An informative guide to choosing the best flowering plants for any garden and arranging them harmoniously in a given setting. Penelope Hobhouse begins by discussing flower qualities - colour, form, habit, season and scent - in relation to the whole plant and its contribution to the garden. Different flower garden styles are discussed in subsequent chapters - from natural gardening, through classic flower borders and beds, to more manicured styles of elegant formality.

Photographs of featured gardens demonstrate each of these themes. A personal and practical plant catalogue includes more than 700 flowering plants, with detailed information on how and where to use them in garden composition.