Another sweeping novel from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author...

This is the story of the Tradescants, father and son, who, despite being humble gardeners, lived at the very centre of English political life in the Seventeenth Century.

They pioneered the art of gardening or more correctly the whole study of botany at a time when the world was opening up like a treasure chest of riches to merchant adventurers and explorers.

John Tradescant introduced the horse chestnut tree to Britain and hundreds of other species. His job as gardener and confidante first to Lord Cecil, Queen Elizabeth's renowned spymaster, then to the charismatic and erotically dangerous royal favourite the Duke of Buckingham, gave him an extraordinary role in the most turbulent period of English history - brilliantly evoked by the author. The garden very much took its place as an important symbol in the Tudor and Stuart view of the cosmos. This would change, just as Civil War would do away with the very institution of the monarchy.

Sumptuous, beautiful, deeply interesting about both history and horticulture and above all a wonderful story, this is Philippa Gregory's finest novel.