The ultimate Christmas gift for garden lovers, this is as valuable an addition to a gardener's library as the RHS Guide to Garden Plants. Published in two volumes, they are divided into trees and shrubs and perennials and annuals, ordered to reflect new developments in DNA identification and classification. "A photographic record of the genera of trees and shrubs/herbaceous plants of interest to the gardener" is an understatement. It is a visual feast of garden plants, gloriously illustrated with the pioneering botanical-drawing style photographs of Roger Phillips. The accompanying text by Martyn Rix is of the standard expected by someone so highly regarded in the horticultural world and holder of a Gold Veitch Memorial medal from the Royal Horticultural Society. He gives descriptions, key recognition features, ecology and geography and a personal comment for each genus making this a comprehensive guide to today's horticultural offerings. The author's partnership of nearly 30 years has resulted in a work totally in tune with and complemented by each other: a work of beauty and botanical fact combined making this an important new definitive work on the subject of garden plants. - Lucy Watson