Gardening books often fall into one of two categories - instructive ‘how to’ manuals or glossy, inspirational coffee table books that look wonderful but showcase gardens most of us can only dream of. Fortunately, there is also a third category that can light the fires of inspiration and kindle an urge to grow in even the least green-fingered reader; intoxicating books that speak seductively of a love of plants, and the people who have found, bred and grown them.The Book of Garden Flowers is a compact, fascinating volume written by Christopher Stocks and enchantingly illustrated by Angie Lewin.
It is, in short, the perfect book to turn to if you're mulling over what to plant in your front yard or looking for ideas for an eye-catching maximalist border.Via the captivating stories of plant obsessives, this book showcases the charms of 19 different varieties, ranging from agapanthus and astrantia to hellebores, calendula, tulips, auriculas, and eryngiums - in other words, plants that many of us can, and do, grow in our yards.The early plant explorersMany of the agapanthus cultivars we grow today are descended from plants bred by British collector and enthusiast Lewis Palmer (Image credit: 2025 Angie Lewin)Instead of being simply about the plants, this gorgeously illustrated book brings a fascinating social element into play by talking about the people who first discovered and bred the different cultivars, revelling in their dedication - obsession, even - to travelling the wor.
