands that florists are under to produce perfection, we at home are only out to please ourselves, or if they are lucky, our friends. It's easy to lose ourselves in the fast pace of life, family, work and global events beyond our control. Moments of meditation, creativity and connecting with nature are often difficult to find, but we are well reminded of the benefits when we do - the pinching of 30 minutes in a day to wander with secateurs in hand and the calm comfort in playing with foliage and flowers to be enjoyed during daily, domestic life. Flowers for Friends is both a reflection, and story of the seasons brought indoors by Julia Atkinson-Dunn when harvesting from her garden and foraging in Canterbury, New Zealand. Written in her signature casual tone (as seen in her first book Petal Power), Julia offers an accessible guide to picking, conditioning and arranging home-grown treasures, celebrating their quirks and encouraging unexpected combinations. Seasonal chapters profile arrangements she has made, detailing plants in season and inviting readers to play without the hunt for perfection, or restraint. All the flowers and plants used in Flowers for Friends can be grown in any temperate climate across the globe, including the US.