What We Are Reading Today: ‘British and Irish Wild Flowers and Plants’

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Updated 18 September 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘British and Irish Wild Flowers and Plants’

Authors: RACHEL HAMILTON, CHRIS GIBSON, AND ROBERT STILL

This innovative photographic guide covers the most common wild flowers and other plants found in Great Britain and Ireland, as defined by the very latest distribution maps.

It is designed so that anyone faced with an unfamiliar wild plant can confidently put a name to the species or recognize that it is a less common plant needing further investigation. The identification process is based on standard botanical features that are straightforwardly described, clearly illustrated and supported by a simple visual key to families.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Gold from Newton’s Apple Tree’ by Nabil Ali

Updated 08 February 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Gold from Newton’s Apple Tree’ by Nabil Ali

Flowering currant, ivy, Portuguese laurel, and woad might all have grown in a medieval garden, but it would have taken special expertise to extract and create rich blue and purple pigments from them. 

Humans have been extracting dyes and inks from natural materials for millennia, and the practice was firmly established during the medieval era, recorded in manuscripts that survive today.

“Gold from Newton’s Apple Tree” brings together recipes for making natural colors according to season, method, and ingredients.