A major book on the life of the alpine flower for gardeners and professionals, co-published with the Alpine Garden Society. The book covers the key aspects of the alpine flower relevant to those wishing to get the most of their plants in the garden by understanding them in the wild. Well illustrated throughout, the book covers:

• Introduction; with a working definition of the term 'alpine plant'
• Arctic and alpine ecosystems
• Survival, growth and development, including hazards, pests and diseases
• Climate: the effect of low temperatures, precipitation and drought tolerance with relevance for the gardener
• The impact of snow cover
• Geology and soils
• Mineral nutrition: the essential mineral elements contained in soils
• Reproduction: development of the flower; various methods of pollination, attracting pollinators/facilitating a good seed set; seed dispersal and germination; vegetative propagation
• Impact of global climate change and dealing with changes and rainfall pattern disruptions in lowland gardens
• Factors influencing the origin and present distribution of arctic and alpine plants.