New tree book set to be "essential reference work"

Gardeners looking to get their hands on some expert hints and tips have been invited to pick up a new book from the International Dendrology Society and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

New Trees: Recent Introductions to Cultivation looks at how the changing climate in the UK, Europe and North America has led to an alteration of treescapes in the past 30 years.

Designed to complement the existing standard encyclopaedic reference to trees by WJ Bean, the publication provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on 850 species introduced in recent decades.

Also contained in the book are sections on the horticultural requirements of each variety and modern tree growing techniques.

The first Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles was written by WJ Bean in 1941 and was last revised for the 8th time in the 1970s.

It has taken five years of research and writing to produce the new work, with contributions from gardeners around the world.

Authored by John Grimshaw, the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew predicts it will become "an essential reference work for all serious gardeners and anyone interested in trees or the origins of garden plants".

In other news, Kew will hold a vegetation survey training course between September 14th and 25th.