"Botanic Gardens: A Living History" is a comprehensive and practical guide to the world's foremost botanic gardens. This visually stunning book unearths the fascinating history of the botanic garden, from the first modern gardens founded in Northern Italy in the sixteenth century, to the technological achievements of contemporary gardens, such as the Eden Project in Cornwall. "Botanic Gardens" draws on a range of iconographic and textual treasures including photography, architectural plans, drawings, scientific journals and personal accounts. The key personalities involved in the establishment of the gardens are profiled - an extraordinary catalogue of explorers, scientists, noblemen, botanists, visionaries and dreamers. The architecture of the gardens is explored and the gardens' relationship with the wider world is also dealt with in depth. Featuring text by a range of writers including historians, scientists, horticulturalists and architects, this book is the only truly comprehensive and up to date survey of these institutions. Global in scope and culturally important, "Botanic Gardens" is a vibrant beautiful book.