Overleaf: An Album of British Trees

by Susan Ogilvy

An illustrated natural history of British native trees, by a celebrated botanical artist and her forester brother-in-law

Our trees are among our greatest national treasures, and yet today many people have forgotten their names, their identifying features and the stories we used to tell about them. In Overleaf, the botanical painter Susan Ogilvy and the forester Richard Ogilvy reacquaint us with the trees of the British Isles through careful study of their leaves. From the water-loving alder to the long-lived yew, Susan paints every tree's leaf or needle in exquisite, jewel-like detail, at exactly life size, while Richard explores their natural history, the landscapes they inhabit and the ways we use their timber, leaves, flowers and fruit in craft, industry, food and medicine. As vivid and true to life as a book of freshly picked and pressed leaves, Overleaf will delight and inform tree-spotting beginners and seasoned naturalists alike.

Genres: Nature

192 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2024

Reviews

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book to hold with fantastic illustrations throughout. Filled with information on their lives, uses, habitat and folklore this book is both a delight and very easy to read.

[Chris Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely delightful account of the characteristics of all the trees we know so well, and many less familiar ones too. Descriptions drew me in; the image of banks of Scots Pine sheltering warlike clans in Scotland, the crack willow providing nooks and crannies for bats, woodpeckers and owls, and the many uses of sweet chestnut, from palings to flour. I read the book avidly from start to finish, and will now dip back in for a second round of enjoyment.

The illustrations are exquisite, and as an echo to the title, we are given beautiful studies of both the front and the back of the leaf. I also have the book 'Nests' featuring Susan Ogilvy's forensic illustrations. Both books, kindly given to me by one of my daughters, are an absolute pleasure to own and read.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trees are relaxing things and this book is a contemplative and relaxing read. The illustrations are beautiful but too few. I’d like to see more of the tree than just the leaf, as the little diagram to show size at the beginning of each writeup really doesn’t do the tree justice. In fact, the kindle formatting doesn’t convey the book well, as I would expect to see the writeup on one page and the illustration on the opposing page.