RHS Latin for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored: More than 1,500 Essential Plant Names and the Secrets They Contain

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The book, beautifully illustrated with old woodcuts, explains how and why plants have been named, includes handy lists of identifying adjectives, and takes the reader down some of the stranger byways of human endeavour and eccentricity. It is rewarding to figure out the meaning of a plant name – it also really helps me to remember plant names! No negativity, no-one criticises what some would think is an easy question, just loads of help and encouragement delivered with a smile.

Harrison's "Latin in Action" sections were cute and nicely illustrated but it bugged me that in the explanation of Aconitum napellus monkshood, "like a little turnip, referring to the roots" the illustration does not include the root! As gardeners I think we should all get to grips with botanical Latin because it is an international language that we can all communicate in.First, the book only includes species names so at best you will only have half (the epithet) of any particular binomial. RHS Latin for Gardeners is an informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated unraveling of the mysteries of botanical Latin. I was pleasantly surprised how many I had guessed correctly, such as Cymbalaria muralis (“growing on walls”), and the information hidden within these words delivers excellent guidelines for planting… if a plant is from Buenos Aries it will like heat and sunshine, right? The book itself – a hardback – has a lovely cover and is nicely bound… it looks pretty on your bookshelf!

In the first, History, he points out that botanical Latin can be entertaining rather than off-putting, and recites historical stories of how plants got their names. I love this site, full of top tips for growing your own and lots to appeal to those of us trying to do it on a budget.Parker’s Little Book of Latin is not intended to be a dictionary with a comprehensive alphabetical index. Vital to the protection of plants, gardens and green spaces for future generations, the RHS helps over two million school children get into gardening and supports more than 1,700 communities to create their own gardens, encouraging people to grow their own food. While it is not a book to sit down and read from cover to cover, the pages that highlight different plants or explain different types of plant names make for a nice mix of pleasure reading to go with the reference material.

Behind the Name’ feature boxes further increase the book’s practical value, and a wide range of botanical watercolours ensure that it is beautiful as well as functional. RHS Latin for Gardeners by Lorraine Harrison explains all those tricky-to-pronounce botanical words attached to our dear plants, herbs and flowers. It's going to take some time to properly enjoy it, and it's also one that I will keep by my chair to refer to often.Financial Times OnlineRHS Latin for Gardeners is an informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated unravelling of the mysteries of botanical Latin. An essential addition to the gardener’s library, this colorful, fully illustrated book details the history of naming plants, provides an overview of Latin naming conventions, and offers guidelines for pronunciation. WordsAndHerbs 2011-2023 Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited.