RHS Genealogy for Gardeners is part of the bestselling series that includes RHS Latin for Gardeners and RHS Botany for Gardeners. This informative, easy-to-understand and beautifully designed reference book explores plant families and the plant family tree in unparalleled detail. From roses (Rosaceae) to rhubarb (Polygonaceae) and carrots (Apiaceae) to camellias (Theaceae), RHS Genealogy for Gardeners unlocks a wealth of practical information, helping you to identify, select and cultivate plants from over 70 families most familiar to gardeners. Along with details about the size, range, origin and appearance of each family, feature boxes highlight interesting facts and provide useful growing tips. Whether you are a gardener, horticultural student, budding botanist or plant enthusiast, RHS Genealogy for Gardeners will help you understand and appreciate the extraordinary diversity and unrivalled splendour of the plant kingdom.

Plant Families is an easy-to-use, beautifully illustrated guide to the more than seventy core plant families every horticulturist, gardener, or budding botanist needs to know. It introduces the basics of plant genealogy and teaches readers how to identify and understand the different structures of flowers, trees, herbs, shrubs, and bulbs. It then walks through each family, explaining its origins and range and describing characteristics such as size, flowers, and seeds. Each family is accompanied by full-color botanical illustrations and diagrams. "Uses For" boxes planted throughout the book provide practical gardening tips related to each family. By understanding how botanists create these groupings, we can become more apt at spotting the unique characteristics of a plant and identifying it faster and more accurately. Understanding plant families also helps us to make sense of- and better appreciate- the enormous biological diversity of the plant kingdom.

'Clever... valuable introduction to the study of plant science.' - Gardeners Illustrated RHS Botany for Gardeners is more than just a useful reference book on the science of botany and the language of horticulture - it is a practical, hands-on guide that will help gardeners understand how plants grow, what affects their performance, and how to get better results. Illustrated throughout with beautiful botanical prints and simple diagrams, RHS Botany for Gardeners provides easy-to-understand explanations of over 3,000 botanical words and terms, and show how these can be applied to everyday gardening practice. For easy navigation, the book is divided into thematic chapters covering everything from Plant Pests, and further subdivided into useful headings such as 'Seed Sowing' and 'Pruning'. 'Botany in Action' boxes provide instantly accessible practical tips and advice, and feature spreads profile the remarkable individuals who collected, studied and illustrated the plants that we grow today. Aided by this book, gardeners will unlock the wealth of information that lies within the intriguing world of botanical science - and their gardens will thrive as a result. This is the perfect gift for any gardener. Contents Includes... The Plant kingdom Growth, Form and Function Inner Workings Reproduction The Beginning of Life External Factors Pruning Botany and the Senses Pest, Diseases and Disorders Botanists and Botanical Illustration ... And Much More!

The definitive guide to botanical Latin Unlock the secrets of botanical Latin with this beautifully illustrated encyclopedia. The Gardener's Botanical contains definitions of more than 5,000 plant names—from abbreviatus ("shortened") to zonatus ("with bands")—along with more than 350 color illustrations. Scientific plant names are an invaluable tool for those who understand them. Formed from Greek and, more commonly, from Latin root words, not only do they make it possible for gardeners and botanists to communicate, they also contain a wealth of hidden information. The Gardener's Botanical is the key to unlocking these secrets. This guide contains a breathtaking array of botanical names in alphabetical order. Each word is listed with a pronunciation guide, definition, example plant, and, where appropriate, etymology. Also included in this illuminating guide are special features on important plant genera, fact boxes, essays focusing on the history and importance of Latin names and botanical illustrations, and an index of common names with more than 2,000 popular plants, cross-referenced with their binomial name in Latin.

Gardening can be frustratingly shrouded in secrecy. Fickle plants make seemingly spontaneous decisions to bloom or bust, seeds sprout magically in the blink of an eye, and deep-rooted mysteries unfold underground and out of sight. Understanding basic botany is like unlocking a horticultural code; fortunately learning a little science can reveal the secrets of the botanical universe and shed some light on what’s really going on in your garden. Practical Botany for Gardeners provides an elegant and accessible introduction to the world of botany. It presents the essentials that every gardener needs to know, connecting explanations of scientific facts with useful gardening tips. Flip to the roots section and you’ll not only learn how different types of roots support a plant but also find that adding fungi to soil aids growth. The pruning section both defines “lateral buds” and explains how far back on a shoot to cut in order to propagate them. The book breaks down key areas and terminology with easy-to-navigate chapters arranged by theme, such as plant types, plant parts, inner workings, and external factors. “Great Botanists” and “Botany in Action” boxes delve deeper into the fascinating byways of plant science. This multifaceted book also includes two hundred botanical illustrations and basic diagrams that hearken to the classic roots of botany. Part handbook, part reference, Practical Botany for Gardeners is a beautifully captivating read. It’s a must for garden lovers and backyard botanists who want to grow and nurture their own plant knowledge.

Since Latin became the standard language for plant naming in the eighteenth century, it has been intrinsically linked with botany. And while mastery of the classical language may not be a prerequisite for tending perennials, all gardeners stand to benefit from learning a bit of Latin and its conventions in the field. Without it, they might buy a Hellebores foetidus and be unprepared for its fetid smell, or a Potentilla reptans with the expectation that it will stand straight as a sentinel rather than creep along the ground. An essential addition to the gardener’s library, this colorful, fully illustrated book details the history of naming plants, provides an overview of Latin naming conventions, and offers guidelines for pronunciation. Readers will learn to identify Latin terms that indicate the provenance of a given plant and provide clues to its color, shape, fragrance, taste, behavior, functions, and more. Full of expert instruction and practical guidance, Latin for Gardeners will allow novices and green thumbs alike to better appreciate the seemingly esoteric names behind the plants they work with, and to expertly converse with fellow enthusiasts. Soon they will realize that having a basic understanding of Latin before trips to the nursery or botanic garden is like possessing some knowledge of French before traveling to Paris; it enriches the whole experience.

Whether you are planning a brand-new garden or looking for complementary plants to add to your existing one, RHS Colour Companion is an inspirational and highly practical sourcebook of ideas for incorporating colour into your garden. An introductory section explains the basics of colour in plants and how it can be harnessed, and colour-themed chapters then focus on each colour's uses in the garden. A gallery of garden elements for each colour then follows - from foliage and flowers to bark, fruit, berries and even hard landscaping materials. Each plant in the gallery is supported with cultivation guidance and suggestions for incorporating it into a planting plan for maximum impact. Advice is accompanied by tips for planting plans and photographs to help you visualize the finished effect.

"A flagship practical book of gardening techniques from RHS that shows up-to-date skills to a new generation of gardeners." -- Provided by publisher.

Flowering plant families of the world is the successor to Flowering plants of the world (1978).

Complete Planting Design Course takes a comprehensive approach to the complex process of Planting Design. It shows how to choose and combine plants for specific effects: for year-round color and interest; for drama and movement; and to overcome site difficulties. From initial vision to finished planting, the book clearly explains the practical steps, considerations, opportunities and decisions that need to be taken. This process can be applied to readers' own gardens, and it will also allow them to take their skills further into other people's gardens.