With over a million visitors a year, Kew is one of the world's best-loved gardens. As well as having a fascinating history and holding an unchallenged position as the world's leading botanical research institute, it is a paradise for plant lovers, offering a wealth of ideas and inspiration for every gardener. Allen Paterson charts the evolution of Kew from private pleasure ground to public park to international institution. This story includes a cast of royalty, scientists, landscape designers and artists, at first being influenced by, later leading the development of plant collections elsewhere in Britain and around the world. This book will be beautifully illustrated with photographs of the garden today and archive illustrations from the Kew collection. It is published to tie in with the 250th Anniversary of Kew and is published by Frances Lincoln in association with the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew.