I was delighted to come across this book, along with a few other treasures, in my local second-hand bookshop recently.

 

My fascination with dark plants must have started quite early in my training as a landscape architect, as I still have an old photograph of an Aeonium taken in a botanical garden many years ago.

 

When I worked with apprentices, I was surprised to discover they were equally fascinated by very dark-coloured plants. They would certainly have appreciated this book.

 

One of the standout features is the photography, which clearly shows the plants and includes their names, making it both inspiring and practical to use.

 

There are some particularly useful sections on combining dark plants with other colours, including ideas for cottage gardens, tropical schemes, and planting combinations with white and golden tones. 

 

The book also explores the history and future of dark plants, followed by a detailed A–Z of plant profiles with descriptions and photographs.

 

Overall, I think it deserves a place on any gardener’s or designer’s bookshelf. As always, I have no affiliate links to this book.

 

Available here: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780954576424/Black-Magic-Purple-Passion-Platt-095457642X/plp

 

#DarkPlants #GardenDesign #PlantLovers #LandscapeArchitecture #GardeningBooks