An in-depth guide to a plant group prized for its vivid blue hue. Renowned for its stunning blue flowers, agapanthus--sometimes known as the blue lily or lily of the Nile--is a group of rhizomatous plants native to southern Africa. First cultivated in the Netherlands in the late seventeenth century, it rose to prominence as a conservatory plant in England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries after certain varieties were found to be hardy enough to withstand the colder climate of the British Isles. Graham Duncan's The Genus Agapanthus provides both a revised classification of this plant group and a superbly illustrated celebration of their unique beauty. Featuring new watercolors from South African artist Elbe Joubert and color photographs showing the species in their spectacular and varied natural habitats, the book also highlights a selection of more than 150 of the most notable agapanthus cultivars from growers across Europe, Africa, and Oceania. The agapanthus's natural history is spotlighted as well, with comprehensive descriptions of each species, maps of their global distribution, and information on how to successfully cultivate, propagate, and care for them. This book's blend of science, horticulture, and art makes it essential for all varieties of plant lovers.

Known as "lilies of the Nile" (though they're native to South Africa), the showy perennials in the genus Agapanthus have been avidly collected and grown since they were discovered by Dutch explorers in the 17th century. The few species in the genus have been hybridized intensively, yielding hundreds of interesting and dramatic cultivars. Despite their huge popularity among gardeners, however, there has never been a truly comprehensive book on the genus, an oversight that has finally been corrected by author Wim Snoeijer, working in concert with Holland's Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society. With keys and more than 100 color photos as an aid to identification, this groundbreaking book is one no devotee of these plants can afford to be without.

DIVIn Plant by Numbers, author Steve Asbell takes interior container gardening to a much prettier level with 50 original planting projects presented through a fun, witty, recipe-style layout with full-color photos and custom planting diagrams. /div

This first complete account of all the bulbous plants of the Cape Floral Region is an essential aid to the identification of all species presently in cultivation.

These are all words that describe the singular appeal of plants with black (or near-black) foliage, flowers, or fruit. For some gardeners, they are curiosities that yield a special thrill when closely examined. For others, they are invaluable for creating sophisticated designs in which dark leaves and foliage provide essential contrast with brighter elements. Whatever the source of their somber magic, these dusky denizens of the plant kingdom are irresistible to gardeners-or indeed to anyone drawn to nature's more unusual manifestations.