Lizzie Harper – illustratör

Throughout time, trees have stood as sentinels, wise yet silent, patiently accumulating their rings while the storms of history have raged around them. Trees and humankind have always had a symbiotic relationship. Throughout the centuries trees have offered us shelter from the cold and the heat.  They have provided us with a multitude of nutritious fruits, leaves, flowers and roots for food and medicine.  They have given us wood with which to make our tools, weapons and toys, not to mention timber for houses, fences, boats and bridges. But perhaps most significant of all, trees have provided us with fuel for fire, which, once it was tamed hundreds of thousands of years ago became the engine of civilization. Trees are our strongest allies. The Living Wisdom of Trees is a richly illustrated guide to the cultural significance of 55 trees, from Acacia to Yew, looking in particular at their botanical characteristics; their place in world myth, magic and folklore; their healing properties; and their practical contribution to society. Featuring beautiful hand-drawn evocative illustrations, The Living Wisdom of Treesis for all who seek acquaintance with the fascinating lore and the profound spiritual wisdom of trees.

Foraging is one of the fastest-growing nature-related pastimes in the UK and US. There are many books about foraging but this is the only one that focuses on what is arguably everyone’s favourite plant – trees! It profiles 40 incredible trees from the UK and US – from apple, ash and bay to walnut, willow and yew, gorgeously illustrated with watercolour, pen and ink botanical illustrations. In her humorous, inspiring and warm text, Adele explains how we can forage from our trees, not only for food, but also for home remedies, for ingredients to use in cocktails and ferments, and for materials to make toys, musical instruments and other useful things. Did you know that you can grind acorns into flour to make pancakes, for example, or use oak galls for ink? Or that Willow can be used for weaving; ash, hazel and oak are all good for making charcoal. Packed full of recipes and things to do, there is also a sprinkling of folklore and superstition, as well as helpful recognition tips. Overall it traces the fascinating story of the intimate relationship between humankind and our trees.