For flower lovers everywhere. You can almost smell the flowers in this photo tour of Seattle’s hidden gem, the Volunteer Park Conservatory, one of the last remaining Victorian glass conservatories in the U.S. This beautiful book, the first ever about the Conservatory, is published just in time for the Conservatory’s upcoming 2012 Centennial Celebration. Uniquely created from twelve visits, one each month, photographer Sara L. Chapman highlights the magnificent displays of rare flowers and extraordinary foliage from around the world. View the Conservatory’s signature blend of perfect horticultural technique with world-class, creative plant combinations. Browse among the ravishing displays as they change throughout the year. Complete with the common and scientific names of plants and including a comprehensive index, with a foreword from the Conservatory’s Senior Gardener, David Helgeson. Helpful and inspiring to armchair gardeners and plant professionals alike. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Friends of the Conservatory.

Majestic eagle, furry squirrel, baby bear, and more–any one can leap from a cute ball of playfulness to a potential attacker when injured and feeling especially vulnerable. Yet, as Ann Southcombe relates time and again in A Wild Life: Healing Animals with an Open Mind and Loving Heart, we do them–and ourselves–injustice in ignoring their true essence. Decades of intimate interactions with a wealth of animals have shown Southcombe how wonderfully they respond when treated with understanding, love, and respect.