BRITAIN’S WILD FLOWERS

This book is not just about spotting the glorious golodenrod or eyebright on your rural perambulations, it aims to bring the world of these precious wild flowers alive. They are not merely rustic adornments but living embodiments of superstition, medicinal practices, literature and folklore. They are a botanical encapsulation of the history of the rural world. And Rosamond Richardson’s diverting book pays homage.

From the dandelion we picked as smalls to the borage we put in ice cubes for sundowners, wild flowers have myriad uses. They have delightful names and pretty blooms, although some have terrible side effects, such as hogweed, which smells pungent and leaves blisters on skin from a mere touch.

Big, small, dangerous or delightful, Richardson’s 280-page book, arranged alphabetically and with colourful line drawing to identify each wild flower, is a boon companion. By Rosamond Richardson National Trust, £10