Gardening

Revealing a world of secret messages contained within a single petal.

Floriography – the language of flowers – is the ancient art of encoding hidden messages in the type, colour and arrangement of plants, allowing individuals to express emotions and sentiments that they may not be able to articulate through words.

Featuring 100 of the most popular and available blooms from around the world, this beautifully illustrated gift book gives the botanical name for each plant, a description of its significance and place in folklore, and the story behind its meaning. It also reveals how floral symbolism has been used over the centuries in literature and art, from Hamlet's Ophelia handing out rosemary 'for remembrance' and pansies 'for thoughts', to Oscar Wilde urging his friends to wear green carnations as a subtle code for homosexuality. The idea that flowers have secret meanings would have been well understood by contemporary audiences – and we are seeing a revival of the practice today.

From mimosa – which signifies chastity because its leaves close when touched – to the varied messages encoded within different colours of geraniums, Floriography offers a creative way to convey feelings and can add an extra layer of beauty and significance to a gift of flowers.

The flowers in Kate Middleton's wedding bouquet signified love, happiness, gallantry and fidelity.

If someone sends you a bouquet of hydrangea and lobelia, beware: they stand for heartlessness and malevolence.

Step into a Persian paradise, wander through a Mughal masterpiece or lose yourself in Monet's blooming haven at Giverny - The Garden Through Time brings 45 extraordinary gardens to life in a beautifully illustrated journey across the world and through the centuries.

From peaceful medieval cloisters to imaginative modern spaces like New York's High Line, each garden offers inspiration and ideas you can adapt at home, whether you have a sprawling garden or just a few pots on a balcony.

With stunning artwork and accessible, thoughtful tips throughout, this book blends the joy of discovery with practical insight. It's a celebration of the garden in all its forms - ideal for anyone looking to reimagine their outdoor space or simply explore the beauty of gardens from their own armchair.

Happy Plants will tell you everything you need to know about how to boost your mood with the happiest house plants, herbs, flowers and fronds.

It has long been known that immersing ourselves in the natural world makes us happy. But what are the happiest plants? How do you make the most of their joy-bringing properties like scent, taste and colour? And how do you bring this positive plant power into your life?

Happy Plants features 100 planty reasons to be cheerful, with engaging and authoritative text and gorgeously colourful images from leading gardening charity the Royal Horticultural Society. From cut flowers and containers to forests and fields, each entry will describe how plants can fight sadness, induce calm and otherwise brighten your day - and how you can make these accessible species happy, too.

For centuries we have harnessed the ancient wisdom of botanical healing, with plants used for a multitude of remedies that nurture both body and soul.

Kew: The Apothecary's Garden is a fascinating exploration of nature's pharmacy and the healing power of plants, from soothing hops, chamomile and valerian, and invigorating guarana, maca and ginseng, to the infection-fighting turmeric and tea tree and the immunity-boosting turkey tail mushroom. Herbal remedies, natural tinctures, and the historical and botanical background of plants are revealed through expert text and beautiful illustrations from the renowned Kew archive.

This curious history of plants that heal describes the incredible properties of over 60 species. Exploring the original folk remedies they inspired and the science behind them, this is the weird and wonderful story of how humans have harnessed nature's apothecary.

Take a trip into the world of hallucinogenic plants.

From ancient ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon to substance-fuelled partying in the Summer of Love, psychoactive plants have been used for thousands of years for everything from shamanic ceremonies to staying awake. The Psychedelic Garden is a fascinating exploration of these incredible species that, for centuries, have helped shape the way we see the world.

With expert text and gorgeous botanical illustrations from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this mind-expanding book delves into the folklore, cultural relevance and botanical background of these remarkable plants.

Historic Royal Palaces: Royal Blooms is a fascinating exploration of how plants and flowers have formed an integral part of the crown, from the past through to present day.

From mulberry and myrtle to pomegranate and poppy, this beautifully illustrated and expertly written book depicts in detail how plants and flowers have been used by various royals throughout the centuries not just for power, politics and status but more recently, celebration. This four-colour beautiful, upmarket gift book is filled with interesting facts and captivating stories alongside stunning botanical illustrations and historical photographs from the Historic Royal Palaces archive, all focused on the crown's fascination with plants and flowers, from the war of the roses to royal wedding bouquets and everything in between.

The Royal Horticultural Society's The Rose tells the story of the world's favourite flower through 40 of the most popular and interesting species and hybrids. Arranged chronologically, The Rose brings to life the arrival of each flower in European gardens, detailing the history of the layout of rose gardens and the role that roses play in the 'language of flowers'.

From the first recorded reference to a rose over 7,000 years ago, these extraordinary flowers have captivated botanists, artists, poets, perfumers and gardeners. A symbol of love and patriotism, a scent and flavour synonymous with the East, and the jewel in the crown of ornamental gardens, roses in all their forms bear a special meaning that spans centuries and crosses oceans.

Extraordinary botanical illustrations and extracts from classic texts held in the Royal Horticultural society's world-famous Lindley Library, such as Redouté's Les Roses, Henry Andrew's Roses, Mary Lawrence's Selection of Roses and Victor Paquet's Choix des Plus Belles Roses, complete this authoritative celebration.

Houseplants not only make your space look stylish, they are good for both your physical and mental health. That is… until you kill one (or three). There is nothing more heartbreaking and soul-destroying than watching your beautiful green friend die a slow death in front of your very eyes, despite all of your love and attention. Was it too much water? Not enough? Some sort of insect infestation? The reasons for planticide can seem endless!

In The Unkillables, Jo Lambell shares her houseplant knowledge so that even the biggest plant serial killers can have an abundant indoor garden. According to Jo, the biggest mistake many people make is buying the plant they like, not buying the plant for the space that they have, and not accepting the sort of plant parent they are able to be - someone with a warm flat who is rarely home cannot offer the same as the person in a big house who is always in. With this in mind, Jo starts the book with a comprehensive Plant Parent Quiz, which will help you to decide the plants that are best for you and your home. She then details 40 low-maintenance plants and how to keep them healthy and happy.

Create 15 beautifully-crafted handmade projects for your garden. From the smallest to the largest of spaces - whether a window box, balcony or acres of land - a garden can be elevated from everyday to extraordinary with this selection of makes that will transform and make the most of your outdoor space.

Nurturing our outdoor spaces can be transformative, giving us a connection with the natural world that is essential to a harmonious life. Created by Kerry Allen - whose blog Kezzabeth is the ultimate guide to creating stylish interiors from scratch on a tight budget.

the projects range from simplicity itself to impressive, large-scale makes. Whether you're a DIY novice or handy with a hammer, Maker. Garden will help you to develop your skillset from scratch and build your confidence with tools, or add to your expertise, making your garden a comfortable and stylish haven.

Gate - Rustic garden screen - Fire pit - Tile planter - Planter with seating - Doormat - Rustic tray - Pallet seating - Star lantern - Storage rack - Bird box - Living herb feature wall - Scaffold bench - Storage chest - Concrete candle holder

Weeds is a beautiful collection of the most fascinating vagabond plants around. Gorgeous botanical illustrations from the Royal Horticultural Society's archives highlight the delicate charms of 50 captivating species, while in-depth profiles provide key information for the modern gardener on the identification, cultivation and usefulness of weeds.

These subversive species no longer need to be seen as "plants out of place". Their natural untamed beauty, ability to thrive under challenging conditions, and the attraction of growing species native to their surroundings have all taken weeds from undesirable to covetable. In the modern wild garden, where harmony with nature is key, weeds are finally getting their moment in the sun.