Books published by publisher EMBER PRESS

The plants are organized into 28 intuitively logical groups, such as succulent euphorbias, mesembryanthemums, bulbs, succulent trees, aloes, agaves, and haworthias. Each entry includes information on the plant's native habitat, its cultivation requirements, and its horticultural potential. As useful to novice growers as to collectors and those with an existing interest in succulents, this will be the standard reference for years to come.

“Delightful!” —The New York Times Book Review Discover a world of beauty and creativity! Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America. It is a place of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home. And now those lessons are available for everyone in this stunning book! You’ll learn techniques specific to different conditions and plant palettes; how to use hardscape materials in a fresh way; and how to achieve the perfect union between plant and site. And Rob Cardillo’s exquisite photographs of exciting combinations will be sure to stimulate your own creativity. Whether you’re already under Chanticleer’s spell or have yet to visit, The Art of Gardening will enable you to bring the special magic that pervades this most artful of gardens into your own home landscape.

"Chickens and Pigs" shows executives how to use the power of business models to build strategies that make customers the center of their strategic planning activities. The reader learns how to: categorize customers in terms of the benefits they bring, focus on the right customers, balance holding current customers with finding new ones, and diversify with purpose and confidence. It's a strategic planning book unlike any other, written by an author who straddles both the academic and business settings. It offers fresh, innovative, and effective solutions to problems that keep executives awake at night.

This colorful children's picture book has an uplifting message for all ages about keeping a joyful spirit. Life doesn't always go our way, and we have two choices when it doesn't: give in to misery or keep our sunny spirit. Sadness comes to us all at some point, but eventually the rainbow follows the storm. May this book serve as a reminder to always keep to the sunny side of life.

No matter how old you are, sometimes life can seem like a parade of things to worry about. In this vividly illustrated picture book, a young star receives reassurances that although it seems like she is alone above the world, she is perfectly suited and placed. A simple reminder for all of us that while we may not understand why we are where we are a given time, we are where we need to be at this time.

“Maloof eloquently urges us to cherish the wildness of what little old-growth woodlands we have left. . . . Not only are they home to the richest diversity of creatures, but they work hard for humans too.” —New York Times Book Review An old-growth forest is one that has formed naturally over a long period of time with little or no disturbance from humankind. They are increasingly rare and largely misunderstood. In Nature’s Temples, Joan Maloof, the director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, makes a heartfelt and passionate case for their importance. This evocative and accessible narrative defines old-growth and provides a brief history of forests. It offers a rare view into how the life-forms in an ancient, undisturbed forest—including not only its majestic trees but also its insects, plant life, fungi, and mammals—differ from the life-forms in a forest manipulated by humans. What emerges is a portrait of a beautiful, intricate, and fragile ecosystem that now exists only in scattered fragments. Black-and-white illustrations by Andrew Joslin help clarify scientific concepts and capture the beauty of ancient trees.

This guided tour through bird behavior by the author of Latin for Bird Lovers “reveals the strange and wondrous adaptations birds rely on to get by” (National Audubon Society).When we see a bird flying from branch to branch happily chirping, it is easy to imagine they lead a simple life of freedom, flight, and feathers. What we don’t see is the arduous, life-threatening challenges they face at every moment. In Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs, ornithologist Roger J. Lederer guides you through the myriad, often nearly miraculous, things that birds do every day just to stay alive. The goldfinch withstands extreme weather changes by doubling the density of its plumage in winter. Urban birds navigate traffic through a keen understanding of posted speed limits. In engaging and accessible prose, Lederer shares how and why birds use their sensory abilities to see ultraviolet, find food without seeing it, fly thousands of miles without stopping, change their songs in noisy cities, navigate by smell, and much more.“A trove of information for true bird nerds.” —Bird Watcher’s Digest

Baxter and Cookie are two happy dogs living in a wonderful home with a new baby named Katie. Life is perfect until one day when Katie starts crying and her parents can't figure out why. Only Cookie and Baxter know why Katie is unhappy: She's lost her favorite toy. Baxter sets out on adventure to find Katie's toy and make everything right again.A fun illustrated story with a surprising ending - great for ages 3 to 8 and older.

“An imaginative guide to bringing the delights of the garden indoors.” —Publishers WeeklyThe Unexpected Houseplant, by renowned plant authority Tovah Martin, offers a revolutionary approach to houseplants. Instead of the typical varieties, Martin suggests hundreds of creative choices—brilliant spring bulbs, lush perennials brought in from the garden, quirky succulents, and flowering vines and small trees. Along with loads of visual inspiration, you will learn how to make unusual selections, where to best position plants in the home, and valuable tips on watering, feeding, and pruning.

“With precise, stunning photographs and a distinctly literary narrative that tells the story of the forest ecosystem along the way, The Living Forest is an invitation to join in the eloquence of seeing.” —Sierra Magazine From the leaves and branches of the canopy to the roots and soil of the understory, the forest is a complex, interconnected ecosystem filled with plants, birds, mammals, insects, and fungi. Some of it is easily discovered, but many parts remain difficult or impossible for the human eye to see. Until now. The Living Forest is a visual journey that immerses you deep into the woods. The wide-ranging photography by Robert Llewellyn celebrates the small and the large, the living and the dead, and the seen and the unseen. You’ll discover close-up images of owls, hawks, and turtles; aerial photographs that show herons in flight; and time-lapse imagery that reveals the slow change of leaves. In an ideal blend of art and scholarship, the 300 awe-inspiring photographs are supported by lyrical essays from Joan Maloof detailing the science behind the wonder.

Create a foliage-driven garden that dazzles! Although seductive, flowers, by their fleeting nature, are a fickle base to provide long-lasting gardens with year-round interest. Tackle this problem with the advice in Gardening with Foliage First. Learn how to first build a framework of foliage and then layer in flowers and other artistic elements as the finishing touches. This simple, recipe-style approach to garden design features 127 combinations for both sunny and shady gardens that work for a variety of climates and garden challenges.