This is the tenth volume in the excellent "Garden Plant Series", written and photographed by the acclaimed horticultural duo Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix. A definitive work and the first major illustrated one in over 150 years. This volume focuses on annuals - those plants which germinate, flower, set seed and die within a year - and biennials - those plants which germinate one year and flower the next after a dormant winter. These plants are looked at and illustrated in depth, giving natural habitats and botanical structure for the gardener to analyse and thus understand their growth and favoured growing medium. Photographs from around the world show the plants in their wild localities together with cultivated forms in gardens. Also included are the famed botanical-drawing inspired colour photographs of Rix which highlight details otherwise overlooked in an outdoor setting. After a short introduction where the authors give basic growing information and garden usage - formal bedding, border fillers and natural plantings - they then embark on their global tour of this particular plant group. From the monsoon climate of China and the Himalayan foothills to the temperate climate of the Mediterranean, from windswept prairies to lush South America, annuals and biennials are found across the world, highlighting their ability to adapt to take advantage of local rainfall and temperatures to germinate, grow and perpetuate themselves. Many gardeners view annuals as being brash and found in polystyrene containers at the local garden centre. A look through this book will enlighten anyone of such a doubting nature and inspire them to grow their own from seed. Nowadays many are readily available, including the rarer types, and the list of seed suppliers in the introduction together with their web addresses should ensure many hours of pleasurable searching and discovery on the internet.
