{"title":"Caroline Ball","description":"\u003cp\u003eCaroline Ball’s books offer a rich exploration of the natural world, focusing on the beauty and diversity of plants. Readers will find inspiring guides that celebrate succulents, cacti, fruit, and vegetables, blending botanical knowledge with artistic presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRooted in themes of \u003cem\u003eHome \u0026amp; Garden\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e, her works invite readers to appreciate horticulture through a blend of practical insight and visual splendour, perfect for gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-splendour-of-succulents-cacti-by-caroline-ball-9781851245970","title":"A Splendour of Succulents \u0026 Cacti","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSucculents, especially cacti, are the current focus of serious ecological studies but also the darlings of designers and style influencers. Their endearing, characterful looks have given them the status of trendy 'plant pets'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut succulentomania is not new. While these plants have always been part of the landscape in the dry vastnesses of the Americas, Australia and Africa, curiosities such as furry-flowered stapeliads and serpentine euphorbias were a source of fascination for early European plant collectors. In eighteenth-century Bavaria, a prosperous apothecary grew an 'American aloe' that astounded all who saw it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis apothecary, Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, was the mastermind behind a groundbreaking book in which he aimed to include thousands of plants from all over the world, describing their individual characteristics and commissioning magnificent colour illustrations of each specimen. The succulents he featured are reproduced here in all their splendour. We may no longer look to them to treat gangrene, manufacture glass or disperse kidney stones, but succulents are proving of great interest to modern medicine and agriculture, and we can marvel at them afresh not only as wonders of nature but also as works of art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Splendour of Succulents \u0026amp; Cacti\u003c\/em\u003e by Caroline Ball explores these plants' unique roles and their evolving significance in both history and modern times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47340636438764,"sku":"9781851245970","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3015573482847.jpg?v=1772162173"},{"product_id":"cornucopia-of-fruit-vegetables-a-by-caroline-ball-9781851245666","title":"Cornucopia of Fruit \u0026 Vegetables, A","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlump apricots, juicy mangoes, crisp lettuce. We're used to seeing close-up photographs of beautiful fruits and vegetables in cookbooks and garden guides. But these detailed illustrations of fruit and vegetables, as viewed through eighteenth-century eyes, are something very different – and more interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThanks to intrepid explorers and plant-hunters, Britain and the rest of Europe have long enjoyed a wide and wonderful array of fruit and vegetables. Wealthy eighteenth-century households even created orangeries and glasshouses for tender exotic plants and special pits in which to raise pineapples. Tomatoes, sweetcorn, and runner beans from the New World expanded the culinary repertoire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1730s, a prosperous Bavarian apothecary, Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, produced the first volume of a comprehensive index of all available plants, meticulously documented and lavishly illustrated by botanical artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCornucopia of Fruit \u0026amp; Vegetables, A\u003c\/i\u003e is a glimpse into Weinmann's world. It features exquisite illustrations of the edible plants in his historic treasury, allowing us to enjoy the sight of swan-necked gourds and horned lemons, smile at silkworms hovering over mulberries, and delight at the quirkiness of plants like 'strawberry spinach.' This volume is a delicious medley of garden produce and exotics that will capture the imagination of gardeners and art-lovers alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47340698337516,"sku":"9781851245666","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3012533482847.jpg?v=1772165852"},{"product_id":"heritage-apples-by-caroline-ball-9781851245161","title":"Heritage Apples","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Blenheim Orange to the Ribston Pippin, this book tells the intriguing stories behind each variety, how they acquired their names, and their merits for eating, cooking or making cider. Beautifully illustrated and including practical advice on how to choose and grow your own trees, this is the perfect book for apple-lovers and growers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat would a greengrocer say if you were to ask for half a dozen Grenadiers and a couple of Catsheads? In the course of the past century, we have lost much of our rich heritage of orchard fruits. However, with taste once again triumphing over shelf-life and a renewed interest in local varieties, we are rediscovering the delights of that most delicious and adaptable fruit: the apple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book features apples from the Herefordshire Pomona that are still cultivated today. The Pomona—an exquisitely illustrated book of apples and pears—was published at the height of the Victorian era by a small rural naturalists' club. Its beautiful illustrations and authoritative text are treasured by book collectors and apple experts alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the familiar Blenheim Orange and Worcester Pearmain to the less feted yet scrumptious Ribston Pippin, Margil, and Pitmaston Pine Apple, \u003ci\u003eHeritage Apples\u003c\/i\u003e is illustrated with the Pomona's stunning paintings and tells the intriguing stories behind each variety, how they acquired their names, and their merits for eating, cooking, or making cider. Also including practical advice on how to choose and grow your own trees, this is the perfect book for apple-lovers and growers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47470792245484,"sku":"9781851245161","price":84.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781851245161-heritage-apples.jpg?v=1775227013"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/caroline-ball.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}