Types of plants such as camellias, pelargoniums, fuchsias, magnolias, euphorbias, hibiscus and bougainvillaea grow outdoors in Mediterranean or subtropical climates. Most of these plants need the shelter of a cool greenhouse or conservatory in areas that have frost in winter, and a few need heat. All of them can be grown outdoors in the UK summer. This work contains chapters on the garden and greenhouse cultivation of these species, types of conservatory and the habitat of species in the wild.

Photographs by: Roger Phillips, Martyn Rix