Books of interest

This list represents a selection of the garden books owned by the author of this web site. Some of them are of general interest, some are reference books, some are inspiration for this garden.

Out of interest, an excellent source for gardening books is from Mike Park Ltd., 351 Sutton Common Road, Sutton, Surrey. SM3 9HZ U.K. Tel : 020 8641 7796, Fax : 020 8641 3330. His company does advertise on Amazon, but his latest catalogue of gardening books can be downloaded here. This link will be updated whenever newer versions appear (new - May 2009). If you are looking for a particular book, e-mail Mike, he may well be able to source a copy for you. He is also listed on uk book link. All the books I have had from this company (including difficult to get books) are very well packed and arrive quickly - thoroughly recommended.

An interesting gardening book publishing company worth mentioning here is Karen Platt's Black Tulip Publishing. All the books are excellent for any type of gardener. They are also suitable for students studying planting, colours and garden design and are all keenly priced. The new 6th edition of the famous 'The Seed Search' is particularly interesting. It is a unique #1 source book for seeds. It sources 40,000 flowering seeds including all types of flowering plants and over 9,500 vegetables and includes open-pollinated, untreated, heirloom and organic seed with many rare species. Karen herself is famous for starting the Black Plant Society.

Ed. Aden, P. 1992. The Hosta Book. 2nd. Ed. Batsford. ISBN 0 7134 7270 7. - reference book on Hostas.

Adams, I. 2005. The Art of Garden Photography. ISBN 0 88192 680 9. - an essential reference for garden photographers.

Arnold-Foster, W. 1948. Shrubs for the milder counties. Country Life Ltd. - classic reference book on Cornish gardens, many species described are now generally available in garden centers - Global Warming!?

Ed. Bricknell, C. 1989. RHS Gardeners' Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0 86318 386 7. - not as good as the next.

Ed. Bricknell, C. 1996. RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Dorling Kindersley ISBN 1 84100 022 1. - essential reference.

Bloom, A. 1976. Plantsman's Progress. Terence Dalton Ltd. ISBN 0 900963 670. - interesting book with many anecdotal information on growing a wide range of interesting species.

Campell-Culver, M. 2001. The Origins of Plants. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0 7472 72144. - interesting book, but I have seen better.

Chatto, B. 1978. The Dry Garden. J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0 460 04317 X. - a classic.

Cox, P. 1979. The Larger Species of Rhododendron. Batsford. ISBN 0 7134 1747 1. - essential reference.

Don, M. 1998. Gardening Mad. SOMA Books. ISBN 1 57959 007 1. - a worthwhile interesting read - I can empathise with a lot of Monty Don's style.

Evans, A. 1974. The Peat Garden and its Plants. Dent. ISBN 0 460 04113 4. - a lot of useful information difficult to obtain else where.

Fairweather, C. 1990 (paperback). Azaleas Their Care and Cultivation. Cassell. ISBN 0 304 34006 5. - worthwhile information.

Grenfell, D. 1990. Hosta. The flowering foliage plant. Batsford. ISBN 0 7134 5072 X. - reference book, but the problem with Hosta books is the plethora of new varieties that come out each year and therefore their information on varieties goes out of date very quickly - almost as bad as computers!

Gorer, R. 1974. Living Tradition in the Garden. David & Charles. ISBN 74-81598. - a wonderfully thought provoking book; if you see a copy, buy it!

Grounds, R. 1974. Ferns. Pelham Books. ISBN 0 7207 0687 4. a classic reference on garden ferns.

Hadfield, M. Late 1950's? Pioneers in Gardening. The Garden Book Club. Valuable overview on this interesting subject.

Hay, T. 1938. Plants for the connoisseur. Putnam. A fascinating snapshot in time of plants at the leading edge of plantaholics.

Hinkley, D. J. 1999. The Explorer's Garden - Rare and Unusual Perennials. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-426-1. - part of a trilogy and an essential reference book if you are growing the type of plants sold in this country by Crug Farm Plants .

Hortus Veitchii re-print - a facsimile edition of a classic horticultural reference book, celebrates the centenary of its original publication.

Hoshizaki, B.J. and Moran, R.C., 2001, reprint 2002. Fern Grower's Manual. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-495-4. The essential overview of ferns across the World - essential.

Jekyll, G. 1899. Wood and Garden. Longmans, Green & Co. - a classic essential read, see what a wonderful photographer she was and this style of gardening has not changed hardly at all and the majority of the species she uses are the same today.

Johnson, A.T. 1937. A Woodland Garden. Country Life Ltd. This was a famous garden in its time, fascinating read and to realise what a wide range of plants he and his wife grew. His dream was for this garden to continue in perpetuity - sadly, as the majority of personal gardens disappear when their owners pass away, this wonderful garden at Rowen in the Conway Valley is no more, a few of the trees are still there but everything else has gone - wonder what will happen to "My Garden" and even this website!! Time will tell.

Kincaid, J. 2005. Among Flowers - A Walk in the Himalaya. The National Geographic Society. ISBN 0-7922-6530-0. An excellent read by the American author Jamaica Kincaid and is a personal account of this plant collecting expedition through the Himalayas with Dan Hinkley and Bleddyn and Sue from Crug.

Leeds, R. 2000. The Plantfinders Guide to Early Bulbs. David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 0805X. - good reference book, well written.

Leendertz, Lia. The Half-Hour Allotment. Frances Lincoln. - the most useful - and inspiring - single book on getting started on an allotment.

Fish, M. 1956. (ed. 2002.) We made a garden. Bell & Bain Ltd. ISBN 0 7134 8752 6. - One of those wonderfully written gardening books - read it and enjoy.

Moran, R. C. 2004, A Natural History of Ferns. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-667-1. If you are interested in ferns, this is essential as it will help you understand them, their life cycle, classification, fossils, adaptations, geography and people.

Phillips, R. & Rix, M. 1991. Perennials. Pan Books Ltd. vol.1. Early Perennials. ISBN 0 330 30936 9. vol. 2. Late Perennials. ISBN 0330 32775 5. All these Phillips/Rix books are excellent, their quality of photographs are superb, however you will find that many of these are now out of print!

Phillips, R. 1981. The Bulb Book. Pan Books Ltd. ISBN 0330 26481 8.

Phillips, R. 1978. Trees in Britain, Europe and North America. Pan. ISBN 0 330 25480 4.

Rice, G. & Strangman, E. 1993. The Gardener's Guide to Growing Hellebores. David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 9973 X. - a classic on Hellebores.

Rickards, M. 2000/1/2. The Plantfinder's Guide to Garden Ferns. David & Charles (UK). ISBN 07153 08068 (hardback) / 0 7153 1536 6. An essential reference book.

Salisbury, E. Sir. 2nd. Ed.1949. The Living Garden. Bell &Sons Ltd. One of my favourites for a more scientific approach to gardening, each chapter is a classic in its own right - interesting view of a definition of what is a garden.

Saunders, E. 1971. Wagtails Book of Fuchsias. Vol. 1. E.R.M. Saunders. Wonderful colour prints.

Schenk, G. 1997. Moss Gardening, including Lichens, Liverworts, and Other Miniatures. Timber Press. ISBN 0 88192 370 2. The classic on moss gardening.

Snoeijer, W. 2004. Agapanthus - A Revision of the Genus. Timber Press. ISBN 0 88192 631 0. Everything about the genus Agapanthus, an essential reference book.

The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs. Ed.2002. David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 10739. A standard essential reference book.

Ward, B. J. 2004. The Plant Hunter's Garden. The new explorers and their discoveries. Timber Press. ISBN 0 88192 696 5. A world of fascinating plants for adventurous gardeners.

Wharton, P., Brent, H., Justice, D. 2005. The Jade Garden. Timber Press. ISBN 0 88192 705 8. New and notable plants from Asia - mouthwatering!

Whitehead, S.B. 1959. Garden Clematis. John Gifford Ltd. Still a valuable reference today.

Whittle, Tyler. 1970. The Plant Hunters. Heinemann. ISBN 434 86483 8. To me this is one of the best books on this topic. Buy it if you can find a copy.

Woodcock, H.B.D. and Stern, W. 1950. Lilies of the World. Country Life Ltd. - an essential reference book.

Van Gelderen, C. J. and Van Gelderen, D. M. 2004. Encyclopedia of Hydrangeas. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-622-1. Everything imaginable about Hydrangeas - the reference book on this confusing genus.

Some of the above books may be available through Use their search facility to find out.

Timber Press - The publisher of Botanical and Horticultural Books - superb for reference books.

NHBS - the Environment Bookstore - the world's largest selection of wildlife, science and conservation books.

"With all thy getting get understanding" Proverbs iv. 7.