Just occasionally I am sent something that knocks off my socks. This is one of those times.
The Botanical Treasury is stunning, and would make a wonderful gift for someone who is interested in art, gardening, or just something on a different level to normal Christmas presents.
(or keep it for yourself and give them chocs. Yes, a much better idea.)
The Botanical Treasury celebrates 40 of the World’s most fascinating plants through rare prints and classic texts.
It contains 40 frameable prints, and though it costs £35 it is cheap at the price.
Within the hard cover are some of the great archival treasures of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The illustrations are breathtaking and the facsimile documents are fascinating.
Experts at Kew have chosen the collection, a collection including the passionflower, and the peony and even includes the Banksia, the Australian plant named after Sir Joseph Banks who travelled with James Cook on his first voyage of discovery.
This particularly moved me, because I have seen Banksia every time I have been in Australia researching a book and the illustration is superb.
Read the classic texts, such as Gerard’s herbal or The Histoirie of Plants 1597 and The Gardener’s Dictionary of 1731.
The Botanical Treasury: Price £35.00
Carlton Books have a great selection of other books, all of which cause me to salivate – but not on the books, of course.
Try this: for both the connoisseur and the newcomer, The Treasures of Champagne by Tom Bruce-Gardyne, celebrates this remarkable liquid by exploring how champagne has become so deeply embedded in the world’s consciousness.
The celebration of bubbly proves, once and for all, that the world would be a poorer place without champagne, as indeed would Christmas.
The Treasures of Champagne Price £ 40.00
Then there is TANKS – 100 years of armoured warfare by The Tank Museum and Robin Cross
Price £26.00
And on, and on. Have a look at their website and treat yourself, or if you’re noble, someone else.
www.carltonbooks.co.uk to see the range.