Ornamental plants are the cornerstone of our gardens and we are spoiled for choice with literally tens of thousands of hardy beauties from which to select. But we take them absolutely for granted, not for a moment realising that every plant has a fascinating tale to tell. Wild Edens sets the record straight.

With global coverage, each of the nine richly illustrated chapters explores a plant biodiversity hotspot. The reader is transported on a visually stunning and fascinating voyage of discovery which reveals our garden favourites - as well as some species that should be more widely cultivated - in their natural habitats, from daffodils from Andalusia and tulips from the Tien Shan, to monkey puzzles from Chile and rhododendrons from the Himalayas, lilies from Japan and proteas from South Africa.

Because the authors have been to the hotspots, each chapter opens with their personal reflections on the landscape and spirit of place, and closes with their selection of prime locations. In between, the informative yet approachable text tells of the plants' 'forgotten stories'. Of the landscapes which are their home, the adventures of how and when they were discovered and by whom, the reasons why they were collected, their impact on garden fashions and trends, etc.

Wild Edens brings another dimension of interest and understanding to plants and gardens, as well as being a premium armchair traveller's guide to the natural world of garden plants.

Chris Gardner (Author)
Chris Gardner is a horticulturist, botanist and photographer who organises and leads specialist botanical tours worldwide. He is the author and photographer of 2 illustrated botanical field guides.

Toby Musgrave (Author)
Dr Toby Musgrave FSA FLS is a plants and gardens historian, independent scholar and consultant. He is the author or co-author of 18 books.

There are books that recognize famous garden designers and offer inspiration to would-be garden-makers. And there are thousands of manuals that will tell you how to garden. But only one tells the story of any garden's most important 'raw material' - its ornamental plants. Wild Edens is that book: global in scope and arranged geographically, it unveils ten biodiversity hotspots that are home to many of our garden treasures, such as Ixia dubia in the Western Cape and the Mediterranean's Crocus biflorus.

Each chapter includes a map, personal reflections from the author about exploring these often-remote locations, scene-setting descriptions on topography, geography, climate and flora, key botanical locations within the hotspot, a plant compendium and summary of how the plants impacted garden fashions/styles.


Tapping into the revival in interest of nature, gardening and the natural world, this is a premium armchair traveller's guide to interesting plants, flora and fauna from around the world, often from locations that are hard to visit, even without a global pandemic.