Garden Flora

Garden Flora: The Natural and Cultural History of the Plants In Your Garden

The oldest rose fossil was found in Colorado and dates to 35 million years ago. Marigolds, infamous for their ability to self-seed, are named for an Etruscan god who sprang from a ploughed field. And daffodils—an icon of spring—were introduced to Britain by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago.

Every garden plant has an origination story, and Garden Flora, by noted garden designer Noel Kingsbury, shares them in a beautifully compelling way. This lushly illustrated survey of 133 of the most commonly grown plants explains where each plant came from and the journey it took into home gardens. Kingsbury tells intriguing tales of the most important plant hunters, breeders, and gardeners throughout history, and explores the unexpected ways plants have been used. Richly illustrated with an eclectic mix of new and historical photos, botanical art, and vintage seed packets and catalogs, Garden Flora is a must-have reference for every gardener and plant lover.

From the Back Cover

The plants we grow in our gardens have dual personalities. All of them originated in the wild, and evolved highly specific traits in response to their environments. But then humans took them up—either for their beauty or their useful qualities—and changed them, altering their colors, foliage, fragrance, size, and hardiness in order to align them with our wants and needs. Kingsbury relates these absorbing histories with erudition as well as a story-teller’s instinct for revealing detail. In all, he covers 133 plant groups that are the mainstays of our gardens. The time you spend poring over the pages of Garden Flora will not only bring you pleasure; its rich and varied stories will also make you a better, and better-informed, gardener.