Common or Garden

Dr Ken Thompson was for twenty years a lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. He writes regularly on gardening for the Daily Telegraph . His previous book was Do We Need Pandas? The uncomfortable truth about biodiversity .>

Préface
Discover the hidden lives of Britain's most abundant plants, the stories of their names and folklore, and the science behind their success

Auteur
Dr Ken Thompson teaches on the Kew Horticulture Diploma, and was for twenty years a lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. He writes regularly on gardening for various publications. He is the author of Where Do Camels Belong? and Darwin's Most Wonderful Plants.

Texte du rabat

A beautifully illustrated spotter's guide to 52 of Britain's most successful plants - their names, stories, uses and quirks

Résumé
We often imagine that rarity is special - we seek out the most uncommon wild plants to tick off our lists, while overlooking the extraordinary appeal of the species we encounter day-to-day. Yet it's these plants -the most successful, able to adapt and thrive - which are truly fascinating. Botanist, writer and expert gardener Ken Thompson has set out to chart Britain's fifty most abundant wild plants and reveal the secrets of their success. He explores the roots of their common names, from the dog rose to Yorkshire fog, and explains the key traits that have led them to flourish across Britain. And, along the way, he shares his tricks for making your garden a haven for green life. Stunningly illustrated by Sarah Abbott, Common or Garden is a celebration of the everyday wonder of the plants that you can see, as Thompson enthuses, 'before you even have lunch'