Roy Lancaster: My Life with Plants (Royal Horticultural Society)

Having purchased most of Roy Lancaster's books over the many years he has been writing, it is tremendous to be able to now read his autobiography in his latest book 'My Life With Plants'. The size of this book is ideal to read in bed and that is what I have been doing this last week. It is so enjoyable that it is difficult to put down as I finish a chapter.I was most thrilled to find a fabulous index included with this book and also the way the photos have been incorporated into the book.A great read and will be enjoyed by anyone interested in horticulture. Roy being a world renowned tree man has shown and named botanically plants as we read through this book and where he has seen them in the wild through out the world. So interesting, I can but recommend it.

I had the privalidge of meeting this wonderful man at a Lecture he gave in the town of Ayr in Scotland,where he spoke for two hours on nearly 100Plants,trees & shrubs,with not a notebook to be be seen. An Amazing feet of memory.I asked how on earth he managed to remember all the Latin names, " Learn the names of three plants every day for the rest of your life and everything you need to know about them,you'll not go wrong young man" I did and I am very grateful to him for his advice.His book is very well written and you just feel you are having a conversation with him and he has had a very interesting life. this book is for real gardners and very enjoyable.So buy it now.

Roy's life story (so far) loads of super stories about his life experiences and the myriad of plants he discovered.If you like gardening you will love this book.

In the opening passage of his book, Roy Lancaster (‘RL’) recalls a morning in the spring of 2015 when he woke to the wonders of nature, a magnolia tree, a maple tree, and a Chilean fire tree, explaining to the reader his ‘good fortune in spending [his] life in the company of plants’. Born in Bolton in 1937, RL tells us that his early interest was more in birds than in plants. This very personal book takes us through the life of this Lancashire lad who became a renowned horticulturist. He joined the 1st battalion as part of his national service, and recalls vividly his journey on board SS Empire Orwell from Southampton to Singapore, where they were welcomed by the bagpipe band of the Gurkha contingent. He exploited his familiarity with Singapore and Malaya, venturing to the wonderful nature reserves, especially in the Cameron Highlands. He also visited the King George National Park in Pahang. He returned to the UK and had the good fortune, first of having being introduced to Harold George Hillier (‘HG’), and then working for and with him at the Arboretum. But all good men must spread their wings. Thus, after consulting HG, RL began his freelance career in 1980. From thence, RL was to meet diverse people in diverse places, including China and Japan. He covers some of the exotic plants that he encountered in Mount Shirouma and in Sichuan, where he discovered a new ‘Daphne’ plant. He aptly closed his book with the chapter, ‘The World in My Garden’. When the reader reaches the end of this autobiography, he will probably flip backwards just to admire the print, and, more, the innumerable photographs of his family, friends, and his extended family, the plants and flowers. The quality of the photographs alone makes the book a worthwhile acquisition.

This is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a true plantsman from his early beginnings to becoming the renowned expert we know today. A great read for any plantaholic!

What an interesting life he has had. A great read for both gardeners and non gardeners alike

This is a great read from Roy. You travel to the east where so many great plants come from.

a serious book

Cela fait des années que je lis la prose de Roy Lancaster et que je l'apprécie, il a un style inimitable et il a l'art de présenter des plantes extraordinaires dont je ne connaissais même pas le nom d'une façon qui vous donne envie de vous précipiter dans la première pépinière venue (ou vous ne les trouverez pas hélas).L'histoire de sa vie est vraiment intéressante et cet ouvrage a répondu à des questions que je me posais depuis longtemps sur son itinéraire. Un livre passionnant.