More than 20,000 varieties of plants from all over the world make up the renowned 150-acre gardens at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens - the former estate of railroad and real-estate developer, Henry Huntington, in San Marino, California. Hundreds of these plants, from towering land-mark trees to minuscule rare desert succulents, are illustrated and described in this introduction to one of America's great gardens, created during a golden age of horticulture. The book explores the sweeping lawns, rare and familiar flowering plants, and breathtaking vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos and benches. A series of essays discusses the various theme gardens, including the desert garden and conservatory, which displays one of the world's largest collections of cacti and other succulents, and the rose garden, which depicts the history of the rose over 2000 years. The palm, bamboo, herb and camellia collections are also featured, and there is a description of the Huntington's research and educational programmes, which draw students of all levels, from elementary-school children to taxonomists.