Describes individual plants, retells their history and emphasises their importance as decorative, culinary and medicinal companions. The book reveals our floral heritage and how it has developed, be it from a quirk of nature or an ancient hybrid. It tells the story of garden history and how the trends of garden fashion have resulted in the diverse legacy that we have today. The book also shows readers how to help protect this legacy by growing endangered flowers in their gardens. A directory provides a list of 80 favourite old-fashioned flowers grouped by growing habits. The Resources section lists details of suppliers and heritage plant organisations.