Seven of the best botanical books

Royal Gardens of the World
This new title by garden designer and Gardeners’ World presenter Mark Lane explores 21 of the world’s most interesting and impressive royal gardens – from the stately, pared-back lawns of the Taj Mahal to the organic vegetable patches of Highgrove. Lane delves into the history, plantings and layouts, as well as giving handy portraits of the flora and fauna. £35, Hachette

The Garden: Elements and Styles
Garden expert and historian Toby Musgrave’s A-Z of garden style begins with Allée and, fittingly, ends with Zeitgeist – which he defines as “eco-credentials” and “garden wellness”. Along the way, there are Fountains, Orchards, Prairie Gardens and Waterfalls – all lushly illustrated with some of the world’s most glorious gardens. £49.95, Phaidon

Thinking the Plant: The Watercolour Drawings of Rebecca John 
As the granddaughter of post-impressionist painter Augustus John, Rebecca John struggled to carve out her own identity as an artist. Instead, she pursued a career as a jewellery designer, then a picture researcher (a role which involved sourcing images for the cookbooks of legendary food writer Elizabeth David). But in her 30s, following the death of her father, she began painting grasses and flowers as a form of therapy. Thinking the Plant takes readers on a biographical journey through John’s relationship with art, with a blend of diary entries, notes and delicate watercolour illustrations. £30, Pimpernel Press, from 22 October

Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers
In the repressive society of Victorian England, flowers began to be used to communicate certain emotions. Botanical illustrator Jessica Roux explores these hidden meanings, explaining the historical uses and “feelings” behind an array of plants, decorated with delicately drawn pictures. £14.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing, from 15 October

Flower: Exploring the World in Bloom
This new Phaidon publication is a substantial survey of how art and culture have interpreted the floral world. Each page is dedicated to a single artwork – over 300 in total – spanning Roman frescoes and smartphone photography. The selection includes such floral masters as Jan Brueghel the Elder and Georgia O’Keeffe, but also highlights lesser-known names. Tanigami Kônan, for instance, is introduced with a delicate Japanese woodblock print of lupins; contemporary American artist Tiffanie Turner by a giant papier-mâché chrysanthemum. Quilt makers, jewellers, florists, fabric designers and botanical illustrators all feature, while the pairings across the pages – such as Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers alongside Canadian photographer Jeff Wall’s 1995 image A Sunflower – add further insights. £39.95, Phaidon

Rewild Your Garden
In recent years, the rewilding of public land and private farms has become key to conservation programmes. Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill suggests that even those with small outdoor spaces can be part of this. Her illustrated guide explores how to attract birds, bees and butterflies – whether you have a balcony herb garden or rambling estate.
£15, Hachette

Connectedness – An Incomplete Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene
For a deeper dive into the natural world, Connectedness aims to present all the key themes surrounding the issue of climate change. Featuring words and images from the likes of Björk, Greta Thunberg and artist Tomás Saraceno, it sets out to answer the question: how do we live together now? The book may be self-titled as “incomplete”, but it goes a long way to understanding the state of the earth today. DKK349.95 (about £43), Strandberg Publishing