This rich and beautiful book takes readers from tropical forests to deserts, and from alpine mountains to English country gardens as it tours the most magnificent botanic havens in the world. There has never been a better time to celebrate botanic gardens. As centres for research, conservation and education, these expansive collections are integral to our understanding of the true power of plants. But they also hold some of the most beautiful species on earth – including ferns, trees, cacti, orchids and more – expertly cared for and presented as a feast for the senses, delighting thousands of visitors each year. In a curation of the most inspiring and diverse botanic gardens from around the world – from Brooklyn and San Francisco, to Colombia and Brazil; Oxford and Kew, to Cape Town and Mauritius; Norway and Germany, to Sydney and Thailand – discover surprising diversity, superb vistas and some of the most intriguing plants you can imagine. Ambra Edwards introduces the gardens – bringing them to life on the page – and uncovers their history, collections and scientific influence. This book will not shy from sometimes uncomfortable truths, but it is first and foremost a celebration of the wonder that is contained within the world’s greatest botanic gardens.

Winner of the Inspirational Book of the Year, Garden Media Guild Awards Ambra Edwards and Charlie Hopkinson explore, in words and pictures, the lives, visions and achievements of fourteen very different head gardeners. "Ambra Edwards's fascinating interviews show what diversity there is in British gardens. It's a book about people and how they tick - people who happen to be gardeners." - The Times "An informative and eye-opening delight." - Philippa Stockley, Country Life "The author, well-known for her sparky writing style and broad hinterland of interests, has interviewed 14 head gardeners in search of some answers, teaming up with the highly empathetic and skilled photographer Charlie Hopkinson to produce this visually appealing and revealing book about some remarkable people in horticulture... Nor is it hard to argue with her view that gardeners are undervalued by society, in status and reward. Let's hope this brilliant book goes some way to redressing that." - Ursula Buchan, The Garden

'What Penelope so successfully achieves is casting the visions of today over the layers of the past, contextualizing them in a way that diminishes neither the new nor the old...Comprehensive work' - House & Garden magazine

'Deservedly claims its position on the bookshelf' - The English Garden magazine

A fully updated and revised edition of a gardening classic.

From the cooling fountains of the Alhambra to the imposing palace grounds of Chinese emperors and the clean lines of the formal French parterre, this inspiring history charts the fascinating evolution of gardening over thousands of years, bringing to life the world's most beautiful and magnificent gardens.

The Story of Gardening explains the origins of the most influential gardening styles. Acclaimed garden designer and plantswoman Penelope Hobhouse draws on her extensive experience and shows you how an appreciation of style and techniques from all over the world helps us to understand how modern gardens have developed.

Unrivalled in its coverage and written with the author's characteristic clarity and authority, this exceptional book is guaranteed to appeal to gardening enthusiasts or all ages and levels of expertise.

Chapters include:

The Origins of Gardening: the gardens of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia.

Gardens of Ancient Greece and Rome: The beginnings of botany and herbalism and design developments in the Classical world.

The Gardens of Islam: the `fourfold' garden's spread from the Middle East.

The Medieval Gardens of Christendom: The layers of meaning in the gardens of the Middle Ages.

The Renaissance Vision in Italy: The transition from classical villa gardens.

The Flowering of the European Garden: Louis XIV's power-gardening.

Plants on the Move: Early plant enthusiasts who searched for new species.

The English Landscape Garden: The 18th century Landscape Movement

The Eclectic 19th Century: European gardening during technological change.

The Americas Gardening's evolution on the American continent.

Gardens of China: Chinese gardening's links with the landscape and painting.

The Japanese Garden: Japanese design's influence on the rest of the world.

From Naturalism to Modernism: Pioneer voices as gardening goes global.

Visions of the Future: The faces shaping gardening in the 21st century.

Our climate is in a state of flux. Weather patterns are changing and therefore the way we manage our gardens are changing too. This offers a new and exciting challenge for all gardeners. This new book looks at the garden styles of nine regions which have always dealt superbly with heat, drought and water shortage - the Italianate Garden, the Islamic Garden, the Patio Garden, the Mediterranean Garden, the Gravel Garden, the Desert Garden, the Bush Garden, Cape Colour and the Jungle Garden. Each chapter explains the style and includes a practical tutorial, typical plant forms, a planting plan and a project. The final chapter is a useful plant directory introducing the key plants along with cultivation advice for growing them yourself. This is a critical read for gardeners, a practical and inspirational insight into the classic gardens defined by sunshine, humidity and lack of water that will continue to inform the gardens of tomorrow.

RHS Staff Pick of the Year 2021 Spectator Gardening Book of the year 2021 'A refreshingly insightful history of plant introductions.' - Roy Lancaster Travel the world with extraordinary tales of the botanical discoveries that have shaped empires, built (and destroyed) economies, revolutionised medicine and advanced our understanding of science. Circling the globe from Australia's Botany Bay to the Tibetan plateau, from the deserts of Southern Africa to the jungles of Brazil, this book presents an incredible cast of characters - dedicated researchers and reckless adventurers, physicians, lovers and thieves. Meet dauntless Scots explorer David Douglas and visionary Prussian thinker Alexander von Humboldt, the 'Green Samurai' Mikinori Ogisu and the intrepid 17th century entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian - the first woman known to have made a living from science. Beautifully illustrated with over 100 botanical artworks from the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this absorbing book tells the stories of how plants have travelled across the world - from the missions of the Pharaohs right up to 21st century seed-banks and the many new and endangered species being named every year. *** THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW is a world-famous research organisation and a major international visitor attraction. It harnesses the power of its science, the rich diversity of its gardens and collections to unearth why plants and fungi matter to everyone. Its aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and help create a world where nature and biodiversity are protected, valued and managed sustainably.