Fanatical gardeners, horticultural historians or fans of The Madness of King George will all find something to interest them in Ray Desmond’s Kew: The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Harvill, £25, ISBN 1 86046 076 3). Peopled with kings and queens, as well as plant collectors and great botanists, these meticulous gleanings from three centuries of archives document the development of Kew from a princess’s fancy to world famous research centre. This is a book to dip into after the garden’s gates have shut for the night.
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
2
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move
3
Asteroid to miss Earth by a quarter of the length from us to the moon
4
There has been a sudden increase in the rate of sea level rise
5
Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth
6
Carbon credits are flawed, but they can still help save forests
7
The mathematician who doesn’t exist
8
Neanderthal 'kneeprint' found next to mysterious stalagmite circle
9
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I've found the answer
10
What if the idea of the autism spectrum is completely wrong?
