Did you know that at one time the wood of the rowan tree was kept as a pocket charm against rheumatism? Or that the ancient Greeks believed trees possessed wood spirits, called dryads, that took the form of young women? Or that you can make blackberry whisky from the humble blackberry and absinthe from wormwood?

This beautifully illustrated, eclectic book contains a mixture of fact and fiction about woodlands and forests, including information about flora and fauna, woodland crafts, tree identification, foraging advice, folklore, mythology and much more. Simple step-by-steps show readers how to, among other things, make a bird house and bug hotel, press flowers, make a poultice and treat nettle sting.