How do you educate yourself on these horticultural matters? Try visiting lots of our big plant collections - most of them seem to be either within 10 miles of Haywards Heath in Sussex or within 10 miles of Truro in Cornwall. Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place are particularly good because they're so huge and everything is so well labelled. If you want to make that important leap from being a Garden Enthusiast to a Gardener, try and stick to Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4. Proper stuff, that. Of the books recommended below, some may be out of print. The first two mentioned, however, are definitely available - we have substantial stocks!

For Reference

Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw Published by Harper Collins New from Harper Collins in Autumn 2005. A definitive and exhaustive compendium on the subject written by Christine Shaw, manager of our nursery in Chichester. For a signed copy send £25.00 + £7.50 P&P to: Architectural Plants, Nuthurst, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6LH

Architectural Plants (Collins Gem Series) by Christine Shaw Published by Harper Collins Ideal for putting in your pocket when out and about visiting nurseries or gardens or even other countries. As with its bigger brother above, it is also available direct from us for £4.99 + £1.00 P&P to the same address as above.

Hillier's Manual of Trees and Shrubs

by H.G.Hillier

Published by David & Charles

Incredibly useful little reference book. Comprehensive for virtually everything except herbaceous and alpine plants. Very affordable.

Trees & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

by W.J.Bean

Published by John Murray

The Bible. Extremely authorative. Lots of entertaining anecdotal information in 5 fat volumes. The Penultimate Present for all tree lovers. A bit dear, but worth every penny. The Ultimate Present is, of course, an architectural plant.

Exotic Gardening in Cool Climates

by Myles Challis

Published by 4th Estate

An introduction to the idea of using outrageous plants in your garden.

The Gardeners' Encyclopaedia of Plants and Flowers

Published by the R.H.S

Masses of small colour photos covering a huge range of plants. Like many plant books, has the maddening habit of often showing you what the flower looks like, rather than what the plant looks like.

Tropica

by Alfred Byrd Graf

Published by Roehrs Company

"7,000 photographs in Living Colour". It doesn't mention that some of them are not all that great as photographs go, but who cares when you've got 7,000 to choose from? Many of the plants featured are far from Tropical, despite the title. We use it a lot.

Perennial Garden Plants

by Graham Stuart Thomas

Published by J.M. Dent & Sons

Any book by the immensely knowledgeable Mr. Thomas is worth having.

A Guide to Hardy Ferns

by Richard Rush

Published by The British Pteridological Society

One of my favourite books. All his information seems to come from first-hand experience rather than some dusty old library. No pictures, no matter.

For Inspiration

Caribbean Style

Published by Thames & Hudson

Full of lovely photos of plants and buildings to inspire you.

The Sub-Tropical Garden

by Gil Hardy & Jacqueline Walker

Published by Godwit Press

A newish book from New Zealand that comes highly recommended. Many of the plants featured in this book cannot be grown in Britain, but it doesn't matter; there are many valid points made in the text about the ideas behind creating gardens with a natural look based on foliage and architectural plants. Great stuff.

The English Garden Abroad

by Charles Quest-Ritson

Published by Viking

Contains a number of photos of some truly outstanding gardens, mostly in the Med.

Tropical Bamboo

Published by Rizzoli International Publications Inc.

Some of the pictures of bamboos in this book are enough to make you weep. Full of wizard ideas for what to do with your old canes - providing they're at least five inches in diameter. No matter, it's still an inspiring book.

The Gardens of California

by Nancy Goslee Power

Published by Thames and Hudson

Includes some delicious pictures of spiky plants and beautifully pruned trees - possibly reflecting some Japanese influence on West Coast American gardens.

Any Book about Japanese Plants, Gardens or Gardening

by Absolutely Anyone

Our sort of gardening probably has more in common with Japanese that European horticultural tradition. Any information on 'how they do it' is worth having.

For Inspiration and Reference

www.treeshapers.com

Creative tree surgery taken to its logical conclusion. It's what we blather on about all the time but, to be honest, these guys from San Francisco explain it so much better than we do . Brilliant stuff - essential viewing.

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The Bookshop at the R.H.S Garden at Wisley in Surrey has most of these, plus many, many more. It's by far the best selection of horticultural books in the country. A visit there is ESSENTIAL